200604 Newsletter

QUEENSLAND BUSHWALKERS CLUB Inc. Newsletter

74 Kallista Rd. Rochedale South QLD 4123 Email [email protected] Phone No (07) 3341 7509 www.geocities.com/qldbwc

April 2006

Baroon to Kondalilla Walk

Club News Abseiling Subcommittee

Qld Federation of Bushwalking Clubs

The Abseiling Subcommittee has presented a draft Information for Club Abseiling Activities to the Club committee. The purpose of the information is to be informative but simple and easy to read. It is being reviewed by a couple of independent bodies before approval by committee.

On 28 July 2005 the QFBWC Incorporation Working Group was established to prepare for the incorporation of QFBWC. Part of that process involved drafting rules for an incorporated association. The working group has presented a final draft of the incorporated QFBWC rules to the QFBWC committee at the February meeting. This draft has now been sent to all Queensland bushwalking clubs for their perusal and comment. These comments will then be forwarded to the convenor of the Incorporation Working Group for the working group to consider at a time when all members of the working group can meet face to face or by teleconference.

Abseiling Equipment Abseiling equipment up to the value of $1,000.00 has now been purchased. The Club was able to get a good discount from K2 in the Valley. Many thanks to the committee members who negotiated the purchases. Any Club member may be able to get a discount on equipment purchased through K2. For use of any Club abseiling gear please contact Trevor Davern on 0411 512 202. Please note that there is a charge of $5.00 for the use of the Club harness and assorted equipment such as carabiners, figure 8, prussic ropes and helmets. There is also an additional $5.00 charge for the use of a Club rope.

Change of Equipment Officer Trevor Davern is now the new Equipment Officer. Many thanks to Steve Moyle who has served as Equipment Officer for many years.

Comings and Goings Margaret S has just returned from Sydney visiting family and friends. She caught up with her mates at her old bushwalking club and did some walking with them. June G has returned from Melbourne after visiting family and attending the Commonwealth Games. Fran M was in Melbourne for the Games too. She visited family in Adelaide and did a tour of the wineries. John M is soon to be back from his trip to Canada and Alaska.

Best Wishes to Wayne

Helen M has returned from a sojourn in the Blue Mountains.

Wayne is now back home after an accident at work a few weeks ago. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Richard and Patricia K have returned from NZ where they did a three day walk on Stewart Island and then the Heaphy Track over 5 days. Page 1 of 6

General Information

The Management Committee

Meeting Place

President

Trevor Davern

0411 512 202

Club Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at the East Brisbane State School, corner of Stanley Street and Wellington Road, starting at 7:30pm. No meetings in January. There is parking within the school grounds off Wellington Road. Consult a street directory, as there are a number of one-way streets in the area. There is also parking in Wellington Road.

Vice President

Helen McAllister

3844 8464

Tea/Coffee and cake/biscuits are provided after the meeting. A coin donation would be appreciated.

Editor

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509 (H)

Social Secretary

Barbara Makepeace

3245 2186 (H)

Training Officer

Frank Garland

3341 5207 (H)

Membership Before a visitor can go on a walk, he/she must be a Member (Probationary or Ordinary) or be a member of an affiliated club. Membership of QBW is only $20 and lasts till the end of the Club’s financial year which is on the 30th of June each year.

Probationary Membership A non-member automatically becomes a Probationary Member on his/her first walk after signing the waiver form. There is no fee payable to become a Probationary Member. However a Probationary Member must become an Ordinary Member on his/her 2nd walk by filling out a membership form and paying the membership fee.

Secretary

Lynn Nicol

3219 6228 (H)

Treasurer

Gary Woodward

3245 2695 (H)

Outings Secretary

David Haliczer

0419 676 893

Membership Officer

Lynne Cavanagh

3376 5053 (H)

Other Voluntary Positions Equipment Officer

Trevor Davern

0411 512 202

Supper Convenor

Patricia Kolarski

3341 7509 (H)

Federation Rep

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509 (H)

Federation Rep

Trevor Cox

3273 3484 (H)

FMR Rep

Frank Bowling

0419 715 719

FMR Rep

Position Available

Campsite Monitors

Ordinary Membership A person may become an Ordinary Member by filling out a membership form and handing the form to a committee member or walk leader and paying the $20.00 membership fee. An Ordinary Member has the right to vote at an AGM or be elected to a committee position. A Probationary Member has neither of these rights.

Members of Another Bushwalking Club

Ratatat Hut

Barbara Makepeace

Running Creek Falls

Richard Kolarski

Throakban

Kerry de Clauzel

Mt Superbus

Christine & Cliff Harrison

Spicers Peak

Ann Kemp

Mt May

John Brunott

Members of another bushwalking club affiliated with the Queensland Federation of Bushwalking Clubs or another State Federation are covered by the same Insurance as QBW. It is not necessary for them to become a member of our Club to go on our walks.

Editors Pic

Equipment for Use by Members ITEM

No

Contact

Ph No

Compasses

29

Dave Kenrick

3349 8238

EPIRBs

5

Frank Garland

3341 5207

GPS

4

Trevor Davern

0411 512 202

UHF Radios

12

Trevor Davern

0411 512 202

Emergency Lights

6

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509

First Aid Kits

3

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509

Topo Maps

34

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509

Sunmap CD’s

1

Abseil Gear Back Pack

1

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509

Trevor Davern

0411 512 202

Trevor Davern

0411 512 202

A Yak called Yakkity?

Equipment for Sale

New Members

Bivy Bags $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00 These bivy bags are 2 metres by 0.9 metres and are bright orange in colour. They can be used as a pack liner and can double as an emergency bivy bag. Club Polo Shirts $20.00 each L, M and S size left only Space Blankets $2.50 each. Light weight and take up no room at all. A must for all walkers! Ring Patricia Kolarski on 3341 7509 to purchase any of the above. Page 2 of 6

Delma Brunello

Demetrio Brunello

Fiona Clarke

Patricia Lewis

Margarite Stratford

Peter Webster

Miro Zirdum No of financial Ordinary Members

129

Special Coming Events New England National Park B/C

Training Quiz

14-17 April 2006

I will be leading an Easter Base Camp at Easter from 14th to 17th April 2006 in New England National Park. Access to the park is via Armidale or Guyra on the New England Highway then 85km east along the Waterfall Way towards Grafton or via Grafton on the Pacific Highway then west passing through Dorrigo. It takes approximately 6-7 hours to drive to New England National Park from Brisbane. There are 2 camp grounds close to each other – Thungutti campground is in the National Park at Point Lookout, cost $3/night/adult and has cold showers, pit toilets, a shelter shed, BBQ’s and tables. It is a small campground on a first in basis, no bookings taken. Just at the entrance to the park at the Styx River is another campground that is free but it only has pit toilets, no bookings taken. It is suitable for campervans and camper trailers. I have booked a National Park cabin (Tom’s Cabin), which sleeps 8 in bunk beds in 2 rooms, with hot gas showers, solar lighting, gas cooker and pit toilet for the 3 nights of Easter weekend. The cabin does not have refrigeration and all linen, cooking gear and food must be taken. It costs $40/night ($5/person/night if 8 people). It may be possible to extend this to extra nights if anyone is interested in going down early or staying on after Easter. The cabin and both campgrounds are very close. Cathedral Rock, Guy Fawkes River, Oxley Wild Rivers and Dorrigo National Parks are all a short drive from New England National Park. There are opportunities for both track and off track walking in these parks with spectacular views over the escarpment and into the gorges and plenty of rock hopping and abseiling in the creeks and rivers with many waterfalls and cascades. The walks to be done will be dependant on the weather. Expect the weather to be cold in April and there is always the possibility of rain. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Barb Makepeace ph: 32452186.

Winter Wonderland Walk

June/July 2006

For all those walkers who need to cool down after the long hot humid summer we have had in Queensland, there will be a winter walk along Tasmania's Overland Track in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in June/July 2006. This is a great opportunity to see one of the most popular wilderness walks in the world without the crowds. In winter buses service the start and end of the walk 3 times a week. There is coal available for the stoves in each hut and some huts have gas available.

Starting from this edition, there will be a Training Quiz in the Newsletter. Each month there will be a number of questions about information on the Club website and from other sources. This will cover information that most bushwalkers should know. The answers will appear in next month’s Newsletter. This will give members enough time to find the answers and may provoke discussion amongst members. If you would like to submit a question (accompanied by the answer), it would be most appreciated. The question and answer can be sent to the Club email address or given to any committee member. Questions for the QBW Training Quiz for April are: 1. What are the QBW Principles of Minimum Impact Bushwalking? 2.

When reading a Grid Map, what do you call the vertical grid lines which run from the bottom to the top of the map and what do they do?

Useful Web Sites Track Closures http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park/news.cgi It may be a good procedure for leaders to check this page out before they go on their walk, camp, etc. and avoid disappointment. This page is updated regularly. Due to Cyclone Larry a large number of National Parks are closed in Northern Queensland, hopefully for just a short time. One of the Parks involved is Hinchinbrook Island. Camping Bookings www.qld.gov.au/camping Here you can book and pay online for camping and vehicle service permits in Queensland national parks and state forests. You can also book for one of the Great Walks of Queensland or modify your booking. Weather forecast http://www.bom.gov.au/ Here you can check: Any weather warnings for Queensland including flood warnings Weather forecasts for all Queensland or the Brisbane Metropolitan area. Weather observations for various parts of Queensland plus radar images which show rainfall location and intensity in the Brisbane area. You can see the current rainfall within 128 or 256 klms of Brisbane. Tidal Predictions

Snow Shoes are not necessary but warm waterproof gear is.

http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/tides/

If interested contact David Rae 33951838

Good for trips to Fraser, Hinchinbrook island etc. Website For Park/Forest Information

FMR News

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/

Incorporation was one of the issues discussed at the February meeting of FMR. FMR is planning on changing its objects so that the objects better capture what FMR actually does at present. FMR will also try to attract experienced bushwalkers into its ranks by expanding its exploratory and high-end bushwalking activities. FMR meetings are usually held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at Little Kings Movement, 33 O'Keefe St, Buranda. Meetings begin at 7.30PM.

This site lets you search for National Parks in Queensland and gives you information about each park. You can search by name, activity or area, compare facilities by region and check campsite availability. Lamington National Park http://lamington.nrsm.uq.edu.au/mainmenu.html A great web site with photos of mammals, birds, frogs, fungi, and flora found in Lamington National Park.

FMR’s web address is http://www.geocities.com/fmrqld/

Interstate Clubs http://www.bushwalking.org.au/index.html

At present QBW has only one representative. Each club is allowed 2 representatives. If you would like to represent QBW at the meetings please see one of the committee members.

This is the home page for The Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW Incorporated. It has articles on health and safety for bushwalkers, bushwalking food, equipment and books.

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Past Walks Albert River Circuit

15 January 2006

Anxious to escape the Brisbane heat, five of us headed off up the mountain looking for cool rainforest. John had a bruising encounter with the bitumen car park but was able to continue with the walk, albeit very cautiously. It was certainly more pleasant but we still worked up a slight sweat walking up to the turnoff from the Border Track. The humidity was high even there.

David continued on his ride to Sandgate and we turned around and headed back to the cars with a detour to the lookout. We ended the walk hot and sticky so we decided not to stay around for lunch. Thanks to Mary, Lillian, Stella and June for a pleasant morning. Patricia

Daisy Hill

29 January 2006

Six people met up for this walk with a difference. We began from John's place in Shailer Park and after walking along some roads began an exploration of the bush surrounding Brisbane. First was a steep walk down into a unique shady gully with a small running creek. The walk out brought us to a walking track shared by some cyclists and we entered Daisy Hill Forest Reserve.

Albert River

Morning tea at the old track junction then down the zigzag to Albert River. Several tree falls along the way. They had been there for a while as there were well-worn tracks around them. I guess the storm season keeps the Rangers hopping with all the trees coming down. The Lamington Blue Crays were out; we saw several large ones. As expected, the scenery was magnificent; plenty of water over the many falls along the way, everything green and lush. Lunch at Echo Point before a warm trudge back up to meet the Border Track and then a pleasant stroll downhill back to the cars. Afternoon tea at the alpaca coffee shop finished off a lovely day. Thanks to Gail, Lyla, James and John for joining me on this walk. Patricia

Boondall Wetlands

26 January 2006

Even with an 8am start the heat was oppressive as we set out on the small circuit to visit the bird hide. No birds in sight but a bit of boat traffic as people enjoyed the Australia Day holiday.

Boondall Wetlands

From the Information Centre we then headed along the track towards Nudgee Beach and some hopefully cooling sea breezes. There were bicycles aplenty on this part of our walk. Nearing the boat ramp, a familiar voice called out: David had cycled from Ferny Grove and joined us for morning tea. Of course he had his bird books with him so he kindly identified a noisy wading bird we had seen: a black winged stilt.

Daisy Hill Quarry

We walked along a series of walking tracks and roads in the reserve and after about an hour we came onto a disused quarry which has filled with water. There were a few young people enjoying a swim on this hot day and we had a short rest there. We continued walking along some more dirt roads and though we looked eagerly not one koala could be seen. John assured us they were there but it was not the right time of day. Along one track that was not obviously used often there were many yellow webs of the Golden Orb spider. Finally we did a circuit and managed to finish at lunchtime just as John said we would. Though it was only a short walk there was much to see and explore at Brisbane's doorstep. Many thanks to John and the great company. Richard

Gheerulla Falls

2 February 2006

The first Thursday walk for the Club and 4 bushwalkers set off for Mapleton early in the morning. After a short hiccup of going to Mapleton Falls rather than the Delicia Road start, we were faced with another problem. June had forgotten the inners for her boots! Fortunately Ken was able to give her a spare pair he had and we were finally on our way. The first section followed a forestry road and we made good progress. Soon we were at the Ubajee Walkers Camp where we met a couple of rangers and members of Conservation Volunteers Australia. We had an informative chat and learnt that CVA had projects overseas and also people from overseas came to Australia to work in various parks. Here the volunteers were involved in some pick and shovel work widening the present campsites. The forestry road finished at the campsite and continued as a walking track which zigzagged down to Gheerulla Creek. At the creek we walked a hundred metres upstream to the base of the falls, found a shady spot and had lunch. Some of the more adventurous found a way to the top of the falls and the area looked ready for an exploratory walk in the future.

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Larapinta Falls

9 February 2006

Though this walk has been done several times over the last year, Steve M had never managed to go on it. Finally he gave me his work roster and I found a time suitable to do the walk so that he could come. There was even another member, Gail, who had never done this walk. The five of us met at Beaudesert and made our way to Christmas Creek. The creek was flowing well after some recent rains and at least one of us started the walk with wet boots. The track was a bit sodden and the creek crossings had to be taken with care as they were slippery. We had morning tea at Westray's Grave after pointing out all the stinging tree shoots to Gail before she sat down. Gheerulla Falls Track

Now the height that we had lost had to be regained and we walked slowly up a Forestry road to the main road. Here there was more walking uphill along the road to get to where we had left the car. A very welcome afternoon tea at the Mapleton pub finished a great day. Thanks to Gail, June and Ken for this inaugural walk. Richard

Search for Big Rock

4 February 2006

This walk was based on a survey walk David Haliczer and I did about 3 or more years ago and which we had completed (without looking for Big Rock) and were back at the car at Best of all Lookout before lunch. Although I knew a large group would not do it that quickly I thought we would be at Kennedy Lookout for lunch. This walk had no serious climbing, was mostly in rainforest so a good walk for this time of year. The only drawback being a 2.5 km scrub bash from the falls below Best of all Lookout to Kennedy Lookout so I thought the timetable was quite achievable. Boy was I wrong. I had twelve or so people on the walk about half of which had little or no off track rainforest walking experience. We started on a fine but hot and very humid day and soon picked up the taped track behind the repeater station near Best of All Lookout that leads down a ridge to the top of the falls. Slow going was the order of the day with such a large group on a track that had seen little use for quite a while. Near the creek just above the top of the falls we found one of the largest blue lamington lobsters I have ever seen so a short stop was made for photos. I thought we would have morning tea at the base of the falls but by 10.45 am and not being within hearing distance of the falls I decided to stop for morning tea, turn around and climb back up and continue on our traverse towards big rock. Just over one hour later we had traversed a bit over half a kilometre through some thick jungle and wait-a-while thickets to our first major creek crossing and still about 400m from big rock. By this time I was losing interest in Big Rock as I knew we were falling so far behind planned schedule I was tossing up whether we should push on to Kennedy Lookout or return to the cars via a close by ridge. After a short and half hearted look for big rock a quick conference with a couple of the experienced walkers in the group convinced me that we should return to the cars via the ridge. We climbed to the top of a knoll with some rocky outcrops before stopping for lunch and then continued up the ridge. On the ridge just below Best of All Lookout we came up onto a private residence so we scouted around and exited via the long driveway to the road. All in all the walk was a bit of a disaster (how embarrassing) with none of my objectives reached but it did give some of our less experienced members a taste of rough off track rainforest walking dealing with wait-a-while etc. I don’t know if they all enjoyed it. By the way I really don’t think Big Rock exists (it is not marked on more recent maps) but I will go back to prove it one way or another. I’d also like to thank Ken and Steve for their assistance in keeping the group together in some thick rainforest. David Kenrick

Grave Humour

The rest of the walk up to Larapinta Falls was taken slowly but the end was worth it. The falls were spectacular and we spent some time there. However as it was still too early for lunch we headed back a bit and had lunch on some rocks beside a small cascade. Continuing on we had another stop at a large waterhole where two of us went for a dip. It was too cold for the others. Back at the cars we changed into clean clothes and headed for MacDonalds where we enjoyed afternoon tea. Many thanks to Steve, Ken, Dave and Gail for their company. Richard

Paddy’s Peak

11 February 2006

After a couple of exploratory walks in the Paddy’s Peak area, I put my name down to actually lead a walk going to the top of Paddy’s Peak. So six trusty souls met at Beaudesert for this walk that none of us had been to and drove towards Mt Barney. There we drove to Drynan's Hut and began our walk along a forestry road. After about an hour the road stopped and a track led steeply up a hill. We followed this and were rewarded with a view from the top of a waterfall there. Not much water was flowing and we continued on to Paddy’s Plains were we explored the campsite and had morning tea at a creek junction. John was keen to try his navigation skill so after looking at the map and working out a bearing, we headed off towards a saddle near Paddy’s Peak. We scrambled slowly in the heat and finally found the saddle. We then contoured round to the top of another waterfall where we rested and took some photos of the vista before us. From here it should have been easy to get to the top of Paddy’s peak by following a creek but not so. On checking the compass the creek was heading south, not west, so we changed direction and followed a tributary which seemed to be going in the right direction. The going got steeper and steeper and the creek eventually disappeared. We continued upwards through some scunge and on top of the ridge we found a fairly well worn track. A minute later we were on the summit confirmed by a GPS reading.

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Overseas Trips Tibet

Paddy’s Peak Walk

Lunch was taken and we had a small recce from the summit. Other walks to explore this area looked promising. The way back was much easier as there were several faint tracks we could follow and in no time we were back at the waterfall. From here we contoured around again and went on to a ridge that had magnificent views of Mt Maroon to the left and Mt Barney to the right. Following this ridge we finally joined onto the walking track and forestry road leading back to the cars. Afternoon tea at Beaudesert was very welcome. Many thanks to Col, Patricia, Helen, John and Martin for their company. Richard

Baroon to Kondalilla

16 February 2006

Nine of us met at Baroon Pocket Dam on the outskirts of Montville. Here we needed to do a short car shuttle, leaving a car at Kondalilla Falls where the walk would end. This walk is the first section of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk. There are three sections that this Great Walk covers, the Baroon section, the Mapleton Falls section and the Delicia section Today there were two people doing their first ever walk with the Club and we had a general introduction and a look at the map so that all would know what to expect. After only a few hundred metres, we turned off the main track and headed down a side track to Obi Obi Creek. Here we could see the dam wall upstream and the rugged gorge downstream. Joining the main track we turned off on a side track again to see the Narrows, a section of Obi Obi Creek which passes between two near vertical walls. The walk goes through rainforest, open sclerophyll forest and some areas that had been overgrown with lantana. The lantana however had been poisoned and cleared along the main track but not completely eradicated further away from the track. Our lunch spot was to have been at the junction of Obi Obi and Skene Creek but unfortunately it is now fenced off. So we continued on for about 20 minutes more up Skene Creek and had lunch on some rocks in the middle of the creek amid beautiful rainforest. Here some of us took time to have a swim in a small rock pool and have a back massage by sitting under a small water cascade. The water was not cold and Skene Creek with its rock pool looked more inviting than Obi Obi which was slower flowing and had water weeds growing in it. After lunch the track went uphill to Kondalilla Falls. Here parts of the track were closed for repairs. There was another rock pool here but no one seemed inclined to go in for another swim. Finally back at the car, the drivers left to pick up the other two cars at Baroon Pocket Dam. The car shuttle took only a few minutes We had an enjoyable afternoon tea at one of Montville's bakeries. Many thanks to all that came along.

In early October I arrived in Lhasa with World Expeditions. When we had our temperatures automatically recorded on arrival without our knowledge (hangover from SARS) I knew it was going to be a different sort of trip. We thought we were walking through a security scan. I had never previously been in an occupied country with very real evidence of what is still occurring. However, we knew what not to talk about, and our trip was structured so that we obtained maximum authentic Tibetan exposure at wonderful monasteries, Tashi restaurants and in small towns. As we drove from Lhasa through Shigatse, Gyantse and down to Kathmandu, the scenery was just spectacular - 5,300metres passes amid soaring peaks, the north face of Everest, local farming villages, and the bluest of blue skies and turquoise lakes. We met a German party cycling our whole route!! The road was non-existent in some valleys, just rocks and stones. The highlights were going through the 13-storey Potala Palace and riding a yak safely, and the downside was 2 visits inside the portable altitude chamber which prevented my going to the 1922 Everest Base Camp of Irving and Mallory. Gail

Sikkim Trek In Mid-October Judy organised a private camping trek in Sikkim for four of us with a superlative guide she knew from the Annapurna circuit. We met at Delhi airport for the flight to Bagdogara, and drove to Darjeeling, the old English summer hill retreat with the Toy Train. At the zoo, it was special to see snow leopard and a Himalaya bear. We drove to Yaksom in Sikkim (1780m) to commence the 12-day trek to a 4,900 metre pass below Katchenjunga.

In the Himalayas

The weather gradually cleared as we ascended, but the wind turned icy and one night with the wind chill factor it was -10degrees, with ice inside the tent. Luckily we had a fantastic, uneventful trek owing to sound acclimatization. Trekking in Sikkim is still very different to Nepal with lodges the entire route, and no villages or medical centres. Ponies and zopke's carry the gear. We only saw three other groups. Three trekkers with a reputable company headed back down from one group and staggered into our camp at 4.30pm very ill and with no food. After medication, and a short R & R they set off down to the lodge in the dark but had to be stretchered in. Another group somehow lost a German trekker whose pole was discovered near a suspension bridge. He was never located and the guides were a mess! We called it a day when we reached the first Katchenjunga viewpoint in the snow at 4,550metres, as we were late getting there despite a 3.30am start from our camp. We only heard of 2 people that made it to the pass. The mountains and vivid colours of the landscape were just awesome and our photos are spectacular. After slogging through some mud we were all extremely pleased to get down to a more agreeable climate, and some sightseeing in the capital Gangtok to "veg" out.

Richard

Gail and Judy Page 6 of 6