This morning we left camp at 8.30am to climb “Big Sister”- this is the highest of the Three Sisters of Aroona. It isn’t a park walk – after all someone might hurt themselves, so we are doing a off track hike.
Here is our camp below Big Sister. Looking at it day in and out, we decided we wanted to see the view from the top.
We climbed to the top from the western side and went down the eastern side ridge to the creek below
Up the hill from our camp is a very large flat area which we headed across till we could find a slope which we could zig zag to the top of Big Sister. We came across this very fine green slate. It looks like moss from a distance but is very fine green slate which is quite fragile.
The fine slate covered this ridge.
As we crossed the creek to start up the slope, these little amber drops were glistening in the sunlight. For some reason this Cypress tree was secreting sap.
The view across the valley as we start to climb
Climbing higher we can see Heysen’s View Point, we walked to the other day. We felt that we were really high up and now it looks like a small ridge which it is.
It’s a steep steady climb uphill – too steep to go straight up, just lots of zig zagging. Using animal tracks where we found them. They always take the easiest way. That’s not the top –it is just one of many false tops that you see from below when climbing up.
That is sea floor from millions of years ago
It is hard to imagine the forces that pushed this ground up to shape these ranges.
Climbing higher we can now see back to our camp ground. It is near the large dead tree in the middle of the photo.
The top is getting closer, again :) This dead Cypress is quite a way from the top – but you have to have hope
The dead Cypress is now below and we are getting higher. Our camp is still visible.
Way down below is the creek bed and we plan to head down from the top of Big Sister and walk back to camp along the creek bed.
That’s the creek below, we plan to head down that ridge on the right hand side of the photo.
At the top looking down to the other two sisters.
We have come down off the top (to the east) – This is the view back to the top
More sea floor uplifted – there were many layers.
Here is Big Sister tilted back to make that sea floor nice and level as it once was forever ago.
We are well down on the eastern ridge and you can just see the three false summits. The dead Cypress tree is about halfway along the ridge. Each time we thought we could see the top only to find that it was another climb.
A nice dark coloured rock to soak up the sun. He moved pretty fast when a Hawk drifted overhead.
Just keeping tabs on that pesky Hawk
We are now at the end of the ridge and have to make our way to the left and start zig zagging down to the creek. Again we try to pick up animal paths as the scree is less likely to be loose being well pounded in. I slipped on the higher slope in scree when a large rock gave way, I laid spread eagle as I had no footing until Glen could get me a footing. I wasn’t hurt, but knew that to move I would slide down the hill further. Everything is loose and it just keeps sliding for a long way as there isn’t anything to stop it.
From the creek bed looking back to the top, it certainly does not look steep looking up, but it is.
Above left is the gorge that you can see from the top. That is a very large gum tree being dwarfed. Above right looking back to the top of Big Sister.
To the left is the lower slope of Big Sister as we walk along the creek bed.
This creek turned out to be a small tributary of the creek that we are camped on. We continued along the creek bed back to camp.
We walked around 7 kilometres according to our walk mate, but it is based on standard steps, so we think it was probably around 5.5 kms in all. It took about 4 hours.
Late afternoon, we decided to drive down Brachina Gorge for a second look. We only stopped briefly on our way in as it was late in the day. It is a lovely drive mostly along the river bed lined with huge gum trees. Some of these trees have to be several hundred years old, the biggest gums I have seen in a long time. I am so amazed with their size that I keep commenting “I wonder how old that tree is”. I think it finally got to Glen as he told me “why don’t you go over an ask it”. I’m just curious as survival here is not easy and to survive that long is impressive, especially in a river bed.
Dragonfly or Damsel Fly – I can’t remember and don’t have internet to check. I think it is a Damsel Fly which puts the wings forward on landing. It annoyed me for years not knowing the difference and I finally had it sorted and now have forgotten again :( Always a student……
Anyway, I am pleased with the photo. Beautiful colours.
This is a view of the river bed drive in the gorge. The river bed is full of young hopeful gums that have to survive the floods to come.
All through the park are signs naming the type of rock and age.
Glen spotted this small gorge and we called in on our way back along Brachina Gorge. It was not a walking track and wasn’t named, so I have named it - entry is on a strong stomach – hold your breath and walk past it. Yes it is Dead Goat’s Gorge. A careful look in the photo will show a small black object, yes that’s it. The gorge looked so interesting, we decided to just hold our breath and walk on. The next challenge a little further in – another dead goat – well, we got past one, we can do this again. They use sport shooters every three months to get rid of the goats. So far they have killed 100,000 and must be doing well, as we haven’t seen a live one in the park. We did find fresh droppings on the top of Big Sister but didn’t see any.
We saw quite a few rock wallabies in this gorge. We were very lucky the first afternoon to get photos as the busy Easter traffic has seen them go to higher ground.
There was water in the rock bowls up this seasonal waterfall. Glen is at the bottom hard to spot in the shade.
At the top of the falls looking back, more rock bowls. The rock was very smooth, well water worn. When we disturbed the wallabies, they were straight up that vertical wall in front, no worries.
Dead Goat’s Gorge was really worth the look, hard to get photographs because of the shade and height of the sides and the same problem would be in full sun washing out the colour.
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