September 13 – 19, 1992

My plans for a visit to the Gammons were influenced by the desire to visit former Outstation Idnina, now within the Gammon Ranges National Park. Refer to the map for location of the Outstation.

Idnina has been offered to ABW by National Parks and Wildlife Service for the club to renovate. In return, a lease would be offered to the club. In due course, a proposal for taking on Idnina as a project will be put to ABW. Note that “Idnina” is also known as “Yadnina”

The plan for the trip was to use Idnina as a base, survey the buildings, and then go on a 5 day circuit walk into the heart of the Gammons. The Gammons are usually approached from the South or South West, but an exploration of the Northern approach would be useful in evaluating the Idnina proposal.

Group members were John Bartlett leader, Peter Woodlands, John Campbell, Charles Watkins, John Butler and Ron Williamson.

On Sunday 13 September, the first four left Adelaide in the morning in Peter’s car, and met John Butler and Ron in John’s car at Copley in the late afternoon. We drove for half an hour along the Balcanoona road, and set up camp by a nearby creek.

By mid-morning Monday, we were at Idnina, having passed through Mt Searle Station and Yankaninna Station [now deserted]. Rain during the morning made the road very wet, but caused no delays. After having a look around the abandoned outstation, and making ourselves relatively comfortable in the main building, the group went for a short walk to the North, visiting the Old Illinawortina ruins.

Monday was cold and windy with occasional light showers, and plastic taped over some broken windows was necessary for comfortable conditions.

Tuesday dawned little better, and we set off on the five day walk, passing through the Eastern entrance of Mainwater Pound, and then following Bolla Bollana Creek [also known as Mainwater Creek] for 13 kms upstream before setting up camp. There are few waterholes along this creek, but enough water was found in a small side creek for camp that night.

Mainwater Pound is a most attractive area with ranges each side, varying vegetation and undulating ground on the floor. The Blue Range is on the South side of the pound, and many gorges lure the walker into its mysteries.

On Wednesday we left the pound floor, and climbed the Blue Range via Yackie Waterhole, and upon reaching Prow Point, we gazed in awe at the deep, richly coloured gorges of the Gammons, and across the densely covered plateau to the majestic Mt McKinlay.

By the time we had dropped packs and descended into The Terraces and Fern Chasm, the weather had become fine and still, and a pleasant time was spent enjoying this fascinating area of gorges with plentiful water this year.

We completed the day’s walk by climbing back to the plateau, and then descending via Streak Gorge, an easy walk, to Junction Waterhole in the gorge of South Branch of Italowie Creek.

Thursday was a clear, mild, windless day and Mt McKinlay was approached via a very steep climb out of the gorge, then across thick scrub covered hills to the final North ridge. The view from the summit at lunch time was superb.

There is still debris on the summit from attempts to set up an observatory years ago, and the high concrete pillar has been recently faced with crudely laid local stone.

We returned to Junction Waterhole via Amphitheatre Creek and the Italowie Creek system which skirts Cleft Peak which looked brilliant in the spring sunshine.

On Friday, the weather was as good as the day before, and after leaving Junction Waterhole, we visited Rover Rockhole by way of the creek system, and all of us were over-awed by the beauty of this idyllic place with so much water about.

After lingering over an early lunch, we moved up the creek above Rover Rockhole, over the top of the Blue Range, then down another un-named creek system to a camp in Mainwater Pound once more.

What a surprise we had in this creek – a very high waterfall adjacent a magnificent chasm which lacks identification on any map I have seen. I have tagged this feature “Waterfall Chasm”, and I recommend a visit to this place by future ABW groups. Once again, there was plentiful water in the side creeks of Mainwater Pound.

Our last day of walking was Saturday, which was a cooler breezier day with low cloud in the morning over the ranges.

We left the pound, climbed over the Yankaninna Range and across the bare plains back to Idnina. After an early lunch, we left for home, and were all back in Adelaide that night.

On reflection this was an extremely interesting walk from the North into the very remote and scenic Gammon Ranges. Any traverse of the Gammons involves much steep climbing, descending and rock scaling, so a walker needs to be well equipped, fit and agile to gain the most from such a trip.

Wildlife and wild flowers were plentiful, but unfortunately, so were the feral goats. What can be done about these destructive creatures – can ABW do anything?

My group was compatible, and I am confident in saying we all had a good time, and learnt a lot about one of South Australia’s most magnificent wildernesses.

I have said little about the project of ABW leasing Idnina, as that is the subject of a special presentation as stated above.

Some statistics for the trip:

• Adelaide – Idnina 635 kms
• Distance walked 70 kms