198308
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198308 [2016/03/24 11:18] – [Letter to the Editor] arhat they thought to be the plane everywhere from the Queensland border to the Hawkesbury River. After eight days and differing radio and press reports, Bernard O'Reilly contacted one of his neighbours who thought that the plane h kclacher | 198308 [2016/03/25 15:22] (current) – y the leader (who had arrived ten days earlier to do some walking on his own account). They were quickly transferred from the airport to their overnight accommodation at the Melville Private Hotel in Gloucester Street, close to the city centre, with instr kclacher | ||
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|**Editor**|Evelyn Walker, 158 Evans Street, Rozelle, 2039. Telephone 827-3695.| | |**Editor**|Evelyn Walker, 158 Evans Street, Rozelle, 2039. Telephone 827-3695.| | ||
|**Business Manager**|Bill Burke, 3 Coral Tree Drive, Carlingford, | |**Business Manager**|Bill Burke, 3 Coral Tree Drive, Carlingford, | ||
- | |**Production Manager**| Helen Gray | | + | |**Production Manager**| Helen Gray| |
|**Typist**| Kath Brown| | |**Typist**| Kath Brown| | ||
|**Duplicator Operator**|Phil Butt| | |**Duplicator Operator**|Phil Butt| | ||
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| The Franklin River Verdict |by Jim Brown | 2| | | The Franklin River Verdict |by Jim Brown | 2| | ||
| Social Notes for September | | 2| | | Social Notes for September | | 2| | ||
- | | Arthur and Us - Part 1 | Bill Gamble | 3| | + | | Arthur and Us - Part I | Bill Gamble | 3| |
| For the Love of the-South-West | Peter Harris | 6| | | For the Love of the-South-West | Peter Harris | 6| | ||
| Notes of the June & July General Meetings | Barry Wallace | 6| | | Notes of the June & July General Meetings | Barry Wallace | 6| | ||
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===== The Franklin River Verdict ===== | ===== The Franklin River Verdict ===== | ||
- | by Jim Brown | + | (13th July, 1983) by Jim Brown |
| The Wise Men sat in judgement and they found | | | The Wise Men sat in judgement and they found | | ||
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Arthur' | Arthur' | ||
- | "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 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 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 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. | ||
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"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." | "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' | + | 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' |
- | Anyway, three of the party members arrived in Christchurch late on Wednesday afternoon, 16 March, on a cold, wet day (maximum 7< | + | Anyway, three of the party members arrived in Christchurch late on Wednesday afternoon, 16 March, on a cold, wet day (maximum 7< |
- | The party left O' | + | After what seemed hours the rain gave way to a hail storm. The hail pelted down, cutting |
- | 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 | + | Mark had been caught by the rain in only singlet |
- | At 1:30 Bill and I joined | + | 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 |
- | 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 track had nearly been obliterated by the leaves and hailstones. The afternoon |
- | 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 | + | After an hour the rain ceased. Mark seemed to have partly recovered. He looked rather odd in Mary's angora jumper. Pat had prepared |
- | 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 | + | We awoke next morning at 6.30 in misty cold conditions |
- | 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 | + | After breakfast |
- | indistinguishable | + | |
- | Most of the party elected | + | 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 ' |
- | 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 | + | 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:- " |
- | We arrived at Kalinya Lookout overlooking | + | Three passengers survived |
- | 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 | + | The papers |
- | After what seemed hours the rain gave way to a hail storm. The hail pelted down, cutting | + | After eight days and differing radio and press reports, Bernard O' |
- | Mark had been caught by the rain in only singlet | + | He packed some supplies which consisted of bread and butter, onions, sugar and tea, and mounted |
+ | After returning to camp from the wreck we were able to see the stretcher track, approximately 4 feet wide, which is maintained free from undergrowth | ||
- | 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 | + | Our party arrived at Tyalgum Valley Lookout at 9:30 where the hailstones on the track were thick underfoot. The track from here on became indistinct |
- | 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 | + | We passed |
- | After an hour the rain ceased. Mark seemed | + | At one stage we became disoriented and found ourselves heading in the opposite direction |
- | We awoke next morning | + | Some time after lunch the track became defined again and at 2:30 pm we arrived at a signpost which pointed |
- | After breakfast | + | At 5 pm the party emerged from the bush onto Forest Road. Here we were met by Peter Maxwell, a Forestry Commission Ranger. He drew the leaders aside and engaged them in earnest |
- | 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 ' | + | That night we camped in cold, overcast conditions |
- | A white wooden cross nearby was marked:- "In memoriam Capt. Rex Boyden died in Stinson crash 19-2-37." | + | The next morning we rejoined the mini-bus and were driven to the Tweed Valley Lookout, 940 metres above sea level. Here a notice proclaims: "We now saw the breakers again, their situation may always be found by the peaked mountain which bears SW by W from them and on their account I have named it Mt. Warning |
- | Three passengers survived | + | We arrived at Kyogie at 1:45 and sat down to a counter lunch, a welcome change from our bush repasts At 5 pm we escorted Joyce to the railway station and climbed aboard the bus for our journey back to Brisbane. |
+ | |||
+ | ===== Bush Walkers and the Big Bang ===== | ||
+ | by Jim Brown | ||
+ | |||
+ | Of course;- bush walkers would never use explosives or fire-arms, would they? Never? | ||
+ | |||
+ | This thinking was inspired by the quotation from Phil Butt in the " | ||
+ | sometimes took to.the bush during the 1930s Depression years. In spite of the reputed permissiveness of more recent years, no one seems to think such a precaution necessary now. Maybe we really are better behaved after all. | ||
+ | |||
+ | But even in my time with the Club there have been walkers who were fascinated by the Big Bang. For some years there used to be a regular camp at Euroka Clearing in the Lower Blue Mountains (before there was a road there) on the weekend nearest to the 24th May (which used to be Empire Day - Cracker Night - in the days when there were still some vestiges of a British Empire,' | ||
+ | |||
+ | On one occasion a lighted firework, thrown with small regard ,for the environment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In addition to those who were satisfied with commercial fireworks, there were others who liked louder noises. At a camp in 1952 (I think the Club's 25th Anniversary) some one let off an explosive device, occasioning.what might, be called in modern legal parlance_" | ||
+ | not to do it again, the perpetrators displayed a suitably meek attitude, but countered with a proposal to blow up fallen trees which were causing serious | ||
+ | |||
+ | Being at the time the S.B.W. representative on the Blue Gum Trust, I undertook to put the proposal to the Trust. Admittedly, I did so with fingers crossed | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Blue Gum affair wasn't quite as simple as it sounds. A drill was needed to burrow into' | ||
+ | |||
+ | At one stage on the Sunday morning .a rumour Spread around " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Honour - or the urge to make a **big bang** - must have been satisfied at Blue Gum. Although we had almost 50 people there for a. subsequent working bee in 1955 to consolidate the work on the "silt pack", there were no. more loud noises. Our mantle passed to one of the Speliblogical Societies which was reported in 1955 to be using explosives to form a passage between two natural caves at Bungonia. Being reformed characters, we could afford to chuckle at Geoff Wagg's explanation in one of the Chronic Operas (to the tune of " | ||
+ | |||
+ | | "Oh, we're going to make a big hole, big hole, | | ||
+ | | With Gelly and Poader, to make the noise louder | | ||
+ | | We'll very soon get to our goal.... | | ||
+ | |||
+ | | We've explored every cave that is known, is known, | | ||
+ | | 7th din everlasting | ||
+ | | We're making .a few of our own | | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Hamlet says with his last breath "The rest is silence" | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Continuing Education Programme, University of Sydney ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Over the next few months several courses of lectures, discussions and outings are to be held by the University of Sydney in its Continuing Education Programme. Anyone over the age of 18 may enrol for these courses. Some of these courses may be of interest to people engaged in outdoor activities such as Bush Walking. Further information may be obtained by writing to the University or by phoning 692-2907. | ||
+ | |||
+ | **__Birds__** - 9 meetings $35.00. Tuesdays at 7 pm, commencing 6th September. Classification and distribution of birds, their habitats and breeding behaviour. | ||
+ | |||
+ | **__Bird-Watching Week-End__** - Oberon: | ||
+ | |||
+ | **__Seashore Ecology__** - 6 meetings $45.00. Tuesdays at 6 pm, commencing 1st November. Study of animals and plant of NS.W. Seashore - life hiStorY, environments, | ||
+ | |||
+ | **__Hill End - The Study of a Goldfield__** - October. Participants make food, accommodation. Study Cost $40.00. Week-end Saturday/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | **__Anthropology - Aboriginal Art__** - 9 meetings, $30.00. Thursdays 10.30 am from September 8th. Survey of aboriginal rock carvings, painting | ||
- | The papers of the day and the aviation authorities had given up the Stinson as lost. People had sighted | + | __Congratulations__ to Margaret |
- | ===== Letter to the Editor ===== | + | |
- | Dorothy Lawry | + | |
- | 1332 Pacific Highway, Turramurra, 2074. | + | ===== Federation of Bushwalkers Ball 1983 ===== |
- | Dear Evelyn, | + | Let's put our dancing shoes on and get together for the Bushwalkers Ball (it's country dancing, really). |
- | 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. | + | | Date: | Friday, 23rd Saptember 1983. | |
+ | | Venue: | LANE 'COVE TOWN HALL. | ||
+ | Longueville Road, entrance in Phoenix Street. Council car park at rear and in Little Street. | | ||
+ | | Time: | 8 pm | | ||
+ | | Cost: $7.00 single - B.Y.O. + Plate | | ||
+ | | Dress: | Casual or semi-formal (whatever | ||
+ | | Tickets: |Barbara Bruce - phone bookings 925-2520 (Bus.) or 546-6570 (H).. | ||
+ | | | Denise Shaw - phone 922-6093.(H). | | ||
- | Bill Gamble' | + | The tickets will also be on sale in the clubroom. |
- | I remember one S.B.W. | + | We would like S.B.W. to be represented by a large, lively, funloving group this year. You don't need a partner - just come along and join our table. There' |
- | Best wishes to you and all the present active members of the Sydney Bush Walkers. | + | ==== Walks Note ==== |
+ | Gordon Lee, following a recent walk in the Budawangs area, reports that Sluice Box Falls on Kilpatrick Creek, are not shown on the new Endrick 1:25000 map in the correct location. | ||
- | From Dorothy Lawry. | + | ===== Notice ===== |
+ | ====Half-Yearly General Meeting ==== | ||
+ | __The Sydney Bush Walkers__ | ||
+ | (Founded 1927) | ||
+ | G.P.O. Box 4476 | ||
+ | Sydney N.S.W. 2001 | ||
- | //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.// | + | **Notice is hereby given** that the half-yearly General Meeting of the Sydney Bush Walkers will be held on Wednesday, 7th September, 1983, at the Cahill Community Centre, 34 Falcon Street, Crow's Nest, commencing at 8:00 pm. |
- | =====A Fable ===== | + | Agenda |
- | by F. W. Thomas | + | |
- | | Frederick Foljambe Fotheringai | | + | - Apologies |
- | | Went for a picnic one fine day. | | + | - Welcome to new members |
- | | Under the trees he ate his meal | | + | - Minutes of the General Meeting held on Wednesday, 10th August, 1983 |
- | | Leaving a lot of banana peel, | | + | - Correspondence |
- | | Empty tins and a paper bag, | | + | - Reports: |
- | | Tidying up was too much fag. | | + | - Determination |
- | | | In course | + | - Election of a convenor |
- | | | Crossed | + | - General Business |
- | | |Heard the Devil politely say, | | + | |
- | | | " | + | |
- | | | Here' | + | |
- | | |Tidying up this place of mine." | | + | |
- | | Frederick Foljambe Fotheringai | | + | |
- | | For ever and ever and aye, | | + | |
- | | Spends his time and pays for his sins | | + | |
- | | Pursuing elusive banana skins, | | + | |
- | | Armed with a stick without a nail, | | + | |
- | | He chases litter in half a gale, | | + | |
- | | Shoving the pieces when he's got 'em | | + | |
- | | Into a basket without any bottom. | | + | |
- | ===== Trekking Through The McPherson Ranges, November 1982 Part II ===== | + | Barbara Bruce |
- | by Wal Liddle | + | Honorary Secretary. |
- | __At O' | + | No notices of Amendments to the Constitution have been received. |
- | The many birds that raided our larder made our breakfast | + | 15th August, 1983. |
- | 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 |
198308.1458778730.txt.gz · Last modified: 2016/03/24 11:18 by kclacher