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OFF TOPIC: White Water Paddling near Sydney? 20-Feb-2009 At 3:55:43 PM porkpie

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I did a trip down the Grose a few years ago in an inflatable kayak. The trip was awesome (water level 1.7m at the Burralow gauge - I think). Lower water would be damaging to any craft - higher would be very exciting.

We put in at Quodling Hill, walking in from Patersons firetrail (Bilpin) and pulled out at the road bridge at Yarramundi. (next time I will leave the car at Navua Reserve Grose Wold then the car shuttle will only be 30-40 minute round trip). There is another put in at the end of Faulconbridge Point but I have never done it. Be warned the walk in is long and steep but there is a small track and tape on trees (like the walk in to Craftys) to get from the end of the firetrail down to the river - apparantly the area is popular with Bass fisherman.

The river is awesome - none stop rapids for about 6 hours. We only scouted one rapid (at the junction of a big river coming in on the right just above Faulconbridge point) We ran it okay though I would portage if you are not comfortable paddling grade 3 (they say it is 4 in the guidebook but it is just one drop with a big stopper - nothing to technical) , the rest we just ran blind no problems. There are some big undercut boulders that could be nasty if you get washed under them and heaps of trees in the river at any paddlable level - be careful.

At the end there is about 3kms of flat water. Here I found a pack, with tent, sleeping bag, stove, jacket - basically everything for a few days in the bush floating in the middle of the river. Most of the stuff cleaned up okay - though I throw the undies out - they weren't my size.

Maybe I can post some pics if you're interested?