LOWER COLO GORGE LOOP

Tootie Creek

Lagoon at Bilpin after about 28km. Follow Mountain Lagoon Rd for 12km to a turnoff to the left to Bean Lane—the last few kilometres are unsealed. Continue along Mountain Lagoon Rd for another 500m and turn left onto Sams Way. Follow Sams Way for 1.2km to where a fire trail branches off north, and there is a sign saying, “Walking Tracks—Colo Meroo and Tootie Creek”. Park your car here.

FEES/COSTS/PERMITS

No fees or permits are required for the walk.

DIFFICULTY & NAVIGATION

The walk is a mix of fire trail, rough foot track and off-track walking, the latter mainly in the Colo River. The route largely follows ridges and the river, so navigation is relatively straightforward.

Suggested campsite

Mountain Lagoon Trail

Lookout

Colo Meroo Campground

However, the foot tracks have limited markings, and some scouting may be needed to determine the right route. Both days require a solid level of fitness, with around 500m of elevation change.

Depending on water levels, the going in the river can be quite slow. Assume 1-2km per hour. Ideally, the water level as measured by the Upper Colo gauge (bom.gov.au/fwo/IDN60233/ IDN60233.563033.tbl.shtml or, if that’s too long a string of characters to search for, try tinyurl.com/2ss2e9za) should be under 1.00m. If the water level is above 1.30m, walking upstream in the river will be very difficult, and it is worth considering reversing the route. If the water level is above 1.80m, there will probably be a considerable amount of swimming, and it may be best to postpone a trip at this level.

Equipment

Depending on the water level, and your choice of route, deep wades or short swims may be encountered in the river. All of your gear should be waterproofed using either double garbage bags or waterproof dry bags. Also, wear shoes that you are happy walking with in the water, or take a pair of sandshoes— such as Dunlop Volleys—that you can change into at the start of the wading. Another useful item for walking in the river is a walking pole. There is plenty of ‘Colo quicksand’—the type of deep sand where your foot goes in 30cm more than you expect and you tip over into the water aided by the weight of your pack. A walking pole or even a stick can help prevent this. Lastly, a free-standing tent is handy for camping on sand banks.

Access To Water

You will be in the Colo River, which is always flowing, from around lunchtime on the first day to lunchtime on the second day. Many walkers are happy to drink this water untreated, but you may wish to treat it. There is no water prior to reaching the river, or once you leave the river; if it’s a warm day on the walk out, make sure you’ve got enough!

Options

The walk is described going upstream, but can be done in either direction. The main advantages of the direction described are: Finding a route out of Tootie Creek is easier from the bottom if you can’t locate the T3 Track; the T3 fire trail is, if it’s a hot day, shadier than Gospers Ridge; if your first day is slow and you need to reverse out, it will be easier going with the current. The main disadvantage is that you are walking against the current, which at higher levels is very difficult.

While the walk is described as a two-day trip, an easier three-day version can be done by camping at Colo Meroo on the first night, and on the large sandbank at the Tootie Creek junction on the second night.

Walkers dwarfed by the Colo Gorge’s cliffs Lone boulder in a river of sand

Macrozamia seed cone

There is often the choice between scrubby banks and a deep wade—and possibly both! Flannel flower (Actinotus helianthi)