195806
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revisionPrevious revisionNext revision | Previous revisionNext revisionBoth sides next revision | ||
195806 [2016/04/07 21:03] – [The Smoke of Their Passing] kennettj | 195806 [2016/04/07 21:20] – [The Smoke of Their Passing] kennettj | ||
---|---|---|---|
Line 304: | Line 304: | ||
As it was only mid-afternoon, | As it was only mid-afternoon, | ||
- | Having caught on, I was first back in carp and soon had the fire coked up. Perhaps at this juncture I could slip in a serious word of commendation for my carping | + | |
- | she had discovered. Before long, even Irish pronounced the dammed water fit for human consumption - only she didn't define " | + | Having caught on, I was first back in camp and soon had the fire coked up. Perhaps at this juncture I could slip in a serious word of commendation for my camping |
- | A starlit evening was spent in quiet yarning by the campfire - culture, lotteries, theology and Dormie' | + | |
- | into the down. Thc bench order was; Audrey, Pam, me. All slept well except Audrey - the tent was abdulled and Pam spent the night,. | + | A starlit evening was spent in quiet yarning by the campfire - culture, lotteries, theology and Dormie' |
- | rolling in Audrey' | + | |
- | with Audrey pushed out to shiver under the stars. The next night we reversed the order and put Pam on the outside - so she rolled the other way and pushed us both out. How's that for gratitude? | + | The leader' |
- | The leader' | + | |
Dawn found us flannel flowers pounding the same path and just as the sun rose into a cloudless sky we witnessed the simple but impressive commemoration service. It would be sacrilege for one so flippant as I to attempt the description of this moving ceremony, so I'll leave it for someone more coherent. | Dawn found us flannel flowers pounding the same path and just as the sun rose into a cloudless sky we witnessed the simple but impressive commemoration service. It would be sacrilege for one so flippant as I to attempt the description of this moving ceremony, so I'll leave it for someone more coherent. | ||
Line 322: | Line 322: | ||
" | " | ||
- | In front J Horrors1 That if we took a wrong turn and got lost? S R would search the rearguard positions and I wouldn' | + | In front : Horrors! What if we took a wrong turn and got lost? S R would search the rearguard positions and I wouldn' |
- | before my eyes. Or was it an enigmatic smile? | + | "Oh, come off it," said I. "We couldn' |
- | "Oh, come off it," said I. "We couldn' | + | "We better make sure," said John. " |
- | crossed just down the gully' | + | |
- | "We better make sure," said John. " | + | |
As the echoes of our cries died away, faint calls came back. " | As the echoes of our cries died away, faint calls came back. " | ||
"Ditto ditto," | "Ditto ditto," | ||
- | We cooeed again. | ||
- | " | ||
- | "No, up there," | ||
- | that two other parties were also converging on Blue Dog? | ||
- | We yelled yet again. | ||
- | "Over there j," we cried together, both pointing east - we knew, because the response had sounded like a public address system, butchers' | ||
- | Soon we were with them once again, metaphoric tails between our legs - and whether it was by accident or design know not, but when we got mobile again someone else was guarding the rear. | + | We cooeed |
- | Up and down, along, around, about - a half hour of this kind of progress and we were looking down on the Breakfast Creek CoxRiver junction. Like terriers after a,snake the party began the long drop down the Blue Pup. Something went wrong, though, because by the time Irish and I had done a hundred feet the rest were out of sight in a flurry of dust and flying pebbles - and yet, as we..-two scrambled out on to the banks of the Cos, there was only Brian to greet us with fire going end billy on. | + | "No, up there," said John Webfoot pointing east and west. Trouble |
- | Ls the first lady down, Irish was rechristened the Greyhound | + | |
- | "What happened to you?" she asked with studied innocence. | + | |
- | "Well," began Jack Gentle. (This paragraph censored. | + | |
- | Sufficient | + | |
- | Ls we munched lunch a whirlwind passed along the bank, over Breakfast Ck., end disaPpeared round the bend towards Harry' | + | |
- | " | + | |
- | It was Michael Elfick with some S.T.C. confreres, setting | + | |
- | a Hilltop-to-Katoomba record - over the hundred miles in two days. I made a mental note never to be following an Elfick sortie. | + | |
- | At the Harry' | + | We yelled yet again. "Over there" we cried together, both pointing east - we knew, because the response had sounded like a public address system, butchers' |
- | to travel, eat and sleep in my wet dads, even when pushed out into the cold by Pam. | + | |
- | I mast have had aquatic amnesia, for my mind is a blank until 4.45 p m., when John Sorefoot and I were to be soen loungingg' | + | Soon we were with them once again, metaphoric tails between our legs - and whether it was by accident or design know not, but when we got mobile again someone else was guarding the rear. Up and down, along, around, about - a half hour of this kind of progress and we were looking down on the Breakfast Creek Cox River junction. Like terriers after a snake the party began the long drop down the Blue Pup. Something went wrong, though, because by the time Irish and I had done a hundred feet the rest were out of sight in a flurry of dust and flying pebbles - and yet, as we two scrambled out on to the banks of the Cox, there was only Brian to greet us with fire going end billy on. |
- | "Of course," | + | |
- | first in camp tonight, and my tent goes right there on that lush patch of lawn." | + | As the first lady down, Irish was rechristened the Greyhound and there was an impish gleam in her eyes when the misguided ones began trickling in a few minutes later.\\ |
- | Having picked the site I departed up the creek to gather firewood. | + | "What happened to you?" she asked with studied innocence.\\ |
- | were to rest. Foiled again. | + | " |
+ | |||
+ | As we munched lunch a whirlwind passed along the bank, over Breakfast Ck., and disappeared round the bend towards Harry' | ||
+ | " | ||
+ | It was Michael Elfick with some S.T.C. confreres, setting a Hilltop-to-Katoomba record - over the hundred miles in two days. I made a mental note never to be following an Elfick sortie. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the Harry' | ||
+ | |||
+ | I must have had aquatic amnesia, for my mind is a blank until 4.45 p m., when John Sorefoot and I were to be seen lounging | ||
+ | |||
+ | Having picked the site I departed up the creek to gather firewood. | ||
Breakfast next morning was interrupted by the rugby league whistle and the public address system. | Breakfast next morning was interrupted by the rugby league whistle and the public address system. | ||
Line 362: | Line 356: | ||
Well, no - not quite. As I cleared the trees at the top of the track I became conscious of someone breathing down my neck. It was Beryl Collins, flimsiest-looking of the prospectives, | Well, no - not quite. As I cleared the trees at the top of the track I became conscious of someone breathing down my neck. It was Beryl Collins, flimsiest-looking of the prospectives, | ||
- | At the causeway we found Ron and Colin, fire going and tea ready. I had to admit that Brian' | + | At the causeway we found Ron and Colin, fire going and tea ready. I had to admit that Brian' |
- | Canada - well, now, let's be frank about this. Let's admit that Isobel Wilkie and P.udrey | + | |
- | By the time us males and the two girls reached Explorers' | + | By the time us males and the two girls reached Explorers' |
- | a pub, it not - it's a cafe; but it was just as good as, because Brian' | + | |
the presence of The Law at an adjacent table we were soon washing down our fillets mignon with beer and hock. | the presence of The Law at an adjacent table we were soon washing down our fillets mignon with beer and hock. | ||
- | The walk was over; but if you think this is the end of the story you're wrong. It goes on for a long time yet - | + | |
- | hilarity every time we meet in the club; chuckles over kodachromes at odd times; and I still haven' | + | The walk was over; but if you think this is the end of the story you're wrong. It goes on for a long time yet - hilarity every time we meet in the club; chuckles over kodachromes at odd times; and I still haven' |
- | seeds out of my sox. In fact, the story is probably just | + | |
- | beginning, because I give notice of a motion at the next Annual General to appoint Messrs. Baker and Fergumn | + | |
And I'm sure that all my companions on that trip will carry with acclamation (magno clamor) my vote of thanks to an excellent leader. | And I'm sure that all my companions on that trip will carry with acclamation (magno clamor) my vote of thanks to an excellent leader. | ||
- | 18. | ||
====== Commemorative Service at Splendour Rock ====== | ====== Commemorative Service at Splendour Rock ====== | ||
- | |||
On the morning of 26th April, just as the sun rose clear above the cloud sea in the valley of the Cox, Federation President Paul Driver led an assembly of bushwalkers in a moving ceremony to mark the tenth anniversary of the dedication of the memorial plaque at Splendour Rock. | On the morning of 26th April, just as the sun rose clear above the cloud sea in the valley of the Cox, Federation President Paul Driver led an assembly of bushwalkers in a moving ceremony to mark the tenth anniversary of the dedication of the memorial plaque at Splendour Rock. |
195806.txt · Last modified: 2016/04/25 15:22 by kennettj