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The Sydney Bushwalker Page 1
NX BU x Oy wo YEZ ES x (2 mm er =
SEPTEMBER 2006 issue No. 862
THIS MONTH INCLUDEG…..
REGULAR FEATURES Page
Presidents Report - Jan Roberts 2,3 Letters to the Editor 3 From the Committee Room - Bill Holland 4 New Members Notes - Maurice Smith 5 Walks Report - David Trinder (Waiks Secretary) 5 Editors Message - Pam Campbell 5 Mid-Week Walkers Report - Bill Holland 7 Social Notes & Social Program - Kathy Gero 18
SPECIAL FEATURES
Obituary of Ray Dargan by Fusae Hall 16,17 CONSERVATION
Coolana Report - Gretel Woodward 6 Conservation News & Notes - Bill Holland 8,9 Tracks and Access Report - August - Wilf Hilder 14 THE WALKS PAGES
Walks Notes - Barry Wallace 10,11 The Story of the Great River Walk 12,13,14 - Roger Treagus
Anniversary of the Blue Gum Forest - Pam Campbell 15 The Colo via Bob Bucks Pass 34 - Bili Holland 17 ADVERTISERS
Alpsport Inside front cover Williss Walkabouts 3 Wilderness Transport 4 Wild Asia 5 Paddy Pallin Inside back cover
: Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. Page 2
The Sydney Bushwalker
September 2006
About Our Club
The Sydney Bush Walkers was formed in 1927 for the purpose cf bringing bushwalkers together; enabling them to appreciate the great outdoors; establishing a regard for conservation and promoting social activities. The Clubs main activity is bushwalking but includes other activities such as cycling, canoeing and social events.
Our Walks Program (published quarterly) features day walks on most Saturdays and Sundays, some mid week walks and overnight weekend walks. Extended walks are organised in areas such as the Warrumbungles, Snowy Mountains, etc as well as interstate.
Our meetings start at 8pm and are held on Wednesday evenings (see Social Programme) at Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, 16 Fitzroy Street, Kirribilli (near Milsons Point Railway Station).
Visitors and prospective members are welcome. Website: www. sbw.org.au
Office Bearers Members are welcome to contact the following officers on Club matters: President: Jan Roberts 9411 5517 (h) janc.roberts@bigpond.com Vice President: Margaret Carey 9957 2137 (h) margaret_carey@bigpond.com
Secretary: Greta James 9953 8384 (h) gjam6037@bigpond.net.au Walks Secretary: David Trinder
9660 9945 (h) Social Secretary: 9130 7263 (h)
dt28@tpg.com.au Kathy Gero social@sbw.org.au Treasurer: Anita Doherty 9456 5592 (h) alinta@bigpond.net.au Members Secretary: Fran Holland 9484 6636 (h) fernband@bigpond.com New Members Secretary: Maurice Smith 9587 6325 (h) newmembers@sbw. org.au Conservation Secretary: Bill Holland 9484 6636 (h) billhotland@bigpond.com Magazine Editor: Pam Campbell 9570 2885 (h) pamela.campbell@bigpond.com Committee Members: Ron Watters wattersr@bigpond.net.au Caro Ryan 9909 1076 (h) justshootme@ozemail.com.au Delegates to Confederation:
Jim Callaway
(no email address)
Wilf Hilder walkingwilfgretel@bigpond.com
9419 2507 (h)
9520 7081 (h)
9587 8912 (h)
Presidents Report
Sydney Bush Walkers 80“ Anniversary comes up next year and the Sub Committee has recently met to commence planning for the celebrations.
At past significant anniversaries we have recognised the milestones with everything from nostalgia nights, classic walks and picnics, to bush dances and the legendary chronic operas of the 1930s.
So how would you tike to celebrate this important SBW event? When asked this question for previous anniversaries, some members have been reluctant to discard the shorts and volleys for something flasher required to attend a dinner with live music and speeches. Picnics have always been successful, and have often provided the opportunity for less mobile and/or the more mature of our membership to participate, and catch up with old friends.
Perhaps your choice would be to retrace the steps of early SBW walkers and participate in one of the walks from the first SBW programs in the 1932s.
Alternatively, maybe SBW could participate in next years Oxfam Trailwalkers. This would provide a new physical challenge on the Walks Program, and also facilitate raising money for a very worthwhile charity.
Oxfam Trailwalker is one of the toughest team challenges in the world. It is an endurance event in which 400 teams of four attempts to complete a 100km trail within 48 hours. It raises money for the vital work of Oxfam in developing countries and to date has raised $40million
This year Caro Ryan and her team The Bold Strumpets managed to complete the grueling event and take out the fundraisers1 3th place with over $10,000 in pledges. Congratulation to Caro and the team, it really was a superb effort and maybe one that SBW teams could plan to emulate next year for our 80 Anniversary.
Whatever your preference for celebration, the Sub Committee will be focused on providing something for everyone to enjoy and participate in, so let your thoughts be known.
And while on the subject of celebrations, Alex Colley, SBW member since 1936 and O.A.M. (Order of Australia) for his decades of work in conservation, turned 97 years young last month. At the magazine
The Sydney Bushwatker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. September 2006 The Sydney Bushwalker Page 3 wrap | was folding and Alex was sticking, and before Pwad Letters to the Editor Fran bought out the cake Alex mentioned that
amongst his roles in the club he had been the Magazine Editor - a half a century ago! That gave the term active SBW member a whole new meaning.
And finally, on the illness recovery list of active walkers are Rosemary McDonald and Tony Crichton. Both are climbing out of other types of physical challenges at the present time, and on behalf of SBW,
walking in the near future.
Hoping to walk with you soon… Jan Roberts
Have You Changed Your Address? If you have changed your address or ; phone number recently, please GY contact by phone or email: y Members: Fran Holland Prospectives: Maurice Smith This will ensure that our records show your current address and prevent delay in receiving the magazine each month.
Two great trips!
warn. bushwalkingholidays.corm.au
Walkabouts 12 Carrington St
Dear Editor,
encouraging members to attend the Annual Reunion which provides an ideal opportunity for all those past and present members to gather together on the Club's beautiful property and enjoy the conviviality of a bushwalkers party.
Because the Annual Reunion celebrates the Clubs continued relevance now approaching 80 years, | would have thought it appropriate to cancel all activities on that weekend and respect the Clubs significance - few clubs can survive for 80 years, so we are hoping to see a good attendance at the next Reunion in 2007.
Don Cornell
in 2007
Namibia, Botswana and northern South Africa: March-April 2007
After six trips to southern Africa, we know how to get off the beaten track. With 4WD we access difficult to reach country for some spectacular walking.
South Africas Great Walks: September-October 2007
The Whale Trail, the Otter Trail, a fantastic Kruger Wilderness walk and more! Places are strictly limited on all these trails. They are so popular that they often book out ten or even twelve months in advance. Bookings essential by mid December 2006.
Want more information? See our website or ask for our brochure.
Email: walkabout@ais.net.au
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. Page 4
The Sydney Bushwalker
August 2006
From The Committee Room
Areport of proceedings at the Committee Meeting on 7 September 2006
We received letters from Shoalhaven City Council on the development application for the toilet at Coolana and noxious weed inspection reports; from Natural Areas Ltd of a plaque honouring those who played key roles in protecting bushland owned by that organisation; from Jim Smith seeking permission to reproduce two of his articles from the SBW magazine for a book he is writing on Ben Esgate (granted) and from Errol Sheedy informing us of the death of Denise Raymond.
Aletter had been sent to Warringah Council objecting to a proposed housing estate on land adjacent to Ku- ring-gai Chase National Park.
The President report prompted discussion on the use of email by club officers and it was resolved that club officers are free to send routine emails to members and/or prospective members on matters related to their areas of responsibility but ad-hoc emails to members require the advance approval of the Committee. Also, it was resolved that the term Management Committee would in future be replaced by the term Committee.
A form letter protesting about shooting in state forests will be emailed to members encouraging them to send it to the Premier.
The Treasurers report advised that the current bank balance was $10,906. Approval was given for the following payments; toner cartridge $151; magazine postage; $412; rent $430; balance of insurance account $692.
The walks report advised that Kanangra to Katoomba in One Day event was held last weekend with eight walkers participating of whom six finished and two withdrew at Carlons Farm due te hot conditions. It was also resolved that Tony Manes walk on 8th June be made a qualifying walk.
The Membership Secretary reported that sixteen members havent paid their dues. Their names will be emailed to the committee members for review before deleting from membership.
The New Members Secretary recommended and it was resolved that Laurie Field and Tony Montgomery be admitted to full membership of the club. He advised that the new members training night (nineteen attended) was very informative although it needs to be supplemented by field experience before meeting entry requirements.
A proposal suggesting amendments for qualifying walks had been sent to leaders. After lengthy discussion of the effects of changing and redefining rules it was resolved that for the next few months there should be no changes made or recommended to the requirements for qualifying walks.
The Conservation Secretary advised that Bill Holland will be attending the Fifth National Wilderness Conference from 8th to 10th September and thanked the President for attending the NPWS/NPA meeting in his absence.
As recommended at last months meeting, the Editor has been investigating various electronic formats for the magazine.
The meeting was asked to confirm that the Editor has the right to edit articles and modify the layout of . articles. The meeting agreed and suggested that proposed changes should be reviewed with the authors.
The Confederation delegates reported on the finances of the Confederation (very healthy) and that there were no nominations for President at the recent AGM so the Past President is still in the position. Wilf Hilder was elected Tracks and Access Officer and Jim Callaway was elected Vice President.
The first of three phases of the Electronic Sub- Committees database project is on target to be completed by the end of October. Some textual alterations are required for the website and they are seeking some assistance for the Web Master, It was suggested that the Whats New section be removed from the website as it shows that the website was last updated in February 2005.
The 80th Anniversary Sub Committee held its firs. meeting recently and there was a fruitful exchange of ideas. They will investigate venues for functions and formulate a budget in the near term.
Bill Holland
Carrying Water on Bushwalks
As the hotter weather nears it is important to take adequate water on walks, It is adviseable to take 3 litres for temperatures 30 degrees or more and 4 litres for temperatures 40 degrees or more.
Dehydration is the loss of water and salts that are essential for normal body function and occurs when the body loses more fluid than it takes in.
Ask the leader when you book on the walk if there will be regular water stops, if not, you may need to carry water for the whole day. When you are packing your backpack for the walk, remember to add the water.
The Sydney Bushwatker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. September 2006
The Sydney Bushwalker
Page 5
New Members Notes by Maurice Smith New Members Secretary
Joining us as Prospective Members since my previous report are Janice Johnson, Marc Fauvet, Susanne Seldon and Ruth Richter. Please make these folks really welcome. | know that at least one of these members have started bush walking with us as | was on a club trip recently with her.
In addition two of our Prospective Members have been accepted as full members of the club. Please welcome Tony Montgomery and Laurie Field to our ranks.
The new Spring Walks Program in now your hands so Id suggest that Prospective Members spend a few minutes going through it and marking those walks that they are interested in walking. Start with the walks with the lower grade values to start with. Remember that it pays to book onto a walk early as some walks fill fast.
On Wednesday 23 August we held a training evening in the club rooms for prospective members where Peter Love was the presenter. He talked and showed in detail the elements of bush walking navigation. We had 19 interested prospective members present and | do believe that they learned heaps.
At the date of writing this column we have 133 prospective members, sixty percent of that number are of the female variety.
See you on a walk soon Maurice Smith newmembers@sbw.org.au
Editors Message
Since becoming Editor | have not been short of articles and wish to thank people for their contributions. If your article does not appear in the current months magazine it is because | ran out of space. | will contact those persons and advise them when their article will appear. if ] think an article is much to long to publish
The current SBW publication The SBW - The First 60 Years requires updating so that the last 20 years can be included in a new publication called The SBW - The First 80 Years. The 80th Anniversary Sub Committee requires contributions from members for the time period 1987 to the present. If you can provide articles to committee members Jan Roberts (Chair), Judy OConnor (Editor) then it would be greatly appreciated.
Regards Pam Campbell
Walks Report
from the Walks Secretary
David Trinder
Coming up in the next few weeks we have Ken Collins leading an interesting weekend trip in the Kanangra area starting on the 23 September, Kenn Clacker is leading a week-long cross country ski trip in Charlotte Pass also starting 23” September and on the October long weekend there will be five trips including two ski trips with lan Wolf and Mark Dabbs, a trip to lan Thorpes favourite area, Wollangambe, to Mark Pattersons Favourite area, Orange, and one with Wilf Hilder at Glen Davis. Following that Mark Dabbs is continuing his entertainment with a Kayak trip on the Myall Lakes. Of the day trips Maurice Smith is going to Yalwal, John Palzniak to Narrabeen, Bill Holiand to the Wolgan Railway and lan Rannard is going to Mt Victoria. There are many interesting trips on the program, just contact the leaders and have a good time with other members.
At the August Committee meeting we decided to increase the payment by passengers to drivers. The recommended travel cost is now 30c per km share by all the occupants of the vehicle.
David Trinder Walks Secretary
Nsw WILDERNESS Trans | Bis 10 . &
YERRANDERIE GHOST TOWN STARLIGHTS TRACK. BUNGONIA CAVES. Woe WoG. NERRIGA
Departs from Sydney's Campbelltown Railway Station }
Via Penrith, Katoomba & Blackheath for Kanangra Walls Mon & Wed at 11am. Frid at 7am Retums 4pm Mon, Wed, Frid.
Via Starlights. Mittagong & Marulan for
Wog Wog-Nerriga Tues.& Thurs & Sun at 11am } Returns 4 pm Tues, Thurs, Sun.
4 Yerranderie Ghost Town first Saturday in each
month, returns Sun at 1 pm (any Friday min 6) |
Group booking discounts or charter service
Tel 0246 832 344 = Mob 0428 832 344
i www.wildernesstransit.com.au
| Page 6 The Sydney Bushwalker September 2006
COOLANA REPORT
Gretel Woodward
Another successful weekend in Paradise with an excellent crew of helpers carrying on the road building etc. not completed on the July maintenance weekend.
The team was Don Finch, Rick Angel, Barry Wallace, Libby Bowman, Chris Miller and Mae Mak, Gretel Woodward plus visitors Ros Kerrigan, Paul Kerrigan and Michael Harrington.
Don, Ros, Rick, Paul and myself went down on the Thursday, Don & Paul
started working on the road moving another 13 tonnes of road base which '
was delivered the previous week. Ros and | went to Nowra on Thursday and
picked up 10 kilos of Native grass seed from Seedwortd which completed
our agreement with the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority
(SRCMA) for this year. We will be using the seed gradually to cover bare
patches created by the Wombats, help rehabilitate the slope where the
composting toilet will be situated which is already quite bare, help
rehabilitate weed areas which have been sprayed/dug up etc. Ros, Rick and | spent a fair amount of time on tree maintenance, removing star pickets etc., watering, scattering the seed in the surrounds of the last 60 trees that were planted in July. The seed will be protected from the birds and the elements giving us an idea of the viability of the seed. We also targeted the Wild Tobacco, Scotch Thistle, Salvation Jane and a variety of vines.
We also walked the Scenic track to the Dot Butler Lookout and the Frank Rigby by-pass tracks on Saturday, with Don in the lead with the leaf blower. The tracks are well defined for any member who may be visiting Coolana and who wishes to use them.
The road has now been completed by the road building team who worked like Trojans carting rocks, road base etc. The road will accommodate a four wheel drive vehicle to move the materials required to build the composting toilet and for emergency four wheel drive vehicles, ambulance, fire brigade etc.
On Saturday Rick and Paul left and Barry, Libby, Chris, Mae and Michael arrived, Barry worked on the road and the rest of the team continued the clearing of the Eastern flat including Don with his chainsaw working flat out on Sunday. We are all very pleased with the progress of this years project of rehabilitating the Eastern flat. The team of CVA volunteers concentrated on the Wild Tobacco and vines; the clearing has got to the stage that our extra camping flat now has views of the river. The 100 trees planted this year has been 100% successful (at this point in time), all have new growth and are extremely healthy. Shirley Dean has also been planting numerous trees propagated at the Rozelle nursery from seed collected at Coolana.
Ninety of the trees planted on the Eastern flat, to date, are part of the big picture; approximate height is from 20 metres for the Acmena smithii (Lillypilly) to 55 metres for the Toona australis (Red Cedar). Once we get the trees out of their surrounds, probably within two to three years, the only thing that will stop them being at Coolana for their natural life time and reaching their maximum height will be if the feral vines are allowed, to get out of control and strangle these majestic trees.
The Sydney Bush Walkers are lucky to have a great place to get away from the horrors of modern living and get a reality check whenever they feel like it. Members of SBW have this facility as a by- product of membership and should be aware that without the grants the club has received from Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) in the first instance and the (SRCMA) for the next two grants - (tax payers money), the project would never have happened. Also a large number of SBW members have volunteered their time, labour and expertise over the years to conserve this beautiful area.
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. September 2006 The Sydney Bushwalker Page 7
The Midweek Walkers Our stay at Kia Ora organic farm and winery in August was very pleasant. Activities included a walk out to Mutton Bird Island, a lengthy park walk in Coffs Harbour, banana farm inspection, rain- forest walks and visit to a goldmine where an elderly miner showed us that there is still gold to be found in these very old diggings. Before we left Kia Ora our host explained the nature and requirements to run an accredited organic farm (cattle) and winery.
By time you read this article we will also have stayed a week at Wombeyan Caves in September. It looks like being a great week with good numbers attending.
Next month, from 8* - 13 October, we visit New England National Park where we will stay in the rangers cottage. If you would like to join us please contact me as scon as possible.
Here are some midweek day walks scheduled for the coming weeks. Please refer to the Spring Walks Programme for more details.
Thurs 28th September: Kurnell to Cronulla
Botany Bay NP - Cape Solander - North Cronulia. A clifftop and beachside walk. Perhaps some whales . Bus connection from rail station. Grade: Easy 12km
Monday 2nd October: Mt Victoria (West)
Mt Victoria RS - - Pulpit Rock - Little Zig Zag - Hornes Point - abandoned incline rail site - Coxs Cave - Mt Victoria RS. Good views. Beautiful, cool gullies with interesting passes. The route includes some off-track and rough track sections. Grade: M222 12km
Tuesday 16th October: Northern Beaches
Dee Why - Stoney Range Flora Reserve - Narrabeen Lagoon - Narrabeen Nice wildflowers on the Flora Reserve circuit of this unusual coastal walk. Grade: Medium 15km
Thursday 26“ October; Old Northern Road
Start at Wisemans Ferry. An easy walk in a historic area. Follow the convict built road, detour to a scenic view over the river at lunch and return via Surveyors Track. Grade: Easy 12km
The Mid-Week Walkers are an informai group of SBW members who have time to spare for mid-week activities, some of which are shown on the Walks Programme and some organised at short notice and advised by monthly newsletter. These can include easy to medium walks, perhaps some cycling or even a little bird
, watching as well.
If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter or join us on an activity please phone me on 9484 6636 or email billthotland@bigpond.com.
Help Wanted - Our First Minute Book anal! Fo
Our first minute book (1927 - 1930) records the procedings of all SBW meetings held during those early
years, The inaugural meeting, list of our first members, choosing a name, the constitution, committee and general meetings. It is a precious record of our early years.
But after nearly 80 years it is showing signs of deterioration.
The time has come when it must join the other early minute books (1931 - 1960) held in State Library Archives where proper care and conservation can be given. However, before wrapping it up and despatching it I would like to create an electronic copy so the book can be easily accessed.
Can you Help?
The Club needs a person who has the time and the scanning equipment to carefully copy the book page by page. If you can assist please phone me on 9484 6636 or email billholland@bigpond.com and play a part making this valuable record readily available te members whilst preserving some important SBW history.
Bill Holland SWB Archivist
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. Page 8 The Sydney Bushwalker September 2006
CONSERVATION NOTES Bill Holland
This month | return to the subject of Shooters in State Forests, the threats to bushwalkers and other users of these public lands and the consequent environmental damage. You may recall that earlier this year the State Government announced that licensed hunters would be allowed to use guns, bows, dogs etc to kill feral animals in nominated state forests. The shooting of a pet dog last month (see news item on next page) shows the danger of allowing hunting of this nature.
In August | attended a conference dealing with these matters and in particular the authority given to The Game Council. This Council decides which forests and other public lands are open to hunters - so far 142 state forests have been declared. Some of these forests are near or adjacent to our popular walking areas.
Licenses are issued by the Game Council (a revenue raiser) and an R (restricted) licence costs about $30 to upgrade from a general licence. The meeting was told that over 20,000 licenses G and R have been issued but the Game Council website states about 1,600 R to the end of June. Stilt a substantial number!
Hunters are asked to wear red berets/hats and orange banded clothing. The Game Council sells such items. Presumably, bright clothing will assist in preventing hunters from shooting each other (we may have to adopt new style of bushwalking clothing to avoid being targeted). Dogs may be used to assist the hunters. Entry roads will be signed with relatively small signs stating that shooters may be present (days and times are not shown).
More details on the Game Council are shown on the next page. It should be noted that this is a substantial body financed extensively by the State Government (the budget allocation for 2005-06 was $2.36 million) with ongoing revenue from hunting licences. The Council has 16 councillors of whom 8 are from hunting clubs and exercise considerable influence. The Chairman is from a hunting club.
The Game Council is now inviting hunting clubs, organisations and associations to seek Game Council approved status (as an Approved Hunting Organisation), They can also apply to become a licence distributor (Agent). The Game Council pays a 10% commission for each successful new licence application originating from such organisations.
Great concern about danger to other forest users was voiced at the meeting. Statements were made (not
substantiated) relating the following:
e Hunters have been known to release pregnant sows and deer to breed in forest areas so as to provide future target opportunities.
e Hunting dogs have been taken from a pound then abandoned in the forests when not returning to the vehicles in time.
e A walking club in the south of the state has had to cut its walks programme by 85% to avoid the risk of walking in state forests.
e Public roads through state forests into some townships are now classed as dangerous and school buses and other public transport have had to be re-routed.
e Already, hunters have entered private lands adjoining state forests and posed a danger to livestock. In
one instance the hunters admitted they were lost and could not read the map.
The concern ! voiced on behalf of the club was twofold. First, the danger to bushwalkers who travel cross country and may not see warning signs on roads. Also a great deal of hunting is done at night and threatens campers. The second concern related to the environment and dealt with the threats to wildlife and problems of erosion and damage caused by off-road vehicles often used by hunters,
So | repeat my message of a couple of months ago; it is up to you, individual members, to write letters to the Premier and State members stating your opposition to hunting in forests because of the risk to personal safety and the danger to wild life. Letters from individuals make a deep impression on politicians and you can add to the weight of public opinion to have these changes reversed.
Address your letters to:
The Premier: Maurice lemma Level 40, Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place Sydney NSW 2000
In closing | would like to thank President Jan Roberts for attending the August meeting of NPA/NPWS and representing SBW in my absence. Next month | will tell of the outcome of this meeting and the Celebrating Wilderness Conference attended this month.
Bill Holland
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. September 2006 The Sydney Bushwalker Page 9
Game Council NSW
Game Council NSW is a statutory body created under the Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002. This legislation, introduced into the NSW Legislative Assembly as the Game Bill 2001 on 28 November 2001, received the Governors assent on 10 July 2002.
The Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002 is designed to assist in the control of introduced feral animals, as well as help manage introduced game species such as wild deer and game birds. Another objective of the Act is to promote responsible and orderly hunting of specified game animals on public and private lands in NSW.
The legislation provides the Game Council with the following functions:
e To liaise with other agencies in regard to feral and pest animal control;
e To promote and fund research and conservation projects on rural lands for the effective management of game and feral animals;
To represent the interests of licensed game hunters;
To administer a system of game hunting licences;
To make recommendations on the gazettal of public lands for hunting;
To provide advice to the Minister on game management.
The legislation falls under the portfolio of the Minister for Primary Industries. The Game Council has 16 members. Eight members are nominees of hunting organisations; one member is a nominee from the Rural Lands Protection Boards, one member is a nominee of the Australian Veterinary Association; one member is a nominee of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council; and two members are to be wildlife management scientists. In addition the Ministers administering the Forestry Act 1916, the Crown Lands Act 1989 and the Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002 have one nominee each.
With its central office located at Orange, NSW, Game Council has set up the administrative processes and regulatory instruments to allow for the commencement of the Act. For more information, visit the website: www. gamecouncil. nsw. gov.au.
Conservation News
Water Plan
A discussion paper on a controversial proposal to pump billions of litres water from the Shoalhaven River to Sydney will be released by the New South Wales Government next week. Up to 50 billion litres of water a year will be pumped from the south coast rivers Taltowa Dam to the city under the plan, of which details will be released on Monday. Water would reportedly be pumped throughout the year, rather than just during times of drought, possibly via a tunnel costing several hundred million dollars, which is one of six options being considered. Mr lemma said a discussion paper on the plan would be tabled in State Parliament on Monday.
There have been other proposals in the past, for example raising the Tallowa Dam, and thats not an option we are pursuing. We are going down the path of alternative options one (which is) still environmentally friendly,
still enables the Shoalhaven to have secure water but also assists in securing Sydneys water. ABC Saturday 26th August 2006
Pets Death Renews Hunting Debate
The State Governments controversial decision to allow the hunting of feral animals on public land appears to have claimed its first innocent victim - a pet kelpie cross called Tas. The dog was shot last Tuesday in the Double Duke State Forest on the North Coast by a recreational shooter licensed to be in the area by the Game Council of NSW. The dogs owner said the shooting was an outrage and had put him in fear of his own life. He had no idea licensed shooters were allowed to use the forest and he wants the system banned.
[The hunter] could have shot me, he said. There has been widespread opposition to allowing recreational hunters in state forests, but the State Government has backed the plan as a means of controlling ferai animals. ABC and SMH 22nd August
Farmers Welcome Campaign To Promote Benefits Of Land Clearing
Farmers in the Nyngan, Cobar and Tottenham districts of western NSW are celebrating a win in their campaign to sway public opinion about the clearing of native invasive scrub in order to have native vegetation regulations changed. A national current affairs television program aired a story filmed in the far west yesterday morning which challenged claims by green groups that land clearing is damaging the environment.
The chairman of the Regional Community Survival Group, Doug Menzies, Says it was a real victory for farmers. I think it should go a long way to debunking the myth that western New South Wales or the so-called hot spot for clearing in western New South Wales is not tearing the environment apart or anything and quite the contrary, in fact, Mr Menzies said.
The Sydney Bushwatker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. Page 10 The Sydney Bushwalker September 2006
May 2006 Walks Notes
Walks notes covering the interval 6 April 2006 to 25 April 2006
Jim Callaway gets to carry the flag for this session, leading off with his Saturday walk from Bundeena to Otford in The Royal on 8 April 06. The party of 6 experienced some difficulties with the exceptionally high sea that was running. In several places they retreated to alternative routes that ensured sufficient safety margins, but even so there were some wettings of the nether regions for a number of people. What with all the diversions and changing of wet gear it was obvious by the time they made it to the South end of Burning Palms that the traditional 1600 hours train out of Otford was also out of reach. They made the best of it and Jim put the kettle on and supplied the hot water for everyones preferred beverage. From there it was an easy journey to Otford with a good length stop at Werrong Point lookout and still a wait for the 1817 train. Jim particularly remarked on the size of the waves breaking over the Figure Eight rock shelf. The seas increased the following day with cancellation of the ferry services between Cronulla and Bundeena and damage to the surf lifesaving club boatshed at Burning Palms, so they probably did well to go when they did.
The following day David Carter led a party of 6 bicyclists on his Western Sydney cycle trip out from East Hills station to the vicinity of Prospect Reservoir in clear but nor overty hot conditions with a light South Westerly breeze. The party were surprised at how easily the route distance of 70 km was accomplished, but nonetheless felt obliged to stop for an afternoon coffee in cosmopolitan downtown Fairfield. Apart from a hectic 400 metres along Henry Lawson drive the route lay along rivers and through green spaces with just 1 km of quiet backroad. lan Thorpe was also out that day with a party of 6 on his trip into the country to the North and East of Bell. Conditions were just perfect for walking and a short way out along the ridgeline they found a cleared track that delivered a saving in travel time that came in handy when they crossed Bell Creek and ran into thick and scrubby going along the ridge there. The full extent of the trip proved beyond them in the available time but they got close enough to make it seem quite do-able on a future trip with just a little more time. It was during lunch, at a spot with great views down into Bell Creek, that it emerged that one of the party was afflicted with cramps that would not go away. As a result the return route was changed to retrace their steps and utilise the handy cleared track. Most of the party went on to dinner at Gardiners Inn at Blackheath to round off the day, and their figures.
Easter weekend saw Maurice Smith and Maureen Carter leading a well orchestrated car-swap walk for his programmed traverse of Morton National Park, Maurice led a party of 10 on the Bungonia to Yalwal leg and it is his description of this that follows. Maureen led from Yalwal to Bungonia but for some reason had her party of 9 reduced to 7 along the way. The Maurice led party headed down into Shoalhaven River on the Friday in hot conditions that made even the downhill a hard task. A quick swim provided some refreshment before they set off on the hot climb up Poddy Dodger Spur to Wine Glass Tor and the descent to Peachtree Canal camp the night. .
A change came through during the night with very light rain and strong winds transforming the hot conditions to those much more suited to the task at hand. The party set off at around 0800 in cooler conditions and achieved the Tolwong Road crossing by 0930, then pushed on cross country across the plateau and down Hawkins Pass to the junction of Tullyangela and Ettrema Creeks to camp for the second night. Ettrema Creek was found to be quite low, but after a bit of searching downstream several of the members located a good swimming spot for their trouble. The other group reached this camp just on dark with tales of horrendous scrub. Despite this both groups enjoyed a good night together.
It may well have been the aforesaid tales that led to Maurice whipping his party away at 0730 the next morning for the climb up to Puckett Pass. From there it was another cross country leg to the headwaters of Cinch Creek and then on to Eumangla Creek to collect water for the push on to Packhorse Pass. The descent of Twelve Apostles Spur led them to the last campsite on Bundundah Creek where good water provided another opportunity to swim for several of the members. After a cooler than usual night the last day delivered hot conditions for the climb of Atkinson spur into Morley saddle and across an un-named Mesa to the ridge line down to Danjera Dam and the cars, where they were greeted by two members of the other party who had come out early and un-shuffled their car. Then it was a simple matter of driving into Berry for a meal, and then on home.
On Good Friday lan Rannard led a party of who knows how many on a late start for his walk in Kuringai Chase National Park, rerouted due to the transport delays to go from Mount Colah to Berrowra. Other than that a pleasant time was had by all.
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. September 2006 The Sydney Bushwalker Page 11
The following day, Saturday 15 April, Nigel Weaver led a party of 5 on his walk out from Golden Stairs in the Blue Mountains National Park in perfect Autumn conditions. Lunch was taken with panoramic views to Mount Colong, Mount Cloudmaker, Kanangra Walls and a segment of Lake Burragorang at a spot near Chinamans gully on top of Mount Solitary. The return was accomplished via Ruined Castle for yet more views of the
surrounding countryside. After a great day they proceeded to Parrakeet Caf at Katoomba for a well earned dinned.
Sunday 16 April saw lan Rannard out again with a group on his walk out to Kanuka Brook from Glenbrook station and return. The weather was perfect, the surroundings delightful, and despite the programmed promise of some rough off-track sections nothing unusual happened. Not to be outdone in the recurring walks stakes Nigel Weaver had a party of 20 walkers on his Middle Harbour bushland walk on Easter Monday. Conditions were fine and mild as they wended their way around the perimeter of Northbridge on a mix of bushland tracks, parklands and just a few quiet back-streets. The bushland scenery in Munro Park combined with the many viewpoints over Middle Harbour to make this a very visual walk. Lunch was taken at a small but lovely beach at Clive Park and at Willoughby Market Gardens, at the eastern end of Mowbray Road, who shoutd emerge from the body of the group but lan Rannard to fill them in on the interesting history of the area. At this Nigel conceded the title i fancy. Overall it was a short but pleasant walk.
Anzac weekend provided another opportunity for Ian Thorpe to further expand his range of walks in the Wollongambe - Bungleboori area; this time with a party of 7 out on his traverse from Mount Wilson to Bell. After a brief delay finding a pass down to Yarramun Creek they had a bit of luck and found a route that included a bridge across the creek. They pushed on through Yarramun Tunnel to delightful lunch spot out the other end. It was almost worth the banged shins of the walk through the tunnel! From there the route to the campsite was uneventful, though the camping cave did prove somewhat elusive. The next day they spent some time checking out a couple of parallel creeks, with the one to the East quite deep and inviting from the cliffs above. Entry to and egress from Dumbano Creek proved quite straightforward, though they did have difficulty explaining the difference between the flat shown on the map after the pass out and the steep little gully they found themselves climbing. The views down into Bungleboori Creek during lunch were fine and the ridge to the West was mostly OK until after afternoon tea when the rocky going made things more interesting.
After this it was only a matter of heading down a creek to a camp cave at the Southern base of the Mini Arthurs. They took a bit of time next day to wander through/over/ around the Mini Arthurs before morning tea-ing and heading off to their high camp, arriving as early as 1430. A drop down to Bungleboori creek set them up with water for the evening, and happy hour, taken with views of the sunset over Hoits Haven. This they explored further the next morning before moving off to Gooches Crater for lunch and mcre exploring. The route back to Bell was varied by taking a route via the Seventeen Sisters and a handy gully down to the Wollongambe. Dinner was fish and chips at Windsor.
CHECK OUT THESE CONTACTS AND WEBSITES !!!
www.bom.gov.au Bureau of Meteorology (for the latest weather forecast, including flood warnings and tides)
www. livingthing.net.au Living sustainably (How to live a sustainable lifestyle at home, work and play)
www.cma.nsw. gov.aul Catchment Management Authorities are responsible for managing natural resources at the catchment scale. This website has a calendar of environmental activities at the back of its Newsletter.
Sydney Metropolitan Forecast 1196 Land Weather & Flood Warnings 1300 659 218 www.bushwalking.org.au On line version of the The Bushwalker- The Official Publication of
the Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW.
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. The Sydney Bushwalker September 2006
The Story of the Great River Walk October 2000 to February 2005
Roger Treagus Part Four - Lapstone to Palm Beach
So Stage 12 was from Lapstone via Lennox Bridge and Mitchells pass through to the fire trail on the west bank that led us to the Richmond-Springwood Road and Yarramundi, the place where the Grose River meets the Nepean, and the place where the Nepean becomes the Hawesbury.
On a blistering hot summers day in December 2003 we set off down river again in kayaks to Windsor from Yarramundi on Stage 13. The problems now was that we were in country too civilised, with roads not tracks, and with traffic and not bushwalkers. Not good. It was too hot to walk anyway. So this was another boat section. On the river the high banks shielded us from knowing how built up the country was getting. We could imagine that we were in some remote glade with ducks and cockatocs to populate the scene but the occasional curious farmyard cow reminded us that beyond the bank there was something different. The hot northerly wind at our backs drove us on. The temperature was around 40. Nearing Windsor there were some intentional sinkings to gain the blessed relief of cool water. But Windsor was waiting, and with an afternoon tea put on by the council in honour of our trusty band actually having reached an iconic point on the river. On a sandspit there were cakes with rapidly liquefying cream and coffee and cool lemonade plus the political welcome by the local member who very appropriately was the Chair of the Great River Walk Committee.
A great phase of the walk was over. We had reached Windsor and the Hawkesbury Valley but perhaps more importantly from the rivers view point we had reached the estuary. On this stage | noted the moment the river became an estuary. We had bobbed through one very small grade 1 rapid and then a minor rocky weir structure and then, near Richmond Bridge we plopped over the last little riffle, almost unnoticed but it was the last. And then no more. We were now tidal. We were in fact at the start of the longest estuary on the East Coast of Australia with many more adventures ahead before the end.
The usual suspects rolled up for Stage 14. Part of the culture of the walk was made from a hardy and persistent band who committed themselves (or were committed) for the entire walk. For most of the time they provided the narration, the jokes, the repartee and the intellectual stimulus. My jokes carried less weight but my true stories were funnier because they were not believed. This stage was more culture than walk as we were now ambulating through a lot of history. There was the old old church at Ebenezer, (Wilberforce 042871) the Macquarie town of Wilberforce, the ancient Sackville punt and the well aged Sauvillon Blanc at the Tuscan like Tizzana winery where there was a compulsory stop to evaluate the local product. (Lower Portland 048919)
It was therefore good that at last we were re-entering the bush again. It was an outstanding feature of the river that the closer one got to the mouth the more difficult the country became to the point that the most difficult route finding of all for a practical walk route occurred in the last 3 stages.
Stage 15 was walked in the autumn of 2004 and started out going through some delightful victorian properties on the lower Colo and at the Colo Hawkesbury junction in Lower Portland from the starting point which was at Lower Portland 021967, downstream of Sackville. After crossing the Colo on the bridge at the rivers mouth the route was then along the bicentennial road following the left bank of the river through to the Webbs Creek punt (Lower Portland 119038) a road that just does not appear on the very outdated Lower Portland map. We passed Una Voce one of the very old resorts on the river now owned by the South Sydney Juniors that sports a nine hole golf course that could fit into a large back yard. We left the road beyond the lower half moon reach turn off and walked through mobs of kangaroos planted in a riverside field to the finish tine at the haunted pub at Wisemans Ferry after crossing the river on the punt.. The brutal Solomon Wiseman may well have produced more ghosts than just the one that hangs out at the pub on long moonlit winter nights.
The final run to the sea was now on us. This time the river bank was not the way to go as a very busy road hugged its left bank all the way from Wisemans Ferry to Spencer. So we headed inland on Stage 16 across the ridges of Dharug National Park on a direct line to Mangrove Creek. The route started at the Mill Creek Trackhead (Gunderman 185024) then off track to the fabulous aboriginal engraving site , one of the best known sites near Sydney, then joining the western commission trail at Gunderman 220019. Following this trail led us directly to the upper Mangrove Creek valley, one of the Hawkesburys jewels with an everpresent feeling of history and remoteness about it. A local landowner with a property on the creek who knew of the walks threw a party at his house. We arrived just as the clouds opened, the rain poured down and the temperature plunged from 23 degrees to 12.
The Sydney Bushwatker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. September 2006 The Sydney Bushwalker Page 13
The planning for Stage 17 and beyond was getting tricky. There was no obvious route and there were no through tracks on the northern side of the river until the old Pacific Highway bridge at Mooney Mooney, The F3 freeway presented at best an inconvenience as bushwalking and freeways dont mix. As well the route needed to be interesting and walkable. To achieve this it seemed that this far down river we could start to utilise the water taxi and ferry system emanating from Brooklyn to open up new route possibilities. One might ask why stick to the left bank the whole way when Marra Marra NP and the Great North Walk might present a range of possibilities on the right bank. The answer to that is why not but | wasnt the one to try it out. To explore both banks for hundreds of kilometers was a monumental task. The routes tend to diverge back on the Wollondilly near the Wingecarribee junction. That route wouid include the Wingecarribee valley, Joadja, Mittagong, the Nattai, the Nepean, and further downstream, Cattai, the Marra Marra and Berowra Creek. At the point of divergence Wilf Hilder generously agreed to take on the surveying of that route, a very considerable task that took years of his time to complete to the point of a link to the Marie Byles walk up the coast from Box Head at the Broken Bay entrance.
Stage 17 was the paintball stage where the river characters were getting even more colourful. A lovely breakfast at the charming river town of Spencer then led to a real walk start at the Oystershell Bridge (Gunderman 278010) and headed up the Popran Creek valley to the Glenworth Valley, a famed horse riding and rearing property. Crossing the Popran on a bridge we then headed downstream on the other side to the said painball skirmish property where the advice was to quicken our gait and keep our head down. We saw lots of hiding places and lots of paintball marks but no action. After my stern briefing about this place it seemed an anticlimax with not even a single shot in anger was fired. The river villages of Neverfail and Wendoree Park (opposite Spencer at the mouth of Mangrove Creek) were next offering possibly the cheapest waterfronts near Sydney. These river communities were a world apart from the big smoke, an hour by car away. Even more remote was Marlow, the next village down without any road at all.
The next stage, Stage 18 was the best of all in many ways. It was almost entirely off track, required careful navigation and finished with a great happy hour while waiting for the water taxi at Bar Point. Nigel Weaver provided some very valuable local knowledge in Popran National Park, a park little known and with few tracks from his many earlier excursions in this area. Having got to Greenmans Valley (Gunderman 294955) and climbed to the Mount White district above it, the next stage started at Gunderman 300956 nearby.
We walked along the natural gas pipeline and then stuck to the ridges that were the watershed for creeks running east and creeks running west as we headed southwards and closed in on the community of Bar Point. Then near the top of Berowra trig (Cowan 294909) we saw the sea for the first time and the end of the walk.
Bar Point faces a tremendous body of water where Berowra Creek meets the Hawkesbury. It was all off track and surprisingly easy at the time we walked it (June 2004). It was cool, the river was shining from a cloudless sky and following all the twists and turns of the watershed ridge was absorbing. Reaching the Bar Point public Wharf ended the walk (Cowan 295900) with cakes and assorted finger food. A near full moon rose as we were ferried to nearby Brooklyn in the water taxi. There was an intense glow from the western sky as we navigated the Milsons Passage. The sandstone cliffs seemed luminescent. The lower river was putting on a show for us. It was all so immensely satisfying.
The penultimate stage 19 took us by ferry to Little Wobby and then via the shoreline track to Juno Point and the technical end of the walk. | say technical because the mouth of the Hawesbury River is locally taken as the point where Juno Point and Eleanor Bluff is passed. Here the river looses its identity in a much bigger body of water, Broken Bay and the ocean just 4 kilometres away. Speeches were made and sparkling wine was drunk. But this wasnt the end. The Navy was maintaining that the true mouth was a line from West Head to Middle Head. In this case Broken Bay would occupy only a small patch of water at the entrance to Pittwater which seemed an unlikely premise to me. However the Great River Walk Committee wanted to promote the cause by media coverage of the finish. Ending at the obscure Juno Point although technically the end held no photo
opportunity potential. Certainly not compared with Barrenjoey Lighthouse. The lighthouse was a place people knew about and could relate to.
So a Stage 20 was planned for February 2005 from Brooklyn by train to Wondabyne, by water taxi to the head of Mullet Creek and then on the Brisbane Waters NP track system to Mount Wondabyne (Gosford 397926) , a short section of the Great North Walk and on to the Highway Ridge Track. This must be one of the best tracks for river views. At one point on the track the river is 100 metres vertically from the track edge with TV antennas popping up behind the ridge rocks for the Little Wobby community below. The boats below looked
like snails with snail trails for wakes and ridge upon ridge upon ridge makes up the weatern skyline back to Mangrove Creek country and beyond.
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. Page 14 The Sydney Bushwalker September 2006
the Story of the Great River Walk continued ….
Our plan to meet the ferry at Patonga (which also meant swimming across Patonga Creek) was ditched as we are running late. We rang for a water taxi and the same one we used for Mullet Creek in the morning turned up again and sped us on to Palm Beach and waiting press and dignitaries, 12 minutes away.
And so the final push was on. From Palm Beach to the lighthouse. The walker numbers had now swollen by non walkers carried along by the occasion. It was now 4 years and 4 months since the start. When this walk began in October 2000 my son had not been born. But here on the final ridge leading to the lighthouse tower on the small plateau of Barrenjoey Head he led us all up to its gate and cheered with us all on the achievement..
A final sunset behind West Head lit up the Pittwater side of Palm Beach where wine and food were spread out for us. It all seemed a bit unreal. | made some very good and lasting friendships on this walk. Together we found the way down the river. And we did it in the best way, slowly, on foot through the bush where we had the time to know this country and a wonderful group of people who helped and confided in us about the one thing they all had in common, the river.
TRACKS & ACCESS REPORT - August 2006
KANANGRA - BOYD NP. - An Apology. Last month | reported that an Army dispatch rider on his motorcycle is believed to have ridden from Kanangra Walls to Gingra Creek Junction along Gingra Ridge and across the drought stricken Kowmung River to the Cedar Road in 1942. | owe bushwalking author, Jim Barrett a sincere apology as earlier this year he told me of a far greater feat in 1929, which | omitted. In 1929 pioneering motorist Reg Johnson drove a small car along the rough sulky (light horse driven cart) track to Kanangra in 1929 and firmly believed he was the first motorist to do so. Jim informed me that young David Stead (SBW) - recently deceased - rode a motorcycle on the old stock track which skirted the Kanangra Plateau and which was rough in places then along Gingra Ridge to the Cedar Road, also in 1929. This remarkable feat was probably the first motorcycle trip along Gingra Ridge, but was roundly condemned by his mother, the famous author, Christina Stead of the Wildlife Preservation Society.
BLUE MOUNTAINS NP. Mike Pickles (Bush Club) reports that the Leura Amphitheatre Walking Track is closed due to a landslide. ADELINA FALLS (Lawson) Robert Sloss reports that the track from Adelina to Federal Falls is in poor condition, while the Terrace Falls fire road is very eroded.
BULL ANT TRACK extension. Robert also reports that opposite the junction of the Bull Ant Track and Glenbrook Creek a very steep track - Florabella Pass - with cut steps in the rock face ends at Ross Crescent, Blaxland. MOUNT BEDFORD walking tracks from Ingar Picnic Area (still closed) were recleared by the NPWS recently, reports Robert Sloss. HYDRO MAJESTIC tracks, Robert Sloss reports that the loop to Flying Fox Bluff is overgrown, as is the track straight down the hill behind the hotel and the track to Tuckers Stairs. | note that, - incredible as it seems - Kanangra Walls can be seen in good weather, from the open air verandah at the reat of the bar of the hotel.
GRAND COUNTRY. In recent times rumours have been circulating about the discovery of an Army Tank on the banks of that well known pollution pond - Lake Burragorang. Using that grand political principle that the end justifies the means - | have managed to extract the following information from a leak in the Recidivists Club. The tank is just above the 90 metre water level, very close to where bushwalking historians have calculated. Moodys Commodore Ranch (guesthouse) stood. | have finally discovered (by even more dubious means) that the grid reference of the tank is 833:478 - Bimlow topo map (2” edition) just about 250 metres east north - east of the end of the road on Commodores Hill.
Should you have a third edition of the Bimlow topo map you wont find Sydney Waters Butchers Creek camp shown on your map at the eastern end of the Cedar Road, because it has been edited out. Should you want to run the risk of the $11,000 fine and inspect the camp first hand please dont stare at or into the surveillance cameras, as Sydney Water has a fine collection of photographs of bushwalkers already. All they need is a few names to start imposing big fines. Michael Keats (Bush Club) recently spotted on the Spanish border by Basque soldiers, was of course searching for wild dogs (see The Bushwalker winter issue). Dont tell him that a pack of wild dogs, sorry (I meant dingoes) has been micro chipped and each dog given a Gundungarra name in the Butchers Creek area for research purposes. | hope Sydney Water doesnt train them as sniffer dogs.
SYDNEY MAP SHOP. Last year the Lands Department moved their Sydney Map Shop from their Bridge street headquarters to the Land Titles office in Queens Square. This year they have finally moved the last of their unfolded (flat) map stock to the Land Titles Office. Not everyone wants to fold their own maps, but anything would have to be better than their unfriendly folded topo maps. The bad news is that maps rose in price on 1* July, but fortunately the rises were reasonable. Wilf Hilder - Convener
September 2006
The Sydney Bushwalker Page 15
74th GAZETTING ANNIVERSARY OF THE BLUE GUM FOREST
13 people attended Jan Roberts walk on the 2
' + September to celebrate the proclaimation of 40 acres
of land for recreation in the Blue Gum Forest by the NSW Government.
The party met at the top of Pierces Pass at the early hour of 8:30am to allow time for a leisurely gourmet lunch and the return uphill trip. Brian Ogilwy made some delicious vegetarian dip whilst others made quiche, and brought a number of dips with crackers and bread. Jan brought a delicious chocolate mud cake for dessert which surprised everyone and the group sang Happy Birthday to the Blue Gum Forest.The day was hot with temperatures in the early 30s and it was possible to have a snooze after lunch.
Although there had recently been rain, the smaller creeks were dry. | was surprised to hear Jan exclaim to Bill Holland that she saw a platypus. It wasnt until later that | realised she was joking.
A great day was had by everyone with most of the party stopping on the return trip to have dinner at Windsor. Pam Campbell
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Page 16 The Sydney Bushwalker September 2006
~ OBITUARY OF RAY DARGAN ~
Ray Dargan was an active member of SBW in the mid to late 1940s and later from the 1970s through to the early 1990s.
Ray Dargan died on the 19* July, 3 days after his 80 birthday from spinal cancer.
| first met him in March 1973 in Hong Kong when he was with IBM Australia and |
my immigration to Australia with the help from a friend who knew the private secretary to the then Immigration Minister, Al Grassby.
Meeting and marrying him has changed my life totally, including my appreciation of nature. Living in the crowded and developed city of Tokyo, my contact with nature had been limited to occasional trips to those beautiful, sophisticated gardens, quite opposite to the tough, rugged bush of Australia. But soon | came to see beauty in the Australian bush for its vitality and subtle difference in shades of green as | started bushwalking with him.
For my first Christmas he took me, still a non-bushwalker, to a walk of Hannels Spur from Abbott Ridge to Geehi. The day was extremely hot and the track was difficult to find, thick with overgrowth and hundreds of stinging March flies buzzing around which | found unbearable. And then | saw a sign For Experienced Walkers Only erected along the track. My spirit sank even lower. That was my first introduction to Rays way of doing things.
He joined Sydney Bushwalkers around 1944, and that saved his life which up until then did not offer him much meaning at all. Shirley Dean says she has a vivid memory of seeing Ray in 1944 making a track for Marie Byles with other members at Bouddi. By the time | met him in 1973, he had rejoined the club probably around 1964 when he came back to Sydney having lived in the country for a considerable length of time.
In 1975 at Rays suggestion we took to the bush in a campervan. Our first destination was Jindabyne, camping on a farmers property where | sometimes cooked dinner on an open fire surrounded by cows dung, which would have been beyond my imagination if | had kept living in Japan. We then spent some months in old Tuggeranong in ACT while it still was a sheep station where we watched shearing. Our next destination was the Gold Coast, then finally to its hinterland where the Nerang River was my washing machine. We travelled for three years. | needed to do a lot more adjusting and adapting during this trip than moving from Tokyo to Sydney.
Once we were back in Sydney we went on many weekend walks by the club and were also lucky enough to be invited to participate in extended walks over a week or two in Central Australia, Tasmania, Bogong High Plains, Cobberas, etc. The last long walk the two of us did was over Christmas holidays in 1990 from Kiandra to Thredbo, just before Ray came down with bladder cancer.
He loved to tell stories around camp fires which he had collected while living in Temora as a shire engineer and later in Munmora and Vales Point as an Electricity Commissions civil engineer, building stacks. There was one about this farmer who was walking around a paddock with a kerosene lamp one cold winter night when he was chased by a woolly bull. Luckily he found a tree to climb, but the bull would not give up on him and kept circling around the tree. The farmer got increasingly cold sitting in the tree when an idea came to him. He dropped some kerosene on the bull and lit it with a match, and watched this torch of a bull disappear in the dark.
Someone in the club introduced him to cross country skiing around the early 70s. For my first ever cross country skiing he took me up the Munyang Road from Guthega Power Station to Whites River Hut. | have no recollection whatsoever of how | managed to some down safely the narrow, winding road back to the power station. Later on, before the ski season started Ray and | used to walk from Bundeena to Otford for training. Leaving Bundeena at 9, we walked as fast as we could to catch a 3:20pm or so train from Otford. Another training exercise we did was to walk from our home in Vaucluse to La Perouse and back, leaving home before 6 in the morning. Once we came upon an Anzac Day dawn service at Bondi Beach. By the time we got back home around 2pm walking 8 hours on hard surfaces, our feet were totally numb. We kept up our fitness exercise for 3 months or so. Ray did not do anything by half.
He loved to do something new all the time and believed that you could achieve most things if you put your mind to it and stick to it. That was how he mostly learned math and civil engineering. He also became knowledgeable about music and art. Visiting art galleries was one of his pleasures as well as listening to music. He once
The Sydney Bushwalker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. \
September 2006 The Sydney Bushwalker ; Page 17
organised a gallery trip inviting some club members and also arranged The Song Company music night attended by some members. He conducted U3A courses on music and art appreciation for a number of years. His taste in music ranged from early music (such as Hildegart of Bingen) to the 20% century music. His favourite modern composers were Mahler, Messiaen and Shostakovich among others.
Ray had a very difficult upbringing as a child. | am sure he would have been a very different person if he had had a caring father. As it was for many years being a member of Sydney Bushwalkers gave him a great deal of joy in life. Fusae Hall
THE COLO ViA BOB BUCKS PASS 34 - 19th, 20th AUGUST
I had two reasons for placing this walk on the programme. The first was to have a qualifying walk that. was difficult but could be carried out in a relaxed and enjoyable manner; the second was to see if my knee replacement (last year) could stand up to a full pack weekend walk with steep descents and clambering.
Well it was relaxed and enjoyable for me until a rock gave way and sent me sliding on my backside down a steep slope to where a tree saved me from hurtling down to a lawyer vine covered creek.
Bob Bucks Pass No. 34 is only faintly marked on the sketch map. It goes off the Mountain Lagoon Fire Trail at about 3 kms (GR 812996) on a ridge that descends very steeply (450 metres) to a slippery creek that leads into the Colo.
It was at least 10 years since I last did this walk and I knew a fire had burnt the ridge-top area in recent years. I thought it could be overgrown and scratchy - and it was. The navigation across the top is difficult and false spurs can be deceptive. Earlier, I had tracked the route on my computer and downloaded it to the GPS. it made my navigation task very easy indeed - just follow the arrow on the little screen.
Four members and five prospectives set out on the fire trail at an easy pace and then progressed across very, very bushy new growth country to find the right ridge. I had forgotten some of the rock clambering required but knew that as we reached the very steep part we had to be careful; first keep a bit to the left and finally keep to the right when near the end.
It took two hours to go just over two kilometres, including my slide at the bottom. We had lunch in the cold but dry creek. After lunch, another two hours along the creek, through lawyer vines, across green boulders and dodging around fallen trees to reach the river.
From then it was more straightforward, four km upstream on the Colo, sometimes on sand, some wading and some clambering along sandy banks. We reached our campsite on the junction with Tootie Creek just before 5 pm.
Around the campfire we agreed that the day had been very enjoyabie but tiring. It had included nearly all of the difficulties that may be encountered in bushwalking. This was the purpose of a qualifying walk. Not a feat of endurance just the experience of bushwalking.
I changed the next day slightly. Some went up the Colo in the morning to seek out Mailes Cave, the rest of us went part of the way then returned to go up Tootie Creek. There is a magnificent forest area on a small plateau at the junction. Tootie Creek was not as I remembered it. Now it is very overgrown and difficult. We returned to our campsite for an early lunch.
Originally, I had intended to exit the walk up Tootie Creek and up another steep ridge. However the previous days experience prompted me to use the track at the junction and follow the track up to the top. Although clearly marked this track is very steep and exposed in some places up to a lookout giving great views over the Colo. From here we followed the ridge top to reach the fire trail just after 3pm and then it was a 5 km return to the cars. In the old days this stretch was competitively paced by some in 40 minutes; we were content to do it in just over an hour.
On a personal note, and in answer to all those who have queried the ongoing effects of a knee replacement on bushwalking; mine was fine and showed that the tiredness I felt was due to lack of fitness (dare I suggest old age) rather than a dicky knee. Bill Holland
Map: Mountain Lagoon Party: nine (permission granted from NPWS for party in excess of eight in a declared wilderness area)
SOCIAL NOTES
Hi Everyone,
What joy to have Spring arrive with this blast of warm weather. However, | doubt those doing the K to K on 2nd September enjoyed the heat with (Sydney recording 28 degrees).
The change of season brings a bright new Social calendar. In September, Suzie Arnott and her amigos give a presentation on their recent trip to South America. October features Wilderness rafting mainly on the Franklin River and in November Peter Christian entertains us with his audio/visual of Roger Treagus bike ride from Wentworth Falls to Glenbrook.
All social nights will commence with a short club update on club matters and walks announcements. The August Social evening which featured travel and walking in China by Hans Britz was a most interesting and informative one. Despite poor weather we hada good crowd of at least 30 people.
wont be able to enthrall you with the Social Notes for the October Mag. | will be enjoying lots of hiking in the Canadian Rockies and also in The Great Smokey Mountains (in Tennessee).
January Social night. So Please have some good news for me on my return. Best to phone and leave a message on my machine and | will contact you on my return (91307263). Enjoy this wonderful weather and your walking as summer tends to make us a bit lazy.
Bye for now, Kathy September Social Program
27 Sept 8pm __ Preparing for your First Weekend Walk Your backpack, what to pack, what to leave at home, what to leave in the car, how to do it comfortably.
4 Oct 7pm Committee Meeting Observers Welcome
11 Oct 8pm New Members Night. Introduction to SBW for intending prospectives
18 Oct 8pm Wilderness Rafting slideshow. Brett
Fernon from Water by Nature will give a presentation on the Franklin River in Tasmania.
A short Club Update will take place prior to the presentation on club matters together with upcoming walks announcements from leaders.
ian? ae? ee
Dear Helpdesk/Technical Support,
18 months ago, | upgraded to Girlfriend 1.0 from Drinking Mates 4.2, which | had used for years without any trouble. However, there are apparently conflicts between these two products and the only solution was to try and run Girlfriend 1.0 with the sound turned off.
To make matters worse, Girlfriend 1.0 is incompatible with several other applications, such as LadsNightOut 3.1, Football 4.5, and Playboy 6.9.
Successive versions of Girlfriend proved no better. | tried a shareware program, Slapper 2.1, but it had many bugs and left a virus in my system, forcing me to shut down completely for several weeks.
Eventually, | tried to run GirlFriend 1.2 and GirlFriend 1.0 at the same time, only to discover that when these two systems detected each other they caused severe damage to my hardware.
that this product soon had to be upgraded further to Wife 1.0. While Wife 1.0 tends to use up all my available resources, it does come bundled with Cleanhouse2005.
Shortly after this upgrade, however, | found that Wife 1.0 could be very unstable and costly to run. Any mistakes | made were automatically stored in Wife 1.0s memory and could not be deleted. They then resurfaced months later when | had forgotten about them. Wife 1.0 also has an automatic Diary, Explorer and E-mail filter, and can, without warning, launch Turbo Strop And Multi-Whinge. These latter products have no Help files, and | have to try to guess what the problem is.
Additional problems are that Wife 1.0 needs updating regularly, requiring ShoeShop Browser for new attachments and Hairstyle Express which needs to be reinstalled every other week. Also, when Wife 1.0 attaches itself to my Lotus Elise hard drive, it often crashes. Wife 1.0 also comes with an irritating pop- up called MotherInLaw, which cant be turned off.
Recently Ive been tempted to install Mistress 2003, but there could be problems. A friend of mine has alerted me to the fact that if Wife 1.0 detects Mistress 2003, it tends to delete all of your Money before uninstalling itself.
Help requested please, Thank you.
The Sydney Bushwatker: First Edition July 1931 Official Publication of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. sJiscover
IN THe BUSH, THE PROBLEM: OF LIF-& ARE NO LONGER COMPLEX
Paddy Pallin
Sydney - Parramatta Miranda - Katoomba Jindabyne + Canberra Adelaide Melhourne
Hawthorn - Ringwoou For utude Valley - Pei th
www padd upeallin.com.au