Gorge Hiking at Blue Waterholes Campground

3/10/2020Owen Cooper

SHARE THIS POST

3/10/2020Owen Cooper

SHARE THIS POST

There’s plenty to see in Kosciuszko National Park and after scouring Google Earth all along the high country searching for the out of ordinary, Owen found a magnificent gorge with Blue Waterholes campground right next door.

Highlights

Caves
Wildlife (Brumbies, Wedge-tail Eagles, Dingoes, Kangaroos, Platypus)
Turquoise stained creek
Rolling hills disappearing into vast gorges

Blue Waterholes Campground

Heading south-west from Canberra we spent our first night camping on the shore of Lake Eucumbene. After a quick fish in the morning, we were inbound for Blue Waterholes Campground.

Blue Waterholes camping ground is located in the Northern Plains wilderness area of the Kosciuszko National Park. There’s no denying how beautiful this campsite is. This place isn’t short of activities.

Within walking distance, you’ll find epic backcountry huts, rolling plains, waterfalls, swimming holes, caving, and beautiful gorge hikes. For us, we wanted to explore the gorges and Blue Waterholes was the starting point for the Clarke Gorge and Nichols Gorge hikes.

Owen Cooper High Plains Wilderness Kosciuszko National Park nsw blue waterholes

Clarke Gorge and Nichols Gorge Hikes

Just below the camping ground, Cave Creek starts right before your eyes as freezing turquoise water rises from underground caves, pouring out of a sheer rock face, carving its way through the limestone rock creating pools as blue as the sky leaving towering cliffs and caves either side.

The hike meanders along Cave Creek with several river crossings testing your agility coming to an end at the waterfall where only the brave-hearted can face the icy cold water.

That night under the watchful eye of howling dingoes and stars as bright as the sun, we tried our luck with the trout we spotted earlier. One thing to keep in mind is walking this track at night with a beer in one hand and fishing gear in the other will result in some very wet feet.

Early morning we set off on the Nichols Gorge hike that follows the now dry Cave Creek upstream, revealing ancient brachiopods and sea lily fossils, towards Cooleman Cave.

The 150-metre deep cave is filled with stalagmites and stalactites ending in an underground pool that mysteriously continues underwater.

The hike then spreads out onto snow grass plains surrounded by the Gurrangorambla Range and Tom O’Rourkes Peak, dotted with historical huts, looping back to the campsite.

The trip home was all about chasing mobs of brumbies and finding trout in amongst platypus patrolled creeks. All in all, turned out to be the perfect spontaneous weekend adventure.