 Introduction
During this years Navshield in July, one of the competitors told us
that they had found an overhang with aboriginal paintings, while going
up to a Checkpoint (68 I think). We had found a number of other sites
in this park and I am keen to see this one.
Friday was forecast rain, so I wasn't upset when Shane suggested we
drive down Saturday morning. Who likes packing up a wet tent? But it
was great weather, it seems the new weather channel wants to dramatize
everything, like the other channels.
Saturday and Sunday were ideal weather, mostly sunny with small
fluffy clouds above in a blue blue sky, temps in the 20s and night only
down to 10 or so.
Saturday
Parked at Mill Creek camping area and walked the side creek to check
it out. A pleasant walk though creek bush on a rough foot pad. Then
move over to the 11km track, to follow it north then east, to an
obvious spur, to join the ridge system we wished to walk. Very cliffy
at the start but easily negotiated, then mild slope. It did cross the
11 km track again on top of the ridge, but saved 3-4 km track walk.
Still it is a nice track walk for those who haven't done it before.
Ridges separated by creeks are a feature of this park and you can
wander for miles twisting this way and that, without having to loose or
gain much height. The ridge system is made up of a series of knolls
with saddles between only about 30m the maximum height loss or gain.
Navigation is easy until you lose your position, then it becomes much
more difficult as there aren't too many distinguishing features to help
out in locating yourself again.
Shane and I are targeting the stick structure over the hole atop the
hollow rock, today. Then we plan to find the reported overhang with
aboriginal painting, and eventually to camp in a tributary of Sugee Bag
Creek. On the way back tomorrow we plan to view the extensive rock
platform with many carvings chipped, by aboriginals using stone
chisels, to make a ceremonial ground.
During the Navshield event held in July these ridges were moderately
scrubby with lots of wild flowers. There are often foot pads because
the area is popular with bushwalkers.
This time the ridges were still moderately scrubby with foot pads
but  the scrub was ablaze with wild flowers, shrubs
of yellow flowers in many different shades, shrubs of pink flowers of
various exciting shades, shrubs of lilac flowers, shrubs of cream to
white flowers, shrubs of crimson or crimson and black flowers. There
were many individual flowers and ground orchids in between. On Sunday
we did see one very early flowering waratah, beautiful crimson
specimen.
As you can imagine it was a delight to walk this country on such a
beautiful day. We took turns with the navigation and rout finding and
walked directly up to the strange, very neat stick structure. It was
still as we left it two months ago, probably hasn't had too many
visitors since Navshield (none I would imagine:-). Shane didn't know
what to make of it either. The two kerosene lanterns still in their
wrappings were still there in the cave below the sticks. This rock
overhang isn't very big, but has two entrances, one on top where the
sticks are and one in the side. It would be a "comfy fit for a couple,
but you would need to do some rockwork gardening for a level bed. As
you can see the sticks are neatly cut and tied together with twine. No
idea what for.
We then wandered on a 1/2km or so to the spur that used to hold
check point 68. The spur has a couple of small cliff lines, these were
easy to find our way through but there were no overhangs with
paintings. Mmmmm looks like I recorded the wrong CP number, oh well,
I'll try again some other time.
A simple matter to push through the scrub to the creek where we
found water and a clear rock slab to boil the billy. Shane explored
downstream a little and found a relatively clear flat spot. 16:00 hrs,
that will do us. So we set up camp and got a good cooking fire going.
Log to sit on, good clear water in the nearby stream, flat ground only
a little gardening required, what more could you wish?
A pleasant evening preparing and eating dinner as we enjoyed the
darkening bush about us. To low down to see the sunset but that seemed
to be very colourful too. I was sleeping out so appreciated the clear
starry night. All well, a great place to sleep and awaken. 
Sunday morning we cast about walking up the spur back to the ridges
but again no luck with the overhang and paintings. Then on back to the
car along the ridge tops. Rocky outcrops, cliffs, careful navigation
(only difficult to find yourself if you lost your place). Enough trees
to provide shade where needed usually on the climbs out of saddles.
Scrub not too thick foot pads every now and then, flowers every where
you look, magic. Of course we take the time to sniff the flowers along
the way, it's that kinda day.
At one place, found a very alert brown snake in possession of the
foot pad track. One photo, then we left it to its territory and bush
bashed around, of to one side.
Shane was most taken with the aboriginal rock engravings, and
explored the whole rock platform. There are two deep carved out
waterholes suitable to supply a good size coroboree. Shane added our
names to the NPWS log book before we followed the track back to the
11km circuit and so on to the car.
Thank you, Shane. A great Walk, it is a pleasure to share this
experience with you. Till next time. Copyright Dug Floyd, September
2010.
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