Secluded pools along O’Hares Creek from the Victoria Road Trail

After an enjoyable trip down O’Hares Creek in Dhawaral NP to Jingga Pool, I’m back again to explore the creek below Jingga Pool. It’s a much shorter loop and a shorter access route than the last walk – but requires an off-track scramble from the firetrail down to the creek. This bushwalk also starts at the Victoria Road Trail, with a fairly dreary walk along the firetrail past the Minerva Pool and Jingga Pool turn-offs.

The firetrail passes O’Hares Lookout, which overlooks a section of the creek I’ll be walking along, and through a second locked gate.

After about 3km the Victoria Road Trail reaches a third gate which is open; although a sign states that the trail is now entering the Holsworthy military training area, the actual boundary is roughly 300m after the gate. I’m surprised to encounter someone walking along the firetrail holding an esky and Woolworths bag… he’s heading for the Jingga Pool, but missed the turn-off (by almost three kilometres!). I give him some directions and send him back along the firetrail.

Soon after the military area gate is the short-but-steep off-track section of the bushwalk. While the scrub is not too thick, there’s a bit of scrambling along the steepest sections as I negotiate a route down to O’Hares Creek.

I’m glad to reach the creek as it’s a bloody hot day – for the next few hours I’ll be in the water. (What I wasn’t really expecting is that the water is almost warm, with the creek flowing across a number of shallow, rocky sections that are exposed to full sun.) Just to the left of where I’ve descended from the firetrail are tall cliffs not shown on the topo map, which I’ve fortunately avoided.

Similar to the section further upstream, progress along O’Hares Creek alternates between pools and rocky sections.

However, most of the pools are less deep and less long, with much less swimming required – although there are plenty of options for a swim.

Despite the heat, there’s enough shade and swimming to make this a pleasant walk.

About a third of the way along the creek, a rock overhang on the left above a small pool and waterfall offers the perfect spot for an early lunch break.

I’m soon back in the water, swimming along some short but deep pools along O’Hares Creek.

While the heat doesn’t make it too appealing to leave the creek, I scramble a few metres up from the creek to explore a tall cliff-line above the left bank.

It’s a beautiful spot along O’Hares Creek; the open rocky section meeting a long pool with sandstone cliffs towering above is the perfect visual representation of what makes Dhawaral National Park so appealing. (And the fact that you probably won’t encounter anyone else.)

A few more swims are needed to avoid the thick scrub on both sides of the creek, although today I’m quite happy to be in the water.

Deep pools are again replaced by long rock platforms which split the creek into multiple channels, some with small cascades.

I’m now traversing the section of the creek that can be seen from O’Hares Creek Lookout along the Victoria Road Trail.

Not far downstream from the Jingga Pool is another very picturesque pool with a small waterfall.

There’s one last, deep pool directly below Jingga Pool.

A final swim takes me to the end of the Jingga Pool, where (not surprisingly for a hot weekend day) I encounter a few groups of people enjoying a swim. A large, angled boulder on the right provides an exit up to the ledge above the pool.

As with the previous bushwalk, the short but steep Jingga Pool walking track goes back up to the Victoria Road Trail and carpark.

It’s been another very enjoyable Dhawaral National Park bushwalk: there’s a lot less swimming than the longer upstream section, but still enough shade and pools to make this a pleasant option for a hot day. Allow 1km/hour for the section along the creek.

Getting to O’Hares Creek

The route to O’Hares Creek starts at the end of Victoria Road (Wedderburn), which is about 15km (20min) from the Campbelltown exit on the Hume Highway, and about an hour south-west of Sydney. It’s an easy 3.1km along a firetrail followed by a more challenging off-track descent (120m vertical) to where you enter the O’Hares Creek.