Newsletter of the
ESSENDON
BUSHWALKING CLUB INC.
P.O. Box 32, Moonee Ponds, 3039
Ron Bell having a cuppa, Mt Rosea, Grampians - Photo Karen Bennett
From the Editor
Another edition of OME has hit the street, and with it we have a growing list of contributors reporting on what they have done, and what they intend to do. This is, in my opinion, bringing the newsletter to what it should be:
A CLUB NEWSLETTER
prepared by
CLUB MEMEBRS
covering
WHAT THE CLUB DOES
plus snippets of information useful to members and visitors.
Well done all of you.
Read, enjoy, and happy walking!
Chris Jarvis, Editor
Submitting Articles
Articles can be sent to Chris Jarvis via the club Secretary (I'm moving house halfway through the life of this newsletter).
E-mail: cjjarvis@labyrinth.net.au
Short articles (<500 words) can be sent in hard copy form.
Long articles (>500 words) should be on floppy disk, accompanied by a hard copy, or sent by e-mail.
Photographs are most welcome. These should be sent to Stephen Bocquet or Denny vanMaanenberg for scanning to enable easy insertion into the newsletter.
AMBULANCE SUBSCRIPTION
A BUSHWALKING NECESSITY!
While on search and rescue in the snowy mountains in August, I slipped on ice outside the Perisher Ambulance Station (our search base), and was transported by ambulance to the Perisher medical centre with suspected injured elbows. The journey was just 200 metres.
A few weeks later I received a bill from the NSW Ambulance Service for $143!
Fortunately I am an ambulance subscriber, and I returned the bill with the details of my membership. It was a free journey.
This episode reinforces the recommendation that all of us should be insured in some way for ambulance transport, either by direct subscription or through private health insurance.
If I was charged $143 for 200 metres, imagine the cost of a long distance journey in the country or transport by air ambulance! With bushwalkers this is even more pertinent!
Chris Jarvis
LEADERS JARGON!!!!!
Leaders aren't trained to tell lies -
BUT ..........
New members find some sayings can have hidden meanings. For example:
"diddlybop" - bloody great big hill;
"undulations" - anything from humps to great mountains;
"we're nearly there" - 10 more kms;
"you're about half way" - there's still a rough bit to come;
"it's just around the corner" - Which corner?;
"there's no more uphill" - except the very last bit which is straight up!;
Answer to "Can I manage this walk?" You should be able to, then find it's a challenge;
"superb view" - encouragement by Ron Bell so that he can stand out on some rock;
"top day" - it's going to rain;
"a nice walk "- means ******* when Chris Jarvis describes it;
Do other people have similar definitions to share with members?
By Nicole Lowe, Megan Lakeman, Keith Hart, Lauren Eagle and apologies to Ron Bell, Chris Jarvis, Nellie Earnshaw and Denny van Maanenberg!
LERDERDERG TRACK CLOSURE
The following information was extracted from a letter to Neil Campbell by Roy Speechley, Acting Chief Ranger / Basalt Plains, Parks Victoria.
The access track to the Lerderderg Gorge from Mackenzies Flat Picnic Area (Darley Ford) has been closed and will remain closed until alternative access is arranged.
The initial 200 metres of track, including boardwalk, around the base of an unstable cliff, was closed after a risk assessment indicated the potential for loss of life or limb, caused by the unstable escarpment. Works to reduce this risk were estimated to cost up to half a million dollars.
Parks Victoria will continue to investigate alternative access to the gorge from this area.
For further information, contact Charles Dickie, Ranger in Charge, on 5367 2922.
PREVIEWS
EVENING WALKS
By Ian & Sylvia McLean
With the onset of summer and daylight savings we again have the opportunity to have evening walks. This has been a regular for us for the last four years and they always attract good crowds. Unfortunately there are limited walking destinations that walkers can all readily access early after finishing work. Therefore, we have selected the following destinations for this program: the ever popular Williamstown route, surprisingly interesting City Parks and Gardens and a moonlight Woodlands Historic Park/ Gellibrand Hill tour.
WILLIAMSTOWN TWILIGHT WALK
Tuesday January 18
10 Km, Easy
Meeting at 6.30 pm in Greenwich Reserve Carpark (corner of The Strand and North Street, Williamstown). Tea will be either BYO or buy en-route. We will be stopping in Commonwealth Reserve at Gem Pier to eat tea. The walk will encompass the sights and atmosphere of Williamstown at night, capturing the Melbourne skyline and it's lights together with the yachts along the waterfront on Hobsons Bay. Return is via the streets where the shops and cafes are, for which Williamstown is renowned.
CITY PARKS AND GARDENS TWILIGHT WALK
Tuesday February 15
10 Km, Easy
Meeting at 6.30 pm at the front entrance to the Zoo. BYO tea pre walk at 6.30 is suggested so we can be on our way by 7 pm. This walk traverses Royal Park, Melbourne University Grounds, Exhibition Gardens and Spring Street, and onto the Treasury Gardens. Possum and fruit bat sightings are guaranteed. Return will include Lygon Street for supper.
WOODLANDS HISTORIC PARK / GELLIBRAND HILL PARK
Monday March 20
10 Km, Easy
We are hoping to see a full moon for this walk since there are definitely no streetlights here. We plan to commence walking at 7 pm from the Somerton Road entrance. BYO tea prewalk, or if you desire, use electric BBQ facilities. (These BBQ's are not available in the event of a Fire Ban Day.) The walk route entails Woodlands Homestead, through the Wildlife enclosure (maybe seeing an Eastern Barred Bandicoot if we are lucky, kangaroos are a guaranteed sight) then on to Gellibrand Hill with it's spectacular night views of Melbourne and surrounds. The return route will be via the Boundary track. It may be handy to bring a torch.
MEDIUM DAY WALKS
We have noted that our crowd numbers have been diminishing on our day walks and believe that most walkers are wanting something a little more challenging. Therefore Ian has decided to put on a few of his favoured "old walks" : Sassafras Creek / John's Hill (20 Km) and Mt. Everard/Kinglake (20 Km).
SNOWY MOUNTAINS
January 8 - 23
Staying in self contained units in Jindabyne, cost approximately $250 for accommodation and fuel, food is extra.
We will spend a week in Jindabyne and a week camping in the northern area of Kosciusko National Park.
From Jindabyne we will be doing day walks in the spectacular Kosciusko National park, with its brilliant alpine flowers and views.
Highlights in the northern area will include Blue Waterholes, Cooleman Cave and Yarrangobilly Caves with its thermal hot pool.
Walks will vary from Easy to medium to hard. Camping gear can be hired from the club.
Book early, limited to fifteen.
For more information call Ron Bell,
MT. BUFFALO
March 11 - 13
Camping fees around $5 per night and fuel $26
Stay the weekend or longer. Some of us are staying to Thursday.
We will be camping at Lake Catani, a beautiful place set amongst snow gums. Facilities include toilets, hot showers and basic laundry.
There are many spectacular walks with great views, and many wild flowers. The nearby Chalet has drinks and meals.
Camping gear can be hired from the club.
Book early, limited to 20.
For more information call Ron Bell
Essendon Bushwalking Club is a
Federation of Victorian Walking Clubs Inc.
FEDERATION WEEKEND
21-22 OCTOBER 2000
GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK
The Dandenong Valley Bushwalking Club Inc. is hosting the Federation 2000 weekend. This will be a base camp with day and night walking activities. Further details will be forwarded to affiliated bushwalking clubs over the next ten months.
Bookings are now open for cabin accomodation. Please book with the Halls Gap Caravan Park (03) 5356 4251
LEADERS
COLUMN
IF YOU HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY ....... USE IT!
We all know that we should Let someone know before you go. A walk plan typically involves a starting point, route description, number of participants, vehicle registrations, etc. Putting this in writing for your contact is the best way, and transcribing these details over the phone can be tedious.
With more and more people getting home internet connections, why not USE EMAIL? It's almost instantaneous, reasonably reliable, and gives the flexibility of a comprehensive plan which need only be accessed if the leader doesn't call in by the pre-arranged time.
So what do you do? Email your S&R contact a few days ahead with the details, and if you don't call in by whenever, they are to open the email and act accordingly.
Prior to departure, you should confirm the email was received, just in case the technology has failed!
WHAT SHOULD THE S&R CONTACT DO?
A leader has done the right thing and left a message / note / email about their intentions, but have not called in by the agreed time. What should the S&R Contact do?
1. DON'T PANIC!
2. Call the leader at home or work (depending upon the arrangements made) just in case the leader has forgotten to call.
3. DON'T PANIC!
4. Call the police station closest to the walk area. They know the area, local conditions etc, and can check whether the cars are still at the departure point.
Once the police are involved, leave it to them. Do not call other agencies, or the police S&R Squad. If local police need help, it is their responsibilty.
Another responsibilty for S&R Contacts is to alert police if it becomes apparent your group may be threatened by bushfire.
Those of you who read the article by Heather Morrison (Dandenong Valley Bushwalking Club) in the Spring 1999 edition of Wild will be aware of the role played by their S&R Contact. The contact notified police that a group was in the vicinity of a large fire in the Wonnangatta - Moroka unit of the Alpine National Park.
Thanks to a clear walk plan left by the leader, and the leader sticking to that plan, police met and evacuated the group by air.
This principle could also apply to major floods etc.
Contacts, if you feel your group may be threatened by a natural disaster, notify the police. The police can then act appropriately if required.
Chris Jarvis
WALK REPORTS
GEORGE BASS COASTAL WALK
By Cathy Zocco
On Sunday, 29th August, 13 of us set out from Melbourne for the George Bass Coastal Walk – a 14km. return walk from near San Remo to Kilkunda. This is a new walk on the Club calendar, introduced by Andrew and Jutta Hill. Congratulations to them both for finding this wonderful trail.
We set off from the Moonee Ponds car park at the usual 8am and after a good run down the Eastern Freeway and a short stop at Tooradin, we took the Phillip Island turnoff and arrived at the starting point. The day was cool, damp and overcast.
The walk began at a quite un-interesting cul de sac, but … step through the trees and…. Oh boy! What a change. Beautiful rolling green hills and paddocks on one side and the magnificent ocean on the other. We made our way down to the lookout at the start of the walk and this gave us an opportunity to see just where we would be walking. The lookout afforded us a view right around the coast to Wonthaggi.
After about an hour's walking, we stopped at Half Moon Bay (how many of these are there in Victoria??) for morning tea. By this time the sun was out and we were all starting to warm up. The coast is quite rugged here and the waves were like canon fire pounding against the rocks, with the occasional shooting spout of foam.
We set off again and after climbing a number of styles and making our way round some spectacular beaches, we approached Kilkunda via some beautiful beach houses and a couple of watching llama. We sat on the beach and ate our lunches, whilst some brave (or foolhardy) fisherman balanced on the nearby rocks hoping for a catch. As the tide was coming in, they soon moved on to safer ground. The Kilkunda Pub was a popular choice for something to finish off lunch.
Our walk back followed the same track we had used in the morning, but it was by now early afternoon and very warm and we were walking into the sun. It was a beautiful afternoon and the blue of the sea was offset by the rolling green hills dotted with cattle and sheep which supplied their own unique aroma. About halfway back, Eithne narrowly avoided a snake which decided to make its crossing midway through the group (fortunately there was a bit of a gap there!). Jutta had some interesting tips for skin care, which entertained us whilst we were admiring the stunning view and taking a short break! We made it back to the cars around 4pm. and set off for Melbourne. Once again, a good trip, in spite of footy at Waverley.
The fact that it is necessary to re-trace one's steps practically all the way does not lessen the enjoyment of this walk, because being a day walk, the tide either comes in or goes out and the perspective changes dramatically, along with any changes in the weather. An absolutely super day!! I'll definitely be doing this one again.
WILSONS PROM LIGHTHOUSE
OCT 30 - 31
By Darren McClelland
Twenty members and guests waited patiently for the car park shuffle (a courtesy bus from Tidal River to Mt Oberon carpark) on the morning of the Melbourne Cup weekend. Many members packed as if they were carrying a week's supplies - I guess they must have been in training for the Tassie walk. On the Saturday we enjoyed mild, overcast conditions for the mostly downhill 19km to the lighthouse. The sting was in late in the day when we had a few steep inclines to overcome.
Photo by Frank Szentmiklossy
We all enjoyed reaching the lighthouse and the short tour conducted by the caretaker, who said that the visibility was the best he'd seen during his time there (that's what he says to everyone I bet). We could even see Tasmania - well, at least its islands. The highlight of the evening was watching Bernadette enjoy her token can of VB. Warm beer never looked so good. Meanwhile, there was enough alcohol to allow us to see a regular flock of white birds fly in to the base of the lighthouse peninsula. The birds were in fact, the lighthouse beam! Frank and Lena put on a wonderful spread for supper. The accommodation in the two houses next to the lighthouse was very comfy.
After group photos in the morning, we farewelled the lighthouse and took off on the new path to Waterloo Bay, which offered some wonderful vistas back to the lighthouse and Bass Strait. After lunch and a skinny dip by one brave soul, we headed inland to the junction. Most decided to take the long option home via Oberon and Little Oberon Bays to Tidal River. Those with tired legs headed back to the Oberon carpark for the shuttle bus. After a long 24km day, we headed home. Some stopped in Korumburra for a counter meal. Apparently their bowleggedness(?) struck fear into the hearts of some who were heading to the Prom. All up, a wonderful and memorable weekend was the outcome. A big thanks to Frank and Lena for their organisation and leadership.
POWELLTOWN TIMBER TRAMWAYS
Sunday 8th August 1999
By Enid Widmer
This walk commenced in heavy rain, the first day walk for the year to have rain I was told by my 9 hardy daywalkers!
With one car left at The Bump, our eventual destination, we drove on to Starlings Gap, at 740 metres above sea level, the highest point of the old tramway. After climbing the huge pile of still undecomposed sawdust just to appreciate its size, we took the walking track that was originally a timber tramway to the Ada No. 2 sawmill. Rain persisted, and the tall mountain ash forest dripped on us constantly. At the junction of the track to the New Ada Mill, most of the party took the 2.8 km side trip, returning for a brief lunch at Ada No. 2.
From here the old tramway crosses the Ada River via a long trestle bridge, then climbs steadily up Dowey's Spur, to reach the top of the High Lead, so called because from here it drops 415 meters over 1600 metres. Too steep for any tramway, the timber was winched down the slope to the river valley below. Needless to say we slid down, all agreeing it would have made a difficult climb on such a wet day. Rationalizing again!
The rest of the walk was back on the old tramways, undulating and following the Latrobe River valley. We didn't find the sawdust heap that is supposed to mark the town of Nayook West, but we saw evidence of the tunnel that was blasted through The Bump in 1925.
The walk took 7 hours, and we covered 18 km. It was interesting to experience the bush in such wet conditions, and to notice the regrowth after the area was devastated by the 1983 fires. Oh, and the leeches weren't too bad!
PS: Photos from this walk (and others) can be viewed on the web at http://mag-ic.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/outdoored/
Your Committee
for 1999/00 is:
President Stephen Bocquet
Vice President Frank Szentmiklossy
Secretary Denny van Maanenberg
Treasurer Nicole Lowe
Committee: Sylvia McLean, Neil Campbell, Ian McLean, Ron Bell, Megan Lakeman
Members Discount
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.
CONTACTING THE CLUB
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
(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
WALKS PROGRAMS
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.
CLUB MEETINGS
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.
Hire Equipment
The contact for hire of equipment is Janet Doyle
| Hire Rates |
W/End |
Week |
| 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.
Club Fees
Annual Membership $ 30
Visitors Fee (per event) $ 5
Annual Membership fees apply from June 1 to May 31. Membership fees not paid two months after June 1 renders the member un-financial.
An un-financial member is required to pay the visitors fee for every event they attend until they have paid their full membership fee.
Un-financial 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.
GRADE DEFINITIONS
The following definitions are a guide only, and are referenced against the abilities of fit experienced walkers. A grade can be a combination of any of the individual factors listed. Weather conditions on the day can also affect the grading of a walk.
EASY: Suitable for beginners. Mostly on formed tracks. Gently undulating terrain. Up to 20 km per day.
MEDIUM: Suitable for fit and more experienced walkers. Some sustained climbs. Some scrub bashing. Some rock scrambling. Up to 30 km per day.
HARD: For fit, experienced walkers. Long steep climbs. Heavy scrub bashing. Hard rock scrambling. Long distances.
SNOWY MTNS
AUGUST 13 - 16
BS&R had it's first interstate deployment in its fifty year history when the NSW Police invited BS&R to assist with the search for four missing snow boarders near Mt.Kosciusko.
On the evening of Friday August 13 a call-out was conducted, and sixteen members from various clubs responded, including one from Essendon. Angela McGregor conducted the call-out of EBC members.
The deployment was for three days in the field. During this operation BS&R ski-searched the Spencers Creek area west of Mt.Perisher, the tree line south and south west of Mt.Kosciusko, and the headwaters of the Snowy River. They were the largest group of skiers involved in the search.
Transport from and to Melbourne was by chartered bus.
Chris Jarvis
BUSHWALKING IN CLINTON COUNTRY
By Rob Hughes
On being re-located to the United States for 12 months, and with a recently developed love of pack-walking that had been nurtured under the skilled leadership of Steve Bocquet, Ian Tovey and Chris Jarvis, it was only natural to continue the passion while over here.
Lets get a few things straight from the start. In the USA its not bushwalking, its hiking. If the distances you plan to hike seem shorter, its because they're in miles, not kilometers. And there can be no doubt, Americans really are crazy.
The first step was to find a local hiking club with a wide program of activities. Here the internet proved a real asset. Several clubs had web-sites to promote themselves in the general area of Washington DC. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, with (gulp) 6400 members, appeared to be an interesting prospect. On surveying their program, however, very few pack walks were listed. It seems that their main reason for existence is not to hike, but to maintain the local section of the Appalachian Trail. This is an almost legendary hiking track that extends 2160 miles from Georgia to Maine. Bill Bryson wrote an entertaining book, "A Walk in the Woods", about the Trail and the hardy breed of the thru-walker that attempts to get all the way from one end to the other. Nevertheless, the club did have a promising pack hike listed for the coming weekend.
To quote from their program:
"Take Friday off and find a cool stream to hike along for this weekend. Bob Pickett leads this relatively easy three day backpacking trip along the Laurel Fork in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. We'll hike four miles on Friday, nine on Saturday and four more on Sunday before returning to the hot city. The total 17.2 miles will be along the cool stream (except for entrance and exit), making for easy hiking without much elevation change. At an elevation of over 3,000 feet, this trip is the ultimate summer hike through hemlocks, yellow birch, cherry and maple. INFO: Bob Pickett 301/681-1511".
Could you resist such a description? Naturally I was on the phone to Bob immediately but unfortunately, with twelve hikers already committed, I'd missed the cut.
Thursday evening the phone rang and Bob was on the line telling me there had been a couple of cancellations and I would be most welcome. Great, I had all my gear ready to go. I just had to organise some food and fuel for the stove. Now, there is a perception that America is a consumers paradise and you can purchase whatever you desire. Well, this doesn't extend to methylated spirits to run your Trangia stove. I rushed all over the place without success, eventually making it to a specialist outdoors shop where the dude had actually once seen a Trangia, but had absolutely no idea where to buy suitable fuel. (He further insulted me by asking if I was from England.) The solution was to purchase "Sterno", a sort of slow burning gelatinous fuel mixture. Replacing the Trangia burner with a Sterno tin proved to be surprisingly effective way to cook.
The Laurel Fork Wilderness area lies about 200 miles south-west from Washington DC. West Virginia is unfairly regarded by some as a sort of a hill-billy back water inhabited by banjo players. What is true is that the state has largely escaped the rampant development that has spoiled so much of this side of the country. But that doesnt mean you can drink the water. Giardia bacteria is prevalent and everyone in the party relied on filters, tablets or boiling to treat water we drew from the Laurel Fork River.
Coming from Australia, a novelty was the need to take precautions against bears when setting up camp. (For some reason my stories about the vicious Koala were not completely believed.) No grizzlies are found this far east, but the black bear exists in healthy numbers. The basic rule is you never sleep with food in your tent. Bears are relatively timid and would prefer to leave you alone, but they won't hesitate to tear open a tent if their finely developed sense of smell leads them to believe that its really a food hamper. The solution is to place your food in a bag and hang it from a suitable tree branch. The emphasis here is on the word suitable. It must be high enough to prevent the bear from reaching up and grabbing the bag. The tree has to be big enough to stop the bear from pushing it over, but it can't be too big. One member of our party previously had the unpleasant experience of watching helplessly as a bear climbed up and shimmied out on the branch to reach his food bag. The mistake he had made was to choose a branch that was too solid and therefore could support the weight of a determined bear.
Kevin
Our leader, Bob Pickett, had a phenomenal knowledge of the local botany, geology and zoology. This was shared with us and turned the hike into a really quite fascinating natural history lesson. On the rare occassions when Bob was in any doubt, he would immediately refer to a set of well-thumbed guide books carried in his pack. He was also keen to probe my knowledge of Australia. I managed to bluff my way somehow until he asked: "apart from marsupials, are there any mammals native to Australia?" "Ahhh the dingo!" I triumphantly answered. But, Bob countered, "didn't the dingo migrate with the aborigines and therefore its not truly native?" It was time to change the subject and ask these pesky Americans about gun control.
One member of our group, Kevin, provided some degree of entertainment through his efforts to practice "primitive skills". As much as possible, Kevin only carried hiking gear that he had made himself. No aluminium, gortex, or other modern wonder materials. His pack comprised a triangular wooden frame with all the gear wrapped in a blanket to form a bundle which was lashed to the frame with a length of rope. The pack harness was also fashioned from rope. Needless to say, Kevin traveled light, with no tent, only a hammock, no stove, only the primitive implements to light a fire, and no sleeping bag, only the blanket that made up the pack. I didnt ask about toilet paper. Among the contents of his pack were a collection of wooden containers, a badger pelt bag and, to carry his tea leaves, a small pouch which had been made from (this really is true) an animal bladder. While this approach may sound eccentric, there are specialist clubs devoted to preserving and practicing such primitive skills.
While the rest of the group was more conventional in their approach to hiking, it came as a surprise when a couple of people lit cigars after diner. Why, when escaping from the city to enjoy a special place like the Laurel Fork Wilderness, smother the air with cigar smoke? Maybe it kept the bears away. In the end we saw none. Deer could be heard at night but they too were elusive to sight. It is perhaps ironic that when I did get to see a deer it was on Sunday evening while driving back into Washington DC on Macarthur Boulevard. I almost branded it with a Honda badge. This would be equivalent to spending three days in the Australian bush without seeing a Kangaroo, only to then see one crossing Keilor Road as you made your way home.
Please, could information on native Australian mammals be e-mailed to me at: lehughes@erols.com