Best Canyon In Australia

[Aegist]

What is the best canyon in Australia?

[Nichol]

I dont know if I would call it the best canyon in Australia, but I am a fan of Dion Dell in  Kanangra. It is pretty easy and is dry if you want a quick day. It looks pretty good and there is a good campground nearby.
 

[Aegist]

I haven't even replied to this myself yet!

All things considered, I will have to vote for Sheepdip. I thought I would have voted for something like Claustral, but nothing has brought a smile to my face quite the way sheepdip did... From start to finish (which is only like 30 minutes really) you feel like a 10 year old in an amusement park.

Add to that the fact that the canyon can actually be done by kids, and you have an awesome canyon for everyone.

[flynny]

Hey cool, that's my video Aegist has posted.

It's Actually Twister canyon. It's mistakenly called Sheep Dip by the Guide Book and most Guide companies.

The history of the confusion is that Dave W Noble was in a group that first explored Rocky Creek for canyons. They came across the upper canyon and nick-named it Sheep Dip because of the jumps and slides and deep pools. Down Stream they came across the lower canyon, Rocky Creek canyon. Big clue there as to where sheep dip is...

The other Dave Noble (NP Dave) later lead another group down the side creek and found Twister, but as it resembled the description he had heard of Sheep Dip it was mistakenly thought to be the same canyon. Both have tried to get the guide book corrected since the first edition.

As for best canyons... Don't know if best is the right word but my favorites are, in no particular order.
Twister/Rocky Creek
Dargan Creek
Crikey
Newens

[Aegist]

Hey Flynny,
Great to see you! I was hoping you would come by some time I really do like this video (in case you couldn't tell by it being posted in the blog and in the forum lol)

So is the Sheepdip section the first party of Rocky Creek that you do when you go down to it from Twister, or is it above (to the right, if I remember correctly) where you normally start rocky creek?

[barsoj]

i have to agree sheep dip is the best ! especially when as the clubs first canyon since alot of our members come from overseas and have never been canyoning before. Though you still have to watch out for snakes, i allways tend to see at least one whenever i go down sheeps dip.

[flynny]

 or is it above (to the right, if I remember correctly) where you normally start rocky creek?

Yeah Rocky Ck comes in from the right at the start of Rocky Creek canyon. Sheep Dip is upstream of there and accessed at a different spot.

[MarkW]

  The guidebook has established a truly common usage now.

Constantly refering to the obsolete naming conventions of a small group of individuals only muddies the waters. Unless someone get the names formalised thru the lands office, of course.

Any other opinions on naming?

Cheers.

[Aegist]

See, that is another advantage of a wiki guidebook - if I get any names wrong someone can correct them and add an explanatory note as to why the name was wrong - unlike other published media.

I will add 'Twister' to the guidebook in a few weeks (got a trip planned now) and it will be listed under twister, with sheepdip redirected to it

[MarkW]

  That will still leave the problem of communicating with the 'great unwashed' who use RJ's.

The RJ guidebook names have become the real names by common, widespread usage.
I think it is too late to reinvigorate the suggested 'old' names in the naming convention - they have become esoteric. On the basis that 'the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence', the claimed 'first decents' and 'true names' can never be proven or disproven and therefore, the suggested 'old' names may not be the true first names. At least RJ's are common usage now.

I've been cyning since the 1970's and aren't too fussed about who did what and when or what name a given feature has - as long as I can communicate effectively.

Have a safe one.

Mark

[krunglebungle]

Mmm... hard to choose a "best". Would probably have to choose Whungee Wheengee, love the swim throughs and intricate tunnels.  Williams River rates as well, though not sure if that counts as a canyon? Love all those long Kanangra canyons, Carra Beanga and Thurat were memorable trips. Starlight and South Bowens get an honourable mention too.

[Aegist]

That will still leave the problem of communicating with the 'great unwashed' who use RJ's.

The RJ guidebook names have become the real names by common, widespread usage.
I think it is too late to reinvigorate the suggested 'old' names in the naming convention - they have become esoteric. On the basis that 'the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence', the claimed 'first decents' and 'true names' can never be proven or disproven and therefore, the suggested 'old' names may not be the true first names. At least RJ's are common usage now.

Fair enough. Truth is, I prefer "Serendipity" over "Why don't we do it in the road? Canyon", so I won't disagree with that. But the Twister - Sheepdip confusion is a real confusion, not just a disagreement on naming convention.

I incorrectly posted above when I said I would redirect Sheepdip to Twister, I won't do that, i will have an entry for Twister, and an entry for Sheepdip, because they are two different canyons. The confusion is that both of them are similar canyons, and both are 'upstream from Rocky Creek Canyon'. Twister is upstream, but in a tributary. Sheep Dip is upstream IN Rocky Creek.

So I think that is worth correcting.

[Julz]

I dont know if I would call it the best canyon in Australia, but I am a fan of Dion Dell in  Kanangra. It is pretty easy and is dry if you want a quick day. It looks pretty good and there is a good campground nearby.
 

I can highly recommend the wet way through Dione Dell. Going the the dry way there are two abseils in quick succession beside a waterfall. It is totally awesome to go 60m down through the water and through a slot. This is the fourth pitch in my photos which are at http://imageevent.com/jburton/canyons/dionedell240307

Julz