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197507 [2019/10/23 07:49] kennettj197507 [2019/10/23 07:56] (current) kennettj
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 OF BUSH NAVIGATION by Jim Brown. OF BUSH NAVIGATION by Jim Brown.
  
-   It was on Peter Scandrett's day walk to Lockleys Pylon andBlue +It was on Peter Scandrett's day walk to Lockleys Pylon and Blue 
 Gum, and about 10.15 in the forenoon on Sunday. We set our packs down  Gum, and about 10.15 in the forenoon on Sunday. We set our packs down 
-in the lee of Lockleys, and Peter producedand spread the Katoomba and +in the lee of Lockleys, and Peter produced and spread the Katoomba and 
 Mt. Wilson maps. Barry Wallace took up position beside the leader and  Mt. Wilson maps. Barry Wallace took up position beside the leader and 
 they summoned the prospectives to have a look-see. I had been at the  they summoned the prospectives to have a look-see. I had been at the 
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 against my pack, and enjoyed the benison of the winter sun. against my pack, and enjoyed the benison of the winter sun.
  
-   I could hear Barry saying very earnestlys+I could hear Barry saying very earnestly:
  
-   "It's no good going on unless you know where you are. You should  +"It's no good going on unless you know where you are. You should  
-always know where you start from, and keep .a close watch on where you +always know where you start from, and keep a close watch on where you 
 are all the time...." are all the time...."
  
-   Yes, I thought, very, very true. In fact a fundamental in bush +Yes, I thought, very, very true. In fact a fundamental in bush 
 navigation. I wish I could say I'd always followed that rule. If I  navigation. I wish I could say I'd always followed that rule. If I 
 had, I would have had it easier sometimes........ had, I would have had it easier sometimes........
  
-                 6 I 3 6 0 0 6 6 +I would have had it easier sometimes. Like that time in 1959 at 
- +
-   I would have had it easier sometimes. Like that time in 1959 at +
 Wog Wog Creek. Now that was an outstanding silly ass exploit! First  Wog Wog Creek. Now that was an outstanding silly ass exploit! First 
 time in the country, too. Not as if I knew it backwards. Oh, no,  time in the country, too. Not as if I knew it backwards. Oh, no, 
-but still I blundered on - how long? - two hours or more - - +but still I blundered on -  how long? -  two hours or more  
 and finished up miles off course. and finished up miles off course.
  
-  You must remember that there were no detail maps of the country +You must remember that there were no detail maps of the country 
 then. I had a rough sketch by Alex Colley of the country around  then. I had a rough sketch by Alex Colley of the country around 
-Mt. Owen and the Castle, and I reckoned it would_ be pretty simple to+Mt. Owen and the Castle, and I reckoned it would be pretty simple to
 get there from Corang trig. So I left the car at Wog Wog Creek crossing  get there from Corang trig. So I left the car at Wog Wog Creek crossing 
 on the Mongarlowe Road about 10.30 a.m., and started off in an easterly  on the Mongarlowe Road about 10.30 a.m., and started off in an easterly 
-diyection. The creek bed proved to be thickly grown with ti-tree, so+direction. The creek bed proved to be thickly grown with ti-tree, so
 I soon took to the clear slopes above, still following the general line  I soon took to the clear slopes above, still following the general line 
-of the creek. I couldn't get into any trouble if .1 continued towards +of the creek. I couldn't get into any trouble if continued towards 
 the head of the creek, could I? No, of course I couldn't, although the head of the creek, could I? No, of course I couldn't, although
 it was heavily overcast and there was no sign of the sun which should  it was heavily overcast and there was no sign of the sun which should 
 be shining on my left cheek at that hour. be shining on my left cheek at that hour.
  
-   I had probably not been half an hour on the way when I came to a  +I had probably not been half an hour on the way when I came to a  
-fair sized creek coming in from the lef-P (north). The sides were +fair sized creek coming in from the left (north). The sides were so 
 dense with thick ti-tree, so I outflanked it by turning left and  dense with thick ti-tree, so I outflanked it by turning left and 
 swinging back to the right (south) after crossing the gully. No  swinging back to the right (south) after crossing the gully. No 
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 I headed generally south-east across the open ridge. I headed generally south-east across the open ridge.
  
-   During the next hour or so I crossed a couple more side streams,+During the next hour or so I crossed a couple more side streams,
 and each time, after swinging north around the densely grown stream beds, and each time, after swinging north around the densely grown stream beds,
-  +I always carefully turned back to the south-east. Exceptof course, I never checked with my compass, nor had a sight of the sun in that solid cloud bank. Still, I couldn't go far wrong while I kept on  
-Page 5                      THE SYDEBY BUSHWALKER                      July1975.+bearing east - or south-east after heading the side creeks.
  
 +Naturally, the side creeks became steeper and it was more attractive to stick to the ridge. This went on rising until about 1.0 p.m. I emerged on a high, dry crown of fretted rock and pebbles of quartz. Well, there was Corang Trig - a good three miles off to the south-east, with a couple of deep hollows in between. The spur I was on led on somewhere between north-east and north. That with a lunch stop, it 
 +was close to 4.0 o'clock when I finally scrambled up to Corang peak, having covered about 5 miles along my line of travel in 5 hours and having walked about 12 miles to do it, as far as I could estimate. - -
 +                          
 +The light was blue along the Grose Valley and the Mt. Hay walls were gold. Barry was saying:
  
- I always carefully turned back to the south-east. Except, of course,  +"And it's easy to go wandering along in the wrong direction if you don'check how you're going...."
- I never checked with my compass, nor had a sight of the sun in that  +
- solid cloud bank. Still, I couldn'go far wrong while I kept on  +
- bearing east - or south-east after heading the sidecreeks.+
  
-       Naturallythe side creeks became steeper and it was more attractive  +Prising myself up off my pack I contributed"On a cloudy day it's just too easyDone it myself several timesSillybut ...."
- to stick to the ridgeThis went on rising until about 1.0 p.m. I  +
- emerged on a highdry crown of fretted rock and pebbles of quartz. +
- Well, there was Corang Trig - a good three miles off to the south-east,  +
- with a couple of deep hollows in betweenThe spur I was on led on  +
- somewhere between north-east and nortly That with a lunch stop, it  +
- was close to 4.0 o'clock when I finally scrambled up to Corang peak,  +
- having covered about 5 miles along my line of travel in 5i-hours, and +
- having walked about 12i- miles to do it, as far as I could estimate- - +
-                          e 0 I    I  **Ice,"+
  
-       The light was blue along the Grose Valley and the MtHay walls  + Barry rejoined "Or in mist, especially in country where there aren't many landmarks."
- were gold. Barry was sayings+
  
-       "And it's easy to go wandering along in the wrong direction if  +In Mist! "Wandering round in mist and fog." Yes, it's easy in mist. 
- you don'check how you're going...."+                             
 +Gadara Point, looking out towards Mount Talaterang on a showery closed-in afternoon in March 1962. Of course Talaterang wasn'in sight: seeing visibility was about 100 yards it scarcely could be. Gadara Point - surely named after the place where the biblical Gaderene swine jumped over the cliff (I think). Anyway, I went on strike.  
 +  
 +Although it wasn't much after 4.30 p.mI resolved I wouldn't go down into that bushy saddle and head towards Talaterang unless there were a prospect of seeing something. I put up my new tan tent, finding  
 +odd places between rocks where I could plant the pegs, had something to eat between showers, and crept into my sleeping bag before sundown - that is, if there had been any sun to go down.
  
-       Prising myself up off my pack contributed"On a cloudy day  +Rather a miserable night. Whenever I flashed my torch outside the mist was blowing past slowly. It rained from time to time. Once found plump orange-coloured ants had invaded my packpursuing  
- it's just too easy      Done it myself several times.          Sillybut ...."+grains of sugars at least, they didn't biteThe fog surged wetly past, and mercifully it didn't blow hardconsidering how precarious my tent pegs wereTowards morning I slept fitfully and woke to a  
 +gentle golden light. 
 +
  
-       Barry rejoined "Or in mist,especially in country where there  
- aren't many landmarks." 
- 
-       In idist! "Wandering round in mist and fog." Yes, it's easy in 
- mist. 
-                             to 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 
- 
-       Gadara Point, looking out towards Mount Talaterang on a showery  
- closed-in afternoon in March 1962. Of course Talaterang wasn't in  
- sight: seeing visibility was about 100 yards it scarcely could be.  
- Gadara Point - surely named after the place where the biblical Gaderene  
- swine jumped over the cliff (I think). Anyway, I went on strike.  
- Although it wasn't much after 4.30 p.m. I resolved I wouldn't go down  
- into that bushy saddle and head towards Talaterang unless there were 
- a prospect of seeing something. I put up my new tan tent, finding  
- odd places between rocks where I could plant the pegs, had something 
- to eat between showers, and crept into my sleeping bag before sundown -  
- that is, if there had been any sun to go down. 
- 
-       Rather a miserable night. Whenever I flashed my torch outside  
- the mist was blowing past slowly. It rained from time to time. 
- Once I found plump orange-coloured ants had invaded my pack, pursuing  
- grains of sugars at least, they didn't bite. The fog surged wetly  
- past, and mercifully it didn't blow hard, considering how precarious  
- my tent pegs were. Towards morning I slept fitfully and woke to a  
- gentle golden light. 
-  
-Page 6                        THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER                   July, 1975. 
  
  
197507.txt · Last modified: 2019/10/23 07:56 by kennettj

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