Sundown Circuit

This is a spectacular walk that largely follows ephemeral (dry) creekbeds throughout the spectacular southern end of Sundown National Park. As the walk relies heavily on the use of creekbeds as trails it should not be undertaken if heavy rain threatens or has recently occurred in the region. The rocks covering the creekbeds absorb heat throughout the day and can continue to radiate this heat back out till very late in the afternoon, making this walk unpleasant during sunny Summers days. Water can also be a problem due to the presence of water in a select few billabongs scattered across all the creeks this walk traverses. Any water found will be stagnant making filtration and treatment of this water essential! It should also be noted that this walk has no trails and the appropriate direction of travel can be difficult to find where you are not following a creek. Consequently you will need a topographic map and compass or gps and probably both to be safe.

Although my party did this circuit in a clockwise direction it would be best for future parties to traverse the walk in an anticlockwise direction. This is best as it would be much easier to ascend sections of Blue gorge and negotiate Split Rock Falls on ascent rather than descent. This walk is actually a combination of two circuit walks (one travelling through Blue Gorge Creek and the other over Mt Donaldson, with both returning back to the Broadwater Camping Area via the Severn River. No formed camping sites are offered for remote walking in Sundown National Park so don't bother bringing a tent because you won't be able to pitch it anywhere! Hammocks and bivvy's or just a tarp blanket and mat are far more suited to the places you will be staying overnight.

To get an early start the next day my party camped overnight at Permanent Waterhole 1km into the walk. The next day we followed Ooline creek which can be easily rockhopped up with a few short scrambles.However, Ooline gorge needs to be bypassed up the bank on the western side. From here the terrain levels out significantly and Ooline creek is simply followed for around another 3km before you are required to take a left hand branch (doesn't look like the main creek) to continue along Ooline creek. Soon after this point the creek becomes hard to follow as it develops from a defined bed into more of a small floodplain. Here it is useful to used a gps of compass to ensure you are heading towards the fence marking the boundary of Sundown National Park. A vehicle track follows this fence over a few small hills and does leave the fenceline for a short duration just before you reach Blue Gorge Creek. Initially this creek starts off with a flat gradient but it quickly steepens with many large dry waterfalls becoming apparent. Some waterfalls can be fairly easily downclimbed so it is worth peering over the edge to see if this can be done. However, some steep sections cannot be negotiated without a rope and must be contoured around (note that we found no anchor points or evidence that anyone had used slings or ropes to make anchor points anywhere along this walk). Eventually the creek flattens out and meets up with the Severn River. Here numerous billabongs can be found (though only a few are named on qtopo topographic maps and only these waterholes were assumed to be permanent). We camped overnight at Wallaby Rocks Waterhole which offers some nice flat rocks suitable for laying out a sleeping mat and bivvy.

The following day two waterholes which appeared to be permanent were found along the Severn River just before the walk starts its ascent up to Mt Donaldson. These waterholes don't offer great camping opportunities though, unfortunately. The Severn River is left from the start of Stony Creek and from here the ridgeline can be followed all the way to the summit of Mt Donaldson. This route up to the summit offers some great views and requires only some easy scrambling near the very top of Mt Donaldson. After 600m of climbing this peak offers some sweet views over nearly the whole of Sundown National Park. There are two ridges that head down from Mt Donaldson and the best may is not the way my party took. The most eastern of the two ridges is heavily vegetated and completely lacks even the presence of faint footpads making progress very slow and painful. Although I am unfamiliar with the western ridge down to McAllister's Creek I would hedge my bets on it being much easier going. Once you reach McAllister's Creek it can be followed all the way down to where it meets the Severn River back at the start of the walk at Broadwater Camping Area. Disappointingly you will most likely find that the waterfalls marked on this creek have no water flowing over them at all. The most difficult part of the walk where you are required to climb steeply up the southern bank at Split Rock Falls and contour for a bit before descending steeply to the creek below. The descent is made difficult by the presence of scree and many loose rocks so take care not to loose your footing! If you do find your path blocked by cliff, continue downstream and you will soon find a cliff break which can be negotiated to finally enable you to desend back into McAllister's Creek. A second section at McAllister's Canyon needs to be avoided in a near identical fashion to Split Rock falls. This obstacle is not as large so you are not required to climb up as far or descend as much but great care needs to still be taken in the similarly slippery terrain. After this point there are only a few easy scramble and some walking along the flat before you arrive back at Broadwater Camping Area.