A challenging adventure up Breakfast Creek in the Megalong Valley

The most challenging section of this bushwalk follows the untracked Breakfast Creek in the Megalong Valley: the intent was to descend via the Carlon Creek Track, then follow Breakfast Creek upstream to where it crosses the Medlow Gap Management Trail, which would provide an easy route back to our car at Dunphys Campground. On a standard topographic map, it doesn’t look too bad… but a high-resolution map using LIDAR data reveals the challenging terrain, including several cliffs (or waterfalls) that we would have to negotiate. We exited the creek earlier than planned (more on this later), with the light blue line below showing our actual route, and the thicker blue line the planned route along the creek.

It ended being a much more challenging walk than planned: the first half of the day was mostly pleasant with a bit of scrambling, while the exit route was a nightmare I wouldn’t want to repeat…

Down the Carlon Creek Track

Despite some reports that the Carlon Creek Track was overgrown (and the plethora of warning signs which now seem to be obligatory on just about every track), the track is in good condition – at least as far as Breakfast Creek.

The Carlon Creek Track is initially a wide firetrail that starts just below Dunphys campground, and was probably an old farming road. It soon narrows to a bushwalking trail.

The walking track follows the dry creek bed, crossing it a few times, and there’s not much shade in the fairly wide valley. It’s an unpleasantly hot morning, with not a cloud in sight despite the weather forecast of an overcast day.

About halfway down to the bottom, there is an increasing number of puddles and pools of crystal-clear water in Carlon Creek, which seems to flow partly above ground and partly underground. Unless it’s been very dry, the lower half of Carlon Creek would be a good place to fill up your water bottle if you’re walking up this way.

It takes us about an hour to reach Breakfast Creek, where signage denotes the end of the the Carlon Creek Track. According to the topo map, the Breakfast Creek Track continues down Breakfast Creek to the Coxs River – but this section is said to be overgrown and challenging. We’re heading up Breakfast Creek which has no track.

Up Breakfast Creek

Breakfast Creek drops down from Glenraphael Swamp on Narrow Neck Plateau to the Coxs River; it can be dry if there’s been no rain for an extended period, but a large catchmet area means it can become a raging torrent after sustained, heavy rain. The route up Breakfast Creek is initially very easy, with the option of walking in the creek or next to it, if you prefer to keep your shoes dry.

There’s a series of shallow pools, and a wide bank on both sides you can walk along.

As we progress upstream, there are a few small cascades and narrower sections of the creek, but it’s still pleasant walking.

Near one of the deeper pools we encounter a large tree-dwelling lace monitor (aka “tree goanna”); it climbs up a tree and eyes us cautiously as we pass.

While the weather forecast was for an overcast day with a chance of light rain in the afternoon, the cloudless sky has been replaced by dark grey clouds, and there are ominous thunderclaps and lightning above us. The pools are starting to get a bit deeper, but we are still making good progress.

We’re about two kilometres along the creek when we reach the first deep pool, which is easily negotiated. This would make a great spot for a swim if it was still warm – and if we had more time!

Breakfast Creek is now gradually starting to get a bit steeper and slightly more challenging…

…and we soon reach Glenalan Falls, the first major waterfall. There is no (safe) climbing up this one. We retreat a short distance, and find a route up the steep side of the gully and around this obstruction.

It’s a bit of a slow-going detour, but eventually we’re back in Breakfast Creek again and rock-hopping up the boulders to the next challenge.

The next picturesque waterfall is much smaller, with the bottom tier dropping into another deep pool.

This time it’s possible to scramble up the side of the top, taller waterfall, avoiding another slow and challenging climb up and around it.

There’s a nice view from the top of the pool beneath the falls.

The third waterfall and pool present another impassable barrier.

It’s back up the side of the steep valley to get around it… but this time, with the rain showing no signs of abating and at least one more waterfall/cliff to negotiate, we decide to exit. (In hindsight we should have bypassed this waterfall on the right, or southern, side, as our route up to the left took us above a side-gully with no easy way back down to Breakfast Creek.)

Exit up the ridge

It seemed (at the time!) a sensible exit strategy – a steep scramble up the side of the valley along the Glenalan Spurs, and then an easy walk along the ridge back to the firetrail: “The westernmost of the Glenalan Spurs (immediately east of Sliprail Creek, below Glenalan Falls) leads straightforwardly to the Medlow Gap Fire Trail”. Catching our breath in a small shelter at the end of the spur, we check our bearings and we are right where we need to be. (We exited a little further along Breakfast Ridge, but are taking the same ridge or spur back to the firetrail.)

There are some nice views back down the valley, and while we are completely soaked from the rain, it’s at least now a much more pleasant temperature for bushwalking.

But… what we hadn’t considered is that the ridge was completely overgrown. Our easy walk out became a bushbash from hell, taking us 2.5 hours to cover 1.4km, as we negotiate thick, head-height re-growth from the last bushfires as well as fallen trees and branches every few metres. Adding to the experience was that every time we stopped – which was about every three minutes as we figured out the best way to negotiate the fallen debris on the ground – an army of leeches seized the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon snack. It was with considerable relief when we finally stumbled onto the Medlow Gap Management Trail!

Back along the Medlow Gap Management Trail

The last leg of our Breakfast Creek adventure was mercifully easy, as we follow the Medlow Gap Management Trail back towards Dunphys Campground. We emerged from the scrub about a kilometre up from Breakfast Creek, leaving a 4km walk back along the firetrail with the rain easing for the final stretch home.

I can’t say it was a fun day… but the first part of Breakfast Creek was very picturesque. I’ve no doubt if we’d followed the creek there would have been more obstacles including “an impressive little chasm higher up that poses the most significant obstacle”; if I attempt this again it would be with an earlier start and on day with no rain forecast, making it more feasible to scramble up some of the waterfalls. It’s been stated “You definitely can’t get up or down the area directly around the falls without a rope”, but a couple of bushwalking groups and John Graham have done the full length of Breakfast Creek between Carlon Creek and the Medlow Gap firetrail.

Getting to Breakfast Creek

The bushwalk starts at Dunphys Campground at the end of Megalong Road, a 40min (24km) drive from Blackheath. The signposted Carlon Creek Track descends to Breakfast Creek; from the end of the Carlon Creek Track you can go up Breakfast Creek (as we did), or continue down Breakfast Creek to where it meets the Coxs River (you could do a longer but easier loop, returning via the Ironmonger Track).

More information

• All Nations Bushwalkers – Glenalan Falls & Breakfast Creek (2017)
• Bushwalk.com – Breakfast Creek – Medlow Gap (2020)