Newsletter of the ESSENDON BUSHWALKING CLUB INC. A5559B

Internet edition. To maintain privacy on the World Wide Web, all references to private telephone numbers and addresses have been omitted from this version of the newsletter.

The Autumn equinox has come and gone, and some fanatics may be looking at their ski boots gathering dust in the cupboard and looking forward to the coming cooler months.

While they are doing this, why not sit back and appreciate the writing talents of your fellow club members? In this issue John McRae unravels some of the mystery in buying a tent. Jan Edwards and Lucy Padovani describe trips they did with the club, short and long. And there’s lots more.

What more can I say to all those who contributed besides many, many thanks? How about "Keep’em’comin!" Or better still – "New contributors are very, very welcome!"

Well done everybody.

Editor

Articles can be sent to Chris Jarvis, E-mail: cjjarvis@labyrinth.net.au

Scanned photographs are most welcome. The ‘Ideal’ Cover Photo? Identifiable club members somewhere significant, such as a mountain top or place of interest. Good B&W contrast is helpful.

I hope you all enjoyed our short cool summer (it was great for walking) and now you are all ready to enjoy what I consider the best time of the year for walking - Autumn/Winter.

As you may be aware my time as President is drawing to an end and I have enjoyed it considerably. Let me take this opportunity to thank all the members on the committee for their valued support and all those club members who contribute in the running of the club. The club is in a very healthy state at this point of time, we have the most members ever and financially we are doing well.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all our leaders past and present for without you there would not be a club. The club will be running a leadership course in the near future and hopefully we will get some new people out there leading walks.

I will not be staying on the committee and I will not be leading many walks for a few months due to my family commitments (twins). But hopefully I will be back towards the end of the year with some family walks.

I wish the new committee all the best in the future and I'm sure they will do an excellent job.

Yours faithfully

Leaders have a duty of care to their walkers.

Hopefully all of our leaders are able to voluntarily provide our walkers with an enjoyable, safe experience. As walkers we would expect this. Leaders put in a great deal of time and effort organizing walks. We depend heavily on a dwindling faithful group of leaders. (The intent of this article is not to put off potential leaders!) However, leading a group of walkers is quite demanding and may even be difficult and stressful pending the circumstances. This may well become the case in a large group, which can potentially become hard to manage.

This is magnified when the racehorses gallop ahead. This is fine if they are given the OK to do so, STOP at intersections, LISTEN to the leader and recommence walking only when given the go ahead to do so.

Even though faster walkers may have been waiting for some time and cooled down, there is a safety factor involved. The slower walkers will need a rest more so than the others. With diminished rest periods their progress may well deteriorate. Physical well being may be affected. This may even jeopardise the continuance of the walk or put others in danger. Then no one has had a good experience.

I often wonder if some walkers appreciate this fact and realise that they have a duty and responsibility towards assisting the leader to comfortably perform his/her role in procuring the safety and comfort of the rest of the group. So walkers please remember, we all want to enjoy a good walk. We all progress at differing rates.

Please be mindful of everybody on the walk, leader and other walkers included. Remember to stop and smell the roses; take time to appreciate your surroundings. If the pace isn’t fast enough perhaps you would like to consider orienteering or rogaining?

This is a brief report on the Beginners Packwalking Workshop held on Saturday 19^th January. The reason for this event was to try and encourage people to try something-new (packwalking).

The venue was Brimbank Park and the day was set out in this way:

1. Instruction in how to pack your overnight pack;

2. What to bring and what not to;

3. The use of cooking stove and some suggestions on the type of food;

4. How to choose a tent site and erect a tent;

5. Carrying your pack, correct harness adjustment and the right way to lift it onto you back.

There were nine people who attended plus Rob Hughes and myself, the day went very well and as commented by all those who attended it was very informative.

Also those that did attend said they would now be willing to attend an easy packwalk in the future. Some said a base camp in tents would be their first outing.

Eight walkers travelled to Airey's Inlet on a pleasant Saturday morning for Neil Campbell's walk. We commenced with a 90 minute loop of Ironbark Gorge, then headed West from Distillery Creek Picnic Ground for a gently undulating range traverse on the way to where Moggs Creek and the Southern Ocean meet.

Along our journey we passed the pretty Painkalac Dam (Airey's trusty water supply) and lunched at Moggs Creek picnic ground. Henry, who has local knowledge set us straight after lunch and made sure the 14km walk was only 18km or so rather than the 22km we might have walked if we'd continued on the planned route! At 2pm drizzle set in. It made for a wild but enjoyable beach walk. To complete the trek we walked along the GOR and raised horn toots from bemused drivers. All in all, a very enjoyable experience.

Thanks to Neil for organising the day and to Henry for his navigational assistance and home hosting at day's end.

Once again Ian Tovey has put on another exhilarating beach walk. In March 2001 Ian's walk was from Bells Beach to Anglesea and was very popular with perfect weather and about 30 people attending. In February 2002 Ian's walk was a little longer, Bells Beach to Aireys Inlet - a total of 24 kilometres.

Twelve of us beach walkers turned up for this walk on an overcast but mild day and walked along this most magnificent beach. Commencing at Bells Beach we were able to view the spectacular coast line from the look-out and watch some of the surfers catch the odd wave or two. With the sand firm and ideal for walking, most of the beach deserted, and the gentle sound of rippling waves, this was a most pleasant walk. No potholes, bark, sticks, snakes, leeches or other obstacles to watch out for.

However, this walk was not without a certain amount of excitement. We did have a bit of rock scrambling along the way. As we neared the end of the walk we had to race against the incoming tide to scramble over the last of the rocks. With most of us ending up wet after having navigated the rocks, it was a good adrenaline rush to finish to walk on. We had lunch on the beach at Anglesea and had a well-earned coffee fix at Truffles at Aireys Inlet to complete a lovely day.

Thanks Ian for a great day! I forgot to mention the other attraction along the way - the odd bare bottom.

Thursday April 25, 15km, Easy

In response to multiple requests this walk will be repeated. However it will not be an evening walk. The walk will start meeting at the regular spot i.e. Greenwich Reserve on the corner of The Strand and North Rd. at 10:00am. Walk numbers will be limited to 30, so bookings will be necessary and first in best dressed.

The distance will be 15 km. In addition to our regular route exploring the sights of Williamstown the walk will extend along the foreshore into the Jawbones Coastal Park and through some of the Rifle Range Estate. Lunch will be in the Williamstown Botanic Gardens so BYO lunch. Afternoon tea will be at the Williamstown cafes before returning to the cars.

Ian & Sylvia McLean

Sunday May 5, 12km, Easy

This walk is not only scenic and historic; it’s a tribute and celebration with Nellie. It’s her birthday.

More recent folk may be unacquainted with Nellie Earnshaw but may well have heard about her. Being one of the founding members of EBC and a stalwart, she inspired all of us. Post pack walking days she led walks into the late 1990’s when she was ‘well’ into her seventies. A walk with Nellie always involved naming the various wildflowers and plants and learning a good appreciation of ‘what’s out there’.

Another thing we always laughed about was Nellie’s connections with the Weather Bureau because her walkers ALWAYS endured a ‘beautiful sunny day’.

Unfortunately chronic back pain and surgery put an end to Nellie’s serious walking. Gone are the days of mini marathon day walks (minimum of 26 to 28kms) up and down the Maribyrnong, along the foreshores of Williamstown and Mordialliac, Greens Bush, Gellibrand, 1,000 Steps, Lysterfield, Puffing Billy Track, Kinglake, Point Nepean and her favourite long week end at Mt. Buffalo. Just to name a few, off the cuff. Nellie’s walks were always a good starting point for beginners and new members, but that’s not to say they were a pushover. I can remember being rejected on one of my first walks at Arthur’s Seat by Nellie because it would be too hard for a beginner.

Nellie’s recent move to Mt. Martha puts her closer to her family and beloved seaside, however, she misses her friends at EBC. So come along and make Nellie’s day. BYO afternoon tea, to share with Nellie afterwards.

Point Nepean has only been open to the public since December 1988 and has National Park Status. Over the preceding 100 years its association with early settlement, shipping, quarantine and defence gives it great significance in Victorian history. Its coastal scenery is spectacular and its features of natural and man made are diverse. This is also where Harold Holt disappeared. There are many points of interest along the way to discover.

A transporter is available if you don’t feel inclined to complete the entire walk. However, this is at an additional cost.

Bookings are essential for a group, as only 600 people are permitted into this fragile area at any given time. So please confirm your walk intentions well in advance of the date. There is also an entrance fee, which applies.

Saturday May 18, 20km, Easy / Medium

This will be my one and only walk for this program, most of you know why. Also it will be my final walk I will lead as President.

This 20km walk will be in the Dandenong Ranges. We will be starting at Monbulk and walking to Emerald Township and then on to Emerald Lake. Here we will have lunch and have a stroll around the area and see Puffing Billy. Then after lunch we will retrace our steps to Monbulk and home.

I hope to see you there and we may go somewhere special for afternoon tea.

Sunday July 7, 20km, Easy

22km SE of Melbourne

A linear, return walk starting at Jells Park South (off Ferntree Gully Road) in Wheelers Hill to Churchill Nat. Park in Endeavour Hills.

This walk consists of passing through pleasant bushy parklands and wetlands. We head south from Jells Park and traverse the Coranwarrabul Wetlands along the Dandenong Creek. Through the Dandenong Valley Parklands to the Police Paddocks Reserve (a bushy area where in earlier years the Police used to graze their horses), to arrive at very pleasant Churchill National Park for lunch.

Afternoon tea at Jells Park on return.

This will be a good chance to enjoy this lovely tranquil place before the purposed Scoresby Freeway gets underway.

Sunday July 21, 20kms, Easy

22km SE of Melbourne

A linear walk starting in Wheelers Hill (off Waverly Road) at Jells Park East to Wantirna and return.

This walk strings together many bushy parks and interesting wetland areas to make a very pleasant walk. Most of the time it is hard to believe that the walk actually traverses suburbia. The walk encompasses passing around Jells Park Lake, along Dandenong Creek through Shepherds Bush, Nortons Park, Bushy Park Wetlands, a lookout point, and onto Campbell's Croft Reserve Wetlands Habitat and Abbey Walk. We backtrack to Koomba Park picnic area for lunch.

The return journey does vary from the outward route using alternate tracks on either sides of the creek or parks.

On return to the cars we will enjoy afternoon tea at Jells Park.

Sunday August 25, 20km, Easy, 45km NW Melb.

A complete new walk, not undertaken before!

Meeting in Sunbury at 9:00am. This walk endeavours to join streamsides; parklands and wetlands into a 20km circuit walk capturing the rural rather than urban face of Sunbury.

Areas to be explored include the Emu Bottom Wetlands, Spavin Dam and bird habitat, Albert Rd Reserve, Kismet, Blind and Jackson’s Creeks, Stewart’s Lane Nature Reserve and perhaps even a chance to bag Mount Holden. Lunch will be somewhere pleasant.

Afternoon tea at historic Rupertswood gatehouse.

Please, please, please return your correctly completed walks sheets to Ian or Sylvia.

These are somewhat lacking from particular leaders. Legally, they need to be kept for up to seven years for the sake of litigation. So for insurance purposes please return them as proof of whom attended the walk and any incidents that occurred.

If a claim occurred well after the event your memory would not suffice! Insurance certainly would not cover you and you would be on you own as well as putting the club at risk.

If you want to keep your own personal records please photocopy them. Please also remember to hand them in for all events, even if they were cancelled, stating so on the form.

Please also return them for all NQE events, even Social events.

By Nicole Lowe

So you want to travel Victoria, Australia, Asia, Europe? The club has received advertising from:

• Outdoor Travel: Europe, Ireland, NZ and Tasmania. PO Box 286 Bright 3741. www.outdoortravel.com.au
• Paul Weller Adventures: Mt Everest in April, Pack walks around Victoria. www.pwadventures.com
• Mt Aspiring guides: New Zealand., www.MtAspiringGuides.co.nz
• Go Bush Safari‚s: Lord Howe Is., Kimberley, Cairns, Fraser Is. www.gobush.com.au
• Willis Walkabouts: Kakadu, Kimberley, Red centre. www.bushwalkingholidays.com.au
• Om Trek, Nepal, 28 Barclay Ave, Frankston, http:travel.to/kathmandu
• Flinders Ranges to Adelaide trek July, October 2002 www.ecotrek.com.au

The club has also received advertising for the following books:

• Rail Trails of Victoria and South Australia, www.railtrails.org.au
• Day Walk Victoria, John Chapman, GPO Box 598D, Melbourne 3001
• Lonely Planet Publications have new guidebooks for walking in Scotland, trekking in Karakoram and Hindukush, the Karakoram Highway, Trekking in the Indian Himalayas, healthy travel in Asia and India. Contact (09) 8379 8000 or Sarah.Wintle@lonelyplanet.com.au

Secretary Nicole Lowe will have these at club meetings or ring 9354 5045 for any other details.

By Darren McClelland

Club Delegate to Federation Council

Each year or so VicWalk organises a weekend of programmed walks in an area of interest. This year’s VicWalk Weekend will be conducted on 19-20 October in Lorne, with walks planned for as far away as Apollo Bay. If you are interested in going along you should book a bed soon. Email VicWalk at vicwalk@vicnet.net.au to check arrangements with local accommodation.

VicWalk is conducting Level 2 First Aid Courses in May. The course costs $130 and can be undertaken during weeknight dates or over two Saturdays. It will be held in East Melbourne. Contact VicWalk on 9455 1876 for details.

VicWalk is conducting a walking club information stand at the Parks Festival at Albert Park on 5th May. If you can volunteer to help out please contact VicWalk.

Finally, do you have special skills in laying out newsletters? If so you might volunteer to assist with VicWalk's monthly newsletter. Please phone VicWalk if you can help.

For 2002 is:

President: Frank Szentmiklossy

Vice President: Paulene Sunderland

Secretary: Nicole Lowe

Treasurer: Lauren Eagle

Committee: Ron Bell, Inge Lingham, Sylvia McLean, John Atkinson, Neil Campbell

Don’t forget that members can obtain a discount at Bogong Equipment, 374 Little Bourke Street. They offer a 10% discount on all non-sale items.

(Snail) Mail: The Secretary, Essendon Bushwalking Club Inc., P.O. Box 32, Moonee Ponds, 3039

E-mail: Russell Christensen trekker@netspace.net.au

Club Web Page: www.netspace.net.au/~trekker

Are released three times each year, at the April, August and December club meetings.

One copy of the program is included within the club newsletter, Old Man Emu.

Additional copies are available from the Secretary or Treasurer for 20¢ each.

Are held on the second Wednesday of each month, at Hall 3, St. Thomas Church (behind the church), Mt. Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds Junction (corner of Mt. Alexander and Pascoe Vale Roads). Meetings start at 7.30 pm.

The contact for hire of equipment is Nicole Lowe. Contact the club for further details.

Tent $10 $20

Backpack $6 $10

Sleeping Bag $5 $5

Japara $5 $5

Stove $5 $5

Sleeping Mat $1 $2

Maximum hire rate $25 each week. Each additional week a further $25 fee will apply.

Annual Membership $ 25

Visitors Fee (per event) $ 5

Annual Membership fees apply from June 1 to May 31. Membership fees not paid two months after the June AGM render the member unfinancial. There are no pro-rata membership fees as the club is required to pay an annual Federation / Insurance premium

An unfinancial member is required to pay the visitors fee for every event they attend until they have paid their full membership fee. As an unfinancial member, the Club's Personal Accident and Public Liability Insurance on any club activity does not cover you unless a visitor's fee is paid.

Unfinancial members and visitors attending more than three events in a club year are required to pay the full membership fee.

New members must pay the annual membership fee within 28 days of their membership application being approved by the committee.

The club’s insurance does not extend to visitors who have done their qualifying walks and who then participate in additional club events while waiting for their membership application to be processed.

The club’s insurer requires the pending member to sign a waiver for club liability before leaving the departure point on events beyond their qualifying walks.

The club’s insurance only covers current club members and visitors doing their qualifying walks.

By Lucy and Italo Padovani

2nd February 2002: Fifteen happy people met at Tullamarine Airport early in the morning and flew to Launceston where the two buses arrived and off we went shopping and to our first caravan park at Hadspen.

After lunch we visited the Launceston Cataract Gorge and spent the afternoon in beautiful weather, cool and sunny.

3rd February: Drove on to Stanley through Deloraine, Ulverstone, Burnie, at Wynyard we went to Table Cape, saw the lighthouse and went on to lunch at Rocky Cape where we enjoyed lovely views of the coast on both sides. Then on to the charming village of Stanley to climb The Nut from where we had breathtaking views all around.

4th February: On to Cradle Mountain, a lovely drive from Wynyard south through green valleys and lush farmland. Walked around Lake Dove. The weather was still the same, cool and sunny, the nights quite cold.

5th February: Left after breakfast for the climb up cradle mountain, first stop at Marion's Lookout for morning tea, then on to Kitchen Hut for lunch. After lunch we started on to the steeper part, some went further than others, but everybody had a good if tiring day.

6th February: Departed Cradle Mountain for Strahan, stopped in Rosebery and Zeehan on the way, at Strahan some of us went to see the show "the ship that never was" and we explored the town. The next day we went on the cruise to Sarah Island to see the ruins of the convict settlement and up the Gordon River for a walk in the rain forest. That evening we had a brief shower, first for the week.

8th February: Left Strahan to stop at Queenstown to see the railway station, the train, stopped on the way to view a lovely waterfall and on to Lake St.Clair for lunch. Arrived at the Risdon Caravan Park in time to enjoy a good meal at the local hotel.

9th February: Hobart and the Salamanca Place market, the buses were too tall for the car park so we had to park in a restricted area for 3 hours. Just as well because the weather turned cold and rainy so we scurried back to the buses and to the cabins for the first afternoon of rest of the week.

10th February: to Bruny Island, cool and windy, just walked along the beach.

11th February: To Mount Field National Park, walked around the forest to see the Russell and Horseshoe falls then another walk further on, another good day.

12th February: To Richmond and Port Arthur, saw historic sites at Richmond and on the way we stopped to see the tesselated pavements in the rocks near Eaglehawk Neck and The Blowhole. At Port Arthur we learnt a lot about the place as it was in the 1800s and 1900s, the life of the convicts and the people who worked there.

13th February: Near Port Arthur we went to the Bush Mill station and had a ride in the steam train through the forest and over a trestle bridge down to another station and back again. Everybody enjoyed that. Onto Coles Bay.

14th February: Walked over the hill to Wineglass Bay, the view from the lookout was fabulous, a brilliant sunny day with a cool breeze, lunch at w.b. Then walked back through hazard beach around the peninsula, it got warmer on that side in the afternoon.

15th February: A shorter drive today, to St.Helens, spent the afternoon at Binnalong Beach, White Sands and Orange Rocks.

16th February: A beautiful drive through the hills towards Scottsdale. Took the detour to see the St. Columba Falls and Pyengana and bought cheese at the dairy farm. The falls were beautiful. We stopped at Scottsdale for lunch and then on to Launceston to return the buses and catch the flight back to Melbourne. We were all happy and very grateful to Frank for having put together such a good itinerary. In two weeks we saw some of the best sights in Tasmania.

Thank you Frank! And thank you Bill for leading us.

By John McRae

These notes are not meant to be a definitive guide in regards to purchasing a tent, but rather some tips and observations based on my own personal experience which will be of benefit to anyone purchasing a tent for the first time.

First of all, you need to determine which activity you are most likely to use your tent (base camps, overnight walking, or both), and which environment it is most likely to be used (above or below the snow line; coastal, forest, or alpine areas etc). Three season tents are suitable for use in any season, however four season tents are designed to withstand strong to gale force winds in alpine areas, including snow dumps.

Weight: Should you simply want a tent for base camps, the weight of the tent will not be an issue (because you will be transporting it in your car). If you wish to purchase a two- man tent and intend doing some overnight walks, the weight of the tent is not necessarily an issue provided someone shares the tent with you. In this instance you can arrange for your partner to carry some of your possessions, up to one half of the weight of the tent, which reduces the burden for each of you. Most two man tents weigh between 2.7 - 3.3kg.

If you are interested in doing some overnight adventures on your own, or no longer wish to share, then a one man tent may be for you. There are several excellent models on the market, ranging from 1.6kg - 2.3kg in weight, and $300 - $500 in price. Eureka! makes a popular model at the attractive price of $199!

Size: A good size for a two man tent is 220cm in length by 140cm in width. If you are a particularly big person, you may wish to get a bigger tent. The biggest two man tents available from specialist bushwalking shops are 230cm in length by 152 in width. The Sierra Leonne made by Salewa, reputed to be the world's most popular tent, is one such example. If you are a small person, a 220 x 140cm tent will provide ample room, and a slightly smaller tent will not compromise comfort.

Quality: I was somewhat surprised to find that of all of the tents I looked at, each were outstanding in terms of both quality and workmanship. It's a very competitive market, and no doubt this contributes to the high standard.

Price: I'm going to be frank. The most expensive tents are made by Macpac, and the least expensive by Eureka! That said, I would never begrudge paying a premium for a Macpac tent because of the time, money and effort this company expends in producing its very high quality catalogues. Many experienced bushwalkers acquired their initial understanding of gear by studying these catalogues. The best value for money tents are manufactured by Eureka!

When to buy: The best time to buy gear is when SALES are on! These normally occur post Christmas; pre Easter (when retailers want to get rid of summer stock); and possibly September / October, when they want to get rid of winter stock. Glean newspapers for advertisements announcing sales. Remember, your club membership card entitles you to a 10% discount from any specialist bushwalking shop (except Paddy Pallin) except at sales.

• If a tent you wish to see is not on display, ask the salesperson to assemble it for you. They will be happy to do so.
• Due to limited floor space, some stores, in particular Bogong and Mountain Designs, lease a floor above their store where their range of tents are displayed. Simply ask staff for a look at their display.
• Take your shoes off, hop inside the tent, and lay down. Could you imagine getting a comfortable night’s sleep inside this tent? Is there sufficient headroom for your liking? If a two person tent, is there sufficient room to comfortably accommodate another person? Is it easy to get in and out of?

• Request the salesperson to demonstrate the assembly (pitching) and dismantling of the tent. Ask that they observe as you pitch and dismantle the tent. Ask them to demonstrate how the tent is folded up and put in its kit.
• Practice at home the pitching and dismantling of your new tent. This can be done in your back or front garden, or even in your living room. If you intend to pitch your tent for the first time in the outdoors at night, it is best that you are both confident and proficient.
• If necessary, practice tying knots suitable for the suspension of guy ropes. Illustrations of such knots can be found in Paddy Pallin's Bushwalking & Camping and the Bushwalking and Mountaincraft Leadership handbook.

And just in case you were wondering, yes, some enthusiastic bushwalkers do have more than one tent - generally a two man tent plus a lighter, one man tent for when going solo.

Cheers!