Secrets of the swamp

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This was published 15 years ago

Secrets of the swamp

River mild ... canoeing and exploring weathered rock faces at Dunns Swamp.

River mild ... canoeing and exploring weathered rock faces at Dunns Swamp.Credit: Jo-Anne Mooney

Sean Mooney settles into a riverside camp where all the hard work has been done.

My wife's face isn't exactly a picture of happiness when I suggest we take the kids camping in a swamp. I shouldn't have been surprised by her lack of enthusiasm, given swamps generally mean mud and mosquitoes. And occasionally - at least in the movies - banjos and bloodshed.

I can report, however, that Dunns Swamp, a beautiful backwater on the western fringes of Wollemi National Park, is cursed by none of these things. In fact it's not a swampy place at all, which makes you wonder if the person who named it was trying to deter others. You can't blame them really - we discovered it's the kind of spot you want to keep to yourself.

I manage to persuade my family with descriptions of what the tourism operator, Wollemi Afloat, assures me will be a "hassle-free" camping experience. This pleased them greatly; it means they won't have to witness dad fumbling about in the dark looking for lost tent pegs.

We pack the car with sleeping bags, clothes and food, which is all we'll need for our two-night stay on the banks of the Cudgegong River. Four hours later we're driving along Narrango Road, which winds through surprisingly lush farmland near the town of Rylstone, about 50 kilometres south-east of Mudgee. High rock walls and stands of grey gums close in around the last few kilometres of the gravel road that lead us to Dunns Swamp camping area.

We're greeted by Bruce Marshall, owner of Wollemi Afloat and the lucky fellow setting up our campsite. He's chosen a top spot right by the water, protected from the wind by one of the great rock formations, or pagodas, that populate this region.

I count my blessings when I see our well-appointed campsite and blessed we turned out to be - the kids' tent is a leftover from World Youth Day. Marshall later confesses it had been going for a song after the papal frenzy subsided. A holy waterproof tent - things are looking up.

We're welcomed with gift packs of local produce (how did they know I'm a beetroot relish aficionado?) and bags stuffed with glowsticks, lollies and stickers for the kids.

Marshall has thought of everything, from soft airbeds to a marquee covering a dinner table bearing all the cutlery and cooking gear we could want. Bamboo torches lend the campsite a tropical charm after dusk. There is an ice-filled Esky awaiting our provisions, a fireplace stocked with wood, a hotplate and billy, a gas-powered barbecue and - the ultimate outdoor luxury - a hot-water bush shower. Only as the sun dips below the hilltops do we notice our shelter is adorned with solar-powered fairy lights. Nice touch.

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The Wollemi Campers Package isn't cheap: two nights costs $440 for up to four people. A family of four with their own gear can camp at Dunns Swamp for $16 a night, so you would expect something special. The campers' package price includes a river cruise and unlimited use of canoes, both of which are absolute musts.

We spend the following days exploring what some claim to be the state's cleanest reservoir. We paddle past purple swamp hens hiding in the reeds, keen-eyed cormorants fishing from the rocks and herons on the hunt in the shallows.

We join Wollemi Afloat's business partner, Tony Crease, for a cruise on the twin-engined Swamphen up to Kandos Weir. Crease explains that Dunns Swamp was formed by the trapped waters of a weir, established in the 1920s when the river was dammed to provide water for a cement works. He also tells us tales of the land's traditional owners, the Wiradjuri tribe. Indeed, evidence of Aboriginal habitation could be found right beside our campsite, with hand stencils visible on the Campsite Rocks Walking Circuit.

This walk, and most others in the area, passes some spectacular rock pagodas. One of the first things you notice when you look at these impressive formations is the number of native cypress pines growing around them. This means bushfires haven't ravaged the area for some time, as the pines don't regenerate after a blaze.

In the evenings we feast on toasted marshmallows and locally grown pistachios, while keeping an eye out for nocturnal animals. We don't have far to go - a large wombat ambles through our campsite a couple of times. We try to spot the platypuses, spotted-tailed quolls, gliders and bandicoots that are said to inhabit Dunns Swamp but without any luck.

Most of the campers we meet are return visitors - the ranks of which we will be joining the next time we have a few days free to swap the city for the swamp.


FAST FACTS

Dunns Swamp is a four-hour drive from Sydney, via Lithgow and Rylstone. The road is sealed all the way except for the last few kilometres which are unpaved with a few potholes - but it's nothing the family car can't handle.

You can stay at Dunns Swamp camping area as part of the comprehensive Wollemi Campers Package ($440 for up to four people for two nights), or independently ($5 for adults and $3 for children a night). Phone Wollemi Afloat on 6373 4300 or NSW National Parks And Wildlife Service in Mudgee on 6372 7199.

Catch golden perch, catfish or blackfish and cook on the barbecue - but take some back-up sausages just in case the fish aren't biting.

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