Bungonia Slot Canyon Hike and Secret Cave Exploration

I’d like to thank our organiser Paul. This is an event he designed and held a few years ago with another meetup group. It was so much fun, I thought we could give it a go, as the water starts to cool off.

Meet us at the David Reid Car Park, Bungonia National Park

https://goo.gl/maps/ZKYjkHLqNNC2

DESCRIPTION: This is a bushwalk through the Bungonia Slot Canyon in Bungonia National Park. The plan is to start at the David Reid parking area and, after a short trip to Bungonia Lookdown where there are views of the canyon, follow the Red Track beside Bretons Creek down into the canyon. Here we will follow Bungonia Creek along the canyon floor, beside high limestone cliffs and boulders. Eventually we will leave the creek and climb out of the canyon. We will then do a short side trip to Mount Ayre Lookout, where there are views of the Shoalhaven River, before returning to the start point. This is a technically challenging walk and probably not suitable for beginners. The walk into and out of the canyon is rough and very steep. The walk through the canyon is very rough and will require scrambling over many boulders and use of hands for balance.

DISTANCE: 6.5 km

DURATION: 5.5-6 hours

DIFFICULTY: Very Hard

IMPORTANT NOTES: There is nowhere to leave this walk early. I recommend bringing 2-3L of drinking water, lunch, snacks, appropriate clothing, appropriate footwear, and sun protection. Once we begin the walk there will be no taps or toilets. We will take regular breaks including for lunch. Please consider your fitness and suitability for this walk before RSVPing and feel free to ask me any questions.

TRANSPORT: There is no public transport access to this walk, you will need to drive or organise a lift with another member (use the comments section below). A park entry fee of $8 per vehicle applies. If you are concerned about the long drive to and from Sydney you might like to consider staying overnight at the campground within the park or one of the nearby towns. There are a number of additional scenic walks, caves, and waterfalls in the park, which we will not have time to visit on this walk. You would need to organise these yourself.

Last time, after the hike, we found and explored a cave by the name of Grill Cave. I’d like to do that again this time and also try and find another cave called Mass Cave. Don’t forget to bring a head lamp or torch.

Maybe we can stop off in Bowral for dinner on the way home.