200904 Newsletter

QUEENSLAND BUSHWALKERS CLUB Inc.

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

Newsletter

April 2009

Purling Brook Falls

Club News QBW 10th Anniversary BBQ

First Aid Course Planned

All past and present members are invited to gather for an informal BBQ starting at 11.00 AM Sunday 26 April 2009 at Orleigh Park, West End. This is another event to celebrate the first ten years of QBW.

A First Aid course for members is being planned for sometime in July. If you are interested in doing a First Aid course or a refresher for CPR please contact Stuart Mackay on 3890 8196 so that numbers and a suitable time can be finalised.

There will be BBQ facilities but members and non-members are asked to bring their own meat, salad, drinks, chairs etc.

2009 Photographic Competition Entries are invited from members of affiliated clubs of BWQ. Digital format only will be accepted and entries must be forwarded on CD-ROM or DVD by post to:

Come along to meet old and new faces.

Coffee Night

11 March 2009

About 12 people attended the coffee night at La Dolce Vita at Milton. Under the "Eiffel Tower" we sat and sipped coffee while some had a meal. For a Wednesday night it was relatively quiet and we were able to chat about recent and coming walks. Among those present were Linda H. and Paul M. who are going away. Paul is off overseas to work and could be away for up to two years while Linda is taking a year off work and moving to Cairns to be closer to family.

Walks Planning Meeting

15 March 2009

It was a fine sunny Sunday afternoon and thirteen members gathered at Dave K's place to plan the Walks Calendar. While perusing maps, books and brochures there was a constant discussion of what walks to put on and when. Dave had large calendars available and happily a lot of the blank areas were filled in. This was followed by a BBQ and fortunately this time there was no repeat of the rain as last time. Many thanks to Dave and Lynn for their hospitality in providing snacks and nibblies.

Photographic Officer Bushwalking Queensland Inc. GPO Box 1573 Brisbane Qld. 4001 All entries must be in the GPO box by 31 July 2009. Full details of the BWQ Photo Competition are on the website at http://www.bushwalkingqueensland.org.au/photo_current.html

Biosecurity Queensland ask Bushwalkers for help Bushwalkers are asked to look out for Mexican feather grass, a Class 1 declared pest plant in Queensland and a highly invasive species that was mislabelled and sold in several Queensland outlets last year. Pictures of the grass and more info available at http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/4790_8943_ENA_H TML.htm If you find a suspected Mexican feather grass plant, do not attempt to remove it as you may spread the seed. Email a photo of the suspect plant, along with your contact details, to [email protected], or call DPI&F on 13 25 23.

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General Information

The Management Committee

Meeting Place

President

Patricia Kolarski

3341 7509 (H)

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

Vice President

Margaret Rae

3395 1838 (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

John Hinton

3343 3724 (H)

Outings Officer

David Kenrick

3349 8238 (H)

Membership Officer

Frank Garland

3341 5207 (H)

Editor

Richard Kolarski

3341 7509 (H)

Membership

Social Secretary

Traci Nudl

3890 8196 (H)

Probationary Membership

Training Officer

Stuart Mackay

3890 8196 (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.

Other Voluntary Positions Equipment Officer

John Brunott

However a Probationary Member must become an Ordinary Member on his/her second walk by filling out a Membership Form and paying the membership fee.

Supper Convenor

Mary Sherlock

3209 8514 (H)

BWQ Rep

Stuart Mackay

3890 8196 (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.

Ordinary Membership A person may become an Ordinary Member by filling out and signing a Membership Form, having a proposer sign the form and handing the form with the membership fee to a committee member or walk leader. The proposer may be a friend (who is a member of the Club) of the applicant, the leader of the walk that the applicant is on, the Membership Officer at a Club meeting or if the Membership Officer is not available, one of the committee members. 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 Members of another bushwalking club which is affiliated with Bushwalking Queensland Inc (or an interstate Federation) and who are covered by the same Insurance do not need to become a member of our Club to go on our walks. However Club members will have priority if there is a limit on numbers.

3209 9598 (H)

Campsite Monitors John Brunott

Ballows, Paddys Knob

Kerry de Clauzel

Throakban, Barney Gorge and Lower Portals

Ann Kemp

Spicers Peak (east & west)

Richard Kolarski

Running Creek Falls

Barbara Makepeace

Rat-a-tat, Spicers/Doubletop saddle Rum Jungle

John Shera

Panorama Point

John & Julie Shera

Mt Superbus & Rabbit Fence Jct Lower Panorama

Ken Walters

Mt May saddle & Paddy’s Plain

Editors Pic

Club Equipment Compasses

Topo Maps

GPS's

Emergency Lights

First Aid Kits

UHF Radios

The above are for free use by members. Contact David at 3395 1838 or [email protected] PLBs with inbuilt GPS The Club has 5 PLBs with inbuilt GPS. The PLBs will be made available at each Club meeting and will need to be returned at the following Club meeting. Contact Richard on 3341 7509. Abseil Gear (ropes, harnesses, helmets, karabiners etc.) There is a $5.00 charge for use of the Club rope and another $5.00 charge for use of harness and accessories by Ordinary Members. There is a $10.00 charge for use of the Club rope and another $10.00 charge for use of harness and accessories by Probationary Members and members of affiliated clubs. Contact Trevor at 0411 512 202 Back Pack for Hire

Paul and Linda at the Coffee Night

New Members

$5.00 charge

Contact Trevor at 0411 512 202 Bivy Bags For Sale

Marion Laban

Robin Laban

Gabrielle O'Ryan

As at 31/3/2009 we have 100 financial members

$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. Contact Patricia Kolarski on 3341 7509. Space Blankets For Sale

Aileen Elliott

$2.50 each.

Light weight and take up no room at all. A must for all walkers! Contact Patricia Kolarski on 3341 7509.

Comings And Goings Judy J. has just returned from a trip to Antarctica. John M. has returned from Tasmania after doing a four day walk in the Bay of Fires.

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Past Events

The First Ten Years

Navigation and Compass Training Day

7 March 2009

Eleven members and three visitors attended the first Navigation and Compass Training Day for this year.

As the main function of QBW is to do bushwalks, this month we will look at the walks and events that QBW has organised for members over the ten years. Excluded from the figures below are events that were on the QBW Calendar but run by other organisations, such as FMR, the Rogaine Association and the Pilgrimages. From February 1999 to end December 2008 QBW has had: 781

Day Walks (D/W)

The training was held at Daisy Hill Forest Park and everyone got to learn how to use the Siva compass properly, take bearings and then applied these skills to a short compass exercise in order to find some control points. There was also a pacing exercise to learn how to estimate distance travelled by working out how many paces we do in 100m. We then put all that learning into practice and everyone successfully completed an introductory orienteering exercise where we all had to put our map reading and compass navigation skills into good use. All in all, it was a fun learning exercise and the training helped everyone brush up on their navigation and map reading skills. At least we all now know where North is don’t we? Thanks to all those who attended. Thanks also to John Brunott and Richard Kolarski who helped set up the course and mentored some new members. And for anyone else interested in attending another session, I’ll be conducting another training day later this year (planned for: Saturday, 17 October 09). Stuart Mackay

Notices 19 June to 3 July 2009

The Karijini National Park is in the Hamersley Ranges of Western Australia. It will involve a 5 day T/W and a 5 day B/C with day walks in 2 sections of the park. It is dry spinifex country with impressive gorges, involving some wades and possible swim throughs and abseiling. Qantas flies to Paraburdoo where we would hire a 4WD to get to and from the NP.

Base Camps (B/C)

81

Through Walks (T/W)

85

Extended Walks (X/T)

26

Training Days (TRN)

49

1159

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

D/W

36

46

61

78

77

O/N

3

3

1

0

2

B/C

8

4

12

6

11

T/W

4

4

18

11

10

X/T

0

2

1

3

4

TRN

1

4

9

7

3

SOC

9

11

12

14

14

TOTAL

61

74

113

119

121

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

O/N

3

1

2

0

0

B/C

9

9

11

6

5

T/W

4

6

9

6

13

X/T

1

3

4

2

6

TRN

3

4

6

6

6

SOC

13

10

14

12

13

TOTAL

120

131

164

133

122

Most Popular Day Walks

25 July - 1 August 2009

Daves Creek Circuit Bare Rock Mt Mitchell Mt Greville

13 13 13 13

Mt Maroon (different routes) Mt Barney (different routes)

18 15 at least.

An open invitation is extended to BWQ affiliated clubs for a one week coach trip to the snow fields departing Brisbane 25 July with the Gold Coast Bushwalkers. Base price: $1,299.00

Most Popular Base Camp Area

Contact: Bill Carr Ph 55345252 or Mob 0402 839 884 or email billcarr [email protected]

Most Popular Throughwalks

Girraween Running Creek area Moreton Island

Details are on : http://www.bushwalkingqueensland.org.au/

Active Outdoors Expo 2009

122

TOTAL

Contact Barbara Makepeace ph: 0422 804 768

Snowfield Trip

15

Socials (SOC)

Navigation Training

Karijini National Park

Overnighters (O/N)

8 7 6

Most Popular Extended Trips

23 May 2009

The inaugural ‘Active Outdoors’ Expo 2009, an initiative of the Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation (QORF), will be launched at South Bank, Brisbane on Saturday May 23rd.

Hinchinbrook Island Tasmania

6 6

Coffee Nights Dinners

46 45

Socials

The Expo programme of events runs from 9:00am until 3:00pm at the Cultural Forecourt at South Bank.

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Past Walks Stairway Falls

20 December 2008

On 20th Dec, I led a walk to Stairway Falls situated on West Canungra Creek in Lamington National Park. As other leaders will attest to, Richard can be quietly demanding for the all important walk write-ups! I am not only a novice at leading but finding the words to best describe a walk is just as difficult. When I thought about this walk, the classic song “Stairway to Heaven” kept intruding in my brain. So I had a look at the words and thought ‘I can use this!’ So here it is- Margie’s Stairway Falls walk to the tune of Stairway to Heaven:

There’s a lady who’s sure all the tree litter is gold As she’s leading a stairway falls walk And when she gets there she knows if the pool is cool Then the walkers will get what they came for. And she walking a stairway to heaven, uh uh uh…. Margie Rae (with apologies to Led Zeppelin)

Cronan's Cascades

28 December 2009

Nine members and one visitor, Peter, chose this easy, short walk to recover from the Christmas Day overindulgence. Under an overcast sky, we trudged up a muddy Yellowpinch and did a little sliding down the other side. Ken did the whole walk in his Teva's!! Otherwise, the walk in to our morning tea stop at the start of Peasant's Ridge was uneventful. We did meet a few campers at Campsite 10 who were bailing out because of the rain of the previous night and the expectation of more.

On the Stairway to Heaven

There’s a lady who’s sure all the tree litter is gold As she’s leading a stairway falls walk And when she gets there she knows if the pool is cool Then the walkers will get what they came for.

Cronan's Cascades

Plenty of water was flowing across the several creek crossings and Ken found a swimming hole that needs to be investigated. The track had been mowed recently so the dreaded knee high wet weeds were thankfully missing.

Woe oh oh oh oh And she’s walking the stairway to heaven There’s signs all around but she wants to be sure And you know sometimes tracks can be deceiving In the tree by the blue pool there a songbird who sings Sometimes all of our thoughts are disoriented

Rain began falling as we neared our turn-off to the falls. The rocks were very slippery as Helen S. found out much to her regret. The bravest on the day were Gail and Ken who enthusiastically enjoyed (?) a swim in the notoriously freezing pool at the base of the falls.

Woe oh oh oh oh And she’s walking the stairway to heaven

We had a great example of how easy it is to leave walking poles behind after a rest stop on the track. I often use a small karabiners to clip the pole onto my pack but nothing is foolproof so we all need to watch out for each other.

There’s a feeling I get when I look to the west And my spirit is crying ‘where are we?’ In my thoughts I have seen faint paths through the trees And the voices of those who are more gifted.

With only a short shower of rain on the return journey, we were at the cars in good time and sped off to coffee at the Beaudesert McCafe.

And its whispered that soon, if we all pay attention Then the leader will take us in the right way And a new day will dawn for those who follow well And the forest will echo with laughter. And it makes me wonder

Thanks to all who came along for this pleasant outing.

Purling Brook Falls

If there’s a bustle in the undergrowth Don’t be alarmed now Its just a snake or lizard-one of the two!

Your head is humming and it won’t go because you don’t know tail end Charlie’s calling you to join him Dear lady can’t you hear the wind blow and did you know Your stairway falls are the other way

And if you listen very hard Natures sound will come to you at last When you are one with the rocks and water To be able not to fall Woe oh oh oh oh oh And she walking the stairway to heaven.

10 January 2009

The seventeen walkers on the Purling Brook falls and Waringa Pool walk contributed to the following acrostic:

Yes, there are two paths you can go by But in the long run There’s still time to figure out which one you’re on!

And as we wind on down the creek Our shadows taller due to packs There walks our group all spread out Looking for the easier way to cross The creek nine times or more

Patricia

People gathered at Caltex waiting for Margaret and June Under a bright blue sky we drove up to Springbrook Running streams Look our for the right road signs! Interesting, intriguing adventure Nice views with expensive sunnies over the fence Great to find a new waterfall Beautiful Rippling streams, cooling waters, good day Orange trumpet vine flowers growing wild amongst the reeds Oh, what a great walk Kay thought the QBW walkers were beaut. Fabulous waterfalls made the day special Astonishing animals Lamington Blue Crays Lounging by the water Seventeen people set off that morning and, happy to say, all seventeen returned! Margie

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Box Forest Circuit

17 January 2009

Seventeen people turned up on a pleasant day to do this ten kilometre circuit in Lamington National Park. After meeting up at Canungra we drove up to O'Reillys where we set off on the Border Track. The actual Box Forest track branches 1.7 kilometres from the Park entrance. This walk has impressive tall stands of Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus). The lower trunks of these trees are covered with a rough brown bark while the upper trunk and branches have smooth pinkish brown bark. One of the trees had a large hollow at the base where one could walk in and peer inside.

Powerful Owl From March to April, Powerful Owls start hooting more frequently. The male is the one making most of the ruckus, calling to tell other owl pairs that this is his territory. Powerful Owl pairs occupy large areas. When they start to court in March the owls move closer together, roosting on the same tree and then the same branch. They make their nests in trees with a large hollow, preferably a eucalypt over 200 years old. Like all of the Ninox family, Powerful Owls are winter breeders, nesting in late May to early June. Almost like clockwork, the female enters her nest hollow at the same time each year.

Box Foresteers

The track zig zagged its way down to West Canungra Creek and as we crossed the creek and followed it upstream we took a slight detour to have a look at Elabana Falls. We had lunch at Picnic Rock, a large rock slab at the top of the falls. We then completed the circuit but as it was a short walk we had time to do the Tree Tops walk. Many thanks to Helen for putting on this walk.

The female Powerful Owl lays an almost spherical, dull white egg around four to five centimetres in diameter, usually laying another after a gap of a few days. She incubates the eggs for 35 to 38 days, and will spend another 30 days with the chicks before she's free to leave the nest and hunt for herself. During this time the male roosts nearby, keeping an eye on his family as the female incubates the eggs and the chicks grow and mature. Throughout this period he is solely responsible for the family's food. Margie

Richard

Binna Burra to Numinbah Valley Powerful Owl Track Mt Coot-tha

25th January 2009

I chose this walk because, in a short amount of time you can have a good work-out and still be home to do your chores in the afternoon!

31 January 2009

This walk was initially to be to Bohgaban Falls. It had been put off three times previously due to bad weather and injury so I was hopeful that it would go ahead but it was not to be. There were ten of us who met up to the start of the Lower Bellbird walk, just down from the Binna Burra Information Centre. The first part of the walk was straightforward, following a track and fire trail to Nixon Creek. However on entering Nixon Creek the recent rains had raised the water levels significantly making it impossible to rock hop up the creek. Even a side trip to where the climb up Egg Rock started was not possible.

Powerful Owl Walk

There is not too much to say about the walk. Being in the middle of summer it was hot but we were finished by 11ish; so it did not pose too big a problem. I found some information related to the walk which I will share with you: Some facts about Mt Coot-tha: Coot-tha or Kuta is an aboriginal word meaning ‘place of honey’. It was originally called One-tree Hill because of a massive eucalypt on a relatively bare knoll. In 1860’s the government made the area a timber reserve for the railways. 1500 acres was proclaimed public park in 1874. It became known as Mt Coot-tha in 1883. Mining occurred from 1893 to 1950’s and during the war the US army used it as an ammunition dump. In 1918 a small kiosk and kitchen were built. and in 1960 permission for television towers was granted. The Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua, is Australia's largest and most powerful owl. It's also the only owl in Australia that hoots like the owls in children's books - "whoo hoo" - rather than screeching like a barn owl.

Egg Rock and Numinbah Valley Walkers

The only option left was to continue walking downhill to the Numinbah Valley Road, a section of the Great Walk that not many of us had done. It was interesting to pass by the Correctional Centre and a horse riding centre further down plus we had good views back up to Egg Rock. The walk back up to the cars was a struggle for some though and we arrived back just as a small shower began. Afternoon tea at Canungra helped to warm us up. Perhaps next time we might get to the falls? Many thanks to those who came along.

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Richard

Ethiopia The Simien Mountains in northern Ethiopia has some of the most breath-taking scenery in the world. The dramatic landscape is the result of massive lava flows millions of years ago. Subsequent erosion over the millennia has left behind a jagged landscape of gorges, chasms and sheer cliffs, some 1,500m high. It is a World Heritage Site and a refuge of several endangered species including the Walia Ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else in the world, the Gelada Baboon and the Simien Fox. The mountains themselves can be divided into three general regions. The lower slopes are now mainly cultivated and grazed, the alpine areas (up to 3,600m) are forested and the higher lands are mountain grasslands studded with Giant Lobelia plants.

The next day was an acclimatisation day with a walk up to Imit Gogo, a rocky lookout point at a height of 3,950 metres. It had been below zero the night before and there was a light frost on the ground as we started out. As we walked along the edges of the cliff lines we could see several Walia Ibex feeding on the rocky ledges far below. We had lunch at the spectacular view point and then returned to Geech Camp. The third day was a walk to Chenek Camp at 3,600 metres. To further help acclimatisation we walked up to a 4,070 metre lookout point which gave us more views of jagged mountains and steep valleys. A highlight was that we had a rare glimpse of a Simien Fox as it scampered away in the distance. That afternoon we spotted soaring above us several Lammergeier, a type of vulture which is noted for dropping bones from a height to get to the marrow inside.

Ras Dashen is one of the Peaks in the Background Giant Lobelia

I was fortunate enough to do a trek in this region which included walking up to the very summit of Ras Dashen, which at 4,543 metres is the highest mountain in Ethiopia. The trek itself exceeded all my expectations. Over seven days I did a total of 7,000 metres in vertical ascent, trekking up and down the valleys. It was a challenge but well worth the effort. The weather was excellent with the days bright and sunny though the nights got to below zero. The easiest way to get to the Simien Mountains is to fly from the capital, Addis Ababa to Gondar and then drive to Debark, a village at the base of the mountains. Here guides, porters and muleteers can be hired. A drive by 4 wheel drive vehicle will take you up to the first camp site, Senkaber, which is up on the plateau at 3,240 metres.

The next day was a monster of a walk. We walked up to Bwahit Pass at 4,200 metres and then right down to the valley below, crossing the river at 2,800 metres and then up the other side to the small village of Ambikwa at 3,200 metres where we finally set camp. The pace was leisurely though and the scenery took our minds off our aching legs to a certain extent. This was the big day with the ascent of Ras Dashen. It was a continuous climb along a creek bed first and then up to a saddle. Here we rested a while to catch our breath and take in the scenery. The air was chilly and we all felt the effect of the high altitude as we gasped for breath. A final scramble up a small cliff line got us to the summit. It was an amazing sight with views in all directions.

As most of the walking is at altitude the trek would need to allow time for acclimatisation. Our first full day trek was a leisurely walk along the escarpment to view a spectacular waterfall plunging into a deep gorge below. As we walked along the grassland a pack of Gelada Baboons at least fifty strong scampered across the plateau. These baboons found only in the Ethiopian highlands have a distinguishing bright patch of red on their chest. They are vegetarian and not shy but will bare their teeth in a menacing display if you approach too close. They make their homes on the sides of the cliffs where they are safe from any predators. We stayed the night at Geech Camp at a height of 3,600 metres.

On the Summit of Ras Dashen

The following couple of days we made our way back to Chenek campsite. However an optional trek to go to the top of Mount Bwahit which is only a hundred metres less than Ras Dashen was available. Despite aching legs I decided to take the option and was glad I did. After reaching this second summit we came upon a small herd of Walia Ibex and were able to come quite close to them until they spotted us. Back at Chenek Camp we were finally able to relax and reflect on an epic trek. I spent the late afternoon delighting in the antics of the Gelada Baboons as they scampered up trees, across the grasslands and down precipitous cliff edges. From Chenek we were transported by vehicle back to the city but my memories will be of jagged mountains, exotic plants and endangered animals free to roam in their natural habitat. Gelada Baboons

Richard Page 6 of 6