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196107 [2016/02/23 13:24] – tyreless196107 [2023/09/01 16:44] (current) – Add p15 to text sbw
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 The Walks Secretary's report chronicled a variety of exertions in May. Caving at Bungonia, an instructional walk led by Bob Godfrey, and attended by 23 members and prospectives, the three peaks trip on which three started and two weakened after two peaks, and a trip from Mount Irvine which involved two crossings of the impassable Bowen's Creek gorge. All the trips were well patronised. The Walks Secretary's report chronicled a variety of exertions in May. Caving at Bungonia, an instructional walk led by Bob Godfrey, and attended by 23 members and prospectives, the three peaks trip on which three started and two weakened after two peaks, and a trip from Mount Irvine which involved two crossings of the impassable Bowen's Creek gorge. All the trips were well patronised.
  
-A report was presented from a special committee gathered together for the purpose of discussing the investment of the Era Fund. The committee recommended that we use the fund for the purpose for which it was subscribed - conservation - by the purchase of an area suitable for reservation. Bluegum and Era had been preserved by this means and there were probably other suitable areas if we looked for them. There was land for sale at Yaddboro Creek and areas such as Yeola or Budderoo might be investigated. The committee would be pleased to have any suggestions for its next meeting on August 8th. Investment other than in land would be restricted to trustee investments - Bonds and Government guaranteed loans. The balance of the fund was £528.14.0. A three-quarter's majority at an extraordinary meeting was necessary to decide on the use of the money. The committee which made the report comprised Bill Rodgers, Wal Roots (Club Trustee), Maurie Berry (Club Trustee), Malcolm McGregor, Tom Moppett, David Ingram, Jack Gentle, John White, Brian Harvey and Alex Colley.+A report was presented from a special committee gathered together for the purpose of discussing the investment of the Era Fund. The committee recommended that we use the fund for the purpose for which it was subscribed - conservation - by the purchase of an area suitable for reservation. Bluegum and Era had been preserved by this means and there were probably other suitable areas if we looked for them. There was land for sale at Yadboro Creek and areas such as Yeola or Budderoo might be investigated. The committee would be pleased to have any suggestions for its next meeting on August 8th. Investment other than in land would be restricted to trustee investments - Bonds and Government guaranteed loans. The balance of the fund was £528.14.0. A three-quarter's majority at an extraordinary meeting was necessary to decide on the use of the money. The committee which made the report comprised Bill Rodgers, Wal Roots (Club Trustee), Maurie Berry (Club Trustee), Malcolm McGregor, Tom Moppett, David Ingram, Jack Gentle, John White, Brian Harvey and Alex Colley.
  
 The President drew our attention to the deposition of cigarette ash on the Club room despite the provision of an abundance of ashtrays (a week later a complaint re ash was made by the cleaners). The President drew our attention to the deposition of cigarette ash on the Club room despite the provision of an abundance of ashtrays (a week later a complaint re ash was made by the cleaners).
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 The lost 1 1/2 hours put any thought of getting through that day quite out of reasonable reckoning, but once on the track I clung tenaciously to it, passing at 10.0 o'clock the side spur to Mt. Wirraba and Wollerie Creek I had travelled before (after all, I had wanted for years to see where the track got to). The lost 1 1/2 hours put any thought of getting through that day quite out of reasonable reckoning, but once on the track I clung tenaciously to it, passing at 10.0 o'clock the side spur to Mt. Wirraba and Wollerie Creek I had travelled before (after all, I had wanted for years to see where the track got to).
  
-Yes, I clung to that track, which continued reasonably strong and clearn on to the ridge south of, and parallel to, the Wirraba Range: then swung more to the south, once descended obligingly to the head of a creek, climbed again on to the ridge and to my amazement - plunged right down into the bed of a creek flowing south east and began to chase it downstream. I know now that it was here I lost contact with the map. I believed I was on an unnamed stream which flows into the Wollerie about 2 1/2 miles below the junction of Putty Creek: instead it could only be Gobo Creek, which takes a much more southerly course and ultimately joins the Wollerie opposite the northern side of the Culoul Range.+Yes, I clung to that track, which continued reasonably strong and clear on to the ridge south of, and parallel to, the Wirraba Range: then swung more to the south, once descended obligingly to the head of a creek, climbed again on to the ridge and to my amazement - plunged right down into the bed of a creek flowing south east and began to chase it downstream. I know now that it was here I lost contact with the map. I believed I was on an unnamed stream which flows into the Wollerie about 2 1/2 miles below the junction of Putty Creek: instead it could only be Gobo Creek, which takes a much more southerly course and ultimately joins the Wollerie opposite the northern side of the Culoul Range.
  
 The track remained alongside the creek far over a hour, until about 3.0 o'clock when I was smugly expecting to come to Wollerie any time, it turned away __UP__ a side stream entering from the north. Hereabouts the canvas of the left sandshoe ripped right across: at least, watching its slow disintegration had given me time to think out a possible repair. I removed the lace from the two bottom eyelets, used my tin opener to bore holes in the still sound rubber of the toe cap and strung a niece of tent cord like two reins from the cap back to the eyelets. It worked, and in ten minutes I was mobile again, pursuing the track up through a little swamp on to a ridge. Then it dived dawn into the next valley to the north, which I assessed (wrong) as Dumbell Creek. The track remained alongside the creek far over a hour, until about 3.0 o'clock when I was smugly expecting to come to Wollerie any time, it turned away __UP__ a side stream entering from the north. Hereabouts the canvas of the left sandshoe ripped right across: at least, watching its slow disintegration had given me time to think out a possible repair. I removed the lace from the two bottom eyelets, used my tin opener to bore holes in the still sound rubber of the toe cap and strung a niece of tent cord like two reins from the cap back to the eyelets. It worked, and in ten minutes I was mobile again, pursuing the track up through a little swamp on to a ridge. Then it dived dawn into the next valley to the north, which I assessed (wrong) as Dumbell Creek.
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 Here, at last, I mislaid the trail, which must go up and over yet another ridge, possibly over two, before coming to Wollerie Creek somewhere near Putty Creek. I can't say I regretted losing the trail. By this time I was heartily sick of its intransigence. Surely Putty stockmen must have spent years seeking the most roundabout course between Wollerie Creek and Uraterer. I went on down "Dumbell Creek" - (actually the unnamed stream which I fancied I'd been on before!) and found the going fair, but with piles of slippery rocks in places. At 5.25 having given myself another 10 minutes before sitting down to camp, I waked out on to a sandbar overlooking Wollemi Creek and, as I hastily made camp in the failing light, marvelled at the wild nature of the valley thereabouts. (Of course I thought I was only a mile below Putty Creek and civilisation, instead of something like three miles.) Here, at last, I mislaid the trail, which must go up and over yet another ridge, possibly over two, before coming to Wollerie Creek somewhere near Putty Creek. I can't say I regretted losing the trail. By this time I was heartily sick of its intransigence. Surely Putty stockmen must have spent years seeking the most roundabout course between Wollerie Creek and Uraterer. I went on down "Dumbell Creek" - (actually the unnamed stream which I fancied I'd been on before!) and found the going fair, but with piles of slippery rocks in places. At 5.25 having given myself another 10 minutes before sitting down to camp, I waked out on to a sandbar overlooking Wollemi Creek and, as I hastily made camp in the failing light, marvelled at the wild nature of the valley thereabouts. (Of course I thought I was only a mile below Putty Creek and civilisation, instead of something like three miles.)
  
-I had never proposed to go out via Putty Volley. That would entail walking 10 miles almost north before getting out on to the Singleton Road and would place me probably 25 miles north from the car back at Culoul. My plan was to strike generally east, allow a bit of a curve north to get around a deep part of Long Wheehy Creek, then firmly east to intersect the road.+I had never proposed to go out via Putty Volley. That would entail walking 10 miles almost north before getting out on to the Singleton Road and would place me probably 25 miles north from the car back at Culoul. My plan was to strike generally east, allow a bit of a curve north to get around a deep part of Long Wheeny Creek, then firmly east to intersect the road.
  
 This was still my plot on Thursday morning, which was very misty with visibility down to 100 yards or less. Worse, the mist rose as I went up the eastern wall of Wollerie Creek on a steady grade. I kept trying to detour to the north east, each time finding the ground falling away and finally, with no view of the landscape, decided to keep going with the rise of the ground. This was still my plot on Thursday morning, which was very misty with visibility down to 100 yards or less. Worse, the mist rose as I went up the eastern wall of Wollerie Creek on a steady grade. I kept trying to detour to the north east, each time finding the ground falling away and finally, with no view of the landscape, decided to keep going with the rise of the ground.
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 =====Day Walks.===== =====Day Walks.=====
  
-|July 16|Palm Beach - ferry to The Basin - West Head Road - Cottage Rock - Yeoman's Bay - The Basin. 12 miles. A 600' climb out of, and later, back into the Basin. Excellent views out over Pittwater and the lower Hawkesbury River. 8.12 a.m. bus from Wyward Square to Palm Beach (Goddards Wharf). 10.0 a.m. ferry Goddard's Wharf to The Basin. Fares: 8/2d. return bus to Palm Beach, plus 4/- return by ferry. Maps: Broken Bay Military or Hawkesbury River Tourist. Leader: Stuart Brooks.|+|July 16|Palm Beach - ferry to The Basin - West Head Road - Cottage Rock - Yeoman's Bay - The Basin. 12 miles. A 600' climb out of, and later, back into the Basin. Excellent views out over Pittwater and the lower Hawkesbury River. 8.12 a.m. bus from Wynyard Square to Palm Beach (Goddards Wharf). 10.0 a.m. ferry Goddard's Wharf to The Basin. Fares: 8/2d. return bus to Palm Beach, plus 4/- return by ferry. Maps: Broken Bay Military or Hawkesbury River Tourist. Leader: Stuart Brooks.|
 |July 23|Hornsby - bus to Crossland's Road - Knight Trig. - Charlton's Creek - Birrilee. Don't let the short distance fool you. Interesting country to find one's way through, but gaiters or slacks recommended. NOT SUITABLE as a first walk. Train: 8.40 a.m. Central Electric Station to Hornsby via Bridge. Tickets: Hornsby Return via Bridge at 5/3d. plus about 6/- bus fares. Maps: Broken Bay Military or Hawkesbury River Tourist. Leader: David Ingram.| |July 23|Hornsby - bus to Crossland's Road - Knight Trig. - Charlton's Creek - Birrilee. Don't let the short distance fool you. Interesting country to find one's way through, but gaiters or slacks recommended. NOT SUITABLE as a first walk. Train: 8.40 a.m. Central Electric Station to Hornsby via Bridge. Tickets: Hornsby Return via Bridge at 5/3d. plus about 6/- bus fares. Maps: Broken Bay Military or Hawkesbury River Tourist. Leader: David Ingram.|
 |July 30|Wondabyne - Kariong - Koolewong. 10 miles. A bit early for the wildflowers which abound in this area, but the surroundings will make up for that. An excellent view from Kariong Trig. Well worth the extra rail fare. Train: 8.15 a.m. Gosford train from Central Steam Station. Tickets: Koolewong Return at 15/6d. Maps: Gosford Military or Hawkesbury River Tourist. Leader: Reg Meakins.| |July 30|Wondabyne - Kariong - Koolewong. 10 miles. A bit early for the wildflowers which abound in this area, but the surroundings will make up for that. An excellent view from Kariong Trig. Well worth the extra rail fare. Train: 8.15 a.m. Gosford train from Central Steam Station. Tickets: Koolewong Return at 15/6d. Maps: Gosford Military or Hawkesbury River Tourist. Leader: Reg Meakins.|
-|August 6|Pymble - bus to St. Ives (Douglas Street) Bungaroo - Middle Harbour Creek - Lindfield. 11 miles. This used to be a favourite walk, but hasn't been progrmmed for years. A scramble along the upper reaches of Middle Harbour Creek, then mainly track. Lindfield Park is an attractive setting for tea. Train: 8.10 a.m. Central Electric Station to Pymble. Tickets: Pymble Return at 5/3d. plus 1/- bus fare. Maps: Sydney Military or any good suburban street Directory. Leader: Molly Rodgers.|+|August 6|Pymble - bus to St. Ives (Douglas Street) Bungaroo - Middle Harbour Creek - Lindfield. 11 miles. This used to be a favourite walk, but hasn't been programmed for years. A scramble along the upper reaches of Middle Harbour Creek, then mainly track. Lindfield Park is an attractive setting for tea. Train: 8.10 a.m. Central Electric Station to Pymble. Tickets: Pymble Return at 5/3d. plus 1/- bus fare. Maps: Sydney Military or any good suburban street Directory. Leader: Molly Rodgers.|
 |August 13|Leumeah - Bushwalkers' Basin - Kalibucca Pool - Freer's Crossing - Minto. Bushwalkers' Basin is a splendid pool and Punchbowl Creek, leading to Kalibucca Pool, is largely unspoilt. There could be some attractive colour shots of the wattle in flower at this time of the year. Train: 8.25 a.m. Goulburn train from Central Steam Station. Tickets: Leumeah Return at 7/-. Map: Camden Military. Leader: Jack Gentle.| |August 13|Leumeah - Bushwalkers' Basin - Kalibucca Pool - Freer's Crossing - Minto. Bushwalkers' Basin is a splendid pool and Punchbowl Creek, leading to Kalibucca Pool, is largely unspoilt. There could be some attractive colour shots of the wattle in flower at this time of the year. Train: 8.25 a.m. Goulburn train from Central Steam Station. Tickets: Leumeah Return at 7/-. Map: Camden Military. Leader: Jack Gentle.|
  
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 I noticed from the list of officers and the walks programme that several of the Old and Bold are still doing yeoman work for the Club. It is also good to see plenty of the newer members' names on these lists. That is the way the Club keeps up its strength. I noticed from the list of officers and the walks programme that several of the Old and Bold are still doing yeoman work for the Club. It is also good to see plenty of the newer members' names on these lists. That is the way the Club keeps up its strength.
  
-By the way, I noticed that the Annual Meeting was told by our old friend, Brian Harvey, that the magazine had now come out regularly for 25 years. That takes it back to 1936, and that would be about the time it was turned into a monthly duplicated by our own members. You may be interested to know that it first started  in 1932, in May I think it was, at a price of 1/- and appeared every other month. Marj Hill first suggested it and the Club was doubtful but gave permissinn for us to publish a journal as a trial. Marj Hill, Brenda White, Renee Brown, Myles Dunphy and I each put in 10/- and that was the capital on which "The Bush.Walker" was started. After about six months the Club took the journal over officially, refunded us our ten bob and changed its name to "The Sydney Bushwalker". It went on quite happily for some time until there was a change of editor and the new sub-editor used a blue pencil heavily on one or two issues. That nearly killed the journal; they tried turning it into a quarterly but still no one would write for it, and most people said it was too expensive and would not buy it. Bill Mullins came to the rescue by taking over the editorship, turning it into a monthly and dropping the price to (I think) 6d. or 9d. by getting a working team of members and duplicating it on the Club's own machine instead of having it done by a professional duplicating firm. Since then, as Brian said, it has come out regularly for 25 years. I thought you might be interested in that bit of the Club's history.+By the way, I noticed that the Annual Meeting was told by our old friend, Brian Harvey, that the magazine had now come out regularly for 25 years. That takes it back to 1936, and that would be about the time it was turned into a monthly duplicated by our own members. You may be interested to know that it first started  in 1932, in May I think it was, at a price of 1/- and appeared every other month. Marj Hill first suggested it and the Club was doubtful but gave permission for us to publish a journal as a trial. Marj Hill, Brenda White, Renee Brown, Myles Dunphy and I each put in 10/- and that was the capital on which "The Bush.Walker" was started. After about six months the Club took the journal over officially, refunded us our ten bob and changed its name to "The Sydney Bushwalker". It went on quite happily for some time until there was a change of editor and the new sub-editor used a blue pencil heavily on one or two issues. That nearly killed the journal; they tried turning it into a quarterly but still no one would write for it, and most people said it was too expensive and would not buy it. Bill Mullins came to the rescue by taking over the editorship, turning it into a monthly and dropping the price to (I think) 6d. or 9d. by getting a working team of members and duplicating it on the Club's own machine instead of having it done by a professional duplicating firm. Since then, as Brian said, it has come out regularly for 25 years. I thought you might be interested in that bit of the Club's history.
  
 Best wishes to your all, Best wishes to your all,
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 - Stuart Brooks. - Stuart Brooks.
  
-[Page 15 missing]+We five arrived under the brow of Mt Tootie on a dark Friday night, Greg Grennan, Reg Meakins, Paul Howard, Peter Price, Stuart Brooks. 
 + 
 +Choosing a relatively grasay spot, obviously very popular in the near past with the Mt Tootie bovine sorority, we took the usual precautions against snake bite and settled down for the night. 
 + 
 +Saturday 8.30 a.m. saw us away, headed westwards towards Mt Irvine along a ridge that grew rapidly steeper, ending in abrupt walls 300 feet above Bowens Creek. We sidled around the bluff, across an adjacent gully and on to the next ridge, east of Tesselate Hill, which was equally steep as the one we had just abandoned, but more broken up so that it was possible to traverse it downstrean, and eventually slide into Bowens Creek directly umer Tesselate Hill. 
 + 
 +Price took the opportunity during the descent to conduct two experiments, the conclusions from which will be known as Price's postulate, namely (1) a falling rock gathers speed proportional to the distance it has traversed but its motion may be arrested by interposing portion of the human frame in its path, preferably the lower part of the leg. (This experiment was repeated next day with a different subject, Greg, but the same result.) (2) The strength of Australian hardwood has been over estimated in the past, and even a six-inch log may not support the weight of a fully grown man (with pack}. A corollary to this experiment was that the human body, suddenly dropped vertically five feet, is likely to suffer a strained ankle. 
 + 
 +On our descent, we had chosen a likely looking ridge on the opposite side of Bowens Creek, and it did in fact prove quite feasible, though breathtaking. 
 + 
 +We reached Tesselate Hill at 11.30 duly admired the tesselated rock, and headed north along the main ridge between the Wollangambe and Bowens Creeks. A fascinating ridge that twisted and turned, exposing at one moment spectacular views of the Wollangambe and Bungleboori gorges to the west, and the next, relatively speaking, the Bowens Creek gorge to the east. In between times, one would find the ridge suddenly ending in bluffs several hundred feet high which would have to be traversed and after crossing a low saddle, more bluffs to be climbed from where the ridge would carry on. 
 + 
 +We made four miles along the ridge in this roller-coaster fashion before we found a soak on the side of some bluffs and decided on lunch. 
 + 
 +After lunch, we followed the main ridge for two more miles and then took up a long spur ridge leading boomerang fashion down to Bewens Creek, The ridge narrowed, on one side a narrow gorge 600 feet deep and on the other the 1200 feet deep Bowens Creek gorge, which from any angle looked pretty sheer. 
 + 
 +Our ridge behaved admirably until the last 300 feet when it dropped abruptly into Bowens Creek. With daylight fading fast it began to look like a dry camp with the just audible gurgle of the fast flowing creek to lull us to sleep. However after some frantic scratching around, Reg found a niche in the ridge's defences and the last 300 feet were covered in the time honoured method of sitting and sliding.
  
 More scratching around in the creek bed unearthed a comfortable sand spit. As this was a place obviously infested with all kinds of snakes, precautionary methods were duly taken while dinner was being assembled (and after). Dinner was garnished with legal anecdotes from Paul, and some free legal advice to those of us unfortunate enough to have had brushes with the law. Pete and Reg gave valuable advice, inter alia, on the many chemical problems that beset one day by day. Contributions from Grennan and Brooks were more mundane. More scratching around in the creek bed unearthed a comfortable sand spit. As this was a place obviously infested with all kinds of snakes, precautionary methods were duly taken while dinner was being assembled (and after). Dinner was garnished with legal anecdotes from Paul, and some free legal advice to those of us unfortunate enough to have had brushes with the law. Pete and Reg gave valuable advice, inter alia, on the many chemical problems that beset one day by day. Contributions from Grennan and Brooks were more mundane.
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 |July 21-22-23|Combined walk with Y.H.A.C.C. B1ackheath- Cox Turnoff - Cox's River - Billy Healy Hill - Black Jerry's - Devil's Hole - Katoomba. Varied river scenery. See the rugged granites of the Billy Healy - Gibraltar Creek area. Steep track walk up Black Jerry's ridge, pleasant ramble through Megalong, are final steep track through the Devil's Hole. Maps: Blue Mountains and Burragorang Tourist, Katoomba Military. Leader: Frank Young.| |July 21-22-23|Combined walk with Y.H.A.C.C. B1ackheath- Cox Turnoff - Cox's River - Billy Healy Hill - Black Jerry's - Devil's Hole - Katoomba. Varied river scenery. See the rugged granites of the Billy Healy - Gibraltar Creek area. Steep track walk up Black Jerry's ridge, pleasant ramble through Megalong, are final steep track through the Devil's Hole. Maps: Blue Mountains and Burragorang Tourist, Katoomba Military. Leader: Frank Young.|
-|July 28-29-30|Blackheath - Car to Cox's River via Little Hartley - Cox's River - Megalong Creek - Devil's Hole - Katoomba. This trip follows Cox's River (beautiful river scenery) to the Megalong Creek junction. Medium walking until the Billy Healy bend where rock hopping and scrambling. Then scramble up through the Megalong Creek gorge (spectacular cascades over granites) to Megalong Valley. Steep climb out via Devil's Hole. Maps: Blue Mountains and Burragorant Tourist. Katoomba Military. Leader: Greg Grennan.|+|July 28-29-30|Blackheath - Car to Cox's River via Little Hartley - Cox's River - Megalong Creek - Devil's Hole - Katoomba. This trip follows Cox's River (beautiful river scenery) to the Megalong Creek junction. Medium walking until the Billy Healy bend where rock hopping and scrambling. Then scramble up through the Megalong Creek gorge (spectacular cascades over granites) to Megalong Valley. Steep climb out via Devil's Hole. Maps: Blue Mountains and Burragorang Tourist. Katoomba Military. Leader: Greg Grennan.|
 |August 4-5-6|Bell - Grose River - Victoria Falls - Mt. Victoria. (This will be a two-day walk, not 3-day as shown on the programme.) Rugged creek bash down the Grose from Bell to the Victoria Falls Creek, then easier going to the Falls, and climb out from the valley. Gaiters recommended. Map: Katoomba Military. Leader: Wilf Hilder.| |August 4-5-6|Bell - Grose River - Victoria Falls - Mt. Victoria. (This will be a two-day walk, not 3-day as shown on the programme.) Rugged creek bash down the Grose from Bell to the Victoria Falls Creek, then easier going to the Falls, and climb out from the valley. Gaiters recommended. Map: Katoomba Military. Leader: Wilf Hilder.|
 |August 11-12-13|Wolgan Valley - Annie Rowan's Creek - Geetah Creek - Old Coach Road - Wolgan Valley. (Private Transport - fair dirt road into the Valley through the spectacular Wolgan Gap.) Explore the old shale mining town of Newness. Pleasant track walk down the Wolgan to Annie Rowan's Clearing, roughish climb out on to the tops and return to Newnes via the Old Coach Road. (Note: Interesting alternative return route would be the old railway formation, with its cuttings,  embankments and tunnels.) Leader: David Brown.| |August 11-12-13|Wolgan Valley - Annie Rowan's Creek - Geetah Creek - Old Coach Road - Wolgan Valley. (Private Transport - fair dirt road into the Valley through the spectacular Wolgan Gap.) Explore the old shale mining town of Newness. Pleasant track walk down the Wolgan to Annie Rowan's Clearing, roughish climb out on to the tops and return to Newnes via the Old Coach Road. (Note: Interesting alternative return route would be the old railway formation, with its cuttings,  embankments and tunnels.) Leader: David Brown.|
196107.1456194246.txt.gz · Last modified: 2016/02/23 13:24 by tyreless
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