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-EPIC OF THE MID-WEEK WALKERS.
+=====Epic Of The Mid-Week Walkers.=====
 by Dot Butler.
 This was the programmed walk (9-10-11-12 November) - Wiseman's Ferry to Wondabyne, 70 km - Leader Alex Colley.
-Well, it started off all right, the party in two taxis from Turramurra. We arrived together at Wiseman's Ferry, paid off the drivers, and while Alex was working out how much each owed (5 into $81.00), the taxis departed and had disappeared from sight before Alex realised that he hadn't taken out his pack. (The good old days when you could expect the driver to
-take out your luggage are gone.) Dark gloom chest-beating and cries of despair. "The
+Well, it started off all right, the party in two taxis from Turramurra. We arrived together at Wiseman's Ferry, paid off the drivers, and while Alex was working out how much each owed (5 into $81.00), the taxis departed and had disappeared from sight before Alex realised that he hadn't taken out his pack. (The good old days when you could expect the driver to take out your luggage are gone.) Dark gloom chest-beating and cries of despair. "The whole trip's ruined I'll just have to go home." Can we salvage the situation? Best thing is to try to ring the taxi company to contact the driver on the radio and send him back. We had seen the number plate - 7110, but had to guess what company. Try 'Black & White' because that was the colour of the cab. Alex sought a phone at a nearby kiosk. The sympathetic kiosk lady did her best, but as she had only a local directory it wasn't much help.
-whole trip's ruined I'll just have to go home." Can we salvage the situation? Best thing is to try to ring the taxi company to contact the driver on the radio and send him back. We had seen the number plate - 7110, but had to guess what company. Try 'Black & White' because that was the colour of the cab. Alex sought a phone at a nearby kiosk. The sympathetic kiosk lady did her best, but as she had only a local directory it wasn't much help.
-Meanwhile JOhn Jansons, stout fella, hitched a ride in a truck to the local pub and rang various taxi companies. Much time was spent listening to sweet music, but eventually a voice informed him that he could do nothing; the pack would be passed into the Department of Main Roads Lost Property Office and the owner could retrieve it there in three or four days time. John came back and reported his findings. "Be brave," said he, "I've got a three-man tent. With two of us having sleeping bags that open out we can take in a third, no trouble. Get some more food and we're all set." So, looking only half-convinced, Alex set off for the shops.
+Meanwhile John Jansons, stout fella, hitched a ride in a truck to the local pub and rang various taxi companies. Much time was spent listening to sweet music, but eventually a voice informed him that he could do nothing; the pack would be passed into the Department of Main Roads Lost Property Office and the owner could retrieve it there in three or four days time. John came back and reported his findings. "Be brave," said he, "I've got a three-man tent. With two of us having sleeping bags that open out we can take in a third, no trouble. Get some more food and we're all set." So, looking only half-convinced, Alex set off for the shops.
-We waited a long time. Eventually Alex returned carrying nothing but two pink-iced cakes in a paper bag. The story was that after buying the necessary food for four days he had rung the Motor Transport Department. BY the time he had listened to most of Brahm's Fifth Concerto he was told the cab with number plate 7110 belonged to De Luxe Red & Yellow Cabs; the driver was located and although he had knocked off for the day he agreed to come back to Wiseman's
-Ferry with the pack. Alex thereupon returned the food he had bought, bought two pink-ioed buns, and joined his party. Songs of jubilation and joy. We sat in the shade of a flowering melaleuca for an hour or so and ate our lunch. The taxi reappeared. Alex forked out another $40 plus a $5 tip because he was such an obliging chap, then we got on the ferry and the trip started - 14 km to go and the time 2 pm.
+We waited a long time. Eventually Alex returned carrying nothing but two pink-iced cakes in a paper bag. The story was that after buying the necessary food for four days he had rung the Motor Transport Department. By the time he had listened to most of Brahm's Fifth Concerto he was told the cab with number plate 7110 belonged to De Luxe Red & Yellow Cabs; the driver was located and although he had knocked off for the day he agreed to come back to Wiseman's Ferry with the pack. Alex thereupon returned the food he had bought, bought two pink-iced buns, and joined his party. Songs of jubilation and joy. We sat in the shade of a flowering melaleuca for an hour or so and ate our lunch. The taxi reappeared. Alex forked out another $40 plus a $5 tip because he was such an obliging chap, then we got on the ferry and the trip started - 14 km to go and the time 2 pm.
-We followed up the Old Northern Road, convict-built of incredible great blocks forming walls and buttresses and road edging. Views of the distant Hawkesbury across healthy rampant forest, native flowers everywhere among the shining broad leaves of the Gymea lilies and ferns, sky overcast and occasional spitting rain, but pleasantly cool for uphill walking. All afternoon we followed the road, an off-road-vehicle driver's delight, with bits of scraped tyres and and last equipment along the route. Eventually we came to a locked gate where two approaching cars were held up. The two lady drivers were fiddling with a combination padlock. We gave them our pooled advice, which didn't help, then left them to it while we plunged down through the scrub to the creek to look for a flat area where Alex had camped previously. As we crashed our various ways down the overgrown hillside, we heard two triumphant toots, which signified that our lady friends were successfully on their way to Frog Hollow.
+We followed up the Old Northern Road, convict-built of incredible great blocks forming walls and buttresses and road edging. Views of the distant Hawkesbury across healthy rampant forest, native flowers everywhere among the shining broad leaves of the Gymea lilies and ferns, sky overcast and occasional spitting rain, but pleasantly cool for uphill walking. All afternoon we followed the road, an off-road-vehicle driver's delight, with bits of scraped tyres and and lost equipment along the route. Eventually we came to a locked gate where two approaching cars were held up. The two lady drivers were fiddling with a combination padlock. We gave them our pooled advice, which didn't help, then left them to it while we plunged down through the scrub to the creek to look for a flat area where Alex had camped previously. As we crashed our various ways down the overgrown hillside, we heard two triumphant toots, which signified that our lady friends were successfully on their way to Frog Hollow.
 The level area seemed to be non-existent. "It's got to be here," said Alex, "Let's try upstream." But the terrain got steeper and steeper. "Let's try downstream." In the midst of all this to-ing and fro-ing a jubilant call from John and Dot brought the party together. There was a great glorious camping cave that could accommodate at least 10. Its untouched appearance would suggest that no one had ever been in it. Dot threw out all the loose stones and levelled off the sand floor. John and Paul collected firewood, Alex went for water and soon we had a beaut fire going, sleeping areas chosen, dry bracken and sleeping mats in position and food cooking. Now let Hughie do his worst.
-Suddenly a little live creature dropped from the ceiling and sprawled on the sand. "A giant cockroach," yelled John. BUt no, it was a baby mouse. "Granpa!" Granpa!" cried
-Sylvia, "Listen to its mother calling." "Nonsense," said Paul, "That's my pacemaker."
+Suddenly a little live creature dropped from the ceiling and sprawled on the sand. "A giant cockroach," yelled John. But no, it was a baby mouse. "Granpa!" Granpa!" cried Sylvia, "Listen to its mother calling." "Nonsense," said Paul, "That's my pacemaker." But Sylvia persisted, and sure enough, looking up, we saw some sort of creature's nest of leaves packed into a wind-blown hollow in the roof. We laid the little one on the sand where its mother could rescue it. Sylvia's young ears heard the mother's squeaks going on and on, but the older ears were not attuned to such high frequencies.
-BUt Sylvia persisted, and sure enough, looking up, we saw some sort of creature's nest of leaves packed into a wind-blown hollow in the roof. We laid the little one on the sand where its mother could rescue it. Sylvia's young ears heard the mother's squeaks going on and on, but the older ears were not attuned to such high frequencies.
-Page 4 The Sydney Bushwalker December, 1987
+Next morning we left early, about 7.45. We checked the exact location of the cave for future use (just under the wires of a high tension line crossing the gully). Most of today was to be spent navigating along ridges, so there was a lot of map-reading and checking the compass. It was quite hot and the sunburn cream was liberally applied. We soon left Mill Creek Road and headed off into the bush. There were traces of an old track, probably made by aborigines on their way to their rock-carving and ghamma hole sites at the intersection of the N.S./E.W. ridges in the middle of Dharug Park. Old bent-over twigs along the track showed that bushwalkers had been through, but all that must have happened many years ago. Due to absence of outstanding features we made a couple of errors, which were soon rectified.
-Next morning we left early, about 7.45. We checked the exact location of the cave for future use (just under the wires of a high tension line crossing the gully). MOst of today was to be spent navigating along ridges, so there was a lot of map-reading and checking the compass. It was quite hot and the sunburn cream was liberally applied. We soon left Mill Creek Road and headed off into the bush. There were traces of an old track, probably made by aborigines on their way to their rock-carving and ghamma hole sites at the intersection of the N.S./E.W. ridges in the middle of Sharug Park. Old bent-over twigs along the track showed that bushwalkers had been through, but all that must have happened many years ago.
-Due to absence of outstanding features we made a couple of errors, which were soon rectified.
 For a lunch break we sought out shade which, however, was unnecessary as the sky clouded over and for the rest of the day we watched the weather gradually deteriorating. We set up camp for the night about 6 pm a short distance down Birds-eye Creek. It rained heavily in the night. From Paul's tent came a voice, "Granpa, the tent leaks! I've got my sleeping bag wet!"
 Loath to leave in the morning, we packed up but stayed in the tents while the rain rained. At last we had to start off, getting out onto the road again to avoid bashing through the heavy rain-drenched scrub. The road went up and down, up and down, the rain deluged down and great torrents of muddy yellow water coursed down each side gutter. The party plodded on doggedly, each occupied with his or her very different thoughts:
-Paul: This hill has got to be higher than 600 ft must check on the map. I swam in the
-Dead Sea once there was only one tree on all the whole barren bank a casuarina the
+__Paul__: This hill has got to be higher than 600 ft... must check on the map. I swam in the Dead Sea once there was only one tree on all the whole barren bank... a casuarina... the same as these...
-same as these
-Sylvia: My name's Sylvia, the same as the mother of Romulus who founded Rome  I hope I've
+__Sylvia__: My name's Sylvia, the same as the mother of Romulus who founded Rome...  I hope I've passed the H.S.C. exam.
-passed the H.S.C. exam.
-Dot: Thank God for my strong Illio-psoas never mind the tightened cruciate ligament or
+__Dot__: Thank God for my strong Illio-psoas... never mind the tightened cruciate ligament or the miserable little Popliteus... Make the begger work!"
-the miserable little Popliteus Make the begger work!"
-John: You've got to hand it to them - a little school girl and three noble ruins out in this foul weather  I was an idiot to leave my socks off and get blisters  I've gotta find
+__John__: You've got to hand it to them - a little school girl and three noble ruins out in this foul weather... I was an idiot to leave my socks off and get blisters... I've gotta find shelter somewhere and put on a jumper, my fingers are going numb.
-shelter somewhere and put on a jumper, my fingers are going numb.
-Alex: What have I let my party in for!
+__Alex__: What have I let my party in for!
-We had followed Mangrove Creek, then Popran Creek, walking through Mr. Lawler's Horse Riding Ranch (permission previously obtained). The final hill brought us out eventually to the Calga Road. Cars sped along in both directions. A huddled meeting was held and it was unanimously decided to cut the trip short and get a taxi out to Gosford. But how to get
-a taxi?
+We had followed Mangrove Creek, then Popran Creek, walking through Mr. Lawler's Horse Riding Ranch (permission previously obtained). The final hill brought us out eventually to the Calga Road. Cars sped along in both directions. A huddled meeting was held and it was unanimously decided to cut the trip short and get a taxi out to Gosford. But how to get a taxi?
 A short way off was the Newcastle Freeway with an enormous volume of traffic keeping to its 110 speed, windscreen wipers flailing madly. "There's got to be a service station at the Gosford turnoff," said our leader. So, heading towards Sydney, off we struggled into the sweeping fury of the storm. The wild wind whistled, sending the rain along in great horizontal sheets. Roadside notices told us there was a 'phone ahead 500 metres, 400, 300, but John led us off to the shelter of an underpass where he put on his jumper, and Sylvia saw that Grandfather put on his dry shirt. Alex laid out the map, held down with wet stones and we studied what looked like a heap of red entrails, which was the Freeway and its various loops of entries and exits.
-In the forlorn hope that she might get a lift to a phone, Dot tried to thumb down a passing motoiist. He wound down his window, out flew two plastic bags full of ice crystals and prawn heads which spattered on the road at her feet, the window was hastily wound up and the driver continued on with his heater turned on and his speed unabated (so much for Christian charity).
+In the forlorn hope that she might get a lift to a phone, Dot tried to thumb down a passing motorist. He wound down his window, out flew two plastic bags full of ice crystals and prawn heads which spattered on the road at her feet, the window was hastily wound up and the driver continued on with his heater turned on and his speed unabated (so much for Christian charity).
 While the three noble ruins (combined age 233 years) sheltered under the overpass, John plodded doggedly back to the phone on the Calga Road. He came back to report that the Traffic Department from the sheltered haven of its Sydney office (notwithstanding the fact that the radio was reporting flooding in the south, west and northern suburbs and Blacktown declared a disaster area) could do nothing except tell us to keep walking to a service station on the Mt. White turnoff, some 5 km away.
-December, 1987 The Sydney Bushwalker Page 5
-However, John had seen a house down in a hollow over the Freeway, so we climbed up the long grass of the embankment, streaked across the Freeway without losing anyone, and at last gained the shelter of the building, which was a garage! Our entry was contested by four or
+However, John had seen a house down in a hollow over the Freeway, so we climbed up the long grass of the embankment, streaked across the Freeway without losing anyone, and at last gained the shelter of the building, which was a garage! Our entry was contested by four or five huge Alsations... ("Shut up!! Lie down!! Shut up!!!"). The kindly lady attendant heated up meat pies for us and rang for a taxi from Gosford. "Ring me back if they start to walk off," said the taxi driver. (Not b----y likely!)
-five huge Alsations....("Shut up!! Lie down!! Shut up!!!"). The kindly lady attendant
-heated up meat pies for us and rang for a taxi from Gosford. "Ring me back if they start to
+Dot did a strip-tease behind a fruit stand and got dressed in a dry skirt and her sleeping bag. Sylvia got Paul buttoned up. To warm up Sylvia and John were indulging in a little friendly scuffle. "I wouldn't do that," said the woman, "the dogs might misunderstand." Growling deep in their throats the huge crouching dogs, with violence locked behind their sullen smouldering eyes, watched from the wet concrete floor. We civilized humans eating our microwaved meat pies didn't realise the fine dividing line between life and having your throat torn out by a pack of mad dogs.
-walk off," said the taxi driver. (Not b----y likely!)
-Dot did a strip-tease behind a fruit stand and got dressed in a dry skirt and her sleeping bag. Sylvia got Paul buttoned up. To warm up Sylvia and Jdhn were indulging in a little friendly scuffle. "I wouldn't do that," said the woman, "the dogs might misunder-
-stand." Growling deep in their throats the huge crouching dogs, with violence locked behind their sullen smouldering eyes, watched from the wet concrete floor. We civilized humans eating our microwaved meat pies didn't realise the fine dividing line between life and having your throat torn out by a pack of mad dogs.
 The taxi arrived. We threw our packs in, then ourselves (even Alex, who hates cars, made no demur), then down to Gosford, over the Mooney Mooney Bridge (higher above the water than the Harbour Bridge) with two windsocks streaming out horizontally in warning in the screaming wind.
-veil, that's it. All aboard the train for home. Of course no taxis at the station
-so a final walk home to the heaven of a hot bath. As Jim Brown pointed out when Committee gave him and Kath their certificates of Hon. Active Membership, "All bushwalkers are thought to be mad, but you're not legally insane till you have been certified." Well, Alex and I
+Well, that's it. All aboard the train for home. Of course no taxis at the station so a final walk home to the heaven of a hot bath. As Jim Brown pointed out when Committee gave him and Kath their certificates of Hon. Active Membership, "All bushwalkers are thought to be mad, but you're not legally insane till you have been certified." Well, Alex and I were certified at the same time as Jim and Kath. Makes you think, doesn't it!
-were certified at the same time as Jim and Kath. Makes you think, doesn't it!
-* * * * * * * * *
+----
-LETTER  TO THE SYDNEY BUSH WALKERS.
-Reference - 60th Anniversary Celebrations.
+=====Letter to The Sydney Bush Walkers.=====
+===Reference - 60th Anniversary Celebrations.===
 As 1936 members we wish to express our appreciation of the fine efforts of Ian Debert and his Committee in programming and carrying out the multifarious aspects assocated with such an event in our Club's life.
 The Nostalgia Night and the Dinner were most enjoyable as both events attracted so many of our old Club colleagues of half a century, whilst the general fraternal spirit of both evenings added to their lustre.
 We also wish to congratulate Ainslie Morris upon the production of such a magnificent record of the Club and the interesting stories re-told.
-Lastly, our personal thanks to Ian Debert for providing transport for us to the
-Nostalgia Night. In our old age we would otherwise have been deprived of this happy occasion.
+Lastly, our personal thanks to Ian Debert for providing transport for us to the Nostalgia Night. In our old age we would otherwise have been deprived of this happy occasion.
 With best wishes for the Anniversary,
-Yours faithfully, JEAN HARVEY. BRIAN HARVEY.
-************
+Yours faithfully,
-POSITIONS VACANT.
-Two senior management positions are available in S.B.W. Publishing. This is a dynamic
+Jean Harvey. Brian Harvey.
-work environment at the leading edge of the bushwalking movement. The positions are Manager: Printing and Manager: Operations and report to each other over a hot press and various cups of
-coffee, tea, etc. Previous experience in the printing and allied industry is not necessary as
+----
-full on-the-job training will be given. Applicants should have a pleasant manner, good team
-spirit and be able to whistle whilst working. Salary is negotiable between nil and zero.
+====Position Vacant.====
-Hours are flexible with daylight week days preferred. Applicants should rush to the nearest
-phone and call Stan on (043) 25 7203 NOW!
+Two senior management positions are available in S.B.W. Publishing. This is a dynamic work environment at the leading edge of the bushwalking movement. The positions are Manager: Printing and Manager: Operations and report to each other over a hot press and various cups of coffee, tea, etc. Previous experience in the printing and allied industry is not necessary as full on-the-job training will be given. Applicants should have a pleasant manner, good team spirit and be able to whistle whilst working. Salary is negotiable between nil and zero. Hours are flexible with daylight week days preferred. Applicants should rush to the nearest phone and call Stan on (043) 25 7203 NOW!
-THE SYDNEY BUSHWAL ER
-VICTORIA ROAD GLADES VILLE, 2111 PHONE (02) 817 5590 HOURS - MON.-FRI. 9-6
+----
-THURS. 9-8
-SAT. 9-4
-(PARKING AT REAR OFF PITTWATER ROAD)
-A LARGE RANGE OF LIGHTWEIGHT, QUALITY, BUSHWALKING Et CAMPING GEAR
- LIGHTWEIGHT FOOD FOR BACKPACKERS AND CANOEISTS
- COLD WEATHER PROTECTION CLOTHING AND RAINGEAR
- MAPS, BOOKS AND LEAFLETS
- INFORMATION SERVICE FOR CANOEISTS AND WALKERS
- KNIVES  COMPASSES  SURVIVAL GEAR
-WE STOCK THE LARGEST RANGE OF CANOEING GEAR IN N.S.W.
-QUALITY TOURING CRAFT OF ALL TYPES HIGH QUALITY, PERFORMANCE COMPETITION CRAFT
- A HUGE RANGE OF PADDLES FOR ALL TYPES OF CANOEING  WETSUITS  SURF SKIS
- ALL TYPES OF SPRAY COVERS  WIDE RANGE OF JACKETS & CAGS  FACE MASKS
- FOOTWEAR  MANY TYPES OF BUOYANCY & LIFE VESTS  HELMETS
-December, 1987 The Sydney Bushwalker Page 7
 MEMORIES OF THIS AND THAT.
  by Rod Carruthers.