194611
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revisionPrevious revisionNext revision | Previous revisionNext revisionBoth sides next revision | ||
194611 [2016/05/23 15:33] – tyreless | 194611 [2016/05/25 10:21] – tyreless | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 103: | Line 103: | ||
"Over 60," was the reply. Then... "You know, I had a garage at Tamworth, but when I came out of the Air Force my nerves were so bad that I had to come to Sydney. That's why I'm here. I have shock treatment every day..." | "Over 60," was the reply. Then... "You know, I had a garage at Tamworth, but when I came out of the Air Force my nerves were so bad that I had to come to Sydney. That's why I'm here. I have shock treatment every day..." | ||
- | Sole-Searing, | + | =====Sole-Searing.===== |
by " | by " | ||
- | ., | ||
- | Take a train for the Gangerangs, slide down Suicide Cr., walk (?) through Canyon, and pass over Solitary on the way home. Are | ||
- | you tirc of life? Do your kidneys trouble-you? | ||
- | Do I sound rather keen on Ti-Willa Canyon? Until last yecr it was just a n5me on the map to me, and not particularly attractive at that. Last year it became The Name on the m5p for me, for I christened Suicide Creek with a spectaculor jump over_a cliff: | ||
- | This year I revisited the scene of the crime. Having passed Ci-entle' | ||
- | swampy beginning, and Adght have watel" | ||
- | . e 4afax_tb,, of LA.93r ek. | ||
- | If you're wise, this is where you camp, oven without water. We h1 tea on two tins Of spaghetti heated in the ashes. Add 7 tin opener | ||
- | (to get the spagaetti out - am I not obvious) and you have a-ready made atom gun. | ||
- | Next morni pg, if you woke up, you follow down Suicide Ck. ' | ||
- | At this point the lunatic is well advised to take the ridge on his or her right h-,Ind -nd follow it down. Care must be taken tht the ridge dows not follow you ,down In tais wild land where the hand of -atah hs never set foot, olh hardly ever, the fpot of the w9llaby gives cs. helping hand. On the way you Olutch tufts of gr,asa, loose | ||
- | rocks, trickly bushes, nd further down near the end yoi cf,'n hardly resist temptation to take to the vines. (Not of the grape, but even th-t applies). | ||
- | You're down. Or are you? If you haven' | ||
- | If you're lucky, there will be only a series of pools hero and | ||
- | there, water flowing between them Under thegroxindiu, | ||
- | ing up the bed of th,a stra9m, the gives way to smooth | ||
- | rock, the water flowing along a self-made channel. At these places you're apt to sit down, | ||
- | About every five minutes you change direction with the stream. | ||
- | Eagerly you anticip?to something new around the next corner, and after | ||
- | 0 | ||
- | you'v stopped Inticipating what dcosn' | ||
- | come to long shale slippery dip. You don't lic've to go as Tar on this side -Is on the other, :Ind there are no tempting vines. | ||
- | I mieht m?..ke mantich here of t,ha. only fly in the Rexona. These are nettles, and on these little hillside expeditions to get round things, all portions-of one's anatomy are equally fs likely to suffer. And suffer one does. | ||
- | For all the hard vvork so for you hlve the banifits of almost tame wild life,_ Rosa Robins will flutter around you, and lyre birds are forever dashing off in a panic before your irresistible progress (thRt'' | ||
- | Having mode the croak once more you keep on wnlkirig till you come to Mary Foils. These are not such a surprise, but are deeper and more spectqculF7r, | ||
- | Uhan you've agin re-pchod the creek you b.:Ive only to walk until you reach the Ko1..,ugg. By this time you've got completely used to walking over round stones and are skinning along at a steady four miles on hour, dodging over falling trees, ,nd wetting your feet in the interests of progress if you're not fussy. It saves a lot of hill climbing, There are however tricky and slippery places which c-pn mean an involuntary b'ith for the unwary. | ||
- | Further down the creek widens out, and here ' | ||
- | . are grassy banks - and nettles - and traces of the bovine breed. The river okes grow tall and straight, and Sunlight roaches down unhamp..)red by warmth hungry branches. On and on you go, bond after bond - has tho. areek no ending. | ||
- | And right whore you think there' | ||
- | And if it iSn't yet dusk-i*doptt we' | ||
- | For the Gossaa. | ||
- | The social round ,on. Labour Day. | ||
- | Barren Lands & Beyond. | ||
- | Nose to the ground, eyes peering hither end thither, notebook appearing and disappearing in flourishes grandiose,' | ||
- | When first i looked, Edna Gurrr,Id Was there. Agi.O. I cPst my eyes around ---7.nd she vDs gone: Did the Barren Lands mists swallow hr up? Or w.,,s she cons-ci6iis of my furtive entries in the notebook? | ||
- | Subterfuge was rife. Norm.), Borden, with enough food for three (and Bob Younger-cF.irryinE- it - ' | ||
- | The Leydon -..CosEro, | ||
- | At Centrr.1, Dennis Gittoes missed the trr lin, thoma raced it tc Berry' No, this isn't fliploy' | ||
- | ,, | ||
- | We thought o hTd.' U.S. Army: | ||
- | ono for large fires, sm-II" | ||
- | the fire out, ho sucks instef' | ||
- | At Yoo12, folloed-the trend of the times, sporting a ten-mm | ||
- | tent, with pck I1flXQ coMplete. Is it rot nm7zing how the tort is put | ||
- | awv in the fick thP' P7-ck putt=11/ | ||
- | Phil H7.11 struck geologic f-z me over night, un6. rthing the best fossils Yeoln h,9.s yet produced. " | ||
- | better ones in * uhl" We hope lp maitit | + | Take a train for the Gangerangs, slide down Suicide Cr., walk (?) through Ti-Willa Canyon, and pass over Solitary on the way home. Are you tired of life? Do your kidneys trouble you? Are you spotless - outside (remember Inner Cleanliness comes First)? Kill care on Suicide Creek! Go Ti-Willaising! |
- | dole; | + | |
- | Walgon River Walkribout-- | + | Do I sound rather keen on Ti-Willa Canyon? Until last year it was just a name on the map to me, and not particularly attractive at that. Last year it became The Name on the map for me, for I christened Suicide Creek with a spectaculor jump over a cliff. |
- | You ilave herd Rolcy on wompn;: | + | |
- | In tht impromptu spirit so mnifest 5, | + | This year I revisited the scene of the crime. Having passed Gentle' |
- | N7w this, my do9rs, pretty-pickie -- for h-.1f of the food W9S | + | |
- | up and could n-t get hdown, whilst tiae othar hnlf w:. nnd could | + | If you're wise, this is where you camp, even without water. We had tea on two tins Of spaghetti heated in the ashes. Add a tin opener (to get the spagaetti out - am I not obvious) and you have a ready made atom gun. |
- | not get up. Have yru ever f-lcod th.) pros2ect | + | |
- | STORK DERBY. | + | Next morning, if you wake up, you follow down Suicide Ck. Naturally you meet a cliff. This can be negotiated on one side. Which brings you to another cliff. Here I took the shortest way down the first time, but that's another story. |
- | Yes, as forecast,- the storlt | + | |
- | The Ron Bakers, too) -are , | + | At this point the lunatic is well advised to take the ridge on his or her right hand and follow it down. Care must be taken that the ridge does not follow you down. In this wild land where the hand of man has never set foot, or hardly ever, the foot of the wallaby gives a helping hand. On the way you clutch madly at tufts of graas, loose rocks, prickly bushes, and further down near the end you can hardly resist temptation to take to the vines. (Not of the grape, but even that applies). |
- | _ | + | |
- | The Yearl s hard luck StorY comes from the2 poor unTortunate 6.t | + | You're down. Or are you? If you haven' |
- | 6arqtawarra | + | |
- | Irving Calnan has disappeared from the Club. Gone to Lismore. Did he _read the Kweens14nd Spesh-ul -and develope a yearning for the North? | + | If you're lucky, there will be only a series of pools here and there, water flowing between them under the ground, water-worn rocks making up the bed of the stream. Here and there this gives way to smooth rock, the water flowing along a self-made channel. At these places you're apt to sit down suddenly. Gee, octopi are lucky suckers. |
- | The " | + | |
- | "THE SYDNEY B1J5HWALKER" | + | About every five minutes you change direction with the stream. Eagerly you anticipate something new around the next corner, and after you've stopped anticipating what doesn' |
- | Next monthtl. | + | |
- | PORTHOS AND ' | + | I might make mention here of the only fly in the Rexona. These are nettles, and on these little hillside expeditions to get round things, all portions of one's anatomy are equally as likely to suffer. And suffer one does. |
+ | |||
+ | For all the hard work so far you have the banifits of almost tame wild life, Rose Robins will flutter around you, and lyre birds are forever dashing off in a panic before your irresistible progress (that' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Having mode the creek once more you keep on walking till you come to Mary Falls. These are not such a surprise, but are deeper and more spectacular, | ||
+ | |||
+ | When you've again reached the creek you have only to walk until you reach the Kowmung. By this time you've got completely used to walking over round stones and are skinning along at a steady four miles an hour, dodging over falling trees, and wetting your feet in the interests of progress if you're not fussy. It saves a lot of hill climbing. There are however tricky and slippery places which can mean an involuntary bath for the unwary. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Further down the creek widens out, and here and there at the bends are grassy banks - and nettles - and traces of the bovine breed. The river okes grow tall and straight, and sunlight reaches down unhampered by warmth hungry branches. On and on you go, bend after bend - has the creek no ending. | ||
+ | |||
+ | And right where you think there' | ||
+ | |||
+ | And if it isn't yet dusk, don't worry. Have tea, bed down quickly, and sweet dreams to you. For tomorrow and tomorrow you have to struggle with the Cox and Solitary before you can settle down to a good meal in Katoomba. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====For the Gossips.===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The social round on Labour Day. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====Barren Lands & Beyond.==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nose to the ground, eyes peering hither end thither, notebook appearing and disappearing in flourishes grandiose, the Official Reporter was on the Official Walk. (Alarming, what?) | ||
+ | |||
+ | When first I looked, Edna Garrrard was there. Again I cast my eyes around - and she was gone! Did the Barren Lands mists swallow her up? Or was she conscious of my furtive entries in the notebook? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Subterfuge was rife. Norma Barden, with enough food for three (and Bob Younger carrying it - Labour Day, alright) did her best to whiten Alex Colloy' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Leydon-Cosgrove controversies confounded the critics. Bushwalkers were lousey; Berry beer as lousey; Kosciusko weather was lousy. But all agreed that when the depression comes, it will be grand to go walking permanently with occassional ports of call to collect the dole! | ||
+ | |||
+ | At Central, Dennis Gittoes missed the train, then raced it to Berry! No, this isn't Ripley' | ||
+ | |||
+ | We thought we had a U.S. Army Construction Battalion, but someone murmured, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | At Yoola, followed the trend of the times, sporting a ten-man tent, with pack annexe complete. Is it not amazing how the tent is put away in the pack all day, and the pack put away in the tent all night? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Phil Hall struck geologic fame over night, unearthing the best fossils Yeola has yet produced. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====Walgon River Walkabout-===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | You have heard Roley on women of course? "Two men to every woman, lads, etc., etc." | ||
+ | |||
+ | In that impromptu spirit so manifest among the walkers, they wandered | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Stork Derby.===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Yes, as forecast, the stork has been working as hard as usual. The Paul Barnses | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Ron Bakers, too, are gurgling | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Year's hard luck story comes from the poor unfortunate at Garrawarra | ||
+ | |||
+ | Irving Calnan has disappeared from the Club. Gone to Lismore. Did he read the Kweensland Speshul | ||
+ | |||
+ | The " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====The Sydney Bushwalker" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next month!! | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====="Porthos and Pathos with Priddle" | ||
By " | By " | ||
- | So I sez to myself says I "What you 'want, ',old chap_is. a nice quiet ramble in the bush and then yOu'll return to work as fregh-as paint" | ||
- | The aucdeeding week I float about and Friday evening finds me with suffictent fodder for the trip. I am Also to be found at Parramatta Station whence the truck is scheduled to leave at 7.30 p m. I arrive at 7.20 p m. and by 8 p m. have walked about two miles around the station, seeking latecomers. Betty duly arrives and there is a vulgar souffle to see,who sits next to her in the motor chariot. Disgusting the way these young chaps push theses forward. From where I sit I sse the top of her ear occasionally, | ||
- | The trip is entertaining fron0he beginning. When wa get really going the lorry gives, out a great shower of sparks from the und,ergear, so much so, that a followiag. motor cyclist draws abreast and informs | ||
- | our driver that he is on fire (not the-driver). Much to our disappointment we pull up and discover that it'ia only carbon from the exhaust pipe and I ' | ||
- | About one hour afterwards 140 are bowling along a dusty road and I woUld not'bb contradicted if I mendhthat :a 'speck or two of the same dust ' | ||
- | ..:plarid a very restless night and am pleased to seethe dawn. aiAbiried- by ' | ||
- | in the slumber will be noticed. | ||
- | - .4.. | ||
- | The-, | ||
- | - . | ||
- | 9. aale% we. ki4' | ||
- | down the other. slae tp:efaingry :Way Cree,k. lattli, Bob | ||
- | ar..m wirdMmw.. Imm..p011.Wmoven CL. | ||
- | and_Phil and some_ bright soul claSseS us aS the Three Musketeers. Thi'7i is same, | ||
- | -4Ullest of the trio... Curse Alex Dumas, The descent 1.8 also highlighted by a wallaby aChieVing aliost impossible leaps from rock to | ||
- | Westward' | ||
- | we receive a pleasant surprise as, the River is cleaner than we expected. About midday the party crossed the river, knee deep at the crossing, and mention might be' made that all talk of swimming before. lunch SpPMed to just fade away. | ||
- | Lunch at the junction of the Colo and Tootle Creek and afterwards alcnz the creek for about half a mile then Bingo, we seek higher alti, tudc:. The afternoon passes- climbing fOur successive ridges and Porthos here dips his lid to the girls in the party, Gwen, Betty; May, Shirley and Jenny. They never chants down into low gear. I would like to report the same about Porthosiout you know how it is. Too ,many- witnesses. Five-oclock finds Luke & Co. at Condor Trig, and we are cheered at the news that camp im,only a short distance away. Several glamor boys take the opportunity-tojpose, | ||
- | photos and it is reallydisgusting: | ||
- | Away goes the team to camp and away go the Musketeers, and please notice, Betty. -I'm not a woman to talk but that girl has really got taste. Iffien next we take a look about us the rest of th6 party seem to have vanished so we follow in the direction we assume to be correct. | ||
- | .After a few minutes we are not. so sure Of ourselves, so Porthos, who has learned to C000, gets in a little Practice, but not even an echo replies. Things are soquiet that even the sound of Sinatra singing would be welcome, "rep Bud; it is as -quiet as that. So Athos, Aramis and Porthos start to use their horse sense and bowl down a ridge or | ||
- | . two. The position is not improved by Athosf pack going for a stroll all by its self.: It does not go very farbut completes the trip by dropping over a,middle cliff. Just between you and me the abovementioned pack contains eggs. By this time the place is getting very dark' arli on account of power rationing there are no lights (Curse the Government 7' | ||
- | Porthos iscarried: | ||
- | 10. | ||
- | a vbry dmforting thought when you don' t know where you are. | ||
- | Sunday morning fin04, the pl rtY o ve4opki4gWheeny Creek' and it -is -t, | ||
- | and, youmight be pardoned for saying ' it is only a short step | ||
- | Investigating officers JOhnO,- _Like.' | ||
- | . _ | ||
- | :The next. creek' looks promiel rig so with strict instructions to the Musketeers not to stray, away o the investigators. Better luck this time and a.: halt ie.:called half ' | ||
- | prom Wheenie Creek it is -juetne; biecuit' | ||
- | | ||
- | just up the road. Luke. has never been over the complete route | ||
- | !.-fore and a gentle pat on the back is merited for his leading.: io owess.' | ||
- | Uears himself to the team by producing a chaff bag full o. oranges | ||
- | now nforms Us that he purchased them for twenty sheckels at Arinstron g1 s Orchard, at the oorarrenderrient of the walk. I ' | ||
- | There is!' | ||
- | .. | ||
- | burger: shop sold,. out...at -Parramatta and a 'Milk bar has iraoancies for two new attendants next: time We ge..thete: | ||
+ | So I sez to myself says I "What you want, old chap is a nice quiet ramble in the bush and then you'll return to work as fresh as paint" | ||
+ | |||
+ | The succeeding week I float about and Friday evening finds me with sufficient fodder for the trip. I am also to be found at Parramatta Station whence the truck is scheduled to leave at 7.30 p.m. I arrive at 7.20 p.m. and by 8 p.m. have walked about two miles around the station, seeking latecomers. Betty duly arrives and there is a vulgar scuffle to see who sits next to her in the motor chariot. Disgusting the way these young chaps push themselves forward. From where I sit I sse the top of her ear occasionally so brighten up somewhat. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The trip is entertaining from the beginning. When we get really going the lorry gives out a great shower of sparks from the undergear, so much so, that a followiag motor cyclist draws abreast and informs our driver that he is on fire (not the driver). Much to our disappointment we pull up and discover that it is only carbon from the exhaust pipe and I settle down to look at the ear again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | About one hour afterwards we are bowling along a dusty road and I would not be contradicted if I mench that a speck or two of the same dust enters the part where I sit. I am informed that it is called affectionate dust, which I believe because a pound or two is clinging to my skin. Around about this time some heartless beast obscures my view of the auditory appendage (ear, you mug) so I cast a glance to my right. Dogonne my ornery hide if I'm not sitting next to Bob and Phil. Having bunked with Phil on Berry Mountain, I feel at home and shortly afterwards the conversation turns to tents. It is discovered that we three have a tent each, ao someone suggests we tent together and utilise the surplus tents as coverage. A very solid idea, so when we turn in at 11 p.m. it is not surprising that we three are cheek to cheek, more or 1ess anyway. I also am not surprisad to find myself on the outside as we have drawn straws for the position in the centre. | ||
+ | |||
+ | I spend a very restless night and am pleased to see the dawn. I am joined by others and soon breakfast is on the way. Phil and Bob each report a good night' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The instructions are to be ready to move off at 8 a.m. so at 9 a.m. we kick off to a very nice start - up a hill naturally. Going down the other side to Hungry Way Creek I find myself again with Bob and Phil and some bright soul classes us as the Three Musketeers. There is some speculation as to how to allot the characters but on discussion Bob is Aramis, Phil is Athos and you can guess who cops Porthos. I rack my brain and am rewarded with the memory that Porthos is the dullest of the trio. Curse Alex Dumas. The descent is also highlighted by a wallaby achieving almost impossible leaps from rock to rock. Westward along the Creek and we come to the Colo River. There we receive a pleasant surprise as the River is cleaner than we expected. About midday the party crossed the river, knee deep at the crossing, and mention might be made that all talk of swimming before lunch seemed to just fade away. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lunch at the junction of the Colo and Tootie Creek and afterwards along the creek for about half a mile then Bingo, we seek higher altitudes. The afternoon passes climbing four successive ridges and Porthos here dips his lid to the girls in the party, Gwen, Betty, May, Shirley and Jenny. They never change down into low gear. I would like to report the same about Porthos but you know how it is. Too many witnesses. Five o' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Away goes the team to camp and away go the Musketeers, and please notice, Betty. I'm not a woman to talk but that girl has really got taste. When next we take a look about us the rest of the party seem to have vanished so we follow in the direction we assume to be correct. After a few minutes we are not so sure of ourselves, so Porthos, who has learned to Cooo, gets in a little practice, but not even an echo replies. Things are so quiet that even the sound of Sinatra singing would be welcome. Yep Bud, it is as quiet as that. So Athos, Aramis and Porthos start to use their horse sense and bowl down a ridge or two. The position is not improved by Athos' pack going for a stroll all by its self. It does not go very far but completes the trip by dropping over a middle cliff. Just between you and me the abovementioned pack contains eggs. By this time the place is getting very dark and on account of power rationing there are no lights (Curse the Government - Curse the Miners). The gentle reader may now be excused for thinking the Musketeers are lost, but not those bright boys. All you have to do is return to Conder Trig and make another start. So away they go and walk for about half an hour, but some practical joker has removed the trig. By this time it is so dark that the owls are even carrying Glow-worms for illumination and it is decided to make a dry camp. At that presact moment several coos are heard and in a couple of minutes along bowl Luke, Clem and Colin. I don't wish to be any way emotional but everyone kissed Betty and even Porthos is carried away and participates in the orgy and is only halted when he makes a mistake in the dark and gets gulash on his chin. The least said about the shameful return the better but I am assured that although Bushwalkers may be overdue, they are never lost. Which is a very comforting thought when you don't know where you are. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sunday morning finds the party overlooking Wheeny Creek and it is gratifying to receive the compliments from the rest of the party. The Three Musketeers are even honored to the extent of being placed at the head of the crowd. As I was saying we are looking down on Wheeny Creek and you might be pardoned for saying it is only a short step down. Investigating officers Johno, Luke and Clem report it to be only a short step, but a rock face intervened so we must needs turn our back on the short way. At the back of our ridge we find a convenient creek, but half way down we also strike a not so convenient waterfall so it is a case of back up the creek. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The next creek looks promising so with strict instructions to the Musketeers not to stray, away go the investigators. Better luck this time and a halt is called half way down for lunch. Short and sweet would be the oorrect term for this meal as we are behind schedule. The decent of the creek is most interesting even if at times a trifle rough and Wheenie Creek is reached practically without incident. It might be mentioned that Porthos is inclined to be a little original in his method of descending a waterfall. After he has picked himself up it is explained patiently that feet first, not head first, is the correct way. | ||
+ | |||
+ | From Wheenie Creek it is just a biscuit toss to Kurrajong Heights and after a couple of hours we come out on to the roadway where we expected to find our lorry. It is almost six o' | ||
+ | |||
+ | There is nothing else to report except to record that the Hamburger shop sold out at Parramatta and a milk bar has vacancies for two new attendants next time we go there. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Poem - to Jenny===== | ||
- | , | + | A damsel |
- | 1 j | + | (A wicked grin, but speaking not a word)\\ |
- | A dathser.`bending | + | With alternating |
- | As r - | + | As Peggy wields a pin,\\ |
- | Peg'gy- lqields a | + | A splinter casues strife in any woman's life!\\ |
- | And fLercely jabs | + | And fiercely jabs it in\\ |
- | th- Itol-ey.- pacing | + | With Roley pacing |
- | , POEM - TO JENNY | + | |
- | but speaking not a word) | + | |
- | A splinter causes strife In any womant s | + | |
- | over -Peggy' | + | |
- | and 'glee','"' | + | |
- | r | + | |
- | it 'in, | + | |
- | up arid d-own. | + | |
- | . sgard; - | ||
- | ; | ||
THINGS OF YORE. | THINGS OF YORE. | ||
By Skip. | By Skip. |
194611.txt · Last modified: 2016/05/25 13:35 by tyreless