Volume 37 Issue 3 Winter 2012 - The Bushwalker … quartelys/Bushwalker373.pdf · members voicing opposition to shooting in national parks. I also urge you to do so. Safe walking!

Volume 37Volume 37Issue 3Issue 3

Winter 2012Winter 2012The Totem Pole,The Totem Pole,Wollemi National ParkWollemi National Park

Wouldn’t you like to be here?Wouldn’t you like to be here?

The ‘Inca Highway’, an unusual piece of forgotteninfrastructure in remote country between

Newnes and Glen Davis. Photo: Brian Fox.

Trampers on the Keppler Track,Fiordland National Park, New Zealand,January 2012. Photo: Cotter Erickson.

Bushwalker T he

The Official Publication of theConfederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW

Volume 37, Issue 3, Winter 2012

ISSN 0313 2684

The Bushwalker | 3

Walk Safely—Walk with a Club


Editor: Roger [email protected]

Guest Editor: Michael KeatsGraphic Design & Assembly: Barry HanlonProofreaders: Yuri Bolotin,

Melissa Newman

Confederation Officers:President: Dodie GreenAdministration Officer:

[email protected]: www.bushwalking.org.auAddress all correspondence to:PO Box 119, Newtown, NSW 2042

The Confederation of BushwalkingClubs NSW Inc representsapproximately 66 Clubs with a totalmembership of about 8,700bushwalkers.

Formed in 1932, the Confederationprovides a united voice on behalf of allbushwalkers on conservation, accessand other issues.

People interested in joining a bush-walking club may write to theConfederation [email protected] a list of Clubs, but a far moreuseful on-line list is available at theConfederation websitewww.bushwalking.org.au,broken up into areas. There’s lots ofother good stuff there too, includingthe bushwalking FAQ.

From the editor’s desk. . .

Homo sapiens ssp. bushwalkerensis -a threatened species.

Before technology seduced young people into a world of syntheticoutdoor experiences and parents became paranoid about ‘safety’ oftheir progeny, there was hope that a proportion of young people

would learn to love the great Australian outdoors and enjoy the real world.Scouts and Guides are two youth groups battling to keep real Aussie valuesalive.When I was visiting a branch of the local bank recently, the conversation withthe young teller turned to weekend activities. When I explained I was goingovernight camping and bushwalking in the Wollemi Wilderness, the firstreaction was disbelief, the second was more worrying. He did not knowwhere or what the Wollemi Wilderness was. I quizzed further and found hedid not know where Lithgow was, and, he had never been over the BlueMountains.Legislatively, already bushwalkers are second class citizens. Why is it thatshooters and hunters, plying their nefarious craft in state forests, and soonalso in national parks, have precedence? I object to submitting to a processwhere my rights as a bushwalker have to give way to a group of killers whohave a vested interest in maintaining feral populations to keep their so called‘sport’ alive. Eradication of feral species is the very last objective of shooters.When it comes to fitness, self reliance and traditional Aussie values, no onedoes it better across the age spectrum than bushwalkers, yet somehow we failto ignite the passion that characterises other sports, even being outdone byactivities on an electronic screen. In short, bushwalking is not a ‘sexy’ activity.As a group, we have powerful friends in politics, yet they are compromised bythe agendas of others. We need a new messiah who can galvanise broadsupport for protecting our long term economic future from the short termgains so beloved by our politicians. Where is the voice of reason that espousesthe cost benefits of long term quality of life and tourism over rapacious shortterm greed?The real champions of our cause should be the State and Federal HealthMinisters, those supposed custodians of local food production, safe, cleanwater and air who have a vested interest in our lifelong health. Where arethey?We should worry that our State and Federal Environmental ProtectionAgencies are compromised. When nasty data turns up, it is either lost orconveniently overlooked, or worse, ‘special concessions’ are given so a licencefrom an EPA becomes a licence to pollute and desecrate with impunity.The biggest threat is yet to come. Our national parks, and land that should benational parks will be made to be a revenue source or we will lose it. Alreadythere are groups talking of national parks paying local government rates, anoutrageous but not improbable proposition. The NSW NPWS Act nowprovides for commercial operators of accommodation and other services tooperate within sensitive pristine areas.Recent legislation allowing shooting in our national parks borders on theunbelievable. Inevitably there will be a fatal shooting of an innocent overseastourist and or bushwalker. The folly of this move by a State Governmentdesperate for dollars will end up costing millions in credibility of NSW as atourist destination, to say nothing of endorsing a repugnant and uncivilisedactivity.Ignorance by the populace is a huge issue. Education, promotion and easieraccess are all matters that make bushwalkers uneasy. Unless it happens, andsoon, the chances of keeping bushwalking the joy it is will be lost.

Michael Keats, guest editor

Front Cover: The Totem Pole, Wolgan River,Wollemi National Park. Left to right Yuri Bolo-tin, Michael Keats and Brian Fox.Photo: Chris Woods, NPWS.

IndexWouldn’t you like to be here? 2From the Editor’s Desk 3From Our President 4The Totem Pole 4In Search of Mouin Falls 6Bungleboori Creek Exploratory 8Boots and All 10Book Review: Gardens of Stone NP 12Batemans Bay Bushwalkers 13Spectator Sport 14

4 | The Bushwalker


Well, thank you very much to MichaelKeats for taking the reins from

Roger Caffin for this edition, and a secondround of thanks for the opportunity to betalking to you through this column.

The NSW State Government’s changesto the Game and Feral Animal Control Actto permit licensed recreational shooters tocull feral animals in NSW national parkshas focused the mind and energy of manyconcerned walkers, bushwalking andoutdoor clubs. The passing of the bill hasraised additional concerns with the billnaming 48 of 799 national parks in whichshooting won't be allowed creating thepotential for recreational shooting inmany more national parks than the 79originally announced by the Premier.

Fortunately groups such as theNational Parks of Association of NSW(NPA) and the Colong Foundation forWilderness are conducting vocalcampaigns opposing the Government’s useof recreational shooters to control feralanimals in national parks.

The Confederation of BushwalkingClubs NSW (the Confed) is stronglyopposed to recreational shooting innational parks. Political machinations,ideology and party lines aside, the Confedis opposed to this because it is bad policythat puts at risk the use of national parksin NSW by a broad range of users andvisitors.

There simply is not the evidence tosupport the Government’s policy, as nowlegislated, that feral animal control innational parks be extended to includelicensed recreational shooters.Additionally, we have concerns about therisks it introduces to the safety of otherrecreational users and visitors to NSWnational parks. It is also a significantreversal of the O’Farrell Government’spre-election stance.

So, what has the Confed being doingabout this? We have donated funds to theNPA for its campaign ‘No hunting in ourNational Parks’. Our logo has been addedto those of other organisations expressingtheir support for the NPA’s campaign onthe campaign’s website(http://nohunting.wildwalks.com/). Wehave written to the Premier, BarryO’Farrell, expressing on behalf of ourmember clubs our strong opposition to hisGovernment’s legislation, asking him tooverturn his decision immediately. Wehave also worked with BushwalkingAustralia (BA) to develop a nationalpolicy on shooting in national parks,which can be found on BA’s website atwww.bushwalkingaustralia.org.

I have already mentioned thecampaigns of groups such as NPA and theColong Foundation. We would encourageall concerned clubs, their members,walkers and other concerned recreationalusers of national parks in NSW to write totheir local member and the Premier, MrO’Farrell, expressing their opposition tothe amendments to the Game and FeralAnimal Control Act and the use ofrecreational shooters for feral animalcontrol in our national parks. There are anumber of letter and email writing toolsand templates to streamline the processfor you on the NPA, the ColongFoundation, and I’m sure many otherwebsites. The Invasive Species Councilwebsite also has a web page titled, ‘ishunting conservation’ with a number ofuseful essays and reports.

Shooting in national parks, feralanimal control, weed management are allvery serious issues confronting NSWnational parks. Another is mining, andthose familiar with the Garden’s of StoneNational Park in NSW will be all tooaware of the impact of mining in the areassurrounding the national park such thesubsidence of cliffs and the contaminationof endangered swamps with mineeffluent. This is another issue I wouldencourage you to investigate online orotherwise through the groups alreadymentioned in this piece.

Finally, Michael Maack the Confed’slong time conservation officer, until 2011would have been front and centre of theConfed’s opposition to shooting innational parks. Michael is sadly sufferingfrom a long term illness. He is apassionate and committed conservationistand the Confed thanks Michael for hislong and outstanding service to theConfed. Michael would be the first to urgeconcerned Clubs, their members andwalkers to write, email and call their localmembers voicing opposition to shootingin national parks. I also urge you to do so.

Safe walking!Dodie Green, President

Confederation ofBushwalking Clubs

NSW

ErrataIn our Autumn edition the caption to the top photograph on page 2 “Fay’s horizonwalk” is incorrect. Andrew Miller, NPWS Ranger, advises that the correct name ofthe walk is “Fans Horizon”.

The Totem Pole has been a ‘mustvisit’ destination ever since I firstlearned of its existence some eight

years ago. When Brian Fox and I wereresearching the historical geology for the‘Gardens of Stone and beyond’ bookseries, Brian was able to locate and accessthe original field notebooks of the thenNSW Government Geologist, JosephEdmund Carne. In field notebook number3, Carne included a dimensioned sketch ofwhat is now termed the Totem Pole.

A photo taken soon after, duly recordsit as the ‘Earth Pillar, The Pinnacle,Wolgan Valley, c1908.’ Carne’smeasurements of this amazing feature, asdocumented in his notes, were, heightfrom base to top of the cap rock 20 feet,cap rock 5 feet maximum width, cap rockthickness, 5 to 6 inches, cap rockoverhang of column, 18 inches on westernmargin, 12 inches on eastern margin. Base1,135 feet above sea level.

A website, maintained by David Noble,includes two pictures of what we canassume is the same item, as being namedthe Totem Pole by Joseph Mack in 1975 .A useful comment at the base of theNoble’s images is that the Totem Pole islocated 50m from the Wolgan River.

TheTotemPoleBy Michael Keats, The Bush Club

Left to right Yuri Bolotin, Michael Keatsand Brian Fox. Photo: Chris Woods, NPWS.


The Bushwalker | 5



Totem

It is easy to see with so manydescriptors that there is confusion aboutthe correct name. The Joseph Mack name,the Totem Pole, is certainly the mostevocative.

On three separate occasions, I hadlisted this walk on the Bush Club programbut for a variety of reasons, it neverhappened. A fourth attempt was made on5th - 6th December 2011. The rushed,two-day trip, led by Peter Medbury, wentahead, but was unsuccessful.

Over a period of more than 18 months,discussions had taken place with

senior members of the NPWS to gain roadaccess to the end of the Wolgan Riverservice trail, and thus make the journey infeasible as a very long day trip. Thematter finally came to fruition, as a resultof discussions with staffer Chris Woods,who as well as being a NPWS officer isalso a keen bushwalker. Chris offered touse some of his leave, and his position toenable the project. Blessing for the tripwas given by the Area Manager, RichardKingswood, as well as use of a hefty 4WDNPWS vehicle. The party was to beconfined to four people, including Chris,who would take responsibility for oursafety and wellbeing.

To ensure that the opportunity wasmaximised, bushwalkers Brian Fox, YuriBolotin and I stayed at the Newnes HotelCabins the night before. Chris met us asarranged, at 0700 on the morning in cool,drizzling wet conditions. MysteryMountain, opposite our cabin, wasswathed in mist. The weather outlook forthe day was absolutely depressing.

The access road had been recentlydegraded following the flooding of theWolgan River in February 2012. Recent,subsequent rain had turned many tracksections into liquid mud, so that the drivein and out was fraught, and indeed, wewere about 700m short of the roadterminus, when the vehicle could go nofurther. After making certain the vehiclewas safe, and pointing the right directionfor the return trip, we kitted up for thewalk and started at 0840. The end of theaccess road was reached at 0857 in lightrain.

At the first crossing of the WolganRiver, we had a ‘no brainer’ discussionabout taking off our shoes to walk across.We were already wet everywhere else sotaking off our shoes to keep our feet drywas a nonsense. Instead of being 90%wet, we were now 100% wet. It wasfortunate that there was no wind and thetemperature remained constant. While wekept moving, there were no problemswith feeling cold.

The link section between the surveyedland portions, 2, 3 and 11, whichcomprise the former cattle holding,Binnings Hole, is now difficult terrain tonegotiate. It involves a lot of rockhopping, rock scrambling and encounterswith stinging nettles, wild raspberries anddense stands of an Acacia sp.

Once onto the surveyed portions, thegoing is somewhat easier, althoughhidden logs and rocks can be found underthe remnant pasture grasses. We presseddoggedly on and reached the junction ofAnnie Rowan Creek and the Wolgan River

at 1030. Wet and cold, wehad a quick, stand upmorning tea, noting the hugechanges in the junction areacaused by the Februaryfloods. There has beensignificant scouring of theriverbed; trees uprooted andwashed away, and theWolgan River bed hasincreased significantly inwidth, in places being twicewhat was in December 2011.

By 1040, we had leftAnnie Rowan Creek behind,and were pushing hardthrough large boulderyterrain and very slow countryto reach the upper talusslopes to avoid the successivedeep ravines that characterisethis landscape close to theWolgan River.

At 1105, we came across aloosely coiled length of rusting, plaitedwire rope, as used by timber getters. Itwas far too thick to be the kind used by4WD operatives, although during the1970s several 4WD groups attempted topush a road down the Wolgan Riverbeyond Annie Rowan Creek. Wespeculated that it was perhaps related totimber getting, when Binnings Hole was agoing concern. Here also Brian sightedour first land snail of the trip. This wascollected and documented for theAustralian Museum.

Taking a higher route above theravines enabled us to increase our rate ofprogress. It was almost 1145, when Yuriyelled out, “There it is!” What a sight!Through the grey mist, the column of TheTotem Pole positively glowed vividorange. It was positioned uphill from usabout 10m away.

On viewing this iconic naturalphenomenon, the sensation wascomparable to finding the Holy Grail. Weforgot how wet and cold we were. We juststood and looked at this amazinggeomorphologic erosion residual. Thecolumn almost defies gravity. It isnarrower at the base than elsewhere of itstotal length. The cap rock is so large andthe water worn boulders in the softpoorly consolidated conglomerate all lookset to topple this amazing piece ofgeological ephemera. The next 30 minuteswere spent taking pictures from everyangle. Such structures have a short life.We suspect this column in its existingform to be less than 10,000 years old.

We had heard rumours that there is asecond, similar column. The closest itemremotely comparable to the column of theTotem Pole is a short stump of a columnand cap rock about 30m distant. It wouldnot be more than a metre high.

Brian pulled out his trusty metric tapemeasure to record how the Totem

Pole measurements are today. Thecircumference at the base he measured at3.4m, the overall height at 6m, the capstone width at 1.5m.

Time to go, we were chilling downrapidly. All thoughts of exploringHoustons Creek to the east wereabandoned. We were cold and becoming

colder. We needed to keep moving tokeep warm and to return to the vehiclebefore the light failed. At 1245, we wereback at Annie Rowan Creek where a veryquick sodden lunch was consumed.

The route back became confused as weonly had to miss one key marker and thenthe terrain and vegetation removed anyopportunity to identify a reference point.We missed at least one. Perhaps the mostuseful position markers for this walk arethe high cliffs of the Wolgan Valley. Weused these on several occasions to verifyour position. GPS and maps are irrelevant,when you are in deep, thick bush. Even ina so-called protective sleeve, our papermap was papier-maché.

For variety of walking, Yuri decidedthat, as we were so close to the end of

the access road, we should boulder hopthe river for a ‘few hundred metres’. Itwas a shame we were still more thantwice that distance from the access road.It was certainly an opportunity to usesome different muscles and practicebalancing feats and some limbo rockmoves as well. In the end, we returned tothe slightly less strenuous terrain for awhile. It was in this period of walkingfrom Annie Rowan Creek to the end of theaccess road that we had a five- minute,very watery sunshine break- the only oneduring the whole day.

In the last 400m or so, there is aboulder field of house size blocks, whichcombines the skill set required for riverboulder hopping with negotiating deep,unfathomable drops, slippery logs, andwild raspberries. There is no doubt theWolgan River country does not reveal itssecrets easily.

The end of the access road wasreached at 1500 and the vehicle at 1520.We were saturated, cold and more thanhappy when the vehicle heater was turnedon during the journey back.

Rain and showers during the day hadleft the track in a very wet condition.There were at least two hill sections,where Chris’s skill as a driver was testedto the limit. He did an admirable job. Wereturned to the cabin at 1720 where hotshowers and dry clothes made a world ofdifference. t

‘A wet lunch’. Photo: Brian Fox

6 | The Bushwalker Volume 37, Issue 3, Winter 2012


Dictionary.com defines an obsessionas “the domination of one’sthoughts or feelings by a

persistent idea, image, desire, etc”. If thatis the case then I admit to being obsessedwith the Wild Dog Mountains- ‘The WildDogs’. There’s something about the placethat occupies my waking thoughts andmakes me yearn to return; the ruggedterrain, verdant creeks and climbs that goon, and on, and on, and on forever!

Mouin Creek and Mouin Falls havelong been on my “to do” list. There werea number of obstacles to the realisation ofthis dream.

1. It is close to the prohibited zone(Warragamba Catchment Area) so anywalk needs to be carefully planned withthese constraints in mind.

2. It is a tough challenge for a daywalk - and having two young children,overnighters are out for me for now.

3. It is extremely hard to find anyinformation at all about Mouin Creek orthe Mouin Falls.

Notwithstanding this, I had seen aphoto of the falls and heard that the creekitself was a hidden gem - so a plan wasformulated, a walk for the Bush Clubsubmitted, and on Saturday 28th April2012, four brave souls put their trust inme, and we were off.

The weather had been wet - very wetin the couple of weeks before, as if theheavens were making up for lost time.We had had reports that Carlons Creekwas virtually impassable, with the bushhaving reclaimed the track, and thenettles and leeches the true rulers of thedomain. Various other options wereconsidered, including a descent ofHobbles Spur or a double dip on the BlackDog fire trail. In the end we decided thatwe would try Carlons Creek anyway - Imean how bad could it be? Turned out -not too bad. The copious amounts ofDEET and long pants helped combatnature’s annoyances and less than an hourafter leaving Dunphy’s Car Park we wereat the familiar foot of Black Horse Ridgeready for an all too familiar climb.

The ascent of Blackhorse Ridge wasuneventful. I have done it so many timesI know each corner of the track. It’s likeslipping into a pair of favourite slippers.Morning tea at the usual lookout was

enjoyed. The views from the top ofBlackhorse Ridge defy superlatives. Thebackdrop of Narrowneck stands againstthe sinews of Breakfast Creek and SlipRail Creek, punctuated by the ridges ofBellbird, Lyrebird, Glenalan and FaithfulHound as you look left to right. The viewmakes the climb worthwhile and it givesyou the opportunity to get your breathback after the 400m ascent.

Morning tea completed, it was time tofollow the track along Blackhorse ridge tothe four way junction, and continuestraight ahead to take us up ontoBlackhorse Gap and the start of our off-track descent to Mouin Creek. It was11am and we had made good time as agroup.

Next came the fun part! As we peeredover the “other” side of Blackhorse

Gap, I realised that once again thecontours on the topo told only half thestory. It looked as if we might be able todrop down from the ledge ahead, butthere were no volunteers to “go andlook”!

Everything was very slippery and therecent rain had not helped with thestability of the surrounding rocks andplants. Not to be deterred, a way of routewas found by navigating to the left andfollowing a natural series of platformsdown through the scrub to circumvent thesteeper section. Fromhere, after less thanhalf an hour ofpicking our waythrough the bush wewere rewarded withthe sound of runningwater, and soon thesight of Mouin Creek.The head of MouinCreek starts at theconfluence of twosmall gullies, forminga Y-shaped pattern atits inception. Thebeginning of the creekis very dramatic witha very largecave/overhang on theleft hand bankgreeting you on thefirst corner.

The top section of

the creek is dry with the water flowingunderground. The sides of the creek arevery steep, but the going underfoot isrelatively easy. The bushwalkers nemesis,lawyer vine, has a persistent presence -although that is worse on the lowersections. The creek twists and turns andsucks you in with its beauty - it’s one ofthose places that you really could beanywhere in the world. It’s very differentfrom the other Wild Dog creeks such asBreakfast Creek or Merrigal Creek - itseems more like a misplaced creek fromthe tropics.

After about an hour, the watersuddenly appeared again. One minute itwas a dry creek bed, the next a fastflowing stream. The terrain became morerugged and the cascades started to appearin the creek flow. Round the next cornerand we had found Mouin Falls. I hadseen a photo of them from the top and,this was the place! The falls themselvesare very pretty, but somewhat smallerthan I had hoped. There was a doubledrop amounting to about 20m in total.Nothing to compare to Granite Falls, butthis did not detract from the overallbeauty of the surroundings. It had been atough morning. Time for lunch!

It was now 1:30pm but it appeared tobe much later. The creek faces

approximately south east, and the massif

Dorian Broadrick, The Bush Club

Moss encrusted vines near Mouin Falls

Photos: Cotter Erickson

The Bushwalker | 7



formed by Mount Warrigal and MountMouin had blocked out a lot of theambient light. It was a very surrealexperience picking our way through thecreek before 2pm with mottled filteredlighting. However, time was still on ourside - but with a renewed sense ofurgency we pressed on.

Progress was now somewhat variedalong the creek bed. At the lower sections,the creek winds and twists a little more.This leads to stretches that are suddenlyejected from the overhead fern canopyand that have thus had the benefits ofsunlight to aid the growth of surroundingplant life. This makes for both beautifuland slow sections as the side gulliescontinue to merge into the main creekflow.

A highlight of one of the portions wepassed through was to see an owl spyingat us from a nearby tree. I thought thesewere nocturnal birds, but with the lowlight level, I can understand theconfusion! It didn’t seem perturbed by

our presence, more of apolite observer to theseidiots invading itsdomain!

At last, but sadly, itwas time to exit thecreek. Care needs to betaken if you want toavoid the WarragambaCatchment Area. Thereare a lot of exit spurs atthe lower confines ofthe creek and commonsense needs to beapplied. The spur wetook was very pleasant

and clear once the initialgradient had been conquered. A shorttime later and we met up with the firetrail near the base of MountMouin. The terrain is a mazeof gullies, ridges and creeksat this point and care isneeded to join the fire trailwith the minimum of effort.A brisk march brought us toMedlow Gap and the well-trodden path home.

The light was against uson the return leg. As we

passed Glenraphael Head,and the usual ascent pointfor Dunphys Pass, it wasalready dark! We had a halfmoon to aid us, and we wereall prepared with torches justin case. Call it stubbornnessbut no one wanted to be thefirst to admit it was too darkand reach into their packs fora torch! In reality, there wassomething almost

transcendental in the nocturnal walkingwith ample time to reflect on a fun dayout.

This is also a long day out - there’s nodoubt about it. Travel along the creek isslow going at times - however it was anexceptionally rewarding journey with theknowledge of being one of the few groupsto have ever visited the area and theprivilege of being able to share some ofthe beautiful sections with the incumbentowl. A tough but rewarding day in theparadise and my playground - The WildDog Mountains. I hope you can join meon my next adventure.

Wild Dog Wanderers on the day,Dorian Broadrick, leader, Tam Khuat,Cotter Erickson, Melanie Ng and MichaelCook. t

Hygrocybe sp, Fungi

Mouin Creek


Life was bursting at the seams,bushes had grown to cover tracksand intertwined and curled together

to form an impenetrable mat. Humidityand the scent of oils and earth wasoverpowering in a way that I haven’t seenin a long time. It was into this primevalworld that we ventured one steamyNovember day in order to check out aroute that Gary Barnard was interested inalong the upper reaches of theBungleboori Creek.

We parked out on the Goochs CraterFire Trail and set off north on a side firetrail and along a well worn track towardsthe Bungleboori Creek but it quicklybecame increasingly overgrown. Werested on some rocks, easily succumbingto Sandra’s call for an “early morningtea”. The view was spectacular, every hilltopped by massive cone shaped pagodas.We lazed in the sun reluctant to moveuntil a call was made to try to reach a sidecreek by following the gully below us. Wemanaged to scramble down the hillwithout incident. In addition, we wererewarded on the way by sighting twospectacular slime moulds.

They were like, light fluffy, pinksponges, delicately clinging to a small,damp rock wall. One of them was coveredin ‘eggs’1 , laid by some creature takingadvantage of the damp conditions. Onthe ground, just below them was anequally spectacular moth (probablyAenetus mirabilis); it vibrated gently,displaying its pastel blue wings and body.

When Ifinally lookedup, the othershad moved on, but they hadn’t gone far.Down near the creek the vegetation wasincreasingly dense. Gary was in the leadmaking a valiant attempt to get throughbut with little success so the decision wasmade to cross the creek. Gary had beendown this creek many times before buthad never seen it like this. We werefeeling as though we were the last peopleleft on earth, and were just discussing theremote possibility that others might haveventured down into this wilderness whenwe looked down and saw - a garden fork2!

The other side of the creek wasn’tmuch better, but eventually we made ourway down this side tributary of theBungleboori Creek and found ourselves atour prime objective, the BunglebooriCreek itself. After the close confines of thescrub filled side creek, the wide expanseof Bungleboori Creek and the blue skyabove came as a huge relief. The watersparkled in the sunlight and at thejunction with the side creek, a sandybeach and huge log beckoned us to takeanother break. We lay on the sandwatching the sunlight sparkling on thewater. What an amazing section of creekthis was. Unlike the lower reaches, whichoften involve arduous climbs over logsand boulders, this stretch was smooth andflat, free of any obstacles, and the waterwas cool and inviting.

Finally, we managed to get back on

our feet and then wandered up the creek,revelling in our newfound freedom andthe easy walking. Gary warned us not togo past a side creek coming in on our left,which we reached all too soon. Itappeared just as we came to a shelf ofsiltstone, worn smooth and slippery by therushing water. The ferns grew so thicklyand luxuriantly here that it was hard toeven see the branch creek coming in, aroute Gary said he had walked quiteeasily on past trips. Maybe we shouldhave seen that luxuriant growth as a signof challenges to come.

However, it was time for lunch, so weclimbed up the opposite bank, which

was buried in ferns and Black Wattle,Callicoma serratifolia, and headed towarda promontory of rock towering above uson this prominent bend in the river.Scaling it had its challenges, but once ontop we had amazing views up and downthe river, and directly opposite we couldsee the large gully system up which weplanned to exit. After a pleasant break, itwas time to tackle the gully.

The gully looked so innocuous from adistance, but up close, it turned out to bea nightmare of dense vegetation. Westarted up the side creek, however sinceGary had last been there it had becomevirtually impenetrable, so we headedtoward the high ground. Surely, thevegetation would be thinner up towards

Helen Simpson,Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking Club

Morning tea view - pagodas galore! Bungleboori Creek



1 Slime moulds can take on the appearance of thousandsof tiny eggs in the sporangia phase. Ed.

2 This area is a favourite spot for the cultivation of illegalherbs. Ed.

3 From studying the photograph, this is most likelyLaetiporus portentosus. The soft spongy flesh is the foodof certain insect larvae, and old and fallen brackets are

riddled with the resulting tunnels. Ed.4 Similar trap systems are deployed on a ridge south of

Waratah Ridge. On a recent walk, a group I ledcountered more than 40 traps of various kinds spreadover a distance of less than 1km. It is suspected thesetraps are part of an EIS study prior to an application foran expansion of underground mining. Ed.

the cliffs.We passed a huge fungus on the way,

the size of a large dinner plate3. It lookedas though a giant had taken a couple ofenormous bites out of it. We keptclimbing, but instead of improving, thevegetation closed in on us until we werenot even walking on the ground butinstead traversed a spongy swayingentangled mass of vegetation. It bouncedunder our feet, and as we passed smallgullies, we fervently hoped that below thisswaying mass at least lurked some solidground.

We took it in turns to try to force away through, virtually lying across thebushes on occasion as we tried topenetrate any available break. Eventually,we came to a small gap where a rock fallhad wiped out an area of vegetation. HereI collapsed on the ground exhausted, gladmy stint in the front was over, but therewas still more to get through.

Seeking options, we examined sidewaterfalls; was there a way up there?

We passed a huge amphitheatre, but as ithad unscalable cliffs all around there wasnothing for it but to keep on going.Eventually the creek became more like acanyon and we were able to walk a littlemore freely. At the point where the gullynarrowed we passed a gorgeous shadygrotto, where a mass of huge bouldershad long ago tumbled from the overhangabove to create a deep opalescent, bluepool, small but perfect, with the watercascading down the rocks beyond it tojoin the Bungleboori Creek below.

We hurried to catch the others whohad already entered the mini canyon, ourroute out. In here, the low light hadstopped the vegetation from growing asprolifically as it had in the gully. Wewalked the narrow creek, winding aroundand up, climbing rocky drops andencountered a small waterfall with a largepool below it, the sun shining on thewater. Then up and on, winding along ournarrow path until the rock walls abovebecame lower and the vegetation thicker.We were out, but where were we? We

contemplated the view through the treesfrom our position on a saddle betweentwo watersheds.

Gary directed us up the bank on theright. At the top, mountains and thickforest stretched as far as the eye couldsee, and we contemplated several morehours of bush bashing, when before us,and only a few metres up the hill we cameto a ‘fire trail’!

We were overjoyed, it had been acolossal day and no one was sad to findthemselves on the bush equivalent of asuper highway. We followed it up,knowing it would soon bring us to themain fire trail. On this trail, we startedpassing many little animal traps.Thankfully, they did not appear to be set.Was there a diversity study in progress?The traps had netting to direct animalstoward them. The traps were of severaltypes, some were fixed to trees, whilesome were scattered in the undergrowth.We wondered at their origin as we walkedout4 .

We were also struck by the abundanceof wild flowers, one good side benefit ofall the recent prolonged rain and warmweather. Thelmtra ixiodes, ComespermaDillwynia, Davesia latifolia, Leptospermummacrocarpa, all blooming with abandon,spreading their pollen through the air;some already with seeds ripening on theirbranches.

We soon arrived at the main fire trailjunction, and an offer was made by

some members with vehicles to come backfor us, but buoyed by our adventures, weall decided to walk the last little section offire trail and return to the cars together.While it had been an exhausting day out,it was also an amazing feeling to be sweptup in the abundance that is currentlytransforming the bush. t

For Gary Barnard, an amazingnavigator, and a senior, long-timemember of our club, who iscurrently recovering fromencephalitis in Queensland.

Thelmitra

Slime mould plasmodium/spongariumtransition

Moth, Aenetus mirabilis

Left: You couldn’t pick a better lunch spot.

Far left: Dilwinia.

Photos: Helen Simpson

Walk Safely—Walk with a ClubWalk Safely—Walk with a Club

The Bushwalker | 9The Bushwalker | 9



Some years ago when bushwalkingveteran Neil Schaefer was cleaningout his old bushwalking gear he

gave me a bag of small, strange looking,and rather lethal objects that looked likesomething previously used in the Towerof London when the rack and similarcharming devices were in use. These multipronged devices were hobnails. They wereused to make ordinary boots into ‘HobnailBoots.’

Colin White of the Bush Club, whoowns a veritable mini museum ofBushwalking Gear, took the time to sendsome sketches and notes about hobnails.In addition, Col also spells out someinteresting information:

“Firstly I believe the Bush Club wasborn in 1939; secondly WWII started in1939; thirdly and best of all I was bornin 1939; fourthly Volleys were born in1939. It was a very eventful year.

I started my bushwalking at 17 in1956, and was convinced to buy someboots. So, off to Paddy's I went andbought the boots that I needed, which Ithen had to cover in Hobnails, clinkersand tricounies. Within a couple ofmonths we did the Cradle Mountain-Lake Sinclair walk - bloody hell they wereghastly, after 2 days I took them off andput on my camp slippers which were apair of Volleys. 54 years later I’m stillwearing Volleys and proud ofthem, and the boots, they just rottedaway in my garage.”

During the Internet discussion thatfollowed a lot of territory was covered onthe whole subject of bushwalker footwear.As I have discovered from innumerable,and often heated on track debates it is asubject on which every bushwalker of anyexperience has an opinion. I venture tosuggest that not many bushwalkers todaywould boast that they actual wearHobnail Boots any more. Stories I havebeen regaled with are to the effect thatHobnail Boots were not only heavy, butalso inevitably a one way trip to anaccident.

More recently Neil rang me up andposed the question, “Could I find out whatfoot wear bushwalkers used to trust theirfeet with in the 1950’s?” Neil did give mea couple of contacts who he had walkedwith in times past and suggested someinterviews. I dared not ask Neil to look inhis garage where some examples may stilllie mouldering…

My research has taken me to someinteresting websites and even moreinteresting conversations with veteranbushwalkers from the 1950’s who madethe transition to lighter footwear. Perhapsthe best source of general information onthis controversial subject, is the website

“FAQ – Equipment Footwear (and FlameWars)” created and maintained by thevery thorough and questioning editor ofthe ‘Bushwalker’ magazine, Roger Caffin.

I also sent an appeal out to a wideraudience of bushwalkers for information.The results were much broader than Iexpected. A response from Jeff Betteridge,Ranger, Yengo National Park, provided avery personal insight, “My father in the50’s wore Tricouni’s, metal toothed cleatson the bottom of his leather boots. He andhis mates wore them all over the BlueMountains walking. There is a pair in theNPWS [Heritage Centre] at Blackheath inthe display that I presented to them.”

“SWISS NAILED BOOTS We haveobtained a few pair of real nailed boots,as issued to the Swiss Army! We estimatetheir age as 40-60 years old. These areidentical to the boots worn by British,European and American climbers before(and after!) World War II, beforeVibram soles took over. The boots have77 edge and hob nails in each boot!Larger edge nails are marked ‘TRICOUNIBREV SUISSE’. The leather uppers andsoles are in well preserved condition.This is a phenomenal chance to get anauthentic collector’s item”. (extractedfrom a web advertisement by ChesslerBooks, the USA.)

A discussion with Don Matthews, a onetime walking companion of Neil’s, elicitedthe story of what was going on in theSydney Bushwalkers Club. Don joined theclub in 1947 when hobnails were ‘derigueur’. He recalls that Jim Brown in1954 began a revolution when he startedwearing a sneaker type boot made byDunlop. These boots had twill likepatterned sole with leather uppers. Theproblem with them was that the leatheruppers shrank after getting wet. Therewas also a problem with the stitchingfailing. Fortunately it was a simple matterto get a boot maker to restitch the soles tothe uppers.

Don recounted a trip he did down inthe Snowy Mountains in 1953-54. Theidea was to wear hobnail boots during theday and change into sneakers aroundcamp at night. Don became so frustratedwith his hobnails that he left them at TheChimneys and completed the walk in hissneakers.

Correspondence with Roger Caffin,who has extensively researched the wholefootwear subject, was illuminating. Incommenting on the early Volley Style ofshoe he says,

“Yeah, forget what they were called, butI don’t think anyone wore them inthe bush. Too loose. Ugg boots still havesoles like that. For upmarket use a few

Michael Keats

The Bushwalker | 11Volume 37, Issue 3, Winter 2012

imported boots from UK or Italy. Mywife Sue had some Robert Lawrie (UK)boots; others imported Scarpa or Blacks(UK).Typical footwear was Paddy Pallin boots- but the leather was rather poorand stretched when wet. OK in NSW andVic, but failed badly in the bogs ofSW Tassie. Cheaper footwear was cadetboots - the schools all had cadet groupsin those days. Yes, leather soles, hobnailsand steel horseshoes around the heel.Rather good at going downhill: the steeledges really dug in. Big scars onthe hillside! I would imagine that somewore work boots - whatever was theequivalent of Redback in those days”.

The late Wilf Hilder weighed into thediscussion with some personalrecollections:

“Army boots had a double sole. We usedto make a new pair wearable by boilingwater and filling each boot. When thetemperature was tolerable for insertingsocked feet we would do so and thenwalk around the parade ground. Thissoftening changed the boots so that whentreated with Neatsfoot Oil and Dubbinthey were almost comfortable. PaddyPallin decided to go one better andoffered a triple soled boot. These provedintractable to any softening process andsoon disappeared.I never wore sneakers but went straightto Dunlop Volleys.Wilf also recalled that when he joinedthe Catholic Bushwalking Club it wasmandatory to wear boots.”

A visit to the Dunlop Footwear websitetells the manufacture’s side of the story.In 1939, the now icon product, thefamous Volley Sport Shoe was introduced.Adrian Quist, a famous tennis player ofthe time, worked for Dunlop, saw the solepattern on a boat shoe when he was inAmerica for a tennis tournament. He

convinced Dunlop to make Tennis Shoeswith the same sole pattern. The shoe wentfrom strength to strength, and neverlooked back, becoming the favouritefootwear of all top tennis players for thenext 40 years. Players who wore theVolley included Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad,Frank Sedgman, Neil Fraser, JohnBromich, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley,Margaret Court and many others.

In 1950, as the Dunlop Footwearbusiness expanded, the huge new factoryat Bankstown NSW was in production,and by 1954 was making more shoes andsporting shoes than any other factory inAustralia, employing over 1000 people by1957. Before someone asks the question,the KT 26 was introduced in 1977.

Sadly, today most shoes bearing thefamous Volley trademark are madeoverseas in a variety of different countriesand factories, and the quality is variable.Some pairs recently purchased have failedafter less than three days walking by

which time the sole had becomecompletely worn away and all grip lost.Oh to return to the days of a quality,locally made product, where you couldspeak to a representative of themanufacturer and influence future designand specification.

For a fulsome discussion on footwearvisit a website maintained by RogerCaffin:

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Footwear.htm

This site will answer 90% of any questionsyou can think of regarding your feet andwhat you put on them. t

1 Hobnailed boots (known in Scotland as “tacketyboots”) are boots with hobnails (nails inserted into thesoles of the boots), usually installed in a regularpattern, over the sole. They also usually have an ironhorseshoe-shaped insert, called a heel iron, tostrengthen the heel, and an iron toe-piece. Thehobnails project below the sole and provide tractionon soft or rocky ground, but they tend to slide onsmooth hard surfaces.They have been used since antiquity for inexpensivedurable footwear, often by workmen and the military,including the trench boots of World War I. They gainedparticular notoriety during the Second World War asthe standard footwear of German troops, which inconjunction with the distinctive goose-step marchupon cobblestone streets, left a lasting impression oftheir martial entrance into countless towns andvillages throughout Occupied Europe(source - State Library of Queensland)

2 Tricouni is the name of a mountain climbing nailcreated by Felix Genecand. Born in Geneva Switzerlandin 1879, he became a jeweller-setter and an avidmountain climber. He started climbing on the nearbySalève Mountain and in the Chamonix Alps.Following the death of a fellow climber who slipped inthe mountains, Genecand decided to invent a climbingnail with teeth for better grip. The origin of theTricouni name comes from an Italian climber he metcalled Tricouni. He was smaller, less sturdy than himbut many times more agile. Knowing how much headmired the Italian climber, Genecand's friends endsup calling him Tricouni.The climber established the Tricouni company in 1921in Geneva and produced millions of nails. The biggestclients were the Swiss and French armies. Countlessmountain peaks were conquered by Tricouni bearingclimbers including the Eiger north face. In 1993, theTricouni business was bought by a cow-bell

manufacturer in the Gruyères region and they are stillproduced in Switzerland. (Source Tricouni Companywebsite)

3 Neatsfoot oil is a yellow oil rendered and purified fromthe shin bones and feet (but not the hooves) of cattle.“Neat” in the oil's name comes from an old name forcattle. Today, many[who?] consider the best qualityneatsfoot oil to be that which comes from the legs ofcalves, with no other oils added. Neatsfoot oil is usedas a conditioning, softening and preservative agent forleather. Source University of Queensland

4 Dubbin is a wax product used to soften, condition andwaterproof leather. It consists of natural wax, oil andtallow.It is different from shoe polish, which is used toimpart shine and colour to leather.Dubbin has beenused since medieval times to waterproof and softenleather boots.The name dubbin is a contraction of thegerund dubbing, describing the action of applying thewax to leather

Hobnailed boots with clinkers andtricounies. Almost compulsory wear inthe earlier days of the last century

Walk Safely—Walk with a ClubWalk Safely—Walk with a Club


Volume 37, Issue 3, Winter 201212 | The Bushwalker

This book redefines the genreof bushwalking books. In

book 1, the authors enabled thereader to understand the complexand beautiful geology andgeomorphology of this uniquearea in the Greater BlueMountains National Park. Inbook 2, we are given an insightinto the climate, and anappreciation of the extremes ofheat and cold, wet and dry,raging wildfires and catastrophicfloods, which have shaped thisamazing terrain.

Twenty- eight day and multiday walks based on Newnes andthe Wolgan- Capertee Divide,range from the easy traditional,such as The Pipeline Track, to thenovel and challenging MinotaurLair and Penrose Gully South.Having been on some of thewalks, the glowing words usedand evocative pictures included,only tell a part of the story. Whilethe reader enjoys some of theincredible exhilarationexperienced by the authors, thisbook will inspire you to up yourfitness and retrace some or all ofthese amazing journeys.

If you cannot make the walks,then this book provides virtualjourneys, where from a chair onthe verandah of the formerNewnes Hotel, or in one of theNewnes Holiday Cottages, youcan be transported to the clifftops via the climbs and canyons.

To ensure top qualityphotographs, and there is one atleast on every double pagespread, pictures have beenselected from the portfolios ofinvited photographers. In everycase, the photographer and his orher work have been personallyrecognised.

Every book has shortcomings,and although hard pressed to findone, thanks to tough editing,there is a nagging one, and that isknowledge that my bookcase forbushwalking books is going tohave to be a lot bigger. There aresix more books to come in thisseries, and space for a full set,about one of the most desirableplaces to visit and enjoy in NSW,is mandatory.

Yuri Bolotin

The Gardens of StoneNational Park and beyondBook 2

494pp, in full colour, A5 size,by Michael Keats and Brian Kenneth Fox.Self published by Keats Holdings Pty Ltd,August 2012, RRP $50.00.

BOOK REVUE

The Bushwalker | 13



Great Divide Explorations -North TallagandaThe first of a series of Batemans Bay Bushwalking Clubexplorations of the Great Dividing Range between Bungendoreand Countegany attracted 5 members - Lynne Beby, MichaelBeby, Bronwyn Dunn, Lin Barnes and Ian Barnes. The weatherwas perfect - clear skies, little wind and cool temperatures -ideal for mountain top walking.

Using a comfortable base camp on the Mulloon Road nearthe Mulloon Creek crossing within Tallaganda National Park,two day walks were centered on two nearby peaks on the GreatDividing Range - Mounts Palerang and Lowden. Neither routehad been walked before so some surprises were expected.On the Saturday, Mount Palerang was approached from thecamp along a western ridge line through mostly dry open forestand some rock outcrops. The 300m vertical lift soon hadcirculatory systems on full load until the cairn was reached andthe lunch bags were opened. At 1,264m, Mount Palerang isconspicuous from the Kings Highway southward. It shows as adistinct sharp peak, a reflection of the highly eroded tiltedcoarse sandstone and cobblestone conglomerate in this area.The mountain lends its name to the local government area,Palerang Shire.

We continued south along the main Great Dividing Range,dipping and scrambling over the many rocky outcropsproviding great views to the east and west. Vegetation in thisarea varied greatly. The sharp ridge top supported Snow Gum,the eastern fall had tall, moist Brown Barrell forest, mostly with

Batemans BayBushwalkingClub Camp19-20 May 2012

Ian Barnes

On Mount Palerang, May 2003, IanBarnes pointing out the relativeposition of camp

On Mount Lowden. Left to right Lin Barnes, Lynne Beby,Bronwyn Dunn and Michael Beby.

grassy under storey, and the westernfall was mostly open shrubbery with

at least one large area of bare rock.The slow westerly descent toward

camp, on a long ridge made up of themore common shales and siltstones of the

area, was dominated by fire scarredpeppermints and Silvertop Ash, a legacy of many

years of hot damaging fires.Back in the luxuries of camp that night, the group

reassessed the walk, aided by the calming effects ofvarious red wines and a copious fire to keep the cold at

bay. Under BBBW grading rules, this 5km circuit of 4½hours is Medium Hard, mainly due to the initial climb and

the rockiness of the ridge top.

Sunday’s walk along the Great Dividing Range centered onMount Lowden. It began with a 4WD car shuffle, which allowedus to start at the nearby radio repeater station. Walking throughgrassy snow gum forest, we were soon at the Mt Lowden trigcairn of 1,346m.

This part of the Range is dominated by Devonian pink granitewith many outcrops. Using aerial photographs and carefulnavigation, numerous significant outcrops were visited, giving ussome special views to the west and southeast. One in particularwas in a beautiful forest setting with abundant fern surroundsand red algae and moss growth.

We pressed on from saddle to saddle and lunched within asmall grove of Black Oliveberry trees, Elaeocarpus holopetalus.This is an uncommon tree found only in remnant cool temperateGonwonda rainforests.

The going was often quite bouldery underfoot and progressbecame quite slow in places, especially where an undergrowth ofPepperberry, Tasmannia insipida, and ferns in the saddles wasthickened a little with Wait-a-While Vine - a little “ouchy”!

Eventually, a carefully navigated descent from the slopes ofMount Major to the Jinglemoney Fire Trail was rewarded by thewelcome sight of our waiting 4WD. After another car shuffle weheaded back to camp via yet another “scenic route” and a wearyreturn to the (warmer) coast.

Sunday’s 6km, 6 hour traverse of the Great Dividing Rangewas unanimously assessed under the BBBW grading system asHard to Very Hard, mainly due to the difficult terrain andpatches of dense undergrowth. t

At the old trig on Mount Palerang,L to R Michael, Lynne, Bronwyn and Lin



There are many spectator sports suchas cricket in summer and variousversions of football in winter. The

coming London 2012 Olympics willshowcase many sports. There is alsoanother less recognised spectator sport.Bush search and rescue (S & R) is notusually considered a spectator sport but itdoes arise media interest when ithappens.

Now, motor vehicle accidents are morefrequent than bush search and rescue plusthe affected occupants can carry seriousphysical and mental scars for years. Bushsearch and rescue is newsworthy due toits rarity and perhaps a certain level ofprimal fear to many people. How would acity person cope?? Does this partlyexplain the fascination with Bear Grills??

Is a bush search and rescue a great dayout for news crews and their helicopters??

Some years ago I was asked for asimple list of bush safety hints for a rescuedisplay. Many persons have written atlength about safety in the bush. Howeverthe simple list below seems to cover mostof the incidents where BushwalkersWilderness Rescue Squad (BWRS) hasbeen involved.

As onlookers (spectators) andexperienced bushwalkers, we canemphasise with hikers in trouble. Also,we can tick off which item of thefollowing list they ‘tripped up’ on. Reallyclever people manage to ignore multiplesafety points!!

Some years ago in Victoria theydeveloped a simple safety check list

headed “Let someone know before yougo?”

Does your Club “Let someone knowbefore you go?”

DO give a copy of a list of the names andcontact details of each member of agroup and complete route details,including the map(s) names ofWHERE the walk is to close relatives/ friends or Police. Includeregistration details of all vehicles andwhere they will be parked.

DO advise them WHEN you are LEAVINGand when you plan to RETURN, andwhether any member of the grouphas SPECIAL medical conditions suchas diabetes, asthma.

Keith Maxwell, Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue ServiceTeamwork - planning is crucial

Hitching a lift Crossing a flooded river is only safe with prior training

The Bushwalker | 15



Subscribe to The Bushwalker

Keep up with all the news and developmentshappening in the NSW bushwalking scene foronly $10 per year. This is to cover posting andhandling: the magazine itself is free.

Send your name and address and cheque ormoney order to the Confederation of Bush-walking Clubs NSW Inc, PO Box 119, New-town NSW 2042. The new phone number is9565 4005. Make the cheque or money orderpayable to the Confederation of Bushwalk-ing Clubs NSW Inc as well: please do not ab-breviate the name!

Please indicate which issue you want your sub-scription to start with. We don’t want to dupli-cate copies you already have.

DO notify them when you returnDO take the correct and most current

MAP(s) of the area and COMPASSand know how to use them.

DO take appropriate clothing / footwear.Always take a windproof / waterproofPARKA and clothing that can keepyou WARM WHEN it becomes WET.e.g. wool and definitely NOT jeans.

DO take waterproof MATCHES andSPARE food in case of delays. Alwaystake some cold snack food such asdried fruit, nuts or chocolate for quickenergy.

DON’T overestimate your abilities.Always ALLOW TIME for theunexpected, e.g. thick scrub, clifflines.

DON’T go faster than the slowestmember of the group. At regularintervals do a HEAD COUNT.

DON’T split up a walking group (exceptas set out below) during a trip. Thereis safety in numbers.

DON’T leave an injured person ALONE inthe bush. A walking group of THREEor more will allow one person to lookafter the injured member while theother goes for help.

DON’T keep moving when LOST. Find acampsite nearby with water that isvisible from a helicopter. Wavevigorously at any helicopters; they areprobably looking for you!

DON’T forget if you are OVERDUE toPHONE home as soon as you arewithin mobile telephone range orfrom the first telephone box.

REMEMBER that you need more thanjust good EQUIPMENT for bush safety.(Good equipment does not necessarilymake you an “experienced” bushwalker).Your safety is also dependent on yourlevel of FITNESS and bushwalkingEXPERIENCE plus good overall tripLEADERSHIP. Every trip should includeat least ONE experienced bushwalker toevery THREE inexperienced walkers.

Now, by following this simple list, youwill avoid many of the common pitfalls ofless experienced walkers. At the BWRSwebsite www.bwrs.org.au, you will findextensive information on how to joinBWRS, use of PLB (distress beacons),GPS receivers, mobile phones, First Aidtraining and remote area communicationsplus many other items.

When things get vertical you really do need to know what you're doing

Help for the helpers! Take a break,

For your nearest stockist call1800-068-828 or visit our website

www.fitovers.com.au

16 frame styles, 35colours and 4 lens

tints available!

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Documents

Volume 37 Issue 3 Winter 2012 - The Bushwalker … quartelys/Bushwalker373.pdf · members voicing opposition to shooting in national parks. I also urge you to do so. Safe walking!