Date: 13th August, 2014
Distance: ~9 km
Time: 5 h 30 min
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| Double twin cascades on Christmas Creek |
While many people were jumping into their cars ready to spend the day gorging themselves on candy and dagwood dogs (whatever they are), buying gimmicky showbags and wading through a sea of nefarious human-faring viruses on the Ekka public holiday, me and dad were jumping into our car ready to make our first visit to the southern section of Lamington National Park around Christmas Creek.
The last 5 km of Christmas Creek Road is gravel but we had no trouble in dad's 2WD. There's space at the end of the road for half a dozen cars or so, and you head through the signed gate and walk 150 m to the national park entrance and the start of the walk.
Immediately the track leads to a crossing at Christmas Creek. We would have had no trouble crossing over the rocks at this point, but decided to take the large fallen log over the creek option a little way further upstream instead for fun.
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| Crossing at Christmas Creek. The fallen log is a fun alternative to rock hopping |
We were surprised how obvious and well-trodden the track was from here to Westray's Grave. I had been expecting something more like a vague foot-pad, but it seemed like it must get some pretty heavy use (though we didn't see anyone else today). The path keeps on the right side of the creek all the way to the grave site, with the occasional small waterfall or cascade providing a good opportunity for a break and some photos.
Half an hour in, we encountered the first small waterfall. Until this point the track was flat and would probably make a nice short trip for a group short on time or looking for a very easy walk.
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| First waterfall along Christmas Creek |
Beyond here, the track begins to wind up and down as it crosses numerous western tributaries of Christmas Creek.
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| Buttressed roots crossing the path |
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| Spotting Christmas Creek from the trail |
20 minutes past the first waterfall, we crossed a dry (but very wide and distinctive) rocky creek with a number of large boulders to scramble over. Markers on both sides of the creek indicate suitable entry/exit points. Shortly afterwards we visited another pretty rock pool with cascades and a slightly larger waterfall a short way upstream.
Not long from here, an obvious, taped, sickeningly steep track to the right heads up through the rainforest, leading to the Stinson wreck. Fortunately Westray's Grave lay straight ahead along a relatively flat path, just a few minutes from that turnoff.
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| Plaque at James Westray's Grave |
James Westray's story is interesting. Nearly 80 years ago, a Stinson airline crashed into Lamington NP. Westray was one of three survivors (and the most unscathed), and went off in search of help. Unfortunately he met his end slipping down a waterfall, and was found by Bernard O'Reilly, a local experienced bushman who ventured into the impenetrable rainforest to rescue the remaining survivors. O'Reilly's book Green Mountains recounts his rescue story and would be a nice addition to this walk!
From Westray's Grave you can continue on up Christmas Creek to Larapinta Falls. There's no formal markings here and, aside from the odd bit of tape and a few vague footpads, you pretty much have to make your own way rock hopping up the creek.
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| Dad looking for the best place to begin our rock hop up Christmas Creek |
We slowly made our way upstream, alternating between rock hopping and scrub bashing on banks either side of the creek, whichever seemed most appropriate at the time. It was a lot of fun and really unlike anything else I've done before. However, in addition to slippery rocks, wide rock pools and scunge, we also encountered a new foe here: some hidden plant that we both brushed past at some point and which left our legs stinging for a couple of hours.
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| Vibrant rainforest fungi |
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| Dad working his way up Christmas Creek |
We stopped for lunch after about 70 minutes of walking, and convinced ourselves that we must have come up the wrong tributary, as we hadn't seen any markers for at least half an hour, and by our reckoning should have hit Larapinta Falls already. So we didn't push on any further.
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| This was about as far as we got... our lunch spot at the crazy old man tree roots |
On the return we noticed several more markers that we didn't see on the way... so we were probably on the right track after all. Larapinta Falls may have just been around the next bend of the creek! I will have to return some day to find out.
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