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+===== New Zealand Memories. =====
+by Patrick McBride.
+The calm evening air was filled with flying insects of all types, ranging from swarms of tiny gnats to fluttering half-size grey buttetflies. Seated by a hot fire in woollen clothing I was led to reflect that, despite my impression of the ambient temperature, to the local fauna it was a balmy evening in peak summer conditions. Aspiring Flat must be a bleak place in winter when snow reaches to the valley floor and the brief days are shadowed by encircling walls. For us in January 1982 the days blazed long and golden, before easing to a slow twilight that left enough brightness in the sky to read fine print at 10 pm.
+I was sitting alone now, drinking in the spectacular beauty of this glen in its evening garb and waiting to see if the soft silver of moonlight would reveal a new aspect. Spiro had finally given up the strain of focussing on his current paperback fiction and followed the other members of the party (Wendy Lippiat, Wayne Steele and Bill Capon) to tents and sleeping bags. The air was quite still and Turnbull Thomson Falls, one kilometre upstream, provided a background murmur. Nearer to hand Kitchener Creek, deflected by the grassy promontory on which we were camped, whispered its tale of tussock and glacier.
+The past day had been good fun but a bit of a circus. Embarrassing too, in that Sisyphus is considered a tramper's mountain and we had reached nowhere near the top, mostly on account of deep, slushy snow and inadequate equipment. Part of the circus was leaving my lunch back at camp and having only emergency rations, an ancient tin of oily sardines, in my pack. Hardly the fare to accompany some of the finest scenery in Australasia, especially for a Pritikin dieter! However my cringing stomach was soon forgotten as the fabulous view unfold0d. Mount Aspiring stood proud and regal over a world of snowfields and glaciers which hitherto we had only seen as white walls atop the Kitchener Cirque.
+Perhaps this minor repulse heralded greater things to come, as had been the case earlier when our brush with Mount Jumbo had finished in wet retreat?
+We had trekked up 1300 metres of loose scree gully from Jumboland Flats with the object of crossing directly to the Albert Burn and after some scrambly route-finding managed to gain a small top beside Mount Jumbo. From this vantage point, bodies braced against the wind and eyes half closed against the fine rain, we peered down a very sporting knife edge ridge which led to white unknowns in the swirling mist. At this time the leader acknowledged what the party had been in various degrees advocating for the last 600 metres; a return to the seductive greenness of the Wilkin Flats would bring greater delights than any matching of the challenge posed by the crossing into Albert Burn.
+The following five days were spent exploring the upper Wilkin Valley which we would otherwise have missed and which proved a princely compensation. At Top Forks Hut I could hardly concentrate on my evening game of chess with Spiro as my eyes were drawn to the incredible peaks of Castor and Pollux sparkling 1900 metres above us. Following up the North Branch had brought the excitement of ice floe hopping on a glacial lake where surrounding grey scree slopes and bare, moisture-blackened rock provided a setting of antarctic starkness.
+Suddenly the grass beside the camp blazed silver against the backdrop of shadow-darkened forest. Tatters of mist about the top of Sisyphus had parted to reveal the friendly disc of the near-full moon and in moments the whole valley was bathed in light. None of the daytime grandeur was lost. The sweep of the 1600 metre Kitchener Cirque was now like another dimension above, too remote for mortals, a playground of the gods. Round to the north, ice cliffs and snow slopes on the ridge leading to Fastness shone clear and bright over black rock, their soft luminosity holding the eyes with a gentle enticement so much more appealing than the glare of sunlight. At last the tiredness from a day's tramping in the mountains could be held at bay no longer, and slow steps led to a tent already sparkling with dew, and one final gaze back.
+Three days later we were tramping uphill beside Hester Pinney Creek, boots wet from crossing the East Matukituki and our camp below at Junction Flat still in the blueness of early morning shadow. Ours was the only movement in this sombre world of moss and tree trunks. For all their luxuriant greenness of ferns and epiphytes, temperate rainforests are faunal deserts. Not even the air was stirring and one could sense eddies and ripples being created by our passing.
+Abruptly we reached the treeline and after winding through a few scrubby outliers found ourselves in open country. Crossing the ecotone between forest and alpine grassland was always a landmark of practical if rather prosaic import since only the former is habitat for sandflies. High country brought the party relief from sandflies and the leader relief from complaints about sandflies.	Several trip members were a bit paranoid about these insects even though it was only once, at the last camp in Fiordland, that sandflies were numerous enough to constitute a nuisance.
+Long easy ridges now led upwards in graceful undulations, the warm scent of mountain meadows replaced the odours of moss and humus, and at our feet alpine flowers lifted their bright heads in greeting. A giant daisy (Celmisia sp.) with white petals around a yellow centre was particularly striking. At about 1100 metres the rarefied air induced more laboured breathing but no change of pace as instead of going directly to Albert Burn Saddle we diverged to the unnamed mountain to the north opposite Dragonfly Peak. This peak was composed of loose plates of slate (the renowled New Zealand "Weetbix" rock) bedded at a steep angle, and readily sliding over each other. Thoughtfully we pressed on. After all, how could the landscape collapse around us on such a magnificent day?
+From near the top the view was breathtaking. Far below was our home at Junction Flat, a green triangle held by ribbons of translucent turquoise. Two lone beech trees growing near the centre of the flat proclaimed their enterprise and character. I thought of the relief map used as a display at Aspiring National Park Headquarters - if only the leaden-souled tourists shambling around that clay image could see the scintillating colours and Olympian scale of the real country they would cast off their coats of lethargy and dance to the hills.
+The ridge flowed smoothly down to Albert Burn saddle, a garden path of crushed slate from which protruded scattered tufts of grass and herbs steadfastly persisting in their efforts to colonise this barren ground. Some snow leads remained from last week's fall, blushing pink in patches where algae had multiplied on the surface. From the saddle the Albert Burn stood revealed as a beautiful classic glacier valley, a grassy paradise eminently suited to trampers and I resolved to sample its glories on a future trip.
+While ambling downwards the idea came to bathe in one of the tarns we had passed coming up - the day was too good to hurry back to camp. The others made some excuse about washing in the Matuki and continued on.
+Reclining on the softness of sun-warmed tussock I could see across the reflections in the tarn to a panorama of snow and rock. Mount Aspiring easily dominated all the other peaks, well deserving the poetry of its name. To the north one mountain was in soft contrast to all the craggy summits; Glacier Dome, a mound of shining ice capped by a tiny knob of rock. From time to time small avalanches of snow and rocks produced by the sun's heat would echo hollowly across the valley, sometimes discernible to the eye but more often on a hidden face or blended with a ribbon waterfall. I closed my eyes to fix the image and drew in a slow breath of the warm scented air. This was the real New Zealand that I would return to again and again.
+----
+===== The Annual General Meeting. =====
-NEW ZEALAND MEMORIES.April, 1982.
-.....	..,.___ by Patrick McBride.
-The calm evening air was filled with flying insects of all types, ranging from swarms of tiay gnats to fluttering half-size grey buttetflies. ------ Seated by a hot fire in woollen clothing I was led to reflect that, despite. .
-NjAy impression of the ambient temperature, to the local fauna it was a balmy evening in peak summer conditions. Aspiring Flat must be a bleak place in winter when snow reaches to the valley floor and the brief days are shadowed
-by an6ircling walls. For us in January 1982 the days blazed lOng and golden, before easing to a slow twilight that left enough brightness in the sky to
-read fine print at 10 pm.
-I was sitting alone now, drinking in the spectacular beauty of this
-glen in its evening garb and waiting to see if the soft silver of moonlight
-would reveal a new aspect. Spiro had finally given up the strain of focussing on his current paperback fiction and followed the other members of the- party (Wendy Lippiat, Wayne Steele and Bill Capon) to tents and 'sleeping bags.
-The air was quite still and Turnbull Thomson Falls, one kilometre upstream,
-provided a backgraund murmur. Neardt to hand Kitchener Cre6k, deflected by the grassy promontory on which we were camped, whispered its tale of tussock and glacier.
-The past day had-been good fan but a bit of a circus. Embarrassing too, in that Sisyphus is considered a tramper's mountain and we had reached 4owhere near the top, nkIstly on account of deep, slushy snow and inadequate equipment. Part of the 'circus was leaving my lunch back at camp and having only emergency rations, an ancient tin of oily sardines, in my pack. Hardly the fare to accompany some of the-finest scenery in Australasia, especially'
-for a Pritikin dieter: However my cringing stomach was soon forgotten as the fabulous view -unfold0d. MOuri- ...Aaiiiriiig-St-ood. proud and. regal over a world of snowfields and glaciers which -hitherto we ,had only seen as white walls atop the Kitchener CirqUe.
-.	Perhaps this minorrepulse heralded greater. things to come, as had been the case earlier when our brush With Mount- Jumbo 'had finished in wet tetreat?
-We had trekked up 1300 metres of loose scree gully from Jumboland Flats with the object of crossing directly to the Albert Burn and after some scrambly route-finding managed to gain a small 'top beside Mount Jumbo.
-prom this vantage point, bodies braced against the wind and eyes half closed against the fine Tain, .we peered down a very sporting knife edge ridge which led to white unknowns in the swirling mist. At this time the leader acknowledged what the party had been in various degrees advocating for the last 600 metres; a return to the seductive greenness of the Makin Flats would bring greater del;ights than any matching of. the challenge Dosed by the crossing into Allprt Burn.
-The following fIVO,dsYs.virere	explorig-theuppet-Milkin Valley which we would otherwise have missed and which proved a princely compensation. At Top Forks Hut I could hardly concentrate on my evening game of chess with Spiro as my eyes were drawn to the incredible peaks of Castor and Pollux
-Page 9	THE SYDNEY MEM=	April, 1982.
-.41.1.111.1m1111m1MIONIMI.MmINI=100FM,
-sparkling 1900 metres above us. Following up the North Branch had brought the excitement of ice floe hoPping on a glacial lake where surrounding grey
-scree slopes and bare, moisture-blackened rock provided a setting of
-antarctic starkness.
-,
-Suddenly the grass beside the camp, blazed silver against the backdrop
-of shadow-darkened forest.	Tatters ,of mist about the top of Sisyphus had
-parted to reveal the friendly disc of the near-full moon and in moments the whole valley was bathed in light. None of the daytime grandeur was lost.'
-The sweep of the 1600 metre Kitchener ,Cirque was now like another dimension
-above, too remote for mortals, a playground of the gods. Round to the-noth,
-ice cliffs and snow slopes on the ridge leading to Fastness shone clear and
-bright over black rock, their soft luminosity, holding the eyes with a gentle
-enticement so much more appealing than the glare of sunlight. At last the tiredness from a day's tramping in the mountains could be held at bay no longer, and slow steps led to a tent already sparkling with dew, and one
-final gaze back.
-Three days later we were tramping uphill beside Hester Pinney Creek,
-boots wet from crossing the East Matukituki and our camp below at Junction
-Flat' still in the blueness of early morning shadow. Ours was the only moveMent in this sombre world of moss and tree trunks. For all their luxuriant greenness of ferns and epiphytes, temperate rainforests are faunal
-deserts. Not even the air was stirring and one could sense eddies and Fipples being 'created by our passing.
-,	Abruptly we reached the treeline and after winding through a few scrubby outliers fauna ourselves in open country. Crossing the ecotone between forest and alpine grassland was always a landmark of practical if rather prosaic import since only the former is habitat for sandflies. High country brought the party relief fram.sandflies and the leader relief from
-Oomplaints about sandflies.	Several-trip meMbers were a bit paranoid about these insects even though it was only once, at the last camp in Fiordland,
-that sandflies were numerous enough to constitute a nuisance.
-Long easy ridges now led upwards in graceful undulations, the warm scent of mountain meadows replaced the odours of moss and humus, and at out feet alpine flowers lifted their bright heads in greeting. A giant daisy (Celmisia sp.) with white petals around a yellow centre was particularly striking. At about 1100 metres the rarefied air induced more laboured breathing but no change of pace as instead of going directly to Albert Burn, Saddle we diverged to the unnamed mountain to the north opposite Dragonfly Peak. This peak was composed of loose plates of slate (the renowled New Zealand "Weetbix" rock) bedded at a steep angle, and readily sliding over each other. Thoughtfully we pressed on. After all, how could the landscape collapse araund us on such .a magnificent day?
-From near the top the view was breathtaking. Far below was our .home
-at Junction Flat, a green triangle held by ribbons of translucent turquoise.
-Two lone beech trees growing near the centre of the flat proclaimed their
-enterprise and character. I thought of the relief map used as a display
-at Aspiring National Park Headquarters - if only the leaden-souled tourists shambling around that clay image could see the scintillating colours and
-Page 10	Er.: SYDNEY BIISHWALKER	April, 1982.
-.....
-plympian scale of the real country they would cast off their coats of lethargy and dance to the hills.
-The ridge flowed smoothly down to Albert Burn saddle, a garden path of crushed slate from which protruded scattered tufts of grass and herbs steadfastly persisting in their efforts to colonise this barren ground. Some snow leads remained from last week's fall, bluahing pink in patches where algae had multiplied on the surface. From the saddle the Albert
-Burn stood revealed as a beautiful classic glacier valley, a grassy paradise eminently suited to trampers and I resolved to sample its glories on a - future trip.
-While ambling downwards the idea came to bathe in one of the tarns we had passed coming up - the day was too good to hurry back to camp. The
-others made some excuse about washing in the Matuki and continued on.
-Reclining on the softness of sun-warmed tussock I could see across the
-reflections in the tarn to a panorama of snow and rock. Mount Aspiring
-easily dominated all the other peaks, well deserving the poetry of its name.
-To the north one mountain was in soft contrast to all the craggy summits; Glacier Dome, a mound of shining ice capped by a tiny knob of rock. From
-time to time small avalanches of snow and rocks produced by the sun's heat would echo hollowly across the valley, sometimes discernible to the eye but more often on a hidden face or blended with a ribbon waterfall. I closed
-niy eyes to fix the image and drew in a slow breath of the warm scented air. This was the real New Zealand that I would return to again and again.
-* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-'ilih ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
 by Barry Wallace.
 The times were a little out of joint my friends, for there for collection were copies of the Annual Report. It seems there was not time for them to be mailed out, so they were held for collection.
-Nonetheless, the President ganged the gong and called the 55 or so
-members present to order at around 2009 hours.
+Nonetheless, the President gonged the gong and called the 55 or so members present to order at around 2009 hours.
 The Minutes of the previous general meeting were read with no business arising.
-Correspondence brought letters from Mary Unwin regarding the Washpool
-State Forest enclosing a letter from the Minister for Planning and the Environment on the subject, from the-South-West Tasmania Committeeadvising
+Correspondence brought letters from Mary Unwin regarding the Washpool State Forest enclosing a letter from the Minister for Planning and the Environment on the subject, from the South-West Tasmania Committee advising of a "No Dams" rally, from Kath Brown proposing the creation of a position of "Magazine Production Manager", together with some change of address notices and circulars.
-of a "No Dams" rally, from Kath Brown proposing the creation of a position
-of "Magazine Production Manager", together with some change of address notices
+The Annual Reports were then formally presented, and after a three minute reading period, taken as read. The Financial Report was presented and adopted with some passing queries about magazine covers and investments. So then we had reached the glorious moment of - "the suspension of such of the Standing Orders as would permit the election of officers to proceed concurrently with the business of the meeting" - and the election of Craig Shappert and George Gray as scrutineers.
-and circulars.
-The Annual Reports were then formally presented, and after a three
-minute reading period, taken as read. The Financial Report was presented
-and adopted with some passing queries about magazine 'covers and investments. So then we had reached the glorious moment of- - - - "the suspension
-Page 11	THE SIDNEY BUSHWAIKER	April, 1982.
-cf such of the Standing Orders as would permit the election of officers to proceed concurrently with the business of the meeting" - - and the election of Craig Shappert and George Gray as scrutineers.
 You all know who was elected to what, it was in last month's magazine.
 The Treasurer's Report revealed that we began the month with $832.14, received $297.36 in income and spent $249.03 to close the month with $880.47. The Coolana Account had a closing balance of $157.15.
-Federation Report indicated that that organisation is examining a
-proposal to take out collective-insurance &over for affilliated clubs, that
+Federation Report indicated that that organisation is examining a proposal to take out collective insurance cover for affilliated clubs, that an audio visual presentation on the Washpool Wilderness is available, that the F.B.W. Re-union will be held on the Shoalhaven, that there will be a S. & R. abseiling instructional weekend held 20,21 March, a S. & R. exercise over 3,4 April and a 'Safety in the Bush' weekend over 19,20 June. The Federation conservation report brought mention of proposed roads in the Apsley Wilderness, a study to be undertaken on the Barrington Tops area and a request from Span Unlimited for permission to place a memorial plaque near the Camels Hump access route to Claustral Canyon.
-an audio visual presentation on the Washpool Wilderness is available, that
-the F.B.W. Re-union will be held an the Shoaihaven, that there will be a
+In a break with tradition, the Walks Report began with a report of David Rostron's Morong Deep walk of 12,13,14 February. There were 19 people on the trip in very pleasant, sunny conditions. Ian Debert reported 18 people on his "nice walk" with swimming that same weekend. Joe Marton said much the same for the 18 people on his Sunday Waterfall to Otford walk. Jim Brown, on the other hand, had four starters on his Heathcote to Heathcote walk and reported "nothing in particular, but, well, a joyous day".
-S. & R. abseiling instructional weekend held 20,21 March, a S. & R. exercise over 3,4 April and a 'Safety in the Bush' weekend over 19,20 June. The
-Federation conservation report brought mention of proposed roads in the Apsley Wilderness, a study to be undertaken on the Barrington Tops area and a request from Span Unlimited for permission to place a memorial plaque near
+The following weekend 19,20,21 February saw Wayne Steele's Black Range trip rated as a non-starter. Peter Harris had 12, plus Frank Taeker, out on his Saturday start Du Faurs Creek, Wollangambe Canyon trip, and of the two day walks Marcia Shappert had 11 or 12 people on her not-quite-to-programme Waterfall to Heathcote trip, and John Newman led Jim Percy's 14 starters from Lilyvale to Bundeena while Jim relaxed (?) in hospital.
-the Camels Hump access route to Claustral Canyon.
-In a break with tradition, the Walks Report began with a report of
+There was another Jim Percy trip the weekend of 26,27,28 February. Ian Debert led that one, with 12 starters enjoying the luxury of Coolana. Charlie Brown's Cox River trip was cancelled. Ralph Pengliss led 30 people, with some dropouts, on his Sydney Harbour bushwalk on Sunday the 28th, and David Cotton had 11 people on his bee walk. Peter Christian's Heathcote trip attracted 9 people.
-David RostronIsM(mmag Deep walk of 12,13,14 February. There were 19 people on the trip in very pleasant, sunny conditions. Ian Debert reported 18 people on his "nice walk" with swinning that same weekend. Joe Marton said much the same for the 18 people on his Sunday Waterfall to Otford walk. Jim Brown, on the other hand, had four starters on his Heathcote to Heath-cote walk and reported "nothing in particular, but, well, a joyous day".
-The following weekend 19,20,21 February saw Wayne Steele's Black Range trip rated as a non-starter. Peter Harris had 12, plus Frank Taeker, out on his Saturday start Du Faurs Creek, Wbllangambe Canyon trip, and of the two day walks Marcia Shappert had 11 or 12 people on her not-quite-toProgramme Waterfall to Heathcote trip, and John Newman led Jim Percy's 14 starters from Lilyvale to Bundeena while Jim relaxed (?) in hospital.
-There was another Jim Percy trip the weekend of 26,27,28 February. Ian Debert led that one, with 12 starters enjoying the luxury of Coolana. Charlie Brawn's Cox River trip was cancelled. Ralph Pengliss led 30 people, with some dropouts, on his Sydney Harbour bushwalk on Sunday the 28th, and David Cotton had 11 people on his bee walk. Peter Christian's Heathcote trip attracted 9 people.
 Over the weekend of 5,6,7 March Tony Marshall reported low river conditions for the five people who attended his Kangaroo River trip, whilst Bob Hodgson cancelled his second attempt on the Cess Pit Canyon. Gordon Lee had four people on his rock climbing day on the Saturday and 12 people on the Sunday abseiling instructional. Meryl Watman reported 7 people on her Heathcote to Waterfall walk, finishing the walk at 1405; and the Walks Report.
-Meanwhile, back at the ranch; the elctions were over and the discussion
-.111Dr
+Meanwhile, back at the ranch; the elctions were over and the discussion of Annual Subs raged to and fro, and back again. At one stage the meeting passed a motion which was subsequently ruled invalid under the Constitution. I guess we got it right, in the end.
-April, 1982.
-TETE SYLviEY.BUSIIT
+Then there was a motion of thanks to the retiring committee, carried by acclamation, the announcements, and the President's cry of "Let us Re-une"; and then the meeting closed at 2200.
-Page 12
-of Annual Subs raged to and fro, and back again. At one stage the meeting passed a motion which was subsequently ruled invalid under the Constitution. I guess we got it right, in the end.
+----
-Then there was a motion of thanks to the retiring committee, carried
-by acclamation, the announcements, and the President's cry of "Let us Re-une"; and then the meeting closed at 2200.
+A TREE FAILS IN BLUE GUM.
-* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- A TREE FAILS IN BLUE GUM.
 by Jim Brown.
 Somewhere recently - and it may have been in the Federation supplement which often accompanies the magazine - I read that most of the mature trees