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 Leader: Victor Lewin. Tel. 50,4096 (H)
-=====Where to Springwood (of) How to Winmalee.=====
+=====Where to Springwood (or) How to Winmalee.=====
 by Gordon Lee.
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 __Part Two next issue__. Don't miss the miraculous adventures an our almost fatal trek. Hear how Margaret Reid was wrested from the clutches of the dreaded "Hug-me-tight", Len Newland was torn by marauding lawyer vine, almost losing his valuable shorts - the struggle, staggering on courageously though suffering from loss of blood after being savaged by a gorging leech, and yours truly's death defying leap to escape the gnashing jaws of the dreaded __red-bellied black snake__ - (verbum sat est sapienti).
+====="Why I Go Bushwalking."=====
+(Mutterings from a hot weekend) by Joan Rigby.
+No, not a statement, it should be a question, "Why do I go bushwalking?" Look at me, look at us all - not enough sleep last night, a long drive, it's hot and getting hotter. This fire-trail seems to go an forever. Back River was almost dry, no chance of water on the hill up to the trig. We're almost to the top - and now look - the silly road drops down and rises a steep 200 feet. There go the young and fit, the rest of us are slogging up the hill as if it were Everest - "Why do I go bushwalking?"
+The trig. - and lunch - at last! Bob and Allan (new walkers) have been sipping water all the morning and now have little left - have they realised how far it is to the river? Oh well, I'll keep this last mugful in my wineskin - we may need it later. Casuarina, not shady, graceful trees bixt scratchy scrub tearing my legs, no shade and this is the easy bit of the ridge; much steeper and rougher further down.
+Well, that was a mistake. A rough scramble along a rocky ridge and then no way down. I remember now - we came up that loose gully back there into the saddle, but that was two years ago and the opposite direction. I did say I couldn't remember all the details - "Why do I go buShwalking?"
+It could be worse, at least my pack slips under the trees. That high-rise pack of Allan's is caught in the scrub again. How long is this ridge? 600 metres drop? Wonder if the Pound is dry? No water would be the last straw.
+The bottom at last and at least there's a dunking pool and a cup of tea on the boil. Also the first leech. Did Kevin put it in the fire or did it fall into my gear? Guess I'll find out eventually. Now for a campsite - nothing much around - flat and rocky or steep and rocky seem to be the alternatives. Pat seems to have found something - not bad - it is feasible. Now if I slept beside this big log and if it rained, I could pitch the fly over both log and me. Wonder what lives in or under the log? Just have to hope it's friendly. Nice tangle of lawyer cane between me and the fire. Plenty of wood - mostly half rotten. It could be worse, it might rain. Why DO I go bushwalking? - there's the first drop now.
+Rainy night and a late start - the sun will soon dry the rocks though. Soon there is too much sun and the rocks get hotter and hotter. Plenty of pools though; oh-oh, there's a snake in that one; wander how many times we've swum with a snake unknowingly? Lots of swims and we're far behind schedule. Yes, it seems reasonable to walk to 1.30 and lunch at the next pool after that. Why did we hit a dry stretch of river at 1.15? The three flyers are out of sight. The river's as dry as a bone and it's now nearly 2 pm. The tailenders we haven't seen for ages. Pat and I will stage a strike at this first just-passable pool and wait for them. Hope the leader understands when we see him. Two hours later and the party is together again - Peter was only 5 minutes downstream from us after all.
+Five pm and the lovely pool at the Wadbilliga junction. Best swimming yet but the (now anxious) leader demands another two hours walking. Dry, stony Wadbilliga! Wonder what the temperature is? Possibly 35°? These hot rocks, radiating around us, must make it close to 40°. "Why do I go walking?"
+Campsite is softer, clearer than last night's, but the fire is in a rock-heap. Over goes a billy and out goes the fire. Everyone is too tired and hot to care. Peter is demanding a 5 am rising and reluctantly we agree with him. All too soon the first light comes and Pat is up and stirring us. At least this stretch of river is easier, faster and, in the early morning, fairly cool. I keep thinking of that ridge down into the river - it is steep enough and loose enough coming down. What will it be like going up?. Allan's pack caught in the lawyer again. It's getting hotter, I hope the creek at the top is still running. Here's the first rocky knob, that's about 1/3 of the way. Rest a while and enjoy an orange. The orange is hot already despite being in the river all night, the chocolte is melted and that broken egg from yesterday is still turning up in odd places. On up the ridge, think of it in stages. Next bit is scrubby, then there's the bare bit by the side spur where David's boot came apart on that long Xmas trip, then the crest. Only a few hundred yards now and there's water in the creek.
+Peter has relented, we can have lunch here instead of halfway up the next hill. Lovely spot but what has happened to the scrub and ferns around the saddle? Fire or drought? On through the scrub, under and over logs, up, up, then out into what the map shows as clear ground. More dwarf casuarina, more thick scrub. This map must have been drawn just after a fire. That firetrail must be just over the skyline, but we've been saying that for half an hour now.
+The road at last! How glad we were to leave it two days ago. Now it looks like a friend - temperature must be high in the thirties now. Not much shade and it's eleven kilometres back to the cars. Walk, walk, road's hard and feet are soft. No water till halfway. Dirty, dry, sweaty we collapse in the shade, with just enough energy left to move away from the ants.
+On to the Tuross, late afternoon at the cars. Packs down, water, clean clothes. Why do I go walking?
+Why? Well it was a great trip, wonderful country, good company. Remember those birds along the river - the nest of fantails - the lyrebirds calling? Remember the clear cool pools - the feel of water against hot skin as you slid in - the trees against the sky above? Remember all the other good trips in the past, the ones yet to come.
-Page 9	THE SYDNEY BUSHULKER	March.,. 1901.
-"WHY I GO BUSEWALKING."  (Adtteildg6-fidni-d-hot'*edkend)	by Joan Rigby.
-No, not a vtatement, it should be a question, way do I go bushwalking?" Look at me, look at us 'all - - not enough sleep last night, .a long drive, it's hot and getting hotter. This fire-trail seems to go an forever. Back
-.River was almost dry, no chance of water on the hill up to the trig. We're almost to the top - and now look - the silly road drops down and rises a steep 200 feet. There go the young and fit, the rest of us are slogging up the hill as if it were Everest - - "Why do I go bushwalking?"
-The trig. - and lunch - at last! Bob and Allan (new walkers) have ben: sipping water all the morning and now have little left - have they realised how far it is to the river? Oh well, I'll keep this last mugful
-iri my wineskin - we may need it later. Casuarina, not Shady, graceful trees bixt scratchy scrub tearing my legs, no shade and this is the easy bit of the midge; much steeper and rougher further down.
-Well, that was a mistake. A rough scramble along a rocky midge and then no way down. I remember now - we came up that loose gully back there iiito the saddle, but that was two years ago and the opposite direction. I did say I couldn't remember all the details - "Why do I go buShwalking?"
-It could be worse, at least my pack slips under the trees. That high- rise pack of Allan's is caught in the scrub again. How long is this ridge? 600 metres drop? Wonder if the Pound is dry? No water would be the last straw.
-The bottom at last and at least there's a dunking pool and a cup of tea on the boil. Also the first leech. Did Kevin pUt it in the fire or did it fall into my gear? Guess I'll find out eventually. Now for a campsite - nothing much around - flat and rocky or steep and rocky seem to 166 the alternatives. Pat seems to have found something - not bad - it is
-feasible. Now if I slept beside this big log and if it rained, I could pitch the fly over both log and me. Wonder what lives in or under the log? JO.st have to hope it's friendly. Nice tangle of lawyer cane between me and the fire. Plenty of wOod - mostly half rotten. It could.be worse, it 4ght rain. Why DO I go bushwalking? - - there's the first drop now.
-Rainy night and a late start - - the sun will soon dry the rocks though,
-Soon there is too much sun and the rocks get hotter and hotter. Plenty of ,
-Pools though; oh-oh, there's a snake in that one; wander how many -bites We've swum with a.snake unknowingly? Lots of swims and we	far behind
-S' hedule. Yes, it seems reasonable to walk to 1.30 and lunch at the next
-pool after that. Why did we hit.a dry stretch of .river at 1.15? The three
-flyers are out of sight. The riVer's as dry as a bone and it's now nearly 2 pm. The tailenders we haven't seen for.	Pat and I will stage a
-strike at this first just-passable pool and wait for them. Hope the leader understands when we see him. Two hours later and the party is together, ao.ain - Peter. was only 5 minutes downstream from us after all.'
-Five pm and the lovely pool at the Wadbilliga junction. Best swimming yet but the (now anxious) leader demands another two hours walking. Dry,
-Page l	THE SYDNEY BUSHWLLEER	March, 1981.
-stony Wadbilligal Wonder what the temperature is? Possibly 350? These hot rocks, radiating around las-,'ixdst n1e it close to 40.	"Why do I go
-walking?"
-Campsite is softer, clearer than last night's, but the fire is in a
-rock-heap. Over goes a billy and out goes the fire. Everyone is too tired and hot to care. Peter is demanding a 5 am rising and reluctantly we agree
-with him. All too soon the first light comes and Pat is up and stirring us. At least this stretch of river is easier, faster and, in the early morning,
-fairly cool. I keep thinking of that ridge down into the river - - it is
-steep enough and loose enough coming down. What will it be like going up?.
-Allan's pack caught in the lawyer again. It's getting hotter, I hope the creek at the top is still running. Here's the first rocky knob, that's about 1/3 of the way. Rest a while and enjoy an orange. The orange is
-hot already despite being in the river all night, the chocolte is melted and that broken egg from yesterday is still turning up in odd places. On
-up the ridge, think of it in stages. Next bit is scrubby, then there's the bare bit by the side spur where David's boot came apart on that long Xmas trip, then the crest. Only a few hundred yards now and there's water in the creek.
-Peter has relented, we can have luncja here instead of halfway up the next. hill. Lovely spot but what has happened to the scrub and ferns around the saddle? Fire or draught? On through the scrub, under and over logs,' up, up, then out into what the map shows as clear ground. More dwarf easuarina, more thick scrub. This map must have been drawn just after a fire. That firetrail must be just over the skyline, but we've been saying that for half an hour now.
--	The road at last: How glad we were to leave it two days ago. Now
-it looks like a friend - temperature must be high in the thirties now. Not mach shade and it's eleven .kilometres back to the cars. Walk, walk, road's hard and feet are soft. No water till halfway. Dirty, dry, sweaty we cbllapse in the shade, with just enough energy left to move away from the apts.
-On to the Tuross, late afternoon at the cars. Packs down, -water, clean clothes. Why do I go -walking?
-Why? Well it was a great trip, wonderful country, good company. Remember those birds along the river - - the nest of fantails - - the lyrebirds calling? Remember the clear cool pools - - the feel of water against hot skin as you slid in - - the trees against the sky above? Remember all the other good trips in the past, the ones yet to coma.
 I go walking because it is the most enjoyable life I know.
-* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-CONGRATULATIONS TO: Keith Cairncross and Ann Parks who were married
+----
-on 27th February.
+Congratulations to: Keith Cairncross and Ann Parks who were married on 27th February.
+----
 Page 11	THE SYDNEY BUSHWAIKER	March 1981.
 TRAYELLING WITH CHILDREN IN INDIA.