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--- 195510 [2016/02/02 10:36] – tyreless
+++ 195510 [2016/02/03 11:03] – tyreless
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 D.B.
-.
+=====Katoomba To Picton The Hard Way - 130 Miles.=====
-KATOOMBA TO PICTON THE HARD WAY - 130 MILES
-FOR ALL YOUR TRANSPORT  PROBLEMS CONTACT
-HATTSWELLTS TAXI & TOURIST SERVICE
-RING, WRITE, WIRE OR GALL
-ANY HOUR, DAY OR NIGHT
-Telephone: BTHEATH 128 or 249, Booking Office - 4 doors from Gardners Inn Hotel (LOOK FOR THE NEON SIGN.)
-SPEEDY 5 OR 8 PASSENGER CARS AVAILABLE
-LARGE OR SMALL PARTIES CATERED FOR.
-FARES:  KANANGRA WALLS, 3q/- per head (minimum 5 passangers) PERRY TS LOOKDOWN 3/- " if If 3 if
-JENOLAN STATE FOREST 20/- " If 5
-GARLONTS FARM 10/- per head 4! 5
-.1.1411.1.1.e-
-WE WILL BE PLEASED TO QUOTE OTHER TRIPS OR SPECIAL PARTIES ON APPLICATION.
 - Dot Butler
-"What eTerTs to do in April you
+"What e'er's to do in April you\\
 Can put off till September."
-Now I'm all in favour of long endurance walks occasionally - say once or twice in a lifetime; it gives the walker some idea of
-the stuff he's made of and boosts his confidence in his own strength,- mental even more than physical, for therels no question that when physical weariness calls to the body to give up, its the will that keeps one going to the end. Thatis why we gave support to Geof or his original 85-mi1er - such walks are good for the morale of a Club,
+Now I'm all in favour of long endurance walks occasionally - say once or twice in a lifetime; it gives the walker some idea of the stuff he's made of and boosts his confidence in his own strength,- mental even more than physical, for there's no question that when physical weariness calls to the body to give up, its the will that keeps one going to the end. That is why we gave support to Geof or his original 85-mi1er - such walks are good for the morale of a Club.
-Well; we started right enough on that occasion, but as the Opera tells; things went awry at HarryTs Humpy. The commentator asks:
-"But what of Dot; Garth; Stitt and Putt? DonTt tell me they have all gone phut"
+Well, we started right enough on that occasion, but as the Opera tells, things went awry at Harry's Humpy. The commentator asks:
+"But what of Dot; Garth; Stitt and Putt?\\
+Don't tell me they have all gone phut"
 and the answer is
-"By the bend of the river a little group sat,
-And they waited, and waited, and waited They were ready to move at the drop of a hat
+"By the bend of the river a little group sat,\\
-For their energy hadnIt abated......."
+And they waited, and waited, and waited\\
-Everyone knows the 'dad story; these leaders of the pack continued to wait for the rest of the field who never turned up as they had taken a short cut to McMahon's via the road at the back of Harry's Humpy.
+They were ready to move at the drop of a hat\\
-Feeling we had failed to finish merely by a stroke of mismanage-
+For their energy hadn't abated......."
-ment, we decided it must be done again if only to prove to ourselves
-that we could do it. We chose for our next try a week-end which proved to be the wettest of a wet winter - 26 points (or was it inches?) of rain in 24 hours. The Cox was running 30 ft0 abanker, its various tributary trickles were roaring torrents. Although this
+Everyone knows the sad story; these leaders of the pack continued to wait for the rest of the field who never turned up as they had taken a short cut to McMahon's via the road at the back of Harry's Humpy.
-made New Zealanders like Colin and Garth feel they were home again,it
-nevertheless washed out any attenpt to do the trip, and we returned,
+Feeling we had failed to finish merely by a stroke of mismanagement, we decided it must be done again if only to prove to ourselves that we could do it. We chose for our next try a week-end which proved to be the wettest of a wet winter - 26 points (or was it inches?) of rain in 24 hours. The Cox was running 30 ft. abanker, and its various tributary trickles were roaring torrents. Although this made New Zealanders like Colin and Garth feel they were home again, it nevertheless washed out any attempt to do the trip, and we returned, drowned rats, on Saturday night. Pete hadn't been able to make it because of exams, which was lucky for him.
-drowned rats, on Saturday night. Pete hadn't been able to make it because of exams, which was lucky for him.
-Third time proves it. We set the date for the first week in September when the moon was full, and just as far from the shortest day as Geof's trip had been, only this side of it instead of the
+Third time proves it. We set the date for the first week in September when the moon was full, and just as far from the shortest day as Geof's trip had been, only this side of it instead of the other. Still no Stitt - more exams. We left it too late to book on the Fish so we caught the Chips, and at 8.30 stepped out smartly for Devil's Hole. The night was overcast, but a full moon behind white clouds cast a diffused glow over the country, and after descending the Devil's Hole we had no further need of torches. We stopped for a brief Howdy-do with walkers camped at the Old Hotel Site, then on and down Black Jerry's where Garth, with his great memory for detail, recalled the route we had prospected some weeks ago by identifying each gate we encountered by its lock, be it a chunk of wood or a bolt, be it round at the end, be it square, be it shiny, be it rusty, or what. The same sheep as chased Jim and Kevin ba-a-a-ahed at us, the Paddock Love grass which had scented the night air on Geof's trip was now golden in death, but the briar rose bushes with their poignant nostalgic perfume were the same as always, scenting the air as we dropped down to where the Cox gleamed in the moonlight. We walked about a mile along the river bank and camped in a thicket of flowering blackthorn. Ten minutes to cut a heap of bracken, a swift dip to disperse the dust of travel, then we demolished a slab of cake, set Colin's alarm watch for 5 a.m., and were sound asleep by midnight. We awoke in the scented dawn to countless thousands of lime green flowers scattered all over the prickle bushes - there is some good in blackthorn after all. Breakfast was cornflakes and such like out of a box. Colin, remarking that he was about to slit the throat of the sacred cow, opened a tin of condensed milk with a knife. One cow per meal was the order of things - the expendable cow. Having poured the contents on his cornflakes he announced that the expendable cow was now expent and tossed its empty carcase over the blackthorn bushes, causing a herd of its relatives to dash off up the river bank in alarm with tails flying. We rounded off breakfast with a pre-cooked chop or sausage, then the sleeping bags were stuffed into packs and we were away by 6 a.m. with destination Binlow (we hope) - 50 miles away. The day was cool and invigorating, and although the various river crossings were cold and often deep - up to the neck on several occasions - nevertheless they were very welcome as our constant steady pace kept us warmed up. Some way along the Cox Garth, who had been at the rear for a while, caught up and announced mournfully that he had lost his watch - it dropped out of his pocket when he had slung his shirt into his pack at the last river crossing. He had gone back to look for it, but no luck. The light went out of the day, the sun retreated behind a cloud and we all walked on sadly. "Just shows you it would pay to insure such valuables," said Colin. Suddenly, joy! The sun shone again and all the world was bright and gay - it __was__ insured. "You'd think that would be the first thing I'd think of," said Garth, "But I didn't,"
-other. Still no Stitt - more exams. We left it too late to book on the Fish so we caught the Chips, and at 8.30 stepped out smartly
-for Devil's Hole. The night was overcas, but a full moon behind
+In next to no time we were at Kanangra, and then the Kowmung Junction. It seemed very early for lunch, but we settled down to our bread and cheese, and Colin even found time to light a fire and brew a huge cauldron of tea, to which Garth added sugar and I added milk, and we were doing our best to drink it up when various youths hove in sight from various directions and converged on our billy of tea. They told us they were the Catholic Bushwalkers and they were engaged in (Shame!) a marathon handicap race. We didn't tell them that Bushwalkers deplore marathons: although we might have so quoted Club Policy. We merely felt superior that __we__ weren't indulging in anything so low, commercialised, plebeian, vulgar and depraved as a __contest__ - we were merely indulging in a long walk. The C.B.W's looked a bright lot of boys, all in high spirits and having a wonderful time. We donated them the extra half-gallon of our tea which we couldn't drink ourselves, they told us the best place to cross the Kowmung, and we sped off down Cox. Looking back we saw their vanguard streaking off up Kowmung to their finishing tape somewhere up on Kowmung heights.
-white clouds cast a diffused glow over the country, and after descend-
-ing the Devil's Hole we had no further need of torches. We stopped for a brief Howdy-do with walkers camped at the Old Hotel Site, then on and down Black Jerry's where Garth, with his great memory for
+Now we're at Harry's Humpy with Colin climbing up an orange tree and getting stuck in a fork, and Garth having to thump his boot out to release him. He threw down a great heap of oranges, and Garth pulled down more with a hook manufactured out of a piece of fencing wire, then off with the boots and socks and we sat in the grass under the trees with petals from the plum blossoms wafting like snowflakes across the moving scented air, the sun shining in a clear blue sky, and we ate oranges, and oranges, and oranges. Is it possible that keen intelligent adults don't know when they've had enough? I still maintain that 25 oranges at a sitting are 10 too many, but Colin blames drinking Cox water, or a stray wog from home, or anything except sour orange juice for the fact that he spent Monday at home alternating between bed and the outhouse.
-detail, recalled the route we had prospected some weeks ago by identifying each gate we encountered by its lock, be it a chunk of wood or a bolt, be it round at the end, be it square, be it shiny, be it rusty, or what. The same sheep as chased Jim and Kevin
-ba-a-a-ahed at us, the Paddock Love grass which had scented the night
+Right. They shook the gravel out of their socks and rinsed out their boots - I was wearing sandshoes - then heigh-ho for Bimlow. The road went on and on, as no doubt you know, and so did we, and about 8.30 we struck Bimlow. We settled on a nice grassy spot by a blackthorn bush, Colin took his billy and went off on what proved to be a Grand Tour to the river for water, then we sat in our sleeping bags and gorged on pre-cooked chops, bread and butter, tinned fruit and cream, and despite barking dogs down by the store we slept like logs till 5 a.m.
-air on Geof's trip was now golden in death, but the briar rose bushes
-with their poignant nostalgic perfume were the same as always, scenting the air as we dropped down to where the Cox gleamed in the moonlight. We walked about a mile along the river bank and camped
+Swayed by the weight of numbers I had brought my hob-nailed mountaineering boots on this trip - Did you ever hear of anything so silly? (Still, they __had__ been good in Tasmania a couple of weeks earlier). I had worn them as an experiment for the ten miles down to the Cox on Friday night, then carried the darn heavy things on my back for 50 miles down the Cox, but now with the greatest of pleasure I wrapped then in a half-tent due to be jettisoned and a piece of plastic groudsheet and stowed them on a floor beam under the store at Bimlow. Will probably retrieve them somehow, some day.
-in a thicket of flowering blackthorn. Ten minutes to cut a heap of
-bracken, a swift dip to disperse the dust of travel, then we demolished a slab of cake, set Colin's alarm watch for 5 a.m., and
+With packs containing now only lunch and sleeping bag and a few minor oddments we hit the road once more. The boys were having trouble with their heavy clinkered boots. "I'll bet these blokes who carol about the joys of tramping along the highway never tried it," said Colin bitterly. "Could anything be more devastating to the feet than the interminable thump, thump, pound, pound along a hard road." And much as I would like to think in terms of the romance of the open road I'm afraid I must agree that the modern description "road-bash" is much more realistic and to the point.
-were sound asleep by midnight. We awoke in the scented dawn to countless thousands of lime green flowers scattered all over the prickle bushes - there is some good in blackthorn after all, Breakfast w.Rs cornflakes and such like out of a box, Colin, remarkin
-that he was about to slit the throat of the sacred cow, opened a tin
+Garth had decided that the 85 miles that were good enough for Geof's crowd were good enough for him too, and it was Picton for him. The blisters he had aquired on the Minni Minni Range trip were still with him; he was now down to the 6th layer of skin and doubted if there were any more under that; he would probably make the 25 miles to Picton and call it a day. Colin, however, had planned for a hundred-mile week-end, and the itinerary was to be up the Nattai, up Starlight's Track to Hill Top, then a few extra miles along the main road to make up the even hundred - "and we'll do those last few miles even if we do them on our hands and knees," said Colin. So I set out that morning with that simple programme and not much else in my mind: 40 miles to go. Average 3 miles per hour - 13 hours walking, plus half an hour for dinner and perhaps tea. Should finish up by 8 p.m.
-of condensed milk with a knife. One cow per meal was the order of things - the expendable cow. Having poured the contents on his
-cornflakes he announced that the expendable cow was now expent and tossed its empty carcase over the blackthorn bushes, causing a herd
+"If we reach Sheehy's Creek by 10 a,m, we've got the game sewn up," said Colin. Well, we reached Sheehy's Creek at 10.30. Half an hour was nothing to worry about. I was thinking of Garth whom we would soon be leaving to make his painful lonely way into Picton alone, rather than delay the speed of the party. ("Good-bye Captain Oates." "It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before.")
-of its relatives to dash off up the river bank in alarm with tails flying, We rounded off breakfast with a pre-cooked chop or sausage, then the sleeping bags were stuffed into packs and we were away by
-a.m with destination Binlow (we hope) - 50 miles away. The day
+"Look," said Colin, "I'm going out with Garth to Picton." "What!!!," said I. "You've planned this 100-miler for 6 months." "Yair," said Colin. "You'll got in to the Royal George at 2.30, and that's a ridiculous hour to finish a trip." "Yair," said Colin. "You'll kick yourself for months if you don't finish now." "Yair," said Colin. "It's only another 15 miles. You could do that easily." "Yair," said Colin. "I'll lend you my sandshoes and I'll walk barefoot." "No," said Colin, "But you go on. I'll go in to Picton with Garth."
-was cool and invigorating, and although the various river crossings were cold and often deep - up to the neck on several occasions - nevertheless they were very welcome as our constant steady pace kept us warmed up Some way along the Cox Garth, who had been at the rear for a while, caught up and announced mournfully that he
-had lost his watch - it dropped out of his pocket when he had
+So Colin gave me his map and a good torch, and feeling like a captain deserting his sinking ship and crew I said good-bye and sped off up the Nattai. I ran the first ten miles to still the turmoil within....
-slung his shirt into his pack at the last river crossing. He had
-PHOTOGRAPHY t
+"Oh, he rides fast to dull the pain\\
-You press tI butt,':x49 well)._ do the rest t
-LEICA PHOTO SERVICE
-Macquarie Place
-SYDNEY N.S.W.
-gone back to look for it, but no luck, The light went out of the day, the sun retreated behind a cloud and we all walked on sadly,
-"Just shows you it would pay to insure such valuables," said Colin. Suddenly, joys The sun shone again and all the world was bright and gay - it was insured, "You'd think that would be the first
-thing I'd think of," said Garth, "But I didn't,"
-In next to no time we were at Kanangras and then the Kowmung Junction. It seemed very early for lunch, but we settled down to
-our bread and cheese, and Colin even found time to light a fire and brew a huge cauldron of tea, to which Garth added sugar and I added milk, and we were doing our best to drink it up when various youths hove in sight from various directions and converged on our billy of tea. They told us they were the Catholic Bushwalkers and they were engaged in (Shame!) a marathon handicap race. We didn't tell them that Bushwalkers deplore marathons: although we might have
-so quoted Club Policy. We merely felt superior that we weren't indulging in anything so lows commercialised, plebeians vulgar and depraved as a contest - we were merely indulging in a long walk. The C.B.W's looked a bright lot of boys, all in high spirits and having a wonderful time. We donated them the extra half-gallon of our tea which we couldn't drink ourselves, they told us the best
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-IT MD TO COME:,
-AND PADDY EtS IT  I.
-You've all had dried eggs arid dried
-vegetables, dried mashed potatoes and dried meat. No doubt you've also had dry bread, but there's no need to have dry bread any more because now we've got dried butter.
-Yes folks, dehydrated butter. It's chief merit is not its lightness or compactness - 12 oz. mixed with water makes a pound of butter - (if you like your butter tasty mix with sour milk
-Instead of water). The great point about concentrated butter is that it doesn't melt in hot weather*
-Those hard-boiled merchants the Yanks have ordered several tons of it
-for tropical use.
-Phone:. BM2685.
-PADDY PAWN
-Lightweight Camp Gear
-CASTLEREAGH St SYDNEY
-.
-place to cross the Kowmung, and we sped off down Cox. Looking back we saw their vanguard streaking off up Kowmung to thanr finishing tape somewhere up on Kowmung heights.
-Now we're at Harry's Humpy with Colin climbing up an orange tree and getting stuck in a fork, and Garth having to thump his boot out to release him. He threw down a great heap of oranges, and Garth pulled down more with a hook manufactured out of a piece of fencing wire, then off with the boots and socks and we sat in the grass under the trees with petals from the plum blossoms wafting like snowflakes across the moving scented air, the sun shining in a
-clear blue sky, and we ate oranges, and oranges, and oranges. Is it
-possible that keen intelligent adults don't know when they've had enough? I still maintain that 25 oranges at a sitting are 10 too many, but Colin blames drinking Cox water, or a stray wog from home, or anything except sour orange juice for the fact that he spent Monday at home alternating between bed and the outhouse.
-Right. They shook the gravel out of their socks and rinsed out their boots - I was wearing sandshons - then heigh-ho for Bimlow. The road went on and on, as no doubt you know, and so
-did we, and about 8,30 we struck Bimlow. We settled on a nice grassy spot by a blackthorn bush, Colin took his billy and went off on what proved to be a Grand Tour to the river for waters then we sat
-in our sleeping bags and gorged on pre-cooked chops, bread and butter, tinned fruit and cream, and despite barking dogs down by
-the store we slept like logs till 5 a.m.
-Swayed by the weight of numbers I had brought my hob-nailed mountaineering boots on this trip - Did you ever hear of anything
-so silly? (Still, they had been good in Tasmania a couple of weeks
-earlier). I had worn them as an experiment for the ten miles down
-to the Cox on Friday night, then carried the darn heavy things on my back for 50 miles down the Cox, but now with the greatest of pleasure I wrapped then in a half-tent due to be jettisoned and a
-piece of plastic grou2teheet and stowed them on a floor beam under the store at Bimlow, Will probably retrieve them somehow, some day.
-With packs containing now only lunch and sleeping bag and a
-few minor oddments we hit the road once more. The boys were having
-trouble with their heavy clinkered boots. "I'll bet these blokes who carol about the joys of tramping along the highway never tried
-it," said Colin bitterly. "Could anything be more devastating to the feet than the interminable thump, thump, pound, pound along a
-hard road." And much as I would like to think in terms of the
-romance of the open road I'm afraid I must agree that the modern description "road-bash" is much more realistic and to the point.
-Garth had decided that the 85 miles that were good enough for
-Geof's crowd were good enough for him too, and it was Picton for him.
-The blisters he had aquired on the Minni Minni Range trip were still
-with him; he was now down to the 6th layer of skin and doubted if there were any more under that; he would probably make the 25 miles to Picton and call it a day, Colin, however, had planned for a hundred-mile week-end, and the itinerary was to be up the Nattai,
-.
-up Starlight's Track to Hill Top, then a few extra miles along the
-main road to make up the even hundred - "and we'll do those last few miles even if we do them on our hands and knees," said Colin. So I set out that morning with that simple programme and not much else in my mind: 40 miles to go. Average 3 miles per hour - 13 hours walking, plus half an hour for dinner and perhaps tea. Should finish up by 8 p.m.
-"If we reach Sheehy's Creek by 10 a,m, we've got the game sewn
-up," said Colin. Well, we reached Sheehy's Creek at 10.30. Half an hour was nothing to worry about. I was thinking of Garth whom we would soon be leaving to make his painful lonely way into Picton alone, rather than delay the speed of the party. 'Good-.bye Captain Oates." "It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before.")
-"Look," said Cohn, "I'm going out with Garth to Picton." "WhatZ11," said I. "You've planned this 100-miler for 6 months.' "Yair," said Colin.
-"You'll got in to the Royal George at 2.30, and that's a
-ridiculous hour to finish a trip"
-"Yair," said Colin.
-"You'll kick yourself for months if you don't finish now." "Yair," said Colin.
-IMPORTANT TRANSPORT NOTICE
-BUSHWALKERS REQUIRING TRANSPORT
-FROM BLACKHEATH ANY HOUR RING WRITE OR GALL
-SIEDLECKY'S TAXI AND TOURIST SERVICT,
-  STATION STREET, BLACKHEATH.
-HOUR SERVIC E.
-BUSHWALKERS arriving at Blackheath late at nf.ght without transport booking can ring for car from Railway Station or call at above address -- IT'S NEVER TOO IATEI
-'PHONE: 13/HEATH 81 or 146 LOOK FOR aus TC3210 TV270.
-OR BOOK AT MARK SALON RADIO SHOP OPPOSITE STATION.
-.
-"It's -only another 15 miles. You could do that easily." "Yair," said Colin.
-"I'll lend you my sandshoes and I'll walk barefoot."
-"No," said Colin, "But you go on. I'll go in to Picton with Garth."
-So Colin gave me his map and a good torch, and feeling like a
-captain deserting his sinking ship and crew I said good-bye and sped off up the Nattai. I ran the first ten miles to still the turmoil
-within
-"Oh, he rides fast to dull the pain
 Who rides from home, etc. etc..."
-and the green and gold clearings of the Nattai, and the tall swaying wattles in a perfection of flowering, the little deserted farm
-buildings and the Nattai walls flashed past in a haze. By the time I slowed down I guessed it was dinner time so finished off the food in my pack except for a small chunk of bread and a handful of popped
+and the green and gold clearings of the Nattai, and the tall swaying wattles in a perfection of flowering, the little deserted farm buildings and the Nattai walls flashed past in a haze. By the time I slowed down I guessed it was dinner time so finished off the food in my pack except for a small chunk of bread and a handful of popped rice.
-rice.
-By about 2 or 3 o'clock I was at a clearing in which was a blitz buggy containing bunks and a Silent Knight refrigerator and
+By about 2 or 3 o'clock I was at a clearing in which was a blitz buggy containing bunks and a Silent Knight refrigerator and all mod. cons. From here Colin said it was 6 or 8 miles of trackless river work to reach the foot of Starlight's Track. Should do it by dark, so on I pushed. Instructions were to keep up the side as far as possible out of the river-bed thicket, so I bore off to the right and pressed on for several hours. Then I got into the river bed itself, which started going uphill rapidly. It was very rocky and rugged, the growth very dense, and all chance of finding a clearing on it called McArthur's Flat faded from possibility. Could I possibly have by-passed McArthur's Flat? (Was I up some side creek?) I shall have to go back some time end find out. I climbed out of the river bed and headed up to the walls on the left, hoping I might be able to climb them and so get a long view of my whereabouts, but what might have been a possible climb with a party I reluctantly decided was an unjustifiable risk when alone. From the base of the cliff face though, with the sun now proposing to set in the west, I could see the river winding off to the S.E. But my direction should be due east, so I cursed heartily and decided to return to the blitz buggy site with all speed in the remaining hour of daylight. I ran all the way back, not losing too much height at first as I had hopes I might cut Starlight's Track on the way; but no, and soon after dark I was back at the blitz buggy site sitting in my sleeping bag among the bracken and eating my miserable chunk of dry bread while I studied the map by torchlight. Having resigned myself to being a day overdue, for the first time in all my walking experience, I decided to spend a couple of hours next morning going upstream right in the river bed, then if there was a clearing to be found I would undoubtedly find it, but if unsuccessful in two hours I would have to return down the Nattai and go up to Picton.
-all mod. cons. From here Colin said it was 6 or 8 miles of trackless river work to reach the foot of Sarlight's Track. Should do it
-by dark, so on I pushed, Instructions were to keep up the side as far as possible out of the river-bed thicket, so I bore off to the
+I spent the next a.m. from about 5 till 7 pushing up the river bed, but when I struck the same traitorous rocky creek-bed as yesterday I knew there was no point in going further and repeating yesterday's debacle, so with something of relief I pounded off down the Nattai to Sheehy's Creek. Heavens, how swiftly time and the scenery passes when you hurry! By about mid-day I was sitting at the very spot where I had bid good-bye to Colin and Garth yesterday, eating a tin of peaches and a ditto of condensed milk ripped open with a piece of fencing wire, this providential tucker having been found in a deserted habitation on the way out. Then up Sheehy's Creek to the Waterfall, and via a road which didn't seem to be the one on the map but which brought me out to the Mowbray Park road, and so in to Picton by 3 o'clock. I sent a telegram home to say I was on my way, and enquired re departure of the next train. It wasn't due out for 21 hours, so I plugged off up the main Highway where the road-sign pointed Sydney-wards, hoping some kind soul would offer me a lift. However, the few cars that passed no doubt thought I was out for a light canter for the good of my health and passed on. Ha! but what's this I see crawling up the hill in low gear? - a bulk-concrete truck with a convenient girder for a perch at the rear. How easy it was to sit down. It wasn't till the vehicle reached the brow of the hill and whizzed off at 60 m.p.h. that the brain began to function. "Hell, what an asinine thing to do! How do you think you're ever going to be able to get off - it might go 50 miles in the wrong direction before it slows up on another hill. What if a traffic cop comes up on a motor bike and orders you off. Odearodear! Meanwhile the yellow dotted lines on the road whipped past underneath like bits of yellow streamer dropped into a jet plane's slipstream, and a passing woman driver with a mouth that looked like it ought to have been set out in the bush to catch dingoes eyed me with a look which said, "What a disgrace to the country!" and I studied the sky and hoped for a hill where I could drop off. Ah, at last the concrete Juggernaut changed down for a steep pull and I vacated my perch with relief. A man and his son who had thought it was all one huge joke swung open their car door and in I leapt, and so through to Liverpool at 60-70 m.p.h. "Dad's in a hurry," said the boy with pride as Dad's car swung over to the right side of the road and even left the paved surface for the soft edge. "He doesn't generally drive so fast." In to Liverpool still in one piece - just in time to catch a train right through to Wahroonga and so I was home almost before the train would have left Picton.
-right and pressed on for several hours. Then I got into the river bed itself, which started going uphill rapidly. It was very rocky
-and rugged, the growth very dense, and all chance of finding a clearing an it called McArthur's Flat faded from possibility. Could
+And now what have we to say for ourself? Well, long walks such as the one described are possible, and no great hardship physically provided the footwear is suitable, but the "life is real, life is earnest" atmosphere is a bit hard to take and leaves no time for fun, and when it's all said and done, fun is essential.
-I possibly have by-passed McArthur's Flat? Was I up some side creek?)
-I shall have to go back some time end find out. I climbed out of the river bed and headed up to the walls on the left, hoping I might be able to climb them and so get a long view of my whereabouts, but what might have been a possible climb with a party I relurtantly decided was an unjustifiable risk when alone. From the base of the cliff face though, with the man now proposing to set in the west, I
-could see the river nding off to the S.E. But my direction should be due east, so I cursed heartily and decided to return to the blitz
-buggy site with all speed in the remaining hour of daylight. I ran all the way back, not losing too much height at first as I had hopes I might cut Starlight's Track on the way; but no, and soon after
-dark I was back at the blitz buggy site sitting in my sleeping bag
-among the bracken and eating my miserable chunk of dry bread while
-I studied the map by torchlight. Having resigned myself to being
-a day overdue, for the first time in all my walking experience, I
-decided to spend a couple of hours next morning going upstream right in the river bed, then if there was a clearing to be found I would
-undoubtedly find it, but if unsuccessful in two hours I would have
-to return down the Nattai and go up to Pieten.
-I spent the next a.n, from about 5 till 7 pushing up the river bed, but when I struck the same traitorous rocky creek-bed as
-yesterday I knew there was no point in going further and repeating yesterday's debacle, so with something of relief I pounded off down
-the Nattai to Sheehy's Creek. Heavens, how swiftly time and the scenery passes when you hurry,' By about mid-day I was sitting at
-,
-the very spot where I had bid good-bye to Colin and Garth yesterday,
-eating a tin of peaches and a ditto of condensed milk ripped open
-with a piece of fencing wire, this providential tucker having been found in a deserted habitation on the way out. ,Then hp Sheehy's
-Creek to the Waterfall, and via a road which didn't seem to be the one on the map but which brought me out to the Mowbray Park road,
-and so in to Picton by 3 o'clock. I sent a telegram home to say I was on my way, and enquired re departure of the next train. It wasn due out for 21 hours, so I plugged off up the main Highway where the road-sign pointed Sydney-wards, hoping some kind soul would offer me a lift. However, the few cars that passed no doubt thought I was ouH for a light canter for the good of my health and passed on. Hadt but what's this I see crawling up the hill in low gear? - a bulk- concrete truck with a convenient girder for a perch at the rear, How easy it was to sit down. It wasn't till the vehicle reached the bro, of the hill and whizzed off at 60 m.p.h, that the brain began to function. "Hell, what an asinine thing to do! How do you think you're ever going to be able to get off - it might go 50 miles in the wrong direction before it slows up on another hill. What if a traffic cop comes up on a motor bike and orders you off. Odearodearr Meanwhile the yellow dotted lines on the road whipped past underneat2 like bits of yellow streamer dropped into a jet plane's slipstream, and a passing woman driver with a mouth that looked like it ought to have been set out in the bush to catch dingoes eyed me with a look which said, "What a disgrace to the country!" and I studied the sky and hoped for a hill where I could drop off. Ah, at last the concreJuggernaut changed down for a steep pull and I vacated my perch with relief. A man and his son who had thought it was all one huge joke
-KEEP UP YOUR VITALITY
-ON WALKS WITH
-VEGETARIAN FOODS
-CENOVIS YEAST (CONTAINS WHOLE VITAMIN B COMPLEX, ALSO D,E,F, AND H). .
-LIGHT THIN RY-KING CRISP BREAD (100% WHOLE RYE FLOUR) WELL
-WRAPPED IN HANDY 8 OZ. PACKET.
-I BASE YOUR HOLIDAY FOOD LISTS ON WHOLESOME FOODS
-WIDE RANGE OF DRIED FRUITS, NUTS, BISCUITS AND DRIED FRUIT
-SWEETS.
-FROM
-THE SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD SHOP, 13 HUNTER STREET SYDNEY.
-.11,1.
-.
-swung opentheir car door and in I leapt, and so through to Liverpool at 60-70 m.p.h. "Dad's in a hurry," said the boy with pride as Dad's car swung over to the right side of the road and even left the
-paved surface for the soft edge. "He doesn't generally drive so fast." In to Liverpool still in one piece - just in time to catch a train right through to Wahroonga and so I was home almost before the train would have left Picton.
-And now what have we to say for ourself? Well, long walks such as the one described are possible, and no great hardship
-physically provided the footwear is suitable, but the "life is real, life is earnest" atmosphere is a bit hard to take and leaves no time for fun, and when it's all said and done, fun is essential.
 FEDERATION REPORT - SEPTEMBER
 New Secretary: Mr. Peter Cameron of the C.M.W. has been elected to the position of Hon.Sec. of the Federation. The position of Secretary to S.& R. has now been vacated.
@@ Line 540: / Line 411: @@
 tAy
 X"'\
+IT MD TO COME:,
+AND PADDY EtS IT  I.
+You've all had dried eggs arid dried
+vegetables, dried mashed potatoes and dried meat. No doubt you've also had dry bread, but there's no need to have dry bread any more because now we've got dried butter.
+Yes folks, dehydrated butter. It's chief merit is not its lightness or compactness - 12 oz. mixed with water makes a pound of butter - (if you like your butter tasty mix with sour milk
+Instead of water). The great point about concentrated butter is that it doesn't melt in hot weather*
+Those hard-boiled merchants the Yanks have ordered several tons of it
+for tropical use.
+Phone:. BM2685.
+PADDY PAWN
+Lightweight Camp Gear
+CASTLEREAGH St SYDNEY