Colo River
Encyclopedia
The Colo River is a river in New South Wales
, Australia
.
The Colo River begins at the confluence of the Wolgan River
and the Capertee River
, which respectively drain the Wolgan
and Capertee
Valleys north of Lithgow
. The river flows eastwards and then south through a deep gorge in the northern section of the Blue Mountains. The majority of the river lies in Wollemi National Park
. The middle Colo is inaccessible, rugged and remote. The wilderness was saved from development, logging and damming in the late 1970s by the Colo Wilderness Preservation Society and other environmentalists. The Blue Mountains NP area, including the Wollemi NP, has received World Heritage listing, due in part to the discovery of the Wollemi Pine, often described as a 'living fossil' from the age of the dinosaurs.
The Colo River gorge contains many boulder-rapids that alternate with deep pools.
Emerging from the wilderness region, the lower part of the Colo River flows through a scenic, narrow agricultural valley and reaches the Hawkesbury River
at Lower Portland north of Windsor
.
Tributaries of the Colo include the Wollangambe River
and Wollemi Creek
.
Even though close to the metropolitan area, the Wollemi National Park is the largest wilderness area in NSW. Local volunteer bush regeneration groups such as the "Friends of the Colo" have been helping rid the National Park and surrounding areas of invasive exotic weeds over recent years.
One of the best ways to see the beautiful and inaccessible gorges of the Colo River is to float down the river on inflatable lilos, from walk-in access tracks such as Bob Turner's Track at Colo Heights
.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The Colo River begins at the confluence of the Wolgan River
Wolgan River
Wolgan River is a 40 km long river in east New South Wales, Australia north of Lithgow. It starts near Wolgan Valley at an elevation of 558 m and ends at an elevation of 178 m merging with the Capertee River and forming Colo River...
and the Capertee River
Capertee River
-References:...
, which respectively drain the Wolgan
Wolgan Valley
The Wolgan Valley is a largely undeveloped valley located in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is centred on the Wolgan River and is located approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney.-Description and history:...
and Capertee
Capertee Valley
The Capertee Valley is a large valley in New South Wales, Australia, north-west of Sydney. It is longer and about wider than the Grand Canyon of Arizona...
Valleys north of Lithgow
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
. The river flows eastwards and then south through a deep gorge in the northern section of the Blue Mountains. The majority of the river lies in Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park is the second largest national park in New South Wales, and contains most of the largest wilderness area, the Wollemi Wilderness...
. The middle Colo is inaccessible, rugged and remote. The wilderness was saved from development, logging and damming in the late 1970s by the Colo Wilderness Preservation Society and other environmentalists. The Blue Mountains NP area, including the Wollemi NP, has received World Heritage listing, due in part to the discovery of the Wollemi Pine, often described as a 'living fossil' from the age of the dinosaurs.
The Colo River gorge contains many boulder-rapids that alternate with deep pools.
Emerging from the wilderness region, the lower part of the Colo River flows through a scenic, narrow agricultural valley and reaches the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
at Lower Portland north of Windsor
Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
.
Tributaries of the Colo include the Wollangambe River
Wollangambe River
-References:...
and Wollemi Creek
Wollemi Creek
The Wollemi Creek is a creek that flows in the Wollemi National Park, New South Wales, Australia.Its beginnings are near the Putty area on the mid NE boundary of Wollemi National Park and it flows roughly from North to South and is completely contained within the National Park, much of it in very...
.
Even though close to the metropolitan area, the Wollemi National Park is the largest wilderness area in NSW. Local volunteer bush regeneration groups such as the "Friends of the Colo" have been helping rid the National Park and surrounding areas of invasive exotic weeds over recent years.
One of the best ways to see the beautiful and inaccessible gorges of the Colo River is to float down the river on inflatable lilos, from walk-in access tracks such as Bob Turner's Track at Colo Heights
Colo Heights, New South Wales
Colo Heights is a village of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the City of Hawkesbury north-west of Colo.The current population is 410 ....
.