Breakfast Creek Canyon

On a frosty winters day in June 2023, Ethan, Jess and I decided it was a perfect day for a canyon. Technically, the canyon ‘season’ typically runs from late spring – early autumn, usually not counting the colder months as ideal canyoning weather.

For some reason, that ‘season’ has never applied to us – we have always enjoyed canyoning year round.

There are elements of canyoning during colder months I actually prefer to the hotter ones. Mostly I find my wetsuit actually feels necessary, and it is quite enjoyable struggling to squish into its warmth like a second skin. I don’t particularly feel the cold water when in my wetsuit either, and that’s just using a 3-4mm.

Secondly, it gives you a reason to ‘look forward’ to the gruelling exit hikes we get on NSW canyons, as its a chance to warm off once the wetsuit is off. Honestly, in hotter months I hardly canyon in a wetsuit, and I don’t quite enjoy the side dose of heat stroke on exit hikes.

The only downside I really see with canyoning in winter (aside from being ill prepared for the cold) is the shorter days, though with good planning that’s hardly an issue either.

We were a little surprised at how bad the scrub was! Unless we took a bit of a new route to the start of the canyon, it was very overgrown and required a hefty bush bash. It doesn’t appear it is canyoned frequently.

But we eventually found our way to the start of the canyon! Ethan was the guinea pig who went first, checking over the ledge before committing to the drop.

Jess on the first abseil into the canyon.

This is the best and only real canyony section of the canyon. The drops get a little narrower and darker, before it opens up quite quickly and drops into Rocky Creek.

Considering its winter, we didn’t even bother to wear our wetsuits. We hardly got too wet, with most instances being when following Rocky Creek upstream to the exit. Ethan however, managed to stay completely dry the whole time, to which Jess and I were really shocked how he managed it.

We found the exit, which we had used once before. It involves a pretty exposed scramble up the steep cliffs, though the photos make it looks much worse than it actually is!

We have a bit of a laugh hanging off the cliffs, as you do, and kept onwards towards the cars. It was a fun day, but definitely a canyon you only do once!