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+===== "The Rates Were Delicious" or "Ding Dong Your Dinner". =====
+Written by J.W. for Eileen, Snow, George and Yarmak.
+It was all Snow's fault. But then it always is. He suggested White's River Hut and as I had had two goes at getting there, I said whaoko!!
+Yarmak and I went down to Cooma on the Midnight Horror (alias the Koszi Snow Express) and met Snow, George and Eileen at the Hotel site early Saturday morning; well, it was 11 o'clock any-way, we loaded the food and gear into the cars and set off to Munyang Power Station.
+While we were off-loading the food and sorting out how much light stuff we could each get into our respective packs and how much heavy stuff we could push off on to someone else, we were nearly run over by a large tourist bus which descended on us, belching black smoke and disgorging hundreds of tourists. They eyed us curiously, and our great pile of food incredulously. But there __were__ five of us to eat it!
+"We've got a steep climb up the Penstock but after that its flat all the way, so we'll be there for tea" says Snow. We groaned and tried to get above horizontal under our packs and skis and dutifully trotted after him up the zigzag road. At 3.32 p.m. the following day we arrived at White's River Hut.
+"There might be Rats here" says Snow. So when it was time for bed we did our packs up tight, pulled our heads in and went to sleep on the mattresses on the floor. About 12 o'clock there was a bit of a rumpus among the dillies and things on the table. I sat up and looked around, but couldn't see a thing except a tin, which had obviously fallen off the table and was rocking slowly back and forth on the floor. Mmm" I thought "Rats". I struggled up and hopped over to the table to investigate, but didn't look in the pack which was on the table in case a rat jumped out on top of me. Not a thing moved, not a sound anywhere, so abandoning the search, I went back to the crack beside George in which I had been wedged. Once on your side and you couldn't move an inch.
+I had no sooner got comfortable when one of the plates fell onto the floor with a crash and we all jumped upright, even Snow; but the Rat was gone, and after hanging up the packs and plugging up one of the more obvious holes we all went back to bed. George had blocked up the hole with a tine and a large stone on top. For half an hour after the poor rat strained and grunted with exertion trying to get that rock off his hole and for spite came over and chewed Yarmak's flying helmet, which Yarmak happened to be wearing at the time.
+The following day was mighty, with clear blue sky and marvellous snow. The boys went up to Dickey Cooper, Bogong, and gloated over the view and the fantastic rundown, while Eileen and I made a great job of messing up the slopes around the hut. That night was rather quiet with only one exchange between Snow and the Rat, with Snow relatively victorious.
+Tuesday saw us up fairly early and away to Tate. With skins on our skis the climb up to the tops was maggies meat.  From the tops (where we ate Loganberry Snow) we could see The Grey Mare Range, Twynam and then over the Murray Valley to Bogong in Victoria.
+After lunch which we ate on Tate's west ridge Eileen and I started back, as a storm was brewing, leaving Snow and George to complete the climb. The trip back in the gathering storm was very impressive. The mist gathered around us, enclosing us in a world of silence, lifting only once to give us a magnificent view of Jagangal, lit with gold from the late sun, to a backdrop of angry blue black storm clouds. Yarmak greeted us back at the hut and very soon after Snow and George arrived, beating the darkness by about half an hour.
+Now Tuesday night was a crucial point in oar stay at White's River. Till then we and the Rats were just about even. One all. But that night we were soundly beaten. After taking the usual precautions of hanging up packs and putting any good away in the meat safe, we retired to bed, equipped with the usual accoutrements. Yarmak (who was sleeping on the floor) with a large axe handle, George, who was sleeping opposite him, with an old pair of boots, a large lump of wood and a torch. We all lay trying to be asleep when Snow, who had plugged up a Rathole near the head of his bed, whispered "My God, he's here chewing the paper". We still don't know if the Rat had run up the bedpost and was chewing it from Snow's side or not, but it upset Snow. On went the torch and two Rats ran for home, with Yarmak hastening their passage with a few shattering blows with the axe handle. We lay back to see what they would do next, and it wasn't long before out they came again. Whack, whack, in the wood pile. Whack in between the two beds. Bang, bang, bang. "Surely we got one that time, but no. Lay out some more bait.
+George sprinkled the floor and Yarmak liberally, but the Rat didn't even wait till we put the torch off. He raced out of a hole and gobbled some, so it was whack, whack, whack again. "That's a rude trick to play on a Dad" says Yarmak. "These Rates are beyond everything", says George, "we'll have to make a trap. Now if we use one of those four gallon drums and suspend it from the ceiling and have a trigger mechanism, so that when the Rat chews through it, down comes the drum". Snigg-gg-er. We were all listening to George, and so was the Rat, but he had the hide to laugh.
+Meanwhile out in the main room the rest of the Rat family were having a glorious time sliding off the top of the meat safe and sharpening up their teeth on the gauze sides, preparatory to coming in and having a chew at us. For the rest of the night I slept soundly, but in the morning George informed us that they had used his bunk for a race track and even had the hide to chew at his hair.
+The following day was a rest day, when we gathered strength, and collected amo to battle with the Rats. The trap was duly contrived, much to the horror of five Y.M.C.A. bods from Guthega, who were visiting at White's. They were so upset at our Rat tales that they slept in the hut next door. After tea the traps were set amidst great hilarity. It was absolutely impossible to get from the bunks to the outside door without getting your legs knocked from under you or your skull bashed in.
+We retired to bed and waited. Suddenly one of the traps crashed down and everyone jumped out of their sleeping bags and rushed into the other room. Festering; it was a false alarm. So it was back to bed, and I think everyone went to sleep very soon after.
+In the morning when we awoke no one bothered to look at the traps, having heard no more crashes during the night. Snow was the first one to go into the main room, and pick his way between the traps towards the main door. Suddenly he yelled "We've got one". No one paid much attention to him as we thought it was a new way of getting us out of bed. We still ignored him when he reappeared into view looking most triumphant; but George's curiosity overcame him and he also went to look.
+Exclamations of amazement finally brought us into the room and there was a Rat in our trap and funnily enough it was the very trap that the Rat had laughed at the night before.
+Thursday morning was memorable because not only did we catch a Rat but we also climbed Gungarten and visited Tin Hut and were home for afternoon tea. The view from the top of Gungarten was well worth the climb up: the range was clear and glistening in the early sun and the air was as pure and cold as crystal. The run down was fun especially over the small waves of ice on the saddle. Tin Hut was nearly buried and as the snow had come in on one side we didn't linger long over lunch.
+Friday morning we all departed from White's River with light packs and heavy hearts. The sun shone brilliantly and the snow crackled under our boots as we walked up to the tops for the last time. Just before the run down to Guthega (where we were fed coffee and bun loaf at the Y.M.C.A. Hut) we stopped for a brief rest and a final look.
+----
+=== Paddy Made. ===
+Wet trips! We ask for our new "Yak" jacket.
+Superbly made from Neoprene coated Nylon fabric at 99/6 each.
+Paddy Palling Pty Ltd. Lightweight Camp Gear.
+Castlereagh St., Sydney. BM2685.
+----
+===== Blossoms And Bulljoes. =====
-"THE RATES WERE DELICIOUS"
-or
-"DING DONG YOUR. DINNER"
-Written by J.W. for Eileen,
-Snow, George and Yarmak.
-It was all Snow's fault. But then it always is. He suggested White's River Hut and as I had had two goes at getting there, I said whaoko!:
-Yarmak and I went down to Cooma on the Midnight Horror (alias the Koszi Snow Express) and met Snow, George and Eileen at the Hotel site early Saturday morning; well, it was 11 o'clock any-way, we loaded the food and gear into the oars and set off to Munyang Power Station.
-While we were off-loading the food and sorting out how much light stuff we could each get into our respective packs and how much heavy stuff we could push off on to someone else, we were nearly run over by a large tourist bus which descended on us, belching black smoke and disgorging hundreds of tourists. They eyed us curiously, and
-our great pile of food incredulously. But there were five of us to eat it!
-"We've got a steep climb up the Penstock:but after that its flat all the way, so
-we'll be there for tea" says Snow'. We groaned and tried to get above horizontal
-under our packs and skis and dutifully trotted after him up the zigzag road. At 3.32 p m. the following day we arrived at White's River Hut.
-"There might be Rats here" says Snow. So when it was time for bed we did our packs Up tight, pulled our heads in and went to sleep on the mattresses on the floor. About 12 O'clock there was 'a bit of a rumpus among the fillies and things on the table.
-I sat up' and looked around) but couldn't see a thing except a tin, which had obviously
-fallen off the table and was rocking slowly back and forth on the floor. 'Tram" I
-thought "Rats". I struggled up and hopped over to the table to investigate, but didn't look in the pack Which was on the table in case a rat jumped out on top of me.
-Not a thing moved, not a sound anywhere, so abandoning the search, I went back:to the
-crack beside George in which I had been wedged. Once on your side and you couldn't move an inch.
-I had no sooner got comfortable when one of the plates fell onto the floor -with a crash and we all jumped upright, even Snow; but the Rat was gone, and after hanging
-up the packs and plugging up one of the more obvious holes we all went back to bed.
-George had blocked up the hole with a tine and a large stone on top. For half an hour
-after the poor rat strained and grunted with exertion trying to get that rock off his
-hole and for spite came over and chewed Yarmak's flying helmet, which Yarmak happened. - to be Wearing at the time.
-The following day was mighty, with clear blue sky- and marvellous snow. The boys went up to Dickey Cooper, Bogong, and gloated over the view and the fantastic rundown, while Eileen and I made a great job of messing up the slopes around the hut. That
-. night as rather quiet litith only one exchange between Snow and the Rat, with Snow relatively victorious.
-Tuesday saw us up fairly early and away to Tate. With skins on our skis the climb up to the tops was maggies meat.  From the tops (where we ate Loganberry Snow) we could see The Grey Mare Range, TiArnam and then over the Murray Valley to Bogong in Victoria.
-After lunch which we ate on Tate's west ridge Eileen and I started back, as a storm was brewing, leaving Snow and George to complete the climb. The trip back in the gathering storm was very impressive. The mist gathered around us, enclosing us in a macld of silence, lifting only once to give us a magnificent view of Jagangal, lit with gold from the late sun, to a backdrop of angry blue black storm clouds. Yarmak greeted us back at the hut and very soon after Snow and George arrived, bePting the darkness by about half an hour.
-Now Tuesday night was a crucial point in oar stay at White's River. Till then we and the Rats were just about even. One al. But that night we mere soundly beaten. After taking the usual precautions of hanging up packs and putting any good amay in the meat safe, we retired to bed, equipped with the usual accoutrements. Yarmak (who was sleeping on the floor) with a large axe handle, George, who was sleeping opposite him, with an old pair of boots, a large lump of mood and a torch. We all lay trying to be asleep when Snow, who had plugged up a Rathole near the head of his bed, whispered "My God, he's here chewing the paper". We still don't know if the Rat had run up the bedpost and was chewing it from Snow's side or not, but it upset Snow. On went the torch and two Rats ran for home, with Yarmak hastening their passage with a few shattering blows with the axe handle. We lay back:to see what they mould do next, and it wasn't long before out they came again. Whack, whack, in the wood pile. Whack in between the two beds. Bang, bang, bang. "Surely we got one that time, but no. Lay out some more bait.
-George sprinkled the floor and Yarmak liberally, but the Rat didn't even wait till we put the torch off. He raced out of a hole and gobbled some, so it was whack, whack, whack again. "That's a rude trick to play on a Dad" says Yarmak. "These Rates are beyond everything", says George, "we'll have to make a trap. Now if we use one of those four gallon drums and suspend it from the ceiling and have a trigger mechanism, so that when the Rat chews through it, down comes the dram". Snigg-pg-er. We were all listening to George, and so was the Rat, but he had the hide to laugh.
-Meanmhile out in the main room the rest of the Rat family were having a glorious time sliding off the top of the meat safe and sharpening up their teeth on the gauze sides, preparatory to coming in and having a chew at us. For the rest of the night I slept soundly, but in the morning George informed us that they had used his bunk for a race track and even had the hide to chew at his hair.
-The following day was a rest day, when we gathered strength, and collected
-amo to battle with the Rats. The trap was duly contrived, much to the horror of five
-bods from Guthega, who mere visiting at White's. They were so upset nt our Rat tales that they slept in the hut next door. After tea the traps were set 1 amidst great hilarity. It was absolutely impossible to get from the bunks to the outside door without getting your legs knocked from under you or your skull bashed in.
-We retired to bed and waited. Suddenly one of the traps crashed down and everyone jumped out of their sleeping bags and rushed into the other room. Festering; it was a false alarm. So it was back:to bed, and I think everyone went to sleep very soon after:
-In the morning when we awoke no one bothered to look at the traps, having heard no more crashes during the night. Snow was the first one to go into the main room, and pick his way between the traps towards the main door. Suddenly he yelled "We've got one". No one paid much attention to him as we thought it was a new way of getting us out of bed. We still ignored him when he reappeared into view looking most triumphant; but George's curiosity overcame him and he also vent to look.
-PADDY PAWN EZ, Lightweight Camp Gear.
-CASTLE REACH St SYDNEY
-BM2685
-Exclamations of amazement finally brought us into the roan and there was a Rat in our trap and funnily enough it was the very trap that the Rat had laughed at the night
--before.
-Thursday morning was memorable because not only did we catch a Rat but we also climbed Gungarten and visited Tin Hut and were home for afternoon tea. The view from the top of Gungarten was well worth the climb up: the range was clear and glistening
-in the early sun and the air was as pure and cold as crystal. The run down was fun especially over the small waves of ice on the saddle. Tin Hut was nearly buried and as the snow had come in on one side we didn't linger long over lunch.
-Friday morning we all departed from White's River with light packs and heavy
-hearts. The sun shone brilliantly and the snow crackled under our boots as we walked up to the tops for the last time. Just before the run down to Guthega (where we were fed coffee and bun loaf at the Y.M.C.A. Hut) we stopped for a brief rest and a final look.
-.1==wanw
-BLOSSOMS AND BUL1JOES.
 Puffing Billy.
-On Everest, they say, it's not the number of steps between breaths that counts,
-but the number cf breaths per step, and so it was on Len Fall's wild-flower walk
+On Everest, they say, it's not the number of steps between breaths that counts, but the number of breaths per step, and so it was on Len Fall's wild-flower walk down Engadine Creek last month. "Combined outing with N.P.A." said the announcement innocently - but it didn't say that the S.B.W. contingent of 11 members, 4 bunyips would be mixed up with 70 N.P.A. types, making a total of over 90, including kids and canines!!!
-dawn Engadine Creek last month. 'Combined outing with N.P.A." said the announcement
-innocently - but it didn't say that the S.13.11T. contingent of 11 members, 4 bunyips would be. mixed up with 70 N.P.A. types, making a total of over 90, including kids and
+You know the traffic jams that occur at The Cross, when you wait interminable minutes with the traffic at a standstill and then proceed at the merest crawl? Ditto on the wild-flower walk. But have you experienced the sensation of standing still in the bush for five minutes and then discovering that you were in the midst of a colony of red bulljoes which have meanwhile migrated up your legs, underneath your long slacks? Under such circumstances, do you know how many fearsome bites can be delivered in ten seconds? Do you know how loud the average human being can yell? Do you know how high the average human being can jump? Don't ask the Olympians - ask us.
-canines:
-Ybu know the traffic jams that occur at The Cross, when you wait interminable minutes with the traffic at a standstill and then proceed at the merest crawl? Ditto on the wild-flower walk. But have you experienced the sensation of standing still
+Frank Ashdown covered dozens of miles, dashing thither and yon with a bottle of antvenene. We noticed that he never removed the cork as he dabbed it on alleged bites. Was this Ashdown thrift or psychotherapy? When an N.P.A. victim commented on his foresight in bringing his antibite, Frank's only reply was "Actually, there's lots of ants in our club".
-in the bush for five minutes and then discovering that you were in the midst of a colony of red bulljoes which have meanwhile migrated up'your legs, underneath your
-long slacks? Under such circumstances, do you know haw many fearsome bites can be delivered in ten seconds? Do you know how loud the average human being can yell? Do you know how high the average human being can jump? Don't ask the Olympians -
+The wildflowers were good - Gompholobium, Breckia, Leguminosae, Philotheca, Boronia Serrulata - we know that those were the names, 'cos Phyllis Ratcliffe wrote them in a book as the man recited them. There were also waratahs, which we identified unaided. And we finally discovered that Edna Stretton wasn't saying "Hell, it's mighty". She was saying "Thelymitra".
-ask us.
-Frank Ashdown covered dozens ofmiles, dashing thither and yon with a bottle of antvenene. We noticed that he never removed the cork as he dabbed it on alle4ed
+----
-bites. Was this Ashdown thrift or psychotherapy? When an N.P.A. victim commented
-on hip foresight in bringing his aatibite, Frank's only reply was "Actually, there's lots of ants in our club".
-The wildflowers were good - Gompholobium, Breckia, Leguminosae, Philotheca,
-Boronia Serrulata - we know that those were the names, 'cos Phyllis Ratcliffe wrote
-than in a book as the nan recited them. There were also waratahs, which we identified
-unaided. And we finally discovered that Edna Stretton wasn't saying "Hell, it's mighty". She was saying "Thelymitra".
-.
 RECOMMENDED  TEST WALKS  MR OCTOBER.
 OCTOBER 16-17-la Picton - Car to Nattai Pass (Sheehy' s Creek). Camp on Nattai. Pleasant medium river walking along Nattai, tamp on river Saturdnight.