SBW Magazine & History Project

Established June 1931

A monthly bulletin of matters of interest to The Sydney Bush Walkers, Box 4476 G.P.O. Sydney 2001. Club meetings are held every Wednesday evening from 7.30 pm at the Cahill Community Cenire (Upper Hall), 34 Falcon Street, Crow's Nest. Enquiries concerning the Club should be referred to Ann Ravn, telephone 798-8607.

by Jim Brown (13th July, 1983)

by Jo Van Sommers

* Dinner before the meeting at Phuoung Vietnamese Restaurant, 87 Willoughby Road, Crow's Nest. B.Y.O. 6:30 pm sharp!

by Bill Gamble

In March, 1983, a club walk on the autumn programme went to Arthur's Pass National Park in New Zealand. Two members (Brian Holden and Bronwyn Stow) and a visitor (Steve Tramont) flew from Sydney to join the leader (Bill Gamble) for nine days of walking in the park. The introduction to the park and the first days of the walking are contained in the following article. A second article in a later issue of the magazine will cover the programmed walk in the Poulter Valley.

Arthur's Pass is to the Christchurch tramper what the Blue Mountains are to the Sydney bushwalker, a rugged area within easy reach for weekend trips leaving Friday evening after work: but, otherwise, quite different. These differences - the nature of Arthur's Pass National Park - are perhaps best summarised with an extract or two from the park handbook.

“The park is a rugged and mountainous area of about 100,000 hectares situated in the centre of the South Island (about 150 km west of Christchurch). It is a land of jagged skylines, tall snowy peaks and snowgrass-clad ridges, deep gorges, steep, bush-covered hillsides, sheer cliffs of angular black rock, high waterfalls, wide shingle riverbeds and rushing torrents. The park is traversed by large rivers - on the east the Waimakariri and Poulter and their tributaries,the Taramakau and Otira and their tribularies on the west.

”… the area of mountain ridges above bushline approximately equals the forested area. From valley floors at about 700m on the east the peaks rise to 1800m or more, but the western valley floors lie at only about 300m or slightly more. From any of the high peaks there are views over ridge upon ridge of broken rock, with snowfields lying beneath them and deep-cut valleys below. Ten named peaks over 2100m in height and twenty-one over 1800m lie within the park.

“The main divide of the Southern Alps bisects the park and from it branch intricate ranges of mountains between the courses of the rivers…. Between the peaks are many passes, high and low, but nearly all of them difficult to cross. The western and eastern separation has a dominating influence on the character of the park; but the rugged terrain, the wide range of altitudes, the relatively severe mountain climate, the swift rivers and the passes all affect the nature of the park in various ways.”

Instead of going straight into the walk as programmed, our introduction to the park, as a party, was two days spent above Arthurs Pass itself, firstly on the east side in the Temple Basin and in the upper Mingha Valley, and then an the west side on the slopes of Mt. Rolleston, 2271m. The leader had spent two days in the park on the previous weekend and proposed this change as a way of widening the scope of the walking to be done by the party. It proved to be an excellent beginning, in brilliantly fine weather immediately after snowfalls. The change was also partly due to recent alterations in the timetable for trains to and from the park, which had made impractical the use of public transport if full use was to be made of the days allotted for walking. The use of the leader's rental car to move the party from Christchurch to the park and back again kept the walking days to schedule and provided the sort of flexibilitY which members usually enjoy in their weekend walks out of Sydney.

Anyway, three of the party members arrived in Christchurch late on Wednesday afternoon, 16 March, on a cold, wet day (maximum 7⁰ C) and were met by the leader (who had arrived ten days eimated that they were carrying 40 lbs each. Mark was advised to leave his leggings and hard hat behind but he would not part with the briefcase. His excuse was that he might have time to finish his thesis for the New England University. Before leaving we visited the Botanical Gardens which consisted of terraced gardens behind the Guest House, laid out with native and exotic plants.

The party left O'Reillys “Green Mountains” at 9:30 to the call of a lyrebird echoing in the bush. Not long after departure a huge fat lizard lumbered across the track in front of us. It was black with a grey underbelly. This creature was the Australian Land Mullet which is the largest land lizard in the continent and can grow to 18 inches long.

A short distance along the track the group split up. Bill and I took the track to Mt. Echo via Lightning Falls whilst the main party took a longer but less steep route to the lunchtime rendezvous spot. Bill and I had morning tea at Jimbolongerri Falls where we obtained clear pure drinking water. The next resting place on our journey was Bithongabel Falls. The falls were joined to a series of mirror-like pools. The sun that filtered through the trees played with the Shadows on the ground, making ever-changing patterns of light and shade.

At 1:30 Bill and I joined the rest of the group at Echo Lookout for lunch before trekking on to Mt. Wupawn and Mt. Durigan.

Late that afternoon a distinct recurring mee-ow sound was heard by our party. The call was not that of a feral cat but came from a Cathird in the forest on our left. A number of us tried to get a glimpse of the bird by tracing the sound but it was too elusive. Mark said that the plumage is bright, almost iridescent green, spotted with white.

We arrived at Rat-a-Tat Hut at 5:00 pm and divested ourselves of our packs. The hut is a 3-sided roofed shelter sheeted with corrugated iron located in a clearing surrounded by tall trees.

Graham was delegated to fetch our water from a nearby rivulet. As he was filling the water bags he noticed a movement under one of the rocks. Returning to camp he cadged a piece of meat which he placed on a stick and used to coax out a magnificent white yabbie with blue stripes. It was approximately 10“ long with two huge claws protruding from its armoured carapace. Graham brought it back to camp and placed it in a corral of stones near the campfire. He then showed different members of the party how to carry the yabbie with safety and without injuring the creature. Eventually we released the yabbie near where it was caught.

As the darkness descended an earthen bank at the side of the clearing came aglow with blue-purple pinpoints of light. The light came from thousands of glow worms which lived amongst the green moss and ferns, but were indistinguishable by day.

Most of the party elected to sleep on the packed earth in the hut whilst two made up their beds in the open, but in the middle of the night the two toughies came inside because of heavy showers. The showers had cleared by dawn and the morning presaged a hot day.

The walkers left Rat-a-Tat at 8:45 and trekked towards Ukai Lookout and onwards to Mt. Throakban. Soon after leaving the mountain on an ever-narrowing path we came to the Roberts Survey Tree which had a large triangle blaze on the trunk. Mark indicated that the tree would have been blazed in approximately the year 1860 by the original Government Surveyor.

We arrived at Kalinya Lookout overlooking the Tweed Valley at noon and partook of lunch. The afternoon proved to be very humid and oppressive with sweat pouring off all the walkers. Most of us were in shorts with some of the men stripped down to singlets or bare tops.

As we traversed a ridge on top of the mountain storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. At 2:30 the dark clouds were moving closer accompanied by lightning flashes and thunder claps. At 3 pm the storm had nearly reached the ridge and most of us stopped to don our rain gear. Shortly after the storm burst upon us with all its fury. First there came heavy torrential rain and lightning accompanied by a strong wind. Although I was protected by a parka my sleeping bag was in the haversack without a waterproof cover. Joyce came to the rescue with a large orange ground sheet which I held over my head and the haversack.

After what seemed hours the rain gave way to a hail storm. The hail pelted down, cutting the leaves and small twigs from the trees, changing the earthen path surroundings into a dark green carpet. Fifteen minutes later the green carpet had changed to a white one with hailstones 2” deep underfoot. In a short time the temperature had dropped from 32⁰ C to 15⁰ C.

Mark had been caught by the rain in only singlet and shorts and his clothing was wet under his rain cape. A bout of shivering came on him. He realised that it was a malarial fever attack, a legacy of his earlier years in the tropical north of Queensland. We made room for Mark under the groundsheet and huddled close together trying to keep him warm.

The hail ceased after a while but a light drizzle had set in. We decided to push on and I picked up Mark's large haversack which contained our main supplies. Our conversation had turned to aborting the expedition via Xmas Creek because of Mark's condition and the weather.

The track had nearly been obliterated by the leaves and hailstones. The afternoon light was fading as we came to a large clearing. Pat was endeavouring to start a fire boy scout fashion, by setting small twigs and branches upright in the shape or an Indian wigwam with the fire underneath. The prospect looked very dismal for the campers because of a dark overcast sky, a chill penetrating wind and damp ground underfoot. The tents were pitched whilst some looked for suitable firewood and others volunteered to fetch water for the evening meal. These tasks proved to be very difficult as suitable fallen limbs were scarce and the creek was at the bottom of a steep, slippery slope.

After an hour the rain ceased. Mark seemed to have partly recovered. He looked rather odd in Mary's angora jumper. Pat had prepared a delicious tuna mornay which was wolfed down by the whole group. The first course was followed by tinned peaches and cream. Most of the campers slept that night in damp clothes with no chance of getting their belongings or sandshoes dry.

We awoke next morning at 6.30 in misty cold conditions to find that two ringtail possums had raided our muesli supply.

After breakfast the walkers were surprised to see Bill with his haversack on ready for departure. Without warning he bade us all goodbye. He gave no reason for his sudden decision to return home. My assumption from conversation I had with him over a two day period was that he did not feel safe in the Australian bush. He was familiar with the German and Swiss forests where there are well-marked tracks, shelter huts and roads and railways close by.

The party then proceeded down a steep gully to the Stinson wreck, where olive-green tubular steel trusses protruded from the undergrowth. One of the wheel struts lay nearby. Small pieces of broken window glass were found by one of the walkers. A plaque set in concrete marked the scene of the crash. The inscription read:- “This plaque marks the spot where the Stinson Airliner 'VH-UHH, City of Brisbane, crashed on 19-2-37 and where two survivors sat for 10 days until found by Bernard O'Reilly. We remember the Stinson - a pathfinder at the dawn of commercial aviation in Australia.”

A white wooden cross nearby was marked:- “In memoriam Capt. Rex Boyden died in Stinson crash 19-2-37.” Three smaller silver plaques set in stone and concrete were marked:- “Flying Officer Beverley Shepherd - William Walden, Fountain, New York - James Roland Graham, Sydney.”

Three passengers survived the crash - Westray, Bunstead and Proud. Westray, a young New Zealander, decided to go for help only to fall over a cliff and die in the bush. The other two survivors lived on the berries from the walking stick palm and water collected from Xmas Creek.

The papers of the day and the aviation authorities had given up the Stinson as lost. People had sighted

Dorothy Lawry

1332 Pacific Highway, Turramurra, 2074.

Dear Evelyn,

We haven't met because I am now an Honorary Member of the S.B.W. confined to a wheelchair in a nursing home. Back in the 1930s for a couple of years I had the job you are now doing so well. I always look forward to my copies of our magazine and have just received the June issue, which I particularly enjoyed.

Bill Gamble's article on Page 9 “My Favourite Garbage Dump” I feel should be answered. When I was the editor the Club exchanged magazines in various countries and from one copy of that of the British Ramblers Club I copied a poem which travelled round the world in those of the Appalachian Club of U.S.A., of The Tararua Tramping Club of Wellington N.Z. and probably many others as well as The Sydney Bushwalker. It is called “A Fable” and I suggest you republish it and also send a copy to the N.P.W.S. so they can have it put up on noticeboards near Karloo Pool and along the track to Uloola Falls, etc.

I remember one S.B.W. one-day walk from Heathcote via Karloo Pool and Uloola Falls to Waterfall. As it was such an easy walk of course we had a large party that was well strung out. When we at the head reached the flat above the Fails it was evident picnickers had been there. It was filthy with sheets of newspapers blowing across it etc. etc. By the time the tail of our party reached us we had it all cleared away and the place looking as it should again.

Best wishes to you and all the present active members of the Sydney Bush Walkers.

From Dorothy Lawry.

Reprinted from The Ramblers Handbook, Southern Federation, 1938 Edition, official year book of The Southern and the West of England Federation of the Ramblers Association.

by F. W. Thomas

by Wal Liddle

At O'Reillys The many birds that raided our larder made our breakfast the next morning a sheer delight. Our light blue ground sheet was covered with red and blue rosellas, black and white magpies, and a couple of scrub turkeys feeding on scraps of bread. The cheekier birds would eat the cereal from our bowls if not shooed away.

The walkers then packed for a 3-day hike without the benefits of a support vehicle. Pat and Mark shared the main load, consisting of food and tents, for the whole group. I est