Description
📖 Simpson Desert Travel Guide — Over 260 pages, two years in the making. Detailed maps, locations, and knowledge that applies to any remote outback travel. $59.95
🔗 https://simpsondesertguide.com.au
Coolamine Homestead & Clark Gorge Walk – | Blue Waterholes, Coolamine Falls & Caves
In this episode, we explore Coolamine Homestead in the early morning light and dive into its fascinating history — from its 1839 origins as a slab and bark hut on the Currango run to its meticulous restoration by Kosciuszko Huts Association volunteers in the 1980s. Including the legendary two-seater dunny. Because apparently, even in the 1800s, no one wanted to face life's tough moments alone.
Then it's on to the Clark Gorge Walk at Blue Waterholes — a 6.7km return trek rated medium to hard, and it earns that rating honestly. Nine creek crossings, slippery limestone, cold water, and towering 400-million-year-old gorge walls. If someone tells you you'll get wet feet — believe them. Don't fight it. Just swap your good boots and accept your fate.
The walk ends at Coolamine Falls, a 15m waterfall with newly built steps down to the base courtesy of the Wild Walks team. We were among the first to use them — a solid improvement over the old rock scramble.
Gear mentioned in this episode:
Katadyn water filter — compact, light, always in my hiking bag
Leki hiking poles — highly recommended for slippery gorge terrain
GME PLB with Return Link Service (RLS) — if you're in the bush, carry one. The RLS confirmation that your signal has been received is a genuine game-changer
Blue Waterholes? Worth a look, but the algae situation is... let's say the "Blue" Waterholes are more of a "Green" Waterholes these days. The pools up in the gorge are the better swim.
Walk stats:
Distance: 6.7 km
Elevation gain: ~153 m
Moving time: 2 hrs 24 min
Total time: ~3.5 hrs (including caves, crossings, and a controlled shiver at the top)
Next episode: Nichols Gorge Walk, Murray Cave, Coolamine Cave, shocking National Park signage, and heading deeper into the high country.
🔗 Coolamine Homestead restoration video: [https://youtu.be/dcoTnER4Efg?si=VxMNaVZQpwdwTZTN]
00:00 - Start
00:29 - Day two revisit Coolamine Homestead in the morning
01:40 - Side by side dunny? Would you use it?
03:00 - Coolamine Homestead Restoration Documentary
03:29 - Back in camp getting ready for todays walk
04:03 - Clarks Gorge Walk
04:22 - Getting wet feet….
06:35 - Cooleman Waterfalls
08:45 - A very cold plunge
09:13 - GME PLB MT620GR don’t go in the bush without one
12:08 - Blue Waterholes
15:03 - Clark Gorge Walk Conclusion
16:30 - Campers Pantry Thai Green Curry Lunch
20:15 - Outro
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Ecoflow Delta 2 https://au.ecoflow.com/discount/alloffroad?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fdelta-2-solar-generators
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Lights & Torches
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OLIGHT Olantern Classic 2
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