Southern Cross Adventurous Activities Scout Fellowship

Firefly (Canyon)

by Alan Ellis, 2000

It looked like such an easy day;

The books and maps were on display.

A canyon in the Newnes N.P,

That’s Firefly to you and me.

An early start should see us through,

Better use the ‘Windyloo’.

Up to the sound of the trill dawn chorus,

Currawongs get pretty raucous.

Let’s check the gear before we go,

Have we got a handline, though?

Don’t roll your eyes, my lovely sweetie,

Just pack that thing in nice and neatly.

Off to do that “easy” canyon,

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 companions.

We’ll park the cars by the Old Newnes Mine,

That should save us walking time.

First discovered in 1977,

And surely unattempted since then.

Enter where three gullies meet,

Then up the ridge 600 feet.

Zobel’s Gully near Constance Gorge,

Through Devil’s Pinch we’ll have to forge.

Four pitches listed, but six to do,

We’ll have to push to get the whole group through.

Refinery Ruins and abandoned Shale Mines,

Would we glimpse those elusive Pines?

Out in the open it’s as hot as hell,

There’s no cold beer in The Newnes Hotel.

Out at the bottom by the Wolgan’s flow,

To see the sun lose it’s warming glow.

As we watched it extinguish behind the hill,

We’d still be walking, as the moon grew full.

Six kilometres just to the cars,

Had we really planned it to be that far?

Aching muscles and pounding heads,

A pommy-wash, then off to bed.

So, Firefly has come and gone,

Do we recommend this one?

Well, if you’re not into lengthy climbs through several types of forest kinds,

Then don’t keep Firefly in mind.