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--- 198508 [2014/05/11 19:23] – [AUGUST, 1985.] simon
+++ 198508 [2014/05/11 19:50] – [THE BUDAWANGS QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND, JUNE 1985.] simon
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 by Bob Younger.
-Barbara Bruce, Barry Wallace, John Redfern and I camped at Sassafras on a frosty Friday night but Bill Capon (our leader) and Bob Milne arrived in their four-wheel-drive at 7. 40 am on the Saturday morning. They didn't seem worried about the time so we ate a birthday cake provided by Barbara and drank Her Majesty's Health with Twinings Earl Grey tea. I hope we never become a Republic.
+Barbara Bruce, Barry Wallace, John Redfern and I camped at Sassafras on a frosty Friday night but Bill Capon (our leader) and Bob Milne arrived in their four-wheel-drive at 7:40 am on the Saturday morning. They didn't seem worried about the time so we ate a birthday cake provided by Barbara and drank Her Majesty's Health with Twinings Earl Grey tea. I hope we never become a Republic.
-By 8 am we were off, collecting Ray Turton who had camped near the third gate and arrived at Newhaven Gap by 8.30 am. We had left Landcruiser at Bhundoo Hill on the way in case we chose a so called soft option out on the Monday afternoon. The group took some time to get going due to a certain amount of confusion concerning the whereabouts of the car in which Bill's pack had been transported to the Gap. Bill's pack was important - it contained the rope.
+By 8 am we were off, collecting Ray Turton who had camped near the third gate and arrived at Newhaven Gap by 8.30 am. We had left Bill's Landcruiser at Bhundoo Hill on the way in case we chose a so called soft option out on the Monday afternoon. The group took some time to get going due to a certain amount of confusion concerning the whereabouts of the car in which Bill's pack had been transported to the Gap. Bill's pack was important - it contained the rope.
 __Folly Point to Dummal Creek.__ \\
 Some distance along the CMW track Ray found a pullover and hung it up. We were all light-weight bushwalkers. An hour later, while lunching at Folly Point, a character wandered by and asked if we had seen a brown pullover. When told it was a full hour away he also decided to have lunch and think about it. Ten minutes later his problem was solved when another party turned up with it.
-We spent a couple of minutes looking for the track through the scrub before Watson's Pass, headed straight for the chain and spikes down the small cliff and then found three of the party missing. I started down
+We spent a couple of minutes looking for the track through the scrub before Watson's Pass, headed straight for the chain and spikes down the small cliff and then found three of the party missing. I started down leaving Bill to shout instructions to, and so confuse, the stragglers who were confronted with a maze of deep crevices in the sandstone.
-leaving Bill to shout instructions to, and so confuse, the stragglers who were confronted with a maze of deep crevices in the sandstone.
 We reassembled at the camping cave, sidled round and then climbed a short distance to the top of Castle Head, following as closely as possible the dotted line on the Budawangs Sketch map. After a few minutes Bill sat us down and said, "You will admire the views". The views to the west were in fact absolutely spectacular - Holland Gorge, the Shrouded Gods and Crooked Falls. Bill checked around and announced that we'd gone 50 metres too far, so we went back a bit and began a rather slow and rough descent to the edge of the plateau. We didn't do Sandell Pass proper but bypassed the part where ropework was required - clever Bill.
-The descent to the Clyde was surprisingly easy and reasonably free of scrub. We found the l kms to the junction with Dummal Creek rather slow. Bill conceded that maybe it would have been better to follow the dotted line (i.e. walk on the other side). It was nearly 4 pm and the junction was chosen as the spot to camp. Bill had vainly suggested that we carry water 100 metres up to a ridge top to get away from the leeches. What's a few leeches when the water is near, the ground flat and firewood aplenty. Later that evening we were able to observe a miniature 5 Mile Island meltdown as Bill's experiment with absorption cooking ran out of water and his billy slowly became molten aluminium and eased itself into the fire.
+The descent to the Clyde was surprisingly easy and reasonably free of scrub. We found the l.5 kms to the junction with Dummal Creek rather slow. Bill conceded that maybe it would have been better to follow the dotted line (i.e. walk on the other side). It was nearly 4 pm and the junction was chosen as the spot to camp. Bill had vainly suggested that we carry water 100 metres up to a ridge top to get away from the leeches. What's a few leeches when the water is near, the ground flat and firewood aplenty. Later that evening we were able to observe a miniature 5 Mile Island meltdown as Bill's experiment with absorption cooking ran out of water and his billy slowly became molten aluminium and eased itself into the fire.
 __On to Talaterang.__ \\
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 It took a few minutes of scouting around to find the pass off the top level of Talaterang but Pallin Pass was easy to locate although slightly tricky in the wet. Bill stationed himself to stop people slipping and the only injury was one bruised elbow. At first sight we thought we might have to fork out a levy for the use of Bill's rope on this section. The next hour over the bumpy saddle to Gadara Point was easy going with great views to the south. We followed the edge of Little Forest Plateau along a convenient rock band. The western skyline was backed by large grey clouds which were building up. We knew that we had walked along that skyline only the day before.
-Bill was charging along in front but the party was tiring and Barbara wanted to stop and camp a bit short of the objective, which was Mt. Bush- walker. We saw some trees and B111, who tries to please everyone, said we could camp there if we really wanted to provided water was available, but we would have to start at 7.30 sharp in the morning. We milled about in circles looking for a good spot but the overall consensus was to camp in the trees and the spot turned out to be dry and fairly sheltered. We had plenty of water and firewood and tomorrow was another day. Bob Milne complained the next morning that after sampling Barry's 330P he had trouble finding his tent. After all it was not an ideal campsite. The leader
+Bill was charging along in front but the party was tiring and Barbara wanted to stop and camp a bit short of the objective, which was Mt. Bushwalker. We saw some trees and Bill, who tries to please everyone, said we could camp there if we really wanted to provided water was available, but we would have to start at 7.30 sharp in the morning. We milled about in circles looking for a good spot but the overall consensus was to camp in the trees and the spot turned out to be dry and fairly sheltered. We had plenty of water and firewood and tomorrow was another day. Bob Milne complained the next morning that after sampling Barry's 330P he had trouble finding his tent. After all it was not an ideal campsite. The leader subtly announced that he was hard-boiling his breakfast eggs in case he didn't have time in the morning.
-subtly announced that he was hard-boiling his breakfast eggs in case he didn't have time in the morning.
 __The Clyde Valley.__ \\
-It was barely light when I heard the familiar sound of breaking sticks. Bill was determined we should not be on the Clyde in the dark. Countdown began at 7.10. I started off at 7.30 just to show them it could be done and Bill caught up a couple of minutes later saying he had told the tail-
+It was barely light when I heard the familiar sound of breaking sticks. Bill was determined we should not be on the Clyde in the dark. Countdown began at 7.10. I started off at 7.30 just to show them it could be done and Bill caught up a couple of minutes later saying he had told the tailenders where we were headed. The others were standing around almost ready, stuffing rucksacks, folding flies, combing their hair, tying shoe laces, but a 7.30 start it was regardless.
-enders where we were headed. The others were standing around almost ready,
-stuffing rucksacks, folding flies, combing their hair, tying sho8 laces, but a 7.30 start it was regardless.
-It was quite open country with a few scrubby patches. Bill and I kept stopping but the tail had trouble avoiding the swampy patches and in seeing where we were, as I had a green pullover and Bill was in a brownish outfit. When We reached the road Bill said, "Well, that backfired. If I'd waited another two minutes we would be 20 minutes ahead by now." The pressure was on and the day was bleak but the cold south-westerly helped to inspire the party to maintain a brisk pace and the 10 km along the military road was covered in under two hours. To the east we had extensive views of the coast - Lake Conjola a few kilometres away and Point Perpendicular in the distance. At one point the plateau was almost cut by the
+It was quite open country with a few scrubby patches. Bill and I kept stopping but the tail had trouble avoiding the swampy patches and in seeing where we were, as I had a green pullover and Bill was in a brownish outfit. When we reached the road Bill said, "Well, that backfired. If I'd waited another two minutes we would be 20 minutes ahead by now." The pressure was on and the day was bleak but the cold south-westerly helped to inspire the party to maintain a brisk pace and the 10 km along the military road was covered in under two hours. To the east we had extensive views of the coast - Lake Conjola a few kilometres away and Point Perpendicular in the distance. At one point the plateau was almost cut by the headwaters of Claydons Creek which is a major tributary of the Clyde.
-headwaters of Claydons Creek which is a major tributary of the Clyde.
 By 10.10 am we were almost under Mt. Tianjara and a 45 minute lunch was declared (there was to be another lunch later but no fire was guaranteed). We were all chilled by the stiff breeze but twigs were soon gathered for a fire. Ray was just about to light up when Barry pounced and carried the bundle to a better spot down the road. While the party was sipping hot tea or soup Bill got out the remnants of his map and eventually found the relevant scraps. He now decided we should not try the unknown soft option via Webb's Crown. The alternative was four hours of rough going but we would be certain of a way out.
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 We set off at 11 along a very faint vehicle track going west but soon cut off and headed down a side creek. A ten-foot slimy ledge blocked our way. After hurriedly pulling his pack to bits the leader announced that he had left his rope at the last campsite. We began to shove rotten trees into the chasm but Ray saved any further delay by finding a way down which ran due west into the Clyde near Rixon's Mine. We kept fairly high and after three-quarters of an hour came to the Clyde Valley. We turned the corner and came to realise how deep the valley was. At this stage it had dug itself down 600 metres below the plateau. The map showed the rocky river channel was bounded by a significant cliff line.
-We zig-zagged towards the lower cliffline and found a narrow gully which took us to the river. We pushed through dense bush for about 60 metres to a small tributary which we sought to follow to the base of the cliffs. Ray had started up a ridge to the left to try and find an easier way up. We also moved on to the ridge but kept our eyes on the gully which we wanted to follow. The ridge proved rough with rock outcrops and many fallen logs, thick undergrowth and lawyer vine. Dayohs from our scout had been getting fainter and after some time nothing was to be heard. It was decided to forget about the gully and move straight up the ridge. We found traces of an old logging road under the cliff line and heard loud dayohs coming from
+We zig-zagged towards the lower cliff line and found a narrow gully which took us to the river. We pushed through dense bush for about 60 metres to a small tributary which we sought to follow to the base of the cliffs. Ray had started up a ridge to the left to try and find an easier way up. We also moved on to the ridge but kept our eyes on the gully which we wanted to follow. The ridge proved rough with rock outcrops and many fallen logs, thick undergrowth and lawyer vine. Dayohs from our scout had been getting fainter and after some time nothing was to be heard. It was decided to forget about the gully and move straight up the ridge. We found traces of an old logging road under the cliff line and heard loud dayohs coming from the top! Ray was up and out.
-the top! Ray was up and out.
-Our party stopped and yelled, "Right or left?". No answer. Bill, face as black as thunder,mumbled something about a sawmill and moved off to the right along the old road. After 20 metres the gap appeared above us. A bit of a scramble to the gap and before long we gained the cars by devious routes through more thick scrub. We could now view Talaterang, Mount Bushwalker, Mount Tianjara and the Clyde Valley.
+Our party stopped and yelled, "Right or left?". No answer. Bill, face as black as thunder, mumbled something about a sawmill and moved off to the right along the old road. After 20 metres the gap appeared above us. A bit of a scramble to the gap and before long we gained the cars by devious routes through more thick scrub. We could now view Talaterang, Mount Bushwalker, Mount Tianjara and the Clyde Valley.
-What a trip, what a struggle, but thanks to a lot of previous
+What a trip, what a struggle, but thanks to a lot of previous exploration by our leader, he found all the passes, gave us a busy time and a great Queen's Birthday Week-end. Thanks, Bill. Thanks, Elizabeth.
-exploration by our leader, he found all the passes, gave 11.6 a busy time
-and a great Queen's Birthday Week-end. Thanks, Bill. Thanks, Elizabeth.
 ===== OBITUARY - ROBYN YEATS. =====