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 \\ With the exception of a couple of hours' portage of the canoe to the Basin, Boxing Day was spent in a leisurely fashion. A sharp shower of rain drove us into the tent at night.
 \\
-\\ At 11 a0m0 on Friday the two gi7ls caught the launch to Wallacia (7 miles) and we followed 13y canoe, in time for lunch. Two trips were made to the weir, and after unloading, commenced the mile portage to Nortonls Basin which was gloomy with the approaching dusk before we arrived Joan Fitzpatrick and Jock Kaske, who had arranged to start by canoe that morning from Penrith and meet us at the Basin, werenit present in the flesh but an apt description by local campers satisfied me that they and the canoe werentt far distant. After breakfast they strolled up, expecting to see us, had been told that a "pommy and a big dago" had been sightedt
+\\ At 11 am on Friday, the two girls caught the launch to Wallacia (7 miles) and we followed by canoe, in time for lunch. Two trips were made to the weir, and after unloading, commenced the mile portage to Norton's Basin which was gloomy with the approaching dusk before we arrived. Joan Fitzpatrick and Jock Kaske, who had arranged to start by canoe that morning from Penrith and meet us at the Basin, weren't present in the flesh but an apt description by local campers satisfied me that they and the canoe weren't far distant. After breakfast they strolled up, expecting to see us, had been told that a "Pommy and a big dago" had been sighted!
-In the afternoon Joan, Hilma, Jock and I went to Wallacia for supplies, while Ada and "Kissme" moved camp to a cave at the mouth of the Warragamba; the real beginning of the combined canoe trip, it being our intention to paddle up this river to Burragorang. Vic. Leeson and Bill Medbury in a third canoe completed the party.
+\\
-In the morning I rose early and took one of our party four miles upstream by canoe, paddling back in time to see the others pack and depart en masse. Gladys Parsons and Hee. Carruthers who were only out for the week-end gazed mournfully at us from the bank. Steady rain fell for an hour or so; but at lunch-time the skies were clear again. The river had narrowed and the canoes made tortuous progress between huge boulders towering on either side. The first few rapids presented little difficulty. To drag the canoes through the fast but shallow water was comparatively easy; but early in the afternoon the volume of water increased, and as a result of carelessness on my part, a wave swept over the side and swamped my canoe, some of the contents suffered but not seriously. About this time the company had an encounter with two youths, travelling downstream in a canvas canoe;who gave us a vivid, if exaggerated description of the terrors ahead. Owing to the reported dearth of camp sites above Monkey Creek, it was decided to camp there on our arrival although only 3-15 p.m. An early start on the morrow was planned, and Joan certainly arose at some ungodly hour to disturb the peace. That she even had "Kissme" out of bed early says a lot for her enthusiasm. By 7 a.m. the canoes were in motion and the day proved to be a hard one. Our canoe was overstocked, of course, with luggage for four, entailing loss of time at each portage. One or two of us took turns to walk along the rough banks. Later the "Trail Blazer" and the "Pig" very kindly took a passenger each. Stretches of half a mile or so of open water were encountered between some rapids; but this was far from general. At times, forces were combined, the five men pushing the canoes, in turn, through the swirling waters, or carrying them bodily over the rocks. This method lessened the hard work; but probably lost time. Lunch Was taken on a large, flat rock and the close of a rather tiring day saw the gorge Was behind us. Green banks, similar to those of the Cox, appeared in view and at 6 p.m. camp was made one mile short of the big bend and four to five miles from the CoxWollondilly Junction.
+\\ In the afternoon Joan, Hilma, Jock and I went to Wallacia for supplies, while Ada and "Kissme" moved camp to a cave at the mouth of the Warragamba; the real beginning of the combined canoe trip, it being our intention to paddle up this river to Burragorang. Vic Leeson and Bill Medbury in a third canoe completed the party.
-Next morning the huge boulders had disappeared; but the numerous rapids, where the extremely shallow water gushed over the cobble-stones, provided a tough task, especially for my heavily-laden canoe. A well-defined cow-pad now followed the stream; and Hilma and Ada bolted, and when the party decided to call a halt, 3A1 mile short of the Junction, they were missing. After breathing anathemas for an hour, I found them near the Junction and we returned to camp. Some of the party went for a walk in the afternoon, and returned after dusk with Mostyn Kill. This was New Year's Eve, and the fire blazed brightly, for a couple of hours and Joan, who has a mania for letting off crackers, was true to
+\\
-form; but fortunately, no lives were lost.	The New Year crept into a sleeping
+\\ In the morning I rose early and took one of our party four miles upstream by canoe, paddling back in time to see the others pack and depart en masse. Gladys Parsons and Hec Carruthers who were only out for the weekend gazed mournfully at us from the bank.
-camp.
+\\
-Next day we indulged in swimming and a little unsuccessful shooting. This was the parting of the ways. On the morrow two canoes were returning dawn the Warragamba, and Ada, Hilma, "Kissme" and I were going for a week's walk, and then returning to Penrith in my canoe which I had already parked at a farmhouse. At 5 p.m. the whole party boarded Mostyn's lorry, and away it rattled, following the road along the Cox's River.
+\\ Steady rain fell for an hour or so; but at lunch time, the skies were clear again. The river had narrowed and the canoes made tortuous progress between huge boulders towering on either side. The first few rapids presented little difficulty. To drag the canoes through the fast but shallow water was comparatively easy; but early in the afternoon the volume of water increased, and as a result of carelessness on my part, a wave swept over the side and swamped my canoe, some of the contents suffered but not seriously. \\
-This palatial machine was a four speed Fiat of 1914 vintage stripped of body, bonnet, lamps, horn, battery, hood, seats and number plates, and fitted with a buckboard and box for a seat. With a crank-handle broken in the crank-shaft, the only way to start was to push off downhill. Once when the motor stalled in a river crossing, Mostyn had to jack up the back wheel, put her in gear, and swing the wheel to start again. The radiator was rather badly bent as a result of a dive over an embankment, but for all its quaint appearance, the motor purred as sweetly as the day it was born. Mostyn drove mainly with one big toe, and a rather wild drive followed.
+\\ About this time the company had an encounter with two youths, travelling downstream in a canvas canoe; who gave us a vivid, if exaggerated description of the terrors ahead. Owing to the reported dearth of camp sites above Monkey Creek, it was decided to camp there on our arrival although only 3.15 pm. An early start on the morrow was planned, and Joan certainly arose at some ungodly hour to disturb the peace. That she even had "Kissme" out of bed early says a lot for her enthusiasm.
-Joan, Jock, Bill and Vic. had came "just for the ride", and after three milea they alighted and bade us "au revoir". The rest of us reached Mostyn's hut in time to prepare the evening meal.
+\\
-At 11 a.m. we commenced a somewhat perilous ride from McMahon's along the Cedar Road to the Kowmung House on the Scots Main Range, where the lorry was left. From here our itinerary being the Kowmung, Kanangra Walls, Kanangra Creek and the Cox in that order. Our first contract with the Kawmung was a point about five miles downstream from Gingra Creek, where we TIMM and lunched. It was hot, and even Hilma, who usually swims only when thrown in, made a voluntary effort here. Mostyn was insistent that this was the only reliable pool for fish in the whole river, but a camp here would have made the next day's journey to Kanaagra Walls too severe. Mostyn and "Kissme" stayed to fish after tea, and follow later, while I accompanied the two girls to Gingra, making vain efforts en route to bag a rabbit. The fishermen arrived after midnight with eight fish, which were eaten for breakfast, and I shot three rabbits, so there was more meat than usually.
+\\ By 7 am the canoes were in motion and the day proved to be a hard one. Our canoe was overstocked, of course, with luggage for four, entailing loss of time at each portage. One or two of us took turns to walk along the rough banks. Later the "Trail Blazer" and the "Pig" very kindly took a passenger each. Stretches of half a mile or so of open water were encountered between some rapids; but this was far from general. At times, forces were combined, the five men pushing the canoes, in turn, through the swirling waters, or carrying them bodily over the rocks. This method lessened the hard work; but probably lost time. Lunch Was taken on a large, flat rock and the close of a rather tiring day saw the gorge was behind us. Green banks, similar to those of the Cox, appeared in view and at 6 pm camp was made one mile short of the big bend and four to five miles from the Cox-Wollondilly Junction.
-Mostyn left us to return to his lorry, and we walked upstream. The weather was hot and humid, and all were glad to reach Hughes? hut, where some rabbit stew and peaches from an adjacent tree, stewed, relieved the "inner man."
+\\
-The ascent of Hughes' Ridge from the Kawmung WAS commenced about 2-45 p.m. The steaming heat poured over us and distant mutterings of the approaching storm accompanied our progress up the steep slopes.	Soon after reaching the easier
+\\ Next morning the huge boulders had disappeared; but the numerous rapids, where the extremely shallow water gushed over the cobblestones, provided a tough task, especially for my heavily laden canoe. A well defined cow pad now followed the stream; and Hilma and Ada bolted, and when the party decided to call a halt, 3/4 mile short of the Junction, they were missing. After breathing anathemas for an hour, I found them near the Junction and we returned to camp. Some of the party went for a walk in the afternoon, and returned after dusk with Mostyn Kill. This was New Year's Eve, and the fire blazed brightly, for a couple of hours and Joan, who has a mania for letting off crackers, was true to
-grade the heavens opened and what a relief the rain was: We were four hours reaching the Dance Floor Cave on the top of the Kanangra Walls plateau and after the somewhat lengthy business of preparing and eating tea, all of us retired to a bed of gum leaves.
+form; but fortunately, no lives were lost.The New Year crept into a sleeping camp.
-After an early stroll around the plateau, taking photos and viewing the gorge, we proceeded to follow the precipitous Murdering Gully to Kanangra Creek. Quite early in the day I dislodged a large stone about five hundredweight, skated wildly an the surface for a second or two, and then weighted with a 50-lb. pack, sat heavily on it. This may sound amusing; but I was shaken rather badly, and without any confidencem continued the descent well in the rear. All were sopa-. rated by the time the creek was reached, the girls having followed a rather
+\\
+\\ Next day we indulged in swimming and a little unsuccessful shooting. This was the parting of the ways. On the morrow two canoes were returning dawn the Warragamba, and Ada, Hilma, "Kissme" and I were going for a week's walk, and then returning to Penrith in my canoe, which I had already parked at a farmhouse. At 5 pm, the whole party boarded Mostyn's lorry, and away it rattled, following the road along the Cox's River.
+\\
+\\ This palatial machine was a four speed Fiat of 1914 vintage stripped of body, bonnet, lamps, horn, battery, hood, seats and number plates, and fitted with a buckboard and box for a seat. With a crank handle broken in the crank shaft, the only way to start was to push off downhill. Once when the motor stalled in a river crossing, Mostyn had to jack up the back wheel, put her in gear, and swing the wheel to start again. The radiator was rather badly bent as a result of a dive over an embankment, but for all its quaint appearance, the motor purred as sweetly as the day it was born. Mostyn drove mainly with one big toe, and a rather wild drive followed.
+\\
+\\ Joan, Jock, Bill and Vic had came "just for the ride", and after three miles they alighted and bade us "au revoir". The rest of us reached Mostyn's hut in time to prepare the evening meal.
+\\
+\\ At 11 am, we commenced a somewhat perilous ride from McMahon's along the Cedar Road to the Kowmung House on the Scots Main Range, where the lorry was left. From here our itinerary being the Kowmung, Kanangra Walls, Kanangra Creek and the Cox in that order. Our first contract with the Kowmung was a point about five miles downstream from Gingra Creek, where we swam and lunched. It was hot, and even Hilma, who usually swims only when thrown in, made a voluntary effort here. Mostyn was insistent that this was the only reliable pool for fish in the whole river, but a camp here would have made the next day's journey to Kanaagra Walls too severe. Mostyn and "Kissme" stayed to fish after tea, and follow later, while I accompanied the two girls to Gingra, making vain efforts en route to bag a rabbit. The fishermen arrived after midnight with eight fish, which were eaten for breakfast, and I shot three rabbits, so there was more meat than usually.
+\\
+\\ Mostyn left us to return to his lorry, and we walked upstream. The weather was hot and humid, and all were glad to reach Hughes' hut, where some rabbit stew and peaches from an adjacent tree, stewed, relieved the "inner man."
+\\
+\\ The ascent of Hughes' Ridge from the Kowmung WAS commenced about 2.45 pm. The steaming heat poured over us and distant mutterings of the approaching storm accompanied our progress up the steep slopes.	Soon after reaching the easier, grade the heavens opened and what a relief the rain was! We were four hours reaching the Dance Floor Cave on the top of the Kanangra Walls plateau and after the somewhat lengthy business of preparing and eating tea, all of us retired to a bed of gum leaves.
+\\
+\\ After an early stroll around the plateau, taking photos and viewing the gorge, we proceeded to follow the precipitous Murdering Gully to Kanangra Creek. Quite early in the day I dislodged a large stone about five hundredweight, skated wildly an the surface for a second or two, and then weighted with a 50-lb. pack, sat heavily on it. This may sound amusing; but I was shaken rather badly, and without any confidence continued the descent well in the rear. All were sopa- rated by the time the creek was reached, the girls having followed a rather
 hazardous ridge between two gullies. A little downstream a showy waterfall gushed into a crystal pool and provided a sufficient excuse for lunch.
 The rocks were slippery, and shortly after resuming Hilma fell very hard. Soon after, I attempted the high jump record, when a snake swam under my boc,t. After an hourts rock-hopping, the sight of a cowpad gladdened our eyes, and later a frightened little band of steers careered wildly along the track ahead, showing us the best crossings.