SBW Magazine & History Project

THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER is a monthly bulletin of matters of interest to members of The Sydney Bush Walkers Inc. PO Box 431 Milsons Point 1565.
To advertise in this magazine, please contact the Business Manager.

The Sydney Bush Walkers Incorporated was founded in 1927. Club meetings are held every Wednesday evening at 8 pm at Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, 16 Fitzroy Street, Kirribilli (near Milsons Point Railway Station). Visitors and prospective members are welcome any Wednesday.

Issue No. 792

The Sydney Bushwalker magazine is printed on recycled paper.

Reported by Barry Wallace

There were some 16 or so members present at around 20:05 when the president called the meeting to order. Apologies were tendered from Gretel Woodward and Patrick James. The minutes of two meetings, the September and August general meeting, were read and accepted as correct.

Correspondence in saw a letter from one of our members requesting information on an aspect of membership, from Frank Rigby proposing additional tracks at Coolana, and from the club's Public Officer pointing out a conflict between the constitution and recent decisions by the committee regarding entry requirements for new members. We sent a letter to the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation regarding the Aboriginal land rights claim on an area adjacent to Coolana.

The committee has agreed to Frank's proposal, subject to his liaising with the Coolana maintenance committee. The letter regarding the land rights claim was crafted by Patrick James from information provided by our Honorary Solicitor whose involvement was restricted by a scheduled departure overseas.

Changes to entry requirements for new members will be put on hold.

We also received a letter from NPWS regarding restrictions on camping in the Royal and Heathcote NP that will apply from the beginning of November. Details will probably appear elsewhere in the magazine.

The treasurer's report indicated that we began the period with $13,239, received income of $1,207, spent $275 and closed with a balance of $14,172 in round numbers.

The walks reports began with Maureen Carter leading the midweek walk on Wednesday 13^th^ September. There were 7 participants on a day variously described as super and a glorious spring day.

The weekend of 15, 16, 17 September saw Oliver Crawford with a party of 6 on his Gardens of Stone walk in good weather. They didn't quite make it to the cars on Sunday evening but reported the night as balmy with a bright moon that made sleeping less than easy. Henry Roda led 9 walkers on his Saturday visit to the four heads in the Blue Mountains National Park. The weather was good, the walk went very well and there were views over the Grose Valley. Ian Hill had 12 plus an indeterminate number of blow-ins on his Sunday walk from Stanwell Park to Otford, which went to program. Stephen Ellis revised the route of his Sunday walk out from Carlons Farm for the party of two.

The midweek walk, scheduled by Ian Rannard, did not go, due to problems with trains and to a lack of starters.

The weekend of 23, 24 September saw Wilf Hilder out with a party of 4 among the wildflowers in the Wollemi National Park. Phil Cohen had the 11 walkers on his Saturday walk in Ku-ring-Gai Chase wading through fields of blossom. Whether hay fever was the reason for two of the starters abandoning the walk midway is not clear. There was no report for Ralph Penglis' Sunday walk in the cosmopolitan Eastern Suburbs but Michael Bickley's walk in the Marramarra National Park went OK with a party of eight the same day.

The October long weekend saw Peter Miller cancel his Kanangra Walls to Carlon's walk and Ian Rannard also cancelled his Tarlo River National Park trip. Maurice Smith's Ettrema Wilderness walk suffered the same fate. Ken Cheng led his Sunday walk, on a warm day, from Hawkesbury River station to Berowra with a party of 11, less three dropouts along the way. Rumour has it that Jim Callaway's trip from Engadine to Heathcote had a party of 4 but no other details were available.

Wilf reported a pleasant day for the party of 6 on his midweek walk re-circumnavigating Port Jackson on Thursday 5^th^ October. Ever fascinated by urban artifacts they managed to locate a feature named Bolivia Bridge but did not approach it closely for some reason.

The weekend of 6, 7, 8 October was the start of Roger Treagus' Great River walk along the Wollondilly and Hawkesbury. There were 3 plus 5 plus 2 people on the walk which seemed to encounter a series of delays, mostly associated with food or refreshments of various sorts.

Henry Roda led 12 starters on his car camping weekend in the Wollemi. Conditions were warm with numerous orchids. The walk went well apart from a touch of confusion after lunch on the Saturday. There was no report for Peter Kaye's Saturday walk in Brisbane Waters National Park but Tony Crichton reported 9 and pleasant conditions for his test walk in Megalong Valley on the Sunday. Bill Capon led a party of 5 in hot rather scratchy conditions on his Wentworth Falls to Kedumba Pass Sunday walk. Thus ended the walks reports for the month.

There was no Confederation report for the meeting and the conservation report was somewhat out of sequence.

There was no general business, so after the announcements the meeting closed at 21:41.

ADVANCE WALK NOTICE JULY 2001
Expressions of Interest are invited for a Willis's Walkabouts trip to the NT's Litchfield Park and the Gregory River, July 15-28, 2001.

Both areas are interesting and (comparatively) little visited, Litchfield with wonderful creeks and gorges, and Gregory with, among other attractions, purple crowned finches which are probably unique to this area.

Although graded “exploratory”, the walks should not be too difficult as we shall only be carrying 7-day packs.

Generous discounts apply to early bookings.

Please contact Jacqui Calandra
at: jamajo@acon.com.au or phone (02) 9476 6538

NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES TO ADDRESS AND/OR PHONE NUMBERS
The club membership list is maintained by the membership secretary, Barry Wallace.
To ensure that the list is as accurate as possible and that you do not miss out on the magazine, the walks program and other club documents, Barry requests that you send advice of any alterations or corrections of your address and/or phone number directly to him.
Letters can be sent to Barry at our mail box:
PO Box 431 Milsons Point 1565

The main business of the last committee meeting was approval of the walks and the social programmes before printing and issuing them. Carol and Andrew have again each produced good programs which take account of the hot weather experienced at this time of the year.

Club insurance cover and the cost of ambulance/helicopter recovery was discussed and further clarification on these matters will be sought. I would welcome hearing from members with personal experience of air or land ambulance rescue or retrieval. Ed

State Opposition's Peta Seaton's controversial draft discussion paper, “Liberating The Environment” was also discussed.

Members are invited to attend the regular committee meetings as observers or to submit ideas to improve the club for discussion.

Two new members were accepted by the committee at its meeting in November.
Bob Smythe 65 Bruce Rd Glenbrook 2773
Stephen Adams, Brookvale bus depot Brookvale 2100
Both are very experienced walkers and we hope to see them soon leading club walks.

Members are advised that they should ensure that their personal medical insurance policy has adequate cover for the use of ambulances and rescue helicopters.

The current club policy has a maximum Medical cover of $2,000 and, when charged, ambulance hire can be between $300-$600 and helicopter rescue about $7000.

Our insurance policy is being investigated to clarify the true coverage position but meanwhile it is recommended that your personal coverage be checked.

1912-2000

As reported in the October magazine, Tom Moppett, an early member of the SBW, died in early September.

Tom, an enthusiastic skier, was introduced to the Sydney Bush Walkers by his future wife Jean Trimble, whom he met at The Chalet in 1933. He joined the club in February 1935.

Throughout the 1930s, Jean and Tom did many epic ski tours and bushwalking trips together and with parties of friends.

Together with Jean and Oliver Moriarty, another early member, they did an epic 16 day winter crossing from Kiandra to Kosciusko, most of which was in severe blizzards. Jean was the first woman to do the crossing.

Both Tom and Jean were very active in SBW affairs. Tom acting as treasurer in 1938 and secretary between 1939 and September 1940 when Jean took over the job.

After the war Tom was president of SBW from 1947 till 1952 and was conservation secretary in 1957.

Jean and Tom were married in October 1940 and in 1941 Tom joined the RAAF, training in Australia and Canada before moving to the UK in 1942 for training in bomber aircraft with the RAF.

During WWII Tom's Lancaster crew flew 61 bombing missions over enemy territory. Discharged in 1946, Tom was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and bar for “his exceptional navigational skills, courage and devotion to duty which contributed to the many successes achieved by his crew against some of the enemy's major targets.” While stationed in Canada and the UK, Tom walked in both countries and went rock climbing on Mt Snowdon.

A list of Tom's conservation activities would fill a page but despite this busy schedule, Tom started two importing businesses, British Merchandising (china & glassware) and United Radio Distributors (audio equipment). He managed and operated these businesses until his retirement in the early 70s.

Jean and Tom had two daughters, Nancy (married to Robert Pallin) born in January 1947 and Kate in March 1950. They endowed both girls with a broad life education which included: bushwalking, skiing, camping, map reading, an interest in people and places and a love of nature.

Tom's keen interest in conserving Australia's natural heritage led him to become a long time treasurer and later president of the National Parks Association.

Tom was made an honorary member of the NPA in 1967.

He was a foundation member of the Australian Conservation Foundation and served on the Fauna Protection Panel for 9 years from 1958 becoming its Deputy Chairman.

He successfully fought to conserve alpine and coastal areas and to limit sand mining and undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the production of Tom Lewis's National Park Act.

Tom and Jean's family's conservation activities even extended to the production and sale, from home, of Christmas cards. Proceeds from which possibly contributed to the saving of parts of Bendethra.

Jean and Tom explored Australia all of their lives and after Tom retired in the early 70s they extended their travel internationally, visiting: Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkey, Nepal, India, USA, Canada, Japan and Europe.

In 1976 Jean and Tom moved into the house they had built on a bushland block at Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains. They lived there until 1997 when they moved to Endeavour assisted living apartments at Springwood.

Tom had a personality that everyone who met him found attractive which would have assisted in the many conservation negotiations in which he was involved.

The sympathy of all those who knew Tom and Jean is extended to Jean and to her extended family.

An information/discussion evening with Elyssebeth Leigh has been arranged by Eddy Giacomel.
8pm TUESDAY 28 November at the clubrooms

Elyssebeth is a lecturer at UTS in adult learning with a particular interest in organizational behaviour and business management theory. She is on the boards of two international bodies facing similar challenges as SBW. She is interested in sharing her present knowledge about effective renewal strategies and options for volunteer organizations. She is also interested in working with volunteer and social bodies in developing their ideas and potential in a rapidly changing world.

Elyssebeth has been a casual walker all of her life and was a member of a bushwalking club some years ago. She will be joining us for dinner at the Thai restaurant next to the clubrooms prior to the function from about 6:30pm.

All SBW members and prospective members are invited to attend. Bookings are not required. If you require further information please call me on 9144 5095 or send an email to giacomel@tpgi.com.au.

Eddy Giacomel

Please note that this is not an official club function and that it is to be held on Tuesday 28^th^ and not on a normal meeting night. Ed

GARDENING TOOLS NEEDED FOR COOLANA
Patrick James extends his thanks to those SBW members who responded to his request for the donation of pressure lamps for use at Coolana functions.

Patrick is now seeking donations of gardening tools particularly picks and mattocks.

If you can help, give Patrick a ring on 9904 1515.

As advised in the October magazine, the Land & Property Information unit (L.P.I) of the NSW Government (formerly the L.I.C which incorporated the former CMA) are currently issuing Series 3. 1:25 000 maps. Below is a list of the maps already available. Other maps in other scales are also being updated but the 1:25 000 (listed below) is the most popular series used by walkers.

The new maps use the GDA94 Datum which for practical purposes is identical with the WGS84 Datum used by the USA and which is in most GPS receivers.

The new maps also have the old AGD66 Datum lines printed in grey.

As yet, the L.P.I has made no provision for listing new maps on its Website - WWW.lpi.nsw.gov.au which also contains other interesting information.

Refer to the walks programs for full details

For those with masochistic tendencies
by Richard Darke

Surely there must have been an easier way to lose 4 kilos? That's all I managed to shed in 2 months of training for and completing the second annual 100-km-within-48-hour Sydney Trailwalker, which took place from 26-28 May. OK, so how many readers have even heard of Trailwalker? I bet not many, because it is still getting established in Sydney, though I have no doubt it will become one of the premier endurance sports events here as the years go by. (Talking of endurance, I spent over an hour writing the first draft of this, but omitted to save the document, so here I am a few days later starting all over again!)

Anyway, so what's the big deal with Trailwalker? Well, it all started twenty years ago in Hong Kong, when one of The Queen's Gurkha regiments based there ran a 100km endurance training exercise involving teams of 4, all of whom had to complete a gruelling course in the mountains of the New Territories. This quickly evolved into a fundraising exercise to raise money in support of Gurkha charities, and was soon opened up to civilian teams raising money for Oxfam. Trailwalker has since spread to the UK, and also to Australia, where it is now established in Adelaide as well as Sydney, with participant teams securing pledges to raise money for Community Aid Abroad (Oxfam Australia).

So it was that the four of us who made up team Infidelity (me & three very fit females, none of them SBW members) found ourselves lining up for the start at Hunters Hill High School at 10:00 am on a sunny day in late May, for a stroll up the Great North Walk to Brooklyn. Plus some add-ons, to ensure we suffered over a full 100km. Team Infidelity, with $10,000 in pledges behind us, was targeting a time of 30 hours, the whole idea being to finish the event as a full team, with no drop-outs. Oh, and I should mention that the Gurkha team was targeting 14 ½ hours!

Our team training had started 2 months previously, with walks in The Royal, Heathcote, and Blue Mountains National Parks as well as along sections of the Great North Walk itself. It had its rewards, such as dawn starts & spectacular sunrises, night walking training, and planning with our invaluable support team of 4. Highlights along the way included seeing kingfishers on Cowan Creek, a fox, a kangaroo (or something big that bounced) in the dusk, and a number of snakes. (I never knew that an annoyed black snake, seen from closer than a metre, could put on such a good display of flattening its neck like a cobra when in the strike position)! A Six Foot Track or a K to K would have been good training strolls for our Big Walk.

Anyway, back to the start, and 140 teams took off after Pat Farmer had fired the gun.

The Gurkhas were soon out of sight as they tore off.

Within 1 km the first drop out occurred — someone broke a leg. Checkpoint 2 at Thornleigh, km 25, saw our team an amazing 2 hours ahead of plan. By km 33 we were beginning to pay the price. I for example had severe cramp in my calf muscle, but fortunately Checkpoint 3 at Cherrybrook saw podiatry students from UWS on duty, which sorted out various team muscle and blister problems. By 6:00 pm, we reached km 40 at Rosemead, near Hornsby. Here I made the mistake of pigging out to excess on some excellent pasta prepared by our support team, and so spent the next few hours feeling very nauseous. The trouble was, the further I walked, the more I needed food. But the more I thought of food, the sicker I felt — not a good cycle to get into. Galston Gorge came & went by 9:00 pm — the bastards made us go under the bridge ('for safety') instead of walking over the road, which because the creek crossing was flooded meant we then had to walk in wet boots for the rest of the way.

By 11:00 pm we had passed halfway at Crosslands, freezing cold, being wet with dew & sweat in falling temperatures. By now I found that the good thing about blisters is that they take your mind off cramp. The good thing about feeling sick, is that it takes

your mind off blisters. But the track up to Mt Ku-ring-Gai in the dark (and by now it was raining) was slippery and hard to find — lots of rocks, roots & stumps to stumble over, and steep too. Not good for morale. By now my lack of food had reduced me to almost complete collapse, so it was a huge relief to stagger into Checkpoint 6 at km 62 at Mt Ku-ring-Gai Public School.

By this time of course, the Gurkhas were across the finish line & tucked up in bed, while the second and third teams, Team Rogaine (a scratch team) and The Girls Team were almost home — phenomenal performances all.

But for us, 12 hours behind, some hot soup, a change into warm dry clothes, and a rest worked their magic, and we positively strode on down to Cowan Creek at Apple Tree Bay bathed in the light of a rising moon (the rain soon stopped) — very beautiful. But that track along the shore of Cowan Creek to Waratah Bay and up to Berowra is a bugger in the dark after so many kms. All up and down, “watch out, root/hole/tree stump/drop on right; step up 50cm here, down 40 cm there” for what seems for ever. So Checkpoint 7 at Berowra was wonderful in the dawn light. The walk down to Berowra Waters is normally pretty easy, but the cumulative toll on muscles and feet meant that I at least was totally knackered, so breakfast served by our loyal (and still awake) support group at CP 8 by the ferry was fantastic - while we contemplated the last, and toughest 21 km of the walk. Those 3 climbs from Berowra Waters to Cowan, while making a lovely Sunday walk well known to SBW members, are very intimidating after already walking 80km in 23 hours.

So that is when I was ready to go on strike. But the thought of letting down team, sponsors, and myself hung over me. And the boost of a rest and breakfast, plus a cocktail of the remaining drugs in my first aid kit (namely 2 panadeine forte, one brufen, and a sudafed capsule), combined with a 100 calorie shot of 'Gu', all conspired to con me into continuing. So instead of floundering, we ended going up those climbs like mountain goats! By CP 9 at Cowan, with a mere 13 km ahead of us, we knew we could all finish, and we fairly galloped down to Jerusalem Bay, and even up that stiff climb on the other side, leading to the fire trail and the run in to Brooklyn. And run in we did, because 400 metres from the end, we heard the thud of boots behind us. Another team with the audacity to try and overtake us. That was enough to spur us into a flat out dash for the line, and we just beat them off!

Was it worth it? Well, we had the satisfaction of beating our target time, finishing in 28 hours and 50 minutes non-stop. We ended up 39^^th^^ out of 140 teams, but because many of those teams ahead of us had drop-outs, we were 21^^st^^ of the complete teams to finish intact. We were euphoric as we tried to down champagne and oysters, chips and beer in celebration!

Would I do it again, after surviving a previous Hong Kong and now a Sydney Trailwalker? I'm not sure. What I do know is that SBW, being Sydney's premier bushwalking group, should definitely enter a team next year. It's a great challenge, and in a good cause. I'd certainly be prepared to advise an SBW team next year, whether or not I do it myself again. So who of you is up for the challenge? For details, look up the website: www.caa.org.au/trailwalker, or give me a call. This is much more than an individual walk - the challenge is to finish as a team (most don't) and to raise money for Community Aid Abroad, who hope to grow Trailwalker into its prime fundraiser in Australia.

I should also mention the excellent work undertaken by selfless volunteers in marking the course, especially the difficult-to-follow overnight sections. No thanks then, to the 'purist' who put so much effort into removing every marker along Cowan Creek. This track may be obvious by day, but in the dark it is hard to pick out where the trail continues after creek crossings. The Army, SES, St John's Ambulance, podiatrists and physiotherapists also put in a lot of much appreciated voluntary effort.

Infidelity team members were Richard Darke and non-SBW types Lesley Clarke, Breeda Kelly and Miriam Mott. The support team was comprised of SBW member Winnie Wu, Stuart Murray, Andrew Mortlock and David Solomon. oooo

A short fiction by Andrew Vilder

On an overnight walk out of Carlons, we were close to the place known as Davy's Camp, a sandy sweep on the right-hand side of the Cox's River. It was a stunning clear afternoon in late April, when the Easter rains had finished and the first breath of winter was sensed rather than perceived. We moved slowly through the young casuarinas along the smooth boulders of the riverbank in the cool shadow of Bluedog until we rounded a bend to find ourselves in a golden late sunlight.

The faint breeze which we had felt earlier became stronger and began to swirl through the tree needles and carried on it downstream was… smoke. Not a lot, just what might come from a campfire. We glanced at each other in dismay - It seemed that we would be sharing this stretch of wilderness with others.

“It's probably the Scouts, knowing our luck,” ventured Sarah.

“No, I think it's just one bloke - look!” said Geoff, pointing through a gap in the scrub to a small clearing some hundred yards ahead.

And there he was, sitting easily against a fallen log gazing across the river. He had a small fire going amongst the stones, with what looked like a generous black billy suspended from a tripod of crossed poles. Nearby was a tent. We were talking softly, and his back was turned, so he probably wasn't aware of us yet.

“Well, let's keep going,” suggested Keith, our leader, “I'm sure he doesn't bite.”

He still hadn't moved when we were quite close to him. He was wearing a weatherbeaten bushman's hat, and a khaki coloured long-sleeved cotton shirt with many pockets. This was in contrast to his legs, which were bare below faded grey shorts. Without boots or socks, he seemed oblivious to the cold, and to us.

I think we all jumped when suddenly, he spoke, “Nice day for it,” he intoned cheerfully. Only then did he turn around. He had a lined suntanned face, a shaggy brown beard, and startlingly blue eyes. He was smiling. “Certainly is,” agreed our Geoff, dropping his pack, “after all that rain. Have you been camped here long?”

“Got here an hour before you,” came the reply, “and staying just tonight.”

“We are, too. We're hoping to find a decent campsite on this river soon.”

“Why don't you rest up for a bit here first, and have a cup of tea with me? Billy's just boiled,” he said.

This was an unexpected gesture of bush hospitality, and it would be rude indeed to decline his offer. Besides, a hot cuppa just now would be heavenly.

“Thanks, we'd love to.” Keith spoke for all four of us. Genial as always, he immediately began introducing our little group.

“And my name's Toby,” finished the camper.

As we made ourselves comfortable amongst the rocks and rummaged for our plastic cups, we took in the vision of our host and his surroundings. His tent was a little canvas A-frame, complete with hemp guy-ropes. A couple of stout fallen branches served for the poles, and I caught glimpse of a faded bedroll inside.

His pack was vintage too, a canvas three-pocket model. Everything about his gear, although obviously in good order, was strangely old-fashioned, the sort of stuff one inherits from their grandfather as curios but never actually uses.

Then there was Toby himself. He had one of those faces that made it almost impossible to place his age, even within a decade. I could see a few flecks of grey in his beard, but my guess was he couldn't have been over forty. He moved with an unhurried economy that suggested complete ease with himself and his surroundings, as he expertly retrieved the billy from its hook then swung it several time above his head to settle the leaves. I think we'd all heard about making tea that way.

Toby poured into our waiting cups, and into his own battered enamel mug. No sugar or milk were proffered, so like Toby, we took ours neat black. It was scalding hot, I sipped it slowly, and found it exquisite - smoky, strong and piquant.

For several minutes we all savoured the brew in silence, it was that good.

“Lovely tea. Do you usually walk alone, Toby?” enquired Sarah at length.

“Sure. Nothing lonely about the bush, you know. Cities are where people go to be lonely.”

“You're from Sydney, then?” asked Keith, after we'd considered this wisdom.

“Born in Grenfell, grew up in Sydney. Never went back to either place after the war.”

We exchanged curious looks. The war? Which one? Toby didn't look old enough to have been at Vietnam, let alone Korea. Ah, perhaps he means the Gulf war… some Aussies went there, didn't they? But I didn't think they actually saw any action. It was at this point I noticed that Toby's legs were badly scarred at the back, especially the calves. The wounds were healed over, but looked fairly recent. I must have been staring because Toby's eyes followed mine.

“Some damage, eh?” he grunted, “my mates and I walked into an ambush. The enemy hit us with a Panzerfaust. I copped this and woke up in field hospital. The other guys are still out there in the desert.”

Embarrassed, I turned away and muttered an apology.

“Don't worry about it,” Toby reassured us all with a grin. “Myself, I don't worry about anything, these days.”

So it was Desert Storm. Though what was this talk about a Panzerfaust? I was no expert, but wasn't that a German World War Two weapon, some kind of grenade launcher?

Well, who knows what the Iraqis had in their arsenal, and where they'd got it.

Yet something about Toby didn't quite add up. I could see that Geoff also was uneasy with what he had just heard. He seemed to be mulling something over, before he spoke. “Just out of interest, Toby, because I had a nephew in that war, which unit were you serving with?”

Toby rubbed his beard for a moment, then said, “I was with the 16th Brigade in Libya. We gave Mussolini's jokers a proper hiding before we left, too. They shipped me home after I got shot up, later in '41. Been bushwalking ever since.”

Geoff drew a deep breath, then slowly rose to his feet, and said, “Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you, Toby. Now time's getting on and we really should be making a move towards our campsite. My old bloke's eyesight's no longer up to pitching tents in the dark.”

This was Geoff's way. He could have demolished Toby's story there and then, for the guy had just served us a crock. If Toby had been in Libya in '41, he'd be eighty in the shade right now. Even the best plastic surgeon in the world wouldn't have been able to turn him into the man we were all staring at now. And wouldn't he have started with those legs?

Toby was either a shameless liar, or half nuts. More likely, the latter. Well, it was a free country and Toby could believe what he liked; at any rate we were not about to argue with a man who had just invited us into his own camp for tea.

So, wishing him well, we left as quickly as we could without being rude. Maybe it was my imagination, but we were not hurrying just to reach camp before dark. We all seemed to have a strong inclination to put as much distance between Toby and us as was possible in the remaining twilight. I think he'd managed to unsettle all of us.

A suitable grassy flat was reached in under half an hour, and by then it was torches out. That evening around the campfire our discussion centred, naturally enough, on Toby.

For one thing, we had walked all through this country for years, and had never even heard of him until today. The area was simply not that remote that he would not have been reported earlier. Where had he turned up from?

So was he an outright nut, or just a confused hermit? Perhaps he was just having a joke with us? A prisoner on the run? By midnight, somebody had inevitably suggested: a ghost?

We each had a different theory to explain him, but we all agreed on one thing - he'd made us the best cup of tea we'd ever tasted. oooo

Provision of a nomination form.

Many club members would probably like to take a more active part in our club.

We are a walking club and an important way to contribute is to lead and/or to participate in walks and other club social activities but by accepting a committee position for one or more years it allows one to contribute more directly and to help shape the club's future.

To assist interested people to assess the duties of the various committee positions a handbook has been compiled and is available for perusal from the New Member Secretary on meeting nights.

To assist members to make a nomination, particularly if they will not be able to attend the general meeting next March, a nomination form has been inserted in this magazine.

A person can apply for more than one position but can only occupy one so if you do apply for more than one position please number them in the order of your preference.

Please return the completed form to:
The Secretary
The Sydney Bushwalkers Inc
Box 431 PO Milsons Point 1565 NSW

NZ Alpine Club Journals available.
Don Finch advises that Jack Higgs has a “very nearly complete set of NZ Alpine Club journals available free to a good home”.
Interested people can contact Jack at
Phone: 9818 8969

by James Woodford
Published by Text Publishing
Reviewed by Alex Colley

James Woodford, winner of the Eureka Prize for environmental journalism and the Michael Daley Prize for science journalism, has already familiarised the public with the story of the Wollemi Pine through his articles in the Sydney Morning Herald. The discovery of the tree was remarkable enough, though it had been seen by a party of bushwalkers, but its identification entailed dangerous helicopter assisted attempts to obtain its seeds, and research by leading botanists to establish its identity. It is a Dilwynite, a member of the Araucariaceae family, which includes the Norfolk Island, Hoop, Bunya and Kauri pines and although Dilwynia fossil remains proved that the species had existed for some 89 million years, until 2 million years ago most botanists thought it to be extinct.

A few thought it might still be alive. Two genera of Araucariaceae were in existence, but the Wollemi Pine had characteristics not found in either of them. It required a great deal of research, based mainly on the formation of the seed, by leading botanists, to establish that it was another genus, which was named Wollemi nobilis after its location and its discoverer, David Noble.

The Wollemi Pine is probably the most remarkable botanical discovery of modern times, but it is only one of the unique features of the Blue Mountains. “Scientists,” writes James Woodford, “say that visiting this world of forests, swamps, cliff lines and freezing streams is the nearest thing to seeing this continent when it was a land of dinosaurs rather than of kangaroos and emus. It is also one of the last places in the Sydney region where a visitor can see almost a full suite of the marsupial and monotreme fauna which set the continent apart from the rest of the world.” For 70 years Myles Dunphy and his bushwalking friends and successors in the wilderness protection movement campaigned for the preservation of the Blue Mountains. Woodford writes that there was a real chance that the Wollemi would be mauled by roadworks, coalmining, forestry or a dam to generate hydroelectric power. “It had taken two centuries for people to come to terms with the reality that the best use for such a place was to do nothing with it whatsoever.”

In his book Blue Mountains for World Heritage, Geoff Mosley wrote: “Keith and Benson list 65 significant species for the Katoomba map sheet. Forty three of these are either rare or threatened according to the national list published by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, while the remainder have botanical significance in terms of geographical distribution. Twenty of the 65 are endemic to the Blue Mountains. Only one plant Olearia oliganthema is believed by Keith and Benson to be extinct.” Since the declaration of the Blue Mountains, Kanangra Boyd, Wollemi, Nattai and Gardens of Stone National parks and the declaration of the Kanangra Boyd, Wollemi and Nattai wilderness areas, the Greater Blue Mountains are protected, but there is one further step in securing their protection. This is World Heritage listing, which acknowledges the global value of the Mountains and makes it a Commonwealth, as well as a State responsibility, to protect the area. The IUCN has decided that eucalypts are the most valuable natural resource to justify listing, though Geoff Mosley, an ex member of the IUCN's Committee on National Parks and Protected Areas, wrote that the Mountains contain all the four features required for listing. These are: an outstanding example representing a major stage of the earth's evolutionary history; an outstanding example representing significant ongoing geological processes; containing superlative natural phenomena and significant cultural habitats. James Woodford's book demonstrates that the Mountains have much wider range of heritage qualities than the eucalypts to justify listing. Environment Australia have sent copies to the World Heritage Committee, which will consider the Commonwealth's nomination during its meeting in Cairns at the end of November. The book itself might well secure World Heritage listing. oooo

Reported by Mark Patterson

On Saturday August 5 at 7:45 am Phil Newman led a group of 8 trekkers from Cowan Railway Station to Westleigh. It was a great preparation for those doing the Six Foot Track on August 26.

The first stage of the walk to Berowra Waters was the most scenic. It was then on to Crosslands for lunch where the prolific birdlife was an eye opener. A little further on we met up with Zol Bodlay and Sarah who despite suffering the flu tagged on to the back of the group for several kilometres. After a brief stop at the road bridge at Galston Gorge it was then on to Fishponds and finally after 33 kilometres we arrived at Westleigh at 5 pm just as the rain started.

At this point a special thanks must go to Phil and Christine Newman for their hospitality. There was some great finger food and wine to relax the tired trekkers at the leader's home which was very much appreciated.

NEWS FROM THE FAR NORTH
“HOGAN HERO” read the headline in the Cairns Post announcing that John Hogan had been awarded the “Cairns Tourism Association Hospitality Award”. This is a great accolade coming on top of John's recent acceptance into the “Savannah Guides” organisation.

The particular nomination which resulted in this award came from a trip to the “Gulf Savannah Region” back in June when two-and-a-half inches of very unseasonable rain caused massive disruption of the trip to Lawn Hill National Park. Arriving on the scene of a fatal accident soon after it occurred on day one didn't help the trip. Despite this, John managed to bring back 9 happy travellers all determined to return in the future and fill in the parts of the trip they missed.

John will now be considered for the annual award.

WHAT TO DO IF CAUGHT IN A BUSHFIRE WHILST WALKING IN REMOTE AREAS
by Sue Davies, Regional Officer, Bush Fire Service of WA November 1998

Early October 2000 was a bad time for bushfires around Sydney and this summer will possibly bring more and bigger bushfires.

The following article copied from the February 1999 Confederation 'Bushwalker' could be considered essential reading for all walkers who venture into remote areas in summer. Ed

Survival in the open when confronted by an intense fire is not easy.

The threats to life come from three sources: * Radiant heat, so intense as to induce heat stroke. * Smoke and hot gases, able to induce asphyxiation. * Flames, which induce actual burns.

WHAT WILL THE FIRE DO?

The fire behaviour is influenced by three main factors: * the fuel * the weather * the topography

Fuel: The type of fuel, the amount of fuel, its moisture content and the arrangement of the fuel, determines the intensity and rate of spread of a fire. For example, in forest land the fire burns with high intensity, but moves slowly, whereas in grassland the fire is less intense, but moves quickly.

Weather: Fires will be more intense on hot dry days than on cool humid days. Fires move more quickly when it is windy and wind changes affect fire behaviour dramatically.

Topography: The lay of the land has considerable effect on the way the fire travels. A preheating effect causes the fire to move more quickly uphill. The key to surviving a bushfire is to understand these factors, predict how they will interact, and take appropriate actions.

PREVENTION

Schedule your walk to remote forest areas to avoid the time of year when bushfires are likely to be most intense and/or occur most often (avoid the hottest summer months and days of very high or extreme fire danger). During summer, a walk on the beach may be more pleasant!

PREPARATION

* Ensure that full details of your walk including party size are left with responsible people and make sure that you advise them of your return. * In planning your walk, note features shown on the map that may offer some refuge (bodies of water, rocky outcrops etc). * Carry clothes that offer protection from radiant heat. When threatened by bushfire, it is important to remove all synthetic clothing, as this can melt and burn skin severely. Cotton long trousers, long sleeved shirts and leather boots should be a part of your walking gear (maybe even a woollen jumper). * Carry plenty of water. * While walking, maintain your navigation, so that you know where you are at all times. This makes the emergency decision-making process easier. * Keep a lookout for smoke.

RESPONSE:

1. Anticipate the fire's behaviour and plan the best course of action.

• Move to a low fuel area.
• Don't try to outrun the fire - move across the front of the fire to the flanks (sides).
• Move downhill - the most intense fire will be at the top of hills. Don't try to run through the flames unless you can clearly see behind them. This means flames less than 1m high and less than 3m deep. Move towards the flanks or back of the fire, and look for lulls in the fire to find flames of less intensity.
• Remain calm and avoid exhaustion - plan your actions.

2. Find an area that won't burn - the bigger the better.

  You need to avoid direct flame contact by getting to an area devoid of bushfire fuel. Some examples include:
  *   Water bodies such as lakes, dams or creeks.
  *   Avoid areas of swampy vegetation such as Melaleuca sp. which can burn intensely.
  *   Avoid elevated water tanks. Water above the ground in elevated tanks heats up very quickly during a fire. A body immersed in lukewarm water cannot sweat or lose heat, and at 44°, a state of collapse is reached in about three minutes.
  *   Rocky outcrops (such as granite monadnocks).
  *   A road or firebreak.
  *   A paddock area heavily grazed or trampled by stock.
  *   An area of previously burnt ground.
  *   Any other area with no combustible material.

3. Protect yourself from radiant heat.

  This is not easy in the open. Wear your cotton/woollen clothing. Lie down on the ground and cover yourself as far as possible. Anything that will deflect or absorb the radiant heat should be used.
  *   Move into a building or a vehicle or put a tree trunk or large rock between you and the fire.
  *   Get into a wheel rut or depression in the ground.

4. Protect your airways.

  Smoke and hot gases can cause asphyxiation and even burn the inside of the airway.
  *   Keep low, breathing into the ground, to avoid smoke and hot gases.
  *   Cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth.

Recovery First Aid. Walk leaders should know how to treat: * Burns * Shock * Asphyxiation and smoke inhalation * Smoke and foreign matter in eyes * Heat induced illness

* Arrange evacuation and medical aid. * Notify relevant authorities of your situation.

Bushfires are a real and immediate threat to life. Your survival when caught in the open depends on sound judgement and in taking appropriate actions. oooo

by Paul McDonald (Prospective)

Sunday 2 July 2000… there was not even a glow in the east over Manly Beach when I got up and drove towards Central Station to catch the 6:44 am train to meet Tony Crichton and his group off for a walk in the Royal National Park. It was to be my first encounter with Sydney Bushwalkers as a Prospective Member. It was a test walk and was apparently to be quite a quick jaunt along the beach walk. It was also to be my first time in the Royal. I had lived for over 18 years adjacent to Ku-ring-Gai Chase and had never ventured to the southern equivalent.

After a desperate effort at parking (my Landcruiser just will not fit in the average parking station) I certainly was wide awake after running hard and seeing the Otford train pull out without me! After a miserable half hour I resolved to catch the next train (2 hours later) and take my chance. I had no map (no, the Central Station bookshop had no map of the Royal National Park) but I did have a compass, torch, wet weather gear and food with me… perhaps I could catch up the group!

At Otford I tagged on to a pair of hikers who appeared to know where they were going and after briefly telling me where to go I struck ahead of them at a cracking pace. They mentioned something about doing a faster route to Wattamolla by the road… however after a speedy hour of both walking and running their instructions were quite addled in my mind and when coming across a road I (incorrectly) turned right which took me down a winding road to Garie Beach.

Rewarded by an icecream and a glance at the map (no, she had none to sell me) I struck out along the beach towards Wattamolla. After a wrong turning and unwanted inspection of the remote YHA above the beach, I found the track again, hiked for at least another hour and then stopped for a short break at the ruggedly beautiful Eagle Rock. I had no idea how I was doing as when hiking alone it is surely difficult to know your own pace - but I was pleased with myself when a pair hiking south said that a large group was about one hour ahead.

Another icecream at Wattamolla… a glance at a map again (no, they did not have one to sell me)… and I romped up the hill… A wrong turn again this time to the left took me inland and when I took a right track later I found myself approaching Marley Beach from inland.

I now reached the low point of the adventure. In trying to find the beach walk track I walked in a complete circle for 45 minutes and then the rain started driving hard from the sea and visibility became poor. In exasperation I bush bashed across to the beach and found the track. At this point I resolved not to be tempted inland again… and then miraculously the weather cleared.

I should mention that throughout the hike the seas and surf were majestic, there having been storms for the days preceding that day. Despite my enthusiastic pace I truly enjoyed the sights along this magnificent coastline.

Well, I was now on the home straight but I was feeling pretty sore and after losing those 45 minutes at Marley I was pretty sure that there would, after all, be no SBW witnesses to my efforts. I reached the first houses in Bundeena at 3:30 pm and jumped the 4:00 pm ferry. A drink with a friend at the Bog's Breath Café (a painful walk from the ferry!) ended a memorable day and one I was glad I had persevered with.

Only careful mathematics by the SBW experts will reveal whether my pace was a cracking one or not… but I certainly hope to meet up with some of you soon - after all I have joined SBW to make friends with people with similar interests and not to hike alone.

P.S. Is it possible to pass a Test walk with no witnesses??! oooo

SUNDAY 2 JULY 2000
by Tony Crichton

Walkers: Tony Crichton (Leader), Gail Crichton, Maureen Carter, Margaret Sheens, Jan Mohandas, Klaus Umland, Ian Hill, Mark Patteson, Chris Dowling, Michael Bickley, Umberto, Barry Forbes, John McDonald, Tony Oian, Andrew Craig

When the 6:44 am Central train (gee that's early) pulled into Otford Station at 7:30 am a total of 15 keen bushwalkers emerged.

Carol Lubbers' editorial addition to the walk description “a fast gallop” had the effect of producing a certain pacey expectation from walkers.

Everyone maintained the pace throughout the day as we walked together as a single group which meant that we finished the walk in record quick time. We were fast enough to catch the 3:00 pm ferry instead of the usual 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm ferry.

Klaus and Jan were setting a good pace with new prospective Barry Forbes showing they could mix it with the best.

A few people failed to turn up at Otford, however please read the sister article re this walk “The Phantom Hiker” by Paul McDonald to share a truly gutsy effort.

It was a beautiful sunny day with great people having a wonderful time, but sadly no whales were spotted this time. A lovely sunny lunch out of the wind at Curracorang made a lovely change from the cave at Eagle Rock, which was drenched in seaspray.

Upon reaching Bundeena we exerted maximum pressure on the shop staff to provide hot chips and milk shakes before our ferry left. We made it!!

Well done to Paul McDonald. Yes we will count your solo day as a Test walk. Frank Grennan promised me!! oooo

from Alex Colley

Wilderness consists of the last substantial remnants of the natural environment. Only large natural areas provide the habitat for a complete range of native fauna and flora. When approved and declared by the Government these areas are protected from all forms of development and from damaging forms of recreation.

Since the Wilderness Act was passed in 1989 over one and a half million hectares of wilderness have been declared. In the March 1999 election the State Government made a further commitment to expand wilderness protection and to assess 14 wilderness areas and 12 proposed additions to existing areas. Another 25 areas have since been designated for assessment. Most of these areas were previously flagged by the National Parks and Wildlife Service or Environment Australia. In order to further the Government's wilderness protection initiatives, the Colong Foundation has formulated the Wilderness 2000 Protection Plan in association with the Nature Conservation Council, the Total Environment Centre, The Wilderness Society and the National Parks Association. The Plan would protect not only the above areas but other areas of wilderness quality land, which may otherwise be omitted from the Government's plans.

Critical risk areas which the Plan would protect are: In the North East: Chaelundi, west of Coffs Harbour, Yengo, Stockyard Creek, west of Kempsey and the Timbarra and Cataract areas. In the Central and outer West: 13,7000 ha. of the Grose wilderness identified by the NPWS but not yet declared, the Pilliga wilderness and additions to the Kaputar wilderness. These latter two areas are the only substantial intact areas of woodland in central NSW. In the South: Northern Kosciuszko, the Deua and Tuross River headwaters, Murruin, and restoration of NPWS reductions to Tabletop, Bungonia and North Ettrema. Of particular significance is the wilderness on the upper Snowy River, nominated by the Colong Foundation in order to prevent the Perisher/Blue Cow development blight from spreading westward.

When the NPWS has assessed the areas they are exhibited and open for public comment. No doubt they will be opposed by the well financed anti-conservation lobbies which include loggers, graziers, 4WDrivers, resort developers and horse riders. But a number of opinion polls in recent years have found that some 80% of people (up to 99% in one poll) support wilderness reservation. Since bushwalkers have more first hand knowledge of wilderness than anyone else, their submissions will be very valuable. The environment groups recommend the following action by supporters:

* Write to the Premier, The Hon. Bob Carr MLP, at Parliament House Sydney 2000 and ask him to

• Assess, identify and fully protect all wilderness proposed by environment groups in the Wilderness 2000 Protection Plan.
• Maintain his election promises not to log forest wilderness areas, such as the Deua.
• Expedite wilderness protection of areas delayed by technicalities (e.g. Yengo, Murruin and Tabletop).
• Boost the Dunphy Wilderness Fund to acquire critical wilderness on private lands.
• Legislate to ensure that there can be no future reductions of wilderness boundaries by an act of Parliament.

Bushwalker submissions would be even more valuable when the areas are exhibited. A submission claiming intimate knowledge of an area and describing its natural attributes would be very effective. And if you want to explore “new country” the places to look for it are the existing and proposed wilderness areas shown on the accompanying map.

For a Wilderness 2000 supporter information kit, a talk/slide show, or any further information on Wilderness 2000, phone Tom Widdup or Keith Muir on 9299-7341.

Why not put a walk in one of these threatened areas on the next SBW walks program? Ed.

Image: Wilderness 2000 Protection Plan Map (P.18) A map of NSW showing various wilderness areas and additions.

Map features and selected labels (not exhaustive, but representative of areas shown): * Wilderness areas to be protected (shaded polygons) * Declared wilderness (cross-hatched polygons) * National park / State forest (lightly shaded areas) * Forest region boundary (dashed lines) * Kilometres scale bar (0, 25, 50, 100)

Major regions/towns (from map): * QUEENSLAND * NEW ENGLAND * NEW SOUTH WALES * VICTORIA * PACIFIC OCEAN * SYDNEY

Selected Wilderness Areas / Additions (from map): * Lost World * Mt Ballow * Donnybrook * Bindery-Mann addns * Binghi * Washpool additions * Chandlers Creek * Guy Fawkes additions * Cathedral Rock additions * Styx River (Nth) Gorges additions * Mummel Gulf * Wollemi additions * Yengo * Barrington additions * Grose * Nattai * North Ettrema * Ettrema * Budawang addition * Buckenbowra * Deua additions * Tuross * Merimbula * Nadgee * Pilot additions * Kosciusko addns * Bimberi additions * Brindabella * Murruin * Kanangra Boyd * Pilliga * Mt Kaputar additions * Bungonia * Tabletop * Goolburragandra additions

by Keith Maxwell (BWR)

The world is now overflowing with cheap mirrors - compact disks (CDs) of all kinds of music from head banger Garbage (it really is a group) to both kinds: Country and Western (to quote the Blues Brothers) or sample computer programs. Now mirrors are good things to signal aircraft and helicopters but need to be aimed to be effective.

The problem is of course that aircraft always seem so obvious. They are only obvious because they are moving. When you freeze their motion into a picture all you get is a dirty speck. I have an excellent panoramic slide of Mt Cook taken while climbing Copeland Saddle. The great weather produced a clear picture spoilt only by a dirty speck. If the plane is a speck how much smaller must I have been?

Helicopters and light aircraft are always used first in fine weather to search for missing persons. They can be quick and cost effective from their ability to travel quickly to the search area and communicate via radio to ground search teams. With trained observers they are often successful but when there is tree cover their success rate is often quite low. Many years ago in a training exercise with Dick Smith, and his first helicopter, bushwalkers standing still in the Coxs River were not seen! In September 1999, in Cedar Creek, under Narrow Neck, the search helicopter was so close the missing bushwalker reported that he could strongly smell its exhaust fumes but still was NOT seen!

Prompt identification will lead to early rescue. There are a number of ways to attract attention. You obviously need to be in an open an area as possible and use combinations of contrasting colour, shape & movement. The unusual often draws the eye to it. For example, in a sea of green eucalypts, blue (or red) stands out. It is even more compelling when the blue is of a rectangular groundsheet pegged down. Alternatively you could furiously wave your blue parka in all directions. Others jumping up and down with you is better again. Just pick an unusual combination of contrasting colour, shape & movement. On hazy days smoky fires are almost invisible and always difficult to maintain for that brief moment when the aircraft suddenly appears. To really catch attention, though, why not send a mirror signal, i.e., a flash of light into the aircraft. You will soon know if your signal was successful, as the aircraft will turn to get a closer look at you.

But, how do you aim the mirror flash to hit the moving dirty speck (aircraft)? The hole in the CD makes it easy. Hold the CD (with the reflective side facing out) close to one eye and look at the aircraft through the hole. Now hold an arm out with a finger extended and track the aircraft across the sky. If you now catch the sun to flash onto your finger you must also hit the aircraft!

To make high-tech work you need to use some low-tech. If you do get lost or are overdue how will the aircraft know where to fly unless you have left details of where and with whom you are going and told close friends or relatives when to expect you home. The basis of all searches is variations on retracing the last known movements of the missing persons. For your own safety you should be prepared for all possible weather conditions with adequate clothing, food and shelter. Fancy beacons and gadgets are not needed if you go adequately equipped along with first aid skills, good bushwalking skills and “let someone know before you go” (to quote a Victorian safety handout).

So why not recycle one of these pieces of modern heavy metal garbage (CDs) into your rucksack as a solar powered, portable, long life safety beacon.

MAGAZINE DEADLINES
The December SBW magazine will be printed a week early and copy for publishing should be received by me by Dec 6^^th^^. Copy can be lodged by email to me at rraymond@ozemail.com.au or typed or on a 3½“ PC floppy using any common word processing program. Ed.

As advised in the October magazine.
Commencing on Nov 1st 2000, changes are occurring to charges for parking and camping in parks administered by the NP&WLS.

The easiest solution to future parking problems is to purchase either a one or two year pass which gives entry to:

It should be noted that these charges are for parking in the park. They are not levied on pension concession card holders and on certain other individuals and groups, or if you are simply driving through the park.

The previous 30 separate camping fees have been reduced to five categories.

For more information contact the NPW&WLS on 1300 361 967 or visit their web site: www.npws.nsw.gov.au

PACK FOR SALE
MACPAC 'RAVINE' PACK
The pack is in as-new condition and is less than three years old.
Contact: Fazeley Read on 9909 3671

November 4th and 5th
Reported by Bill Holland

Rain and storms in Sydney did not deter twenty or so club members from attending our bush/folk music weekend at Coolana. In any case, the skies over Kangaroo Valley were cloudy but only a light shower on Saturday morning eventuated. Six of us were there on Friday and erected tarpaulins over the river flat area just in case, but Saturday evening was shower free.

The music was first class. John and son Chris alternating on banjo, guitar, tin whistle and button accordion teamed up with Bob Hodgson on harmonica (several of them!) to keep us entertained throughout the evening. Not only instrumental music - John and Chris provided us with folk songs and amusing ditties. Members added yarns and poems. We started happy hours at 6 pm and nearly all went to bed after midnight.

As usual, Coolana looks great. The camping area, large enough to hold a couple of hundred campers, was like mown grass with only a few weeds. Some campers had a view of the river, warm enough for swimming. A major attraction was completely unplanned as the crowd gathered around in the evening and next morning to watch a mother wombat ushering her baby outside their home perhaps for the first time.

* Corsica by Brian Hart * Dining out in Provence by Tom Wenman * Kossie to Corryong 1945 by Jim Somerville * Cats by Alex Colley

* Gardens of Stone by Oliver Crawford * Ku-ring-gai rambling by Phil Cohen

Why don't you write an article for Christmas and make your editor happy?