200807 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

July 2008

Hands On Walking in Running Creek South Branch

Club News Membership Now Due

Draft Leader Guidelines were then handed out for everyone to look at and discuss. These guidelines just take up one page and show step by step what a leader is expected to do.

Membership is now due and all members will receive a Membership Renewal Form by email or by postal mail. Membership is $30.00 which lasts till 30/6/2009. If you wish to have the Newsletter posted to you, it will cost an additional $15.00. Otherwise the Newsletter can be downloaded for free from the Club website at http://www.geocities.com/qldbwc/newsletr.html

The Guidelines set out and dissect the four stages of planning a walk, namely:

Members have until the end of August to renew their membership or risk having their membership cancelled. For members receiving the Newsletter by postal mail, this will be the final Newsletter unless they renew their membership.

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Before the walk

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At the start of the walk

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During the walk

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At the end of the walk

And shows what is necessary at each stage.

A Membership Form can be downloaded from the Club website at http://www.geocities.com/qldbwc/aboutus/membersh.html

Once feedback has been received from leaders, these Guidelines will then be the basis for updating the Leader's Notes on the Club website which were last revised in 2005.

Bob and Danuta Farewell Dinner

Pilgrimage 2008

31 May 2008

22-24 August 2008

Over twenty people attended the dinner at the Buffet Gardens Restaurant, Sunnybank Hills, to farewell Bob and Danuta.

Venue

Bob has been working at the resort at Ayers Rock for a few months now and Danuta will now join him there. Bob flew from Ayers Rock back to Brisbane and was only here for a week to finalise the storage of household items and to met up with family and friends.

Details of Pilgrimage 2008 plus Registration Forms are now available at http://au.geocities.com/qldpilgrimage/pilg2008.html.

The Club wishes them both well. They will be sorely missed as they led walks which were well attended.

Leaders BBQ

14 June 2008

Fourteen members came along for a BBQ on a bright but slightly chilly day. After cooking up snags or steaks on the barbie and sharing out plates of salad, everyone enjoyed a hearty lunch. It was then that the business part of the afternoon began. David Rae, the Outings Officer was kept busy as various members added walks to the Calendar. This was badly needed as there are quite a few gaps in the Calendar.

Mt Nimmel Lodge, 271 Austinville Road, Mudgeeraba.

The cost is $30.00 for the whole weekend if paid before the event. This includes accommodation, the Friday night supper, the walks on Saturday, the bush dance, the breakfast on Sunday morning plus much much more. The cost is $35.00 if paid at the event. There are reduced costs if coming for the walk and/or bushdance only. Cost for children for the whole weekend (which is not on the booking form) is $10.00. Accommodation will be tents, campervans and cabins. There are seven cabins available and bookings for the cabins will be accepted on a per club basis, each club/group will have an 8 bed cabin. The Pilgrimage web site also has a draft list of 22 walks planned for the Saturday. See You There!!

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General Information

The Management Committee

Meeting Place

President

Helen McAllister

3844 8464 (H)

Club meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month starting at 7.30PM. There is no Club meeting in January.

Vice President

Gary Woodward

3245 2695 (H)

Secretary

Sandra Thomas

3711 4134 (H)

Meeting are held at the Little King's Hall on the corner of Carl and O'Keefe Streets, Buranda. Entry is via the gate on Carl St.

Treasurer

Chris Breitenbach

3870 1948 (H)

Outings Officer

David Rae

3395 1838 (H)

Membership Officer

John Hinton

3343 3724 (H)

Editor

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509 (H)

Social Secretary

Linda Hellmuth

3899 5017 (H)

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.

Training Officer

John Brunott

3209 9598 (H)

Membership fee is $30.00 and lasts till the end of the Club’s financial year which is on the 30th of June each year.

Other Voluntary Positions Equipment Officer

John Brunott

3209 9598 (H)

Probationary Membership

Supper Convenor

Mary Sherlock

3209 8514 (H)

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.

BWQ Rep

Ken Walters

3344 1927 (H)

BWQ Rep

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509 (H)

There is parking within the grounds and in Carl Street. Tea/Coffee and cake/biscuits are provided after the meeting. A coin donation would be appreciated.

Membership

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.

Campsite Monitors Barbara Makepeace

Ratatat Hut Mt Barney, Rum Jungle, Old Hut Site (& satellites) and East Peak Spicer’s/Double Top saddle

Kerry de Clauzel

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.

Throakban, Barney Gorge and Lower Portals

Richard Kolarski

Running Creek Falls

Ann Kemp

Spicers Peak

Members of Another Bushwalking Club

John Brunott

Ballows

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 membership fee.

Members of another bushwalking club which is affiliated with Bushwalking Queensland Inc or an interstate 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. However they have no rights of an Ordinary Member.

Editors Pic

Club Equipment Free Use By Members Compasses

EPIRBs

GPS's

Topo Maps

Emergency Lights

First Aid Kits

Sunmap CD’s

UHF Radios

Contact David at 3395 1838 or [email protected] Dinner for Bob and Danuta

A smorgasbord of friends gathered to farewell Bob and Danuta.

For Hire Abseil Gear There is a $5.00 charge for use of the Club rope and another $5.00 charge for use of harness and accessories.

Back Pack

Hike To Help Nepal

There is a $5.00 charge for hire of the back pack.

The Nepal Australia Friendship Association Qld Inc has a Hike to Help Nepal Walk on Sunday 27th July 2008

Contact Trevor at 0411 512 202

For Sale 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. Use as a pack liner or emergency bivy bag. Club Polo Shirts S size left only.

$20.00 each

WHERE:

Simpson's Falls picnic ground, Mt Coot-tha

TIME:

9 am to 2:00 pm

ENTRY FEE

Adult $10

Child $5

Family $20

The hike will take 1-½ hours and all funds raised will be used to assist disadvantaged women and children in Nepal. A Nepali lunch and lucky draw prize available. To download sponsorship forms or view some of the work of the association, go to www.nepalaust.org

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. Page 2 of 6

Members As at 25/06/2008 we have 110 financial members

Insurance Renewal 2008– 2009

National Parks

Howard Tooth, the Insurance Officer for Bushwalking Australia Inc. has provided a report for Liability and Personal Accident Insurance for 2008-2009. Here are the main points.

This year Queensland is celebrating 100 years of national parks. Witches Falls at Mt Tamborine was gazetted as a National Park on 28 March 1908.

The Insurance Policies arranged provide Liability and Personal Accident cover to 194 clubs Australia wide with a combined membership of 21,308 members (21,714 -2007).

What we now take for granted as bushwalkers has taken some people years of dedicated work to stimulate interest in the general community that such areas are of value far beyond their worth if just exploited commercially.

Liability Insurance Liberty International Underwriters while being unable to reduce their “minimum” premium have acknowledged our excellent claims history in that there have been no claims reported under the Liability policy. They have agreed to double the Sum Insured Limit from $10,000,000 to $20,000,000.

Personal Accident Accident & Health International Underwriting have held this policy for a number of years and have provided an excellent claims handling service. Unfortunately claims have continued at a high frequency level as a result of falls, slips etc. In the year to 30 June 2006 there were 9 claims ($4,350). In the year to 30 June 2007 there were 13 claims ($88,560). In this current year there have been no less than 14 claims reported with a potential cost of $27, 450. The Personal accident Policy provides cover for members of Insured Clubs who sustain injury whilst engaged in an authorised activity of the club or in direct travel to or from that activity.

Renewal Premium Liability

$4.00 per member ($3.95 – 2007)

Personal Accident

$5.30 per member ($5.30 – 2007)

In the event of an incident which will or may give rise to a claim, it is necessary that the incident be reported to our Insurance Brokers, Marsh Pty Ltd, by telephone or email – wherever practical within 24 hours of the incident.

Activities Covered

Bushwalking, Recreational Walking, Walking, Track/Hut Construction and Maintenance, Caving*, Canyoning, Snow Skiing*, Alpine Walking (summer & winter), Abseiling*, Rock Scurrying and use of hand held ropes as part of a Bushwalk,

Canoeing, Kayaking, Boating, Rafting, Liloing, Swimming, Orienteering, Rogaining, Cycling, Leader Training and other related instructions where no fee is charged other than to recoup expenses (Errors & Omissions),

Voluntary Work for various Charities and not for profit organisations.

*Cover for any club activities which include Abseiling, Snow Skiing and Caving is subject to the member signing a Waiver or Acknowledgement of Risk in relation to that activity.



Rock Climbing,



Mountaineering,



Water Skiing, and



Animal Riding.

In past history areas of land had been set aside for protection but mainly it was for the exclusive use of kings or other rulers. In the early 1800's the poet William Wordsworth described the Lake District of England: "A sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy". In the 1830s the United States artist-explorer George Catlin urged the creation of a "nation's park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature's beauty". The Scottish-American naturalist John Muir (1838-1914) was an avid writer and his letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, and wildlife were read by millions. He was inspirational in the foundation of national parks, anticipating many ideas of conservationism, environmentalism, and the animal rights movement.

In the year to 30 June 2005 there were 18 claims ($26,714).

Activities Not Covered

History

In 1864 the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (later becoming the Yosemite National Park) was ceded to the state of California. In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established as the world's first truly national park. At that time the land was part of a territory and unlike Yosemite, there was no state government that could assume stewardship of the land, so the federal government took on direct responsibility for the park. Following the idea established in Yellowstone there followed national parks in other countries round the world. In Australia the Royal National Park, Australia's first national park, was established in 1879 as 'The National Park'. It was renamed the Royal National Park in 1955, after a visit by Queen Elizabeth II. It was the second such park to be declared in the world. In Canada, Banff National Park (then known as Rocky Mountain National Park) became its first national park in 1885. New Zealand had its first national park in 1887. In Europe the first national parks were a set of nine parks in Sweden in 1909. South Africa in 1926 designated Kruger National Park as the nation's first national park. After World War II, national parks were founded all over the world. In some countries, such as England and Wales, areas designated as a national park are not wilderness, nor owned by the government, and can include substantial settlements and land uses which are often integral parts of the landscape.

Queensland Two of the pioneers of the National Park system in Queensland were Robert Martin Collins (1843-1913), a pastoralist and Canungra sawmiller and engineer Romeo Lahey (1887-1968). After a tour of North America in 1878, Robert Collins was impressed by accounts of Yellowstone National Park. On his return to Australia he settled with his wife in Tamrookum, near Beaudesert and sought to preserve the McPherson Ranges just south of his home from logging. After years of campaigning, he persuaded the government to legislate the State Forests and National Parks Act in 1906. It sought to protect natural bushland and provide for all time a place where Australians could go to value their natural heritage. Romeo Lahey joined Collins in his efforts. He finally succeeded in having Lamington National Park in the McPherson Ranges proclaimed in 1915.

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The last 100 metres took a while to negotiate because of some large wet and slippery rocks but we were certainly rewarded at the end with a quite spectacular view of the falls.

Past Walks Lincoln Falls

27 April 2008

Lincoln Falls is the name I give to a 40 – 50 metre high falls about 150 metres below where the track to the Lincoln wreck on Mt. Superbus crosses the only substantial and permanently flowing creek about 2/3 of the way to the wreck site.

After a time of exploration and photo taking it was decided because of permanent shade and spray at the bottom making conditions cold and damp, to climb up through a cliff break and have lunch at the top of the falls. We headed up a short steep ridge covered in small fern trees to the base of the cliff and traversed around to a break and were soon back on the Lincoln track and at the top of the falls. After finishing lunch we headed back down the track to the waiting cars and the long drive home but not before a short break at the Yangan pub for quick reviver (they even serve coffee; I believe that is called a win/win situation). I thank all those who came on what I think is a very picturesque walk to the base of fairly spectacular falls that I think that not too many bushwalkers have been to. David Kenrick

Goomburra Base Camp

3-5 May 2008

The May Day long weekend turned out to be a beautiful sunny weekend for walking, though a bit chilly at night. Six members, Patricia, Noelene, Neville, Lynn, Maggie and Richard met up at Manna Gum camping ground to share some great walking. Saturday This was the exploratory day! On the topographic map was marked Blackfellow Falls, only a kilometre and a half from a walking track and thus requiring some bush navigation.

Lincoln Falls

These falls are not marked on any map of the area and after a base camp at Emu Creek a few years ago where we had speculated about a route to the base of the falls, Ken Walters, Chris Breitenbach and myself studied the maps and a couple of weeks later went back and pioneered a route in. I had asked a few of the very experienced walkers in the club if they had ever been or heard of anyone walking to the base of these falls but came up with negative answers all around. The route turned out to be a lot easier than expected and the creek below the falls very picturesque with the only problem being that, due to the drought, very little water was flowing over the falls. After good rain in the area this summer I thought it would be good time to revisit the falls to see them with a good flow of water. The group rendezvoused at Aratula and set off for the long drive up the Emu Creek road. When I was in the area last year the creek was the driest I’d ever seen with no water flowing over any of the crossings. Luckily I had organised enough 4WD’s for the trip as the creek had the best flow of water I’d seen for over 10 years and there would have been a very long walk to the end of the road without them. The trip in had taken a bit longer than expected so we had a bit of a late start for the climb up the track to the Lincoln. Even though in some areas the track was very muddy we were soon at the turn off point where we cut off into the rainforest to cross the saddle and a steep drop to the creek about ¾ km below the falls. After a latish morning tea break we headed upstream and although there was a lot more water than last time this did not seem to impede our progress and in about 45 minutes we were only about 100 metres below the base of the falls.

Blackfellow Falls Creek

We drove our cars to the end of Lookout Road and did a short side trip to Mount Castle Lookout. It was then an hour's walking along the Winder Track to get to the section of the track closest to Blackfellow Falls. After checking with the GPS and setting a compass bearing we entered the thick bush. Trying to keep to a straight line was impossible as we dodged round trees, scrambled down slopes and pushed our way through vine jungle. In one section I was able to poke my head above some overlying creepers and see blue sky. I took another GPS reading and told the hardy group that we were half way there. More scrub bashing followed and after an hour of walking through vine jungle, I was beginning to think we must be the first people to get to the falls. It was then we came upon a group of nine bushwalkers doing a through walk from Goomburra to Glen Rock. They had walked in along a disused forestry road! With my ego deflated I asked about the road and realized we must have been very close to it. We had lunch at the top of the falls now less than a 100 metres away. The water in the creek was crystal clear and had many flat wide rocks we could rest on. It was a very pleasant spot. After lunch we worked our way round the escarpment for better views of the falls and to search for the old forestry road which the other group had used. This would hopefully give us an easier way back to the Winder Track. We did find a forestry road but after following it for a while it just disappeared. After some scouting round and perusing the map, we decided to follow a ridge heading north, and this led us to the proper forestry road. It was then an easy walk to the Winder Track and back to the cars.

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That night we celebrated round a camp fire the events of the day. It had been a good exploratory with a mixture of off-track and on-track walking.

On the way home we stopped briefly to observe a large eel in Running Creek after the point where the north and south tributaries meet.

Sunday

We made accelerated progress on our return trip and via the farm got back to the vehicles before dark.

This was a much easier day with walks along a couple of the graded tracks at Goomburra. We did the three kilometre return walk to Araucaria Falls and the seven kilometre return North Branch track. The walks gave us a sample of the variety of vegetation at Goomburra. While the Araucaria Falls walk was in rainforest, the North Branch track was mostly open sclerophyll. The day finished early but that just gave us time to enjoy and sit and relax at our campsite. Again we had a campfire with wood which had been kindly donated by John Brunott from the Bigriggen camp.

A return visit to this particular area would be a must for those who enjoy exploring new environments. Trevor D.

Reynolds Gorge

11 May 2008

An early start was needed as there was some planned exploring of the Bangalora cliffs. Five of us left the car and used the national park boundary to work our way to the base of the cliffs on the south side of Bangalora. This was at times slow as we identified ways through the broken cliff line.

Monday Our final day and only a short walk to finish off. We decided to do the six kilometre Cascades circuit and it was a good choice. While walking along the track we saw a variety of birds, including the very noisy Bell bird which we had heard all weekend but not seen yet. After ascending for a while, the track then turned and descended following a creek. We had morning tea at Cascades Falls, enjoying another crystal clear creek. We got back to the campsite before lunch. The sun had dried our tents from the morning dew and we were able to pack up quickly. Many thanks to my fellow travelers who shared this wonderful weekend. Richard

Running Creek South Branch

10 May 2008

The creek systems about the Running Creek area received such a flushing out in December/January that it cleared the creek lines exposing the beautiful contrast of rocky water courses and various concentrations of vegetation along the banks. This exploratory outing paves the way for a future overnight visit to properly investigate a waterfall site and other water courses along the south tributary area that has been inaccessible to us. Reynolds Gorge

Eventually we identified a new way up through a break in the cliffs and contoured around to the Mt Bell and Bangalora Saddle. Dropping down the west side of the saddle and a few cobbler pegs later, a grove of what appeared to be young red cedars was located. They looked a bit sickly but their presence suggested more exploring upstream towards Mt Roberts might yield an interesting botanical exploration. The next leg was downstream with a gentle rock hop until the gorge proper was entered. The gorge system is the longest smooth rock gorge I have seen in this part of Australia. Many swims and leaps of faith into rock pools were needed to go through this. Oh What A Difference A Flood Makes

Frank and I had previously explored part of the area. This sparked our added interest. We were not disappointed with what we found on our return. The combination of flushed creek lines, substantial rock collapse into the creek and the otherwise pristine environment are a bushwalkers' delight. We had lunch at the creek junction at the limit of our exploration. A short distance along the south branch we were presented with a picture postcard scene of what could have been a perfectly landscaped rock pool fed by a twin fountain at the end. The majestically carved rock pools, small and large were deceptively inviting. A brief dip left most of us a little frigid (me a lot frigid).

Ironically I hadn't planned for this and only Anne knew what it was like. It was a pleasant surprise but probably not wise for the cool month of May. Luckily it was a warm enough day not to suffer hypothermia but next time it will be thermals and dry sacks. And there will be a next time as I would rate this one of the best bushwalks I have done anywhere in this part of the world. We had lunch in the middle of the gorge and then continued the fun. All up it felt like 2 - 3 hours in the gorge system. After the end of the gorge an easy stroll over Mt Bangalora and down the other side took us back to the cars. More of you need to do this and I will put it on later in the year. The picture of the gorge is just a small part of the beauty we saw this day. David

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Yosemite National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Yosemite National Park is in the central Sierra Nevada of California and lies 240 kilometres east of San Francisco and only a six-hour drive from Los Angeles. Yosemite is a glaciated landscape and is well renowned for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls and clear streams plus its giant sequoia groves.

Straddling Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is perched on top of a giant volcanic core which has had several eruptions over the last 2 million years. Its central portion has collapsed forming a 45 by 60 kilometre caldera. Its ongoing geothermal energy has created the greatest concentration of geysers, fumaroles, hot springs and mudspots in the world. Amongst them is the well known Old Faithful.

Half Dome, Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls in Yosemite NP

The history of the park is the story of the beginning of National Parks throughout the world. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill granting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to the State of California as an inalienable public trust. This was the first time in history that a federal government had set aside scenic lands simply to protect them and to allow for their enjoyment by all people. Yosemite was declared a National Park in 1890 and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984. This 750,000-acre park contains over 1,200 kilometres of hiking trails. Patricia and I walked the Panorama Trail, a 13.7 km oneway trail to the valley floor 975 metres below. Starting from our high viewpoint at Glacier Point we could see the panorama of Yosemite Valley before us with Nevada and Vernal Falls in the distance. The trail begins downhill to cross Illilouette Falls, continues uphill along the Panorama Cliff and then descends to the top of Nevada Falls. Here we enjoyed our lunch with some inquisitive squirrels joining us. The track descends steeply beside the falls and follows the stream to Vernal Falls. Another steep descent to the bottom of the falls and we found out why it was called the Misty Trail at this section. We had to protect our cameras from the spray and watch our footing. This is one of the best day walks you could do.

Lower Yellowstone Falls

To add to the parks beauty, it is flanked by rugged snow covered mountains and has a multicoloured canyon cut by the Yellowstone River. It is also home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk.

We also did a short walk to see a grove of Sequoia, the tallest trees in the world. The Sequoia have a remarkable resistance to disease and can live for over 2,000 years. They can grow to over 100 metres high and measure 9 metres round. Eventually they fall over from their own massive weight.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone has the distinction of being the world's first national park, declared as such in 1872. The path had been opened by the declaration of Yosemite as a public trust in 1864 and which itself became a national park in 1890. Patricia and I spent a couple of days exploring its wonders. A day was spent walking round the many geysers and hot springs of exquisite beauty and colour. Walkways allowed us to inspect them at close quarters. Chipmunks and squirrels scampered across the paths in front of us.

Fallen Sequoia

This park is well worth a much longer visit but other parks beckoned for now and we had to move on. Richard

As we walked through a forest area we came upon a bison grazing next to the track. We observed it for a while waiting for it to move away, but eventually we had to do a wide detour so as not to approach too closely. An amazing place to see and enjoy!

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Richard