A monthly bulletin of matters of interest to the Sydney Bush Walkers, Northcote House, .Reiby Place, Circular Quay, Sydney. POSTAL ADDRESS: Box 4476, C-.P.O. Sydney, NS .W. 2001, AUSTRALIA. NOVEMBER, 1970 EDITOR: Neville Page, 7/44 West Pde., West Ryde. Tel. 2-0223 (B) TYPIST: Lesley Page It U BUSINESS WAGER: Don..Finch, 6 Royce Ave., Croydon. OFFICE BOY: Owen Ma4s, 68 Hastings Pde., Bondi Te1.30-1827 (H) IN HIS ISSUE

Editorial The October Meeting

From the Cudgegong to the Widden A Beeline for the Bees
Socially Speaking

Paddy's Ad Melon Country October Federation Meeting Mountain Equipment Ad. Coming Walks One More Month Crown Mountain Well Not Quite! Neville Page. 2. Jim Brown. 3. Pat Harrison. 5. , Barbara Bruce. 9. Owen Marks. 11. Jim Brown. 13. Jim Callaway. 14. 17. Alan Pike. 18. Observer. 19. E. P. Sternwallow20. T')..c'r 2 THE SYDNEY BUSITALKER November, 1970.

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Some rears ago (,quite soMe.yearseago in eact) the Sydney Bush Iliralkers Pzoduced a series,oa; p-ublications with-the _title The Bushwalker Annual“, copies of 71.ich.elay'be occasionally sighted either in the darkest depths of the Club archives.or'in closely -guarded private c0o1ections. Such is the value of those unique little booklets that owners guard their possessions with jealousy and pride, refusing to part with their treasures for love or money, These ,early-ssue-of “The.Bushwalker Annual”…are in.faot, collectors' iteees, presenting a valuable documentation of bushwalking history. IT,hen the New. South Wales Federation of Bushwalking Clubs was famed, tho rosp)nsibility for .publishing such literature as “The Annual” was handed over by. this Club in line with the aims. and aspirations of Federation. The name “Anrual” was dropped and the magazine became known simply as 'Tho -3uelieoaker”; presumably because; it didn't come out every year. Some cr:cellent wrb was Ceoe…e by Feeration and some very worthwhile results were ELehicorec“, r tably those issues under the editorship of Geoff Wags, Dot Butler, and 1_,71.1i CL1 n reoeotively: all S,B.W. Mem.rs. . - 'Unfo1jun,?,6e1y,howevez, for one reason and another, enthusiasm in FR2Le-cation fce- “The Bushwalker” waned somewhat, and we have nor not seen anyThini-; 7e1:1-)Le'l since Bill Gillam's excellent blue-covered issue c The f:eittee of Federatipn is apparently in semi-permanent recess. feel that t7-is is a ere_it pity; that we have lost something which is aoceple bot'a to ho general non-walking public and the bushwalker alike; somethIch-.tIaces an p-ermanent-reocra-and- in-avery presentable form, tho hiE;hepoite and achievements of a year's walking activity.

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thorjh.6 has beon expressed to me that it is high time some action be ,,o2:e1-, to resurrect this' yearly review of bushwalking activity, oi at least prcviL ,,11101:et sube'yitute, thereby keeping olive a worthwhile and creative hae, c:,7() been suggested that such an undertaking can only be sueccessul if seonsored by an individual CJ u hence its death.in the hands of _Toderation, ;')uch an argument of course . open to 'debate, and there t',Lny ,rowns at the sel,g:estior. The main argument, in favourof a Club unc77.akilt Fach a projeot.is that only vdthin a Club can sufficientonthusiasm lee sLimenec.1 to caTry the jeo through to its,ultimate.conclusion, which means eellug.every last eopy. Very strict costing and financial control is a must,

ana let e mao no Eistake about it, this will spell the eventualsuccess or fail,of the underta'e-,ing, no matter .what.lite…rary merit the final :Product may 1.r4eve. The obvious disadvantage of a Club venture is that it beComes a review of one Club's activity only, and can no longer speak for the bushwalking movom'enes.oeaelP.,.

I am cger to hoar from anyone who holds a view one way or the other on this eul)jeet5 so please come forward and express your opinion— N,-; (3, November 1970 THE SYDNEY BUSEWALKER Page 3

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XXX.i(* By J;n1 Brown Amongst those present were four completely new members - Maria Ce10- vic9 David Younger, John Atkins and Warren Doherty - while Keith Muddle collected the, symbols of membership which he had actually attained a couple of months befot.e. The Half-Yearly Meeting's minutes aroused no comment, and in correspondence the only items of interest related to events that will be history before this is published, so - onward to reports, where the Treasurer pronounced for September an opening balance of $1419. We have now entered that time of the year when working funds usually go into a decline.

Alan Pike, with aid from a few leaders, recorded how September's trips went, at least how 14 out of the 16 on the programme went. On the first week end Julie Frost had a trip in the Cox River - Megalong country: the Cox was flooded, but the walk proceeded with four people - other details unknown. Starting Saturday morning Sam Hinde had a group in the Dharug Park area down from Wiseman's Ferry, looking at abo carvings and doing a little cave-dwelling.

On the second week end there was Snow Brown's Kanangra Kommung Cox River - Paralyzer jaunt, which went to programme, and was briefly described by Dot Butler. Wilf Deck had a snow touring trip on the pro- gramme and conditions were blizzardy,curtailing the plans, and Sheila Binns had a party of four in Megalong, where the river was by now cross-able. There were two day walks, one led by Bill Hall with 17 folk in the Waterfall-Otford area, while John Noble and party of five found rather overgrown conditions in the Tunks Creek country near. Hornsby.

Don Finch had an instructional in the Angorawa Creek territory next week end - he enthused over the bare rock shelves just above the Colo, but was less enthusiastic over the land holder who built a fence across the trail while they were out on it - enquiries being made as to his entitlement to close it off. Again two day walks, with Jim Callaway leading 13 in the Heathcote-Bundeena cross country, and Sam Hinde with at Era.

For the final week end there was Keith Muddle's Kanangra Kowmung Kanangra exploit, with one other starter. Owing to thick mist the return was via Gingra Range instead of the creek. Frank Taeker's Grose River trip had seven people and the trip was slightly curtailed, but preserved as a test walk. Again two day walks in the rain, David Ingram in the very flowery land behind Wondabyne with party of 279 and Nancy Alderson looking at historical rail and road formations at Glenbrook,

. . - With 17 po6Die a grand total of 44 day walkers on a sousingly wet Sunday. RePorting en Federation doings; Pat Marson Said S R was still .seeki4ga sufficiently distinguished patron, plus a legal specialist to guide on tatter'S. of funa-raising. The-S-& R.damcinstration *a set for October 17-18. In relation to -bilis Keith Muddle said he considered this should have been shown on the walks programme - the last S & R Practice haa been poorly attended by S.B.W. Coming to general business, Kath Brown remarked that the present duplicator had, by all accounts, just about done its dash, and moved formation of a sub-committee to lock into purchase of a replacement.

The operator, Owen Marks, gave a heart-rending description of its deficiencies, and Wilf Hilder supported the proposal, saying a very good new electric machine should be available at about $330, allowing for trade-in.. The motion was carried, and the three speakers to the cause became the sub-committee.

David Ingram reminded us that some day, soon or late, redevelopment of Circular Quay would almost certainly mean the end of the present club room. He proposed we ask the Nurses Association if they had any advice of when or how, and if they had considered obtaining alternative quarters including a suitable hall. This too was carried.

Dot Butler reported having had a surveyor down at the Coolana property, and having located the correct boundaries Unfortunately it proved some of the trees we had planted were in the middle of the designed “road% -After further negotiation with our neighbour, Mr. Holland, an approach would be made to the Lands Department about the access route.

To wind up, Don Finch recorded that he was revising the list of S R volunteers and helpers. Dot Butler said she had heard that Muogamarra Sanctuary, near Cowan, was closed temporarily, and we called the whole thing over at 9.25 P.M.

Pat Harrison4(* Jim Dawson, Bob Younger, and I reached the camping flat on the Cudgegong River about 12 miles east of Rylstone at I0015pm on a clear moonlight night late in October, and we were in our bags and asleep when Frank Tacker, Bill Terpstra (The Flying Dutchman), and Charlie Barnes arrived about an hour later and woke us up; but we heard nothing when Bill Gillam, Helen Gray, and Tina Matthews arrived at some later and unknown hour.

By camping here we still had the best part of an hour's driving to do on the Saturday morning before we would be ready to begin the walk, but that was more than made up for by the good camp site (wood, water, plenty of level grassy ground to sleep on) and then the pleasant scenery of the upland valley with its beehive sandstone formations through which we drove to Nullo Mountain in the frosty morning. Although the year was well advanced, we awoke on Saturday morning and looked out on a frostcovered flat. Bill had rolled out on the ground under a yellow tent which was crusty with frost as I went and moused him at 5.15am with the good news that we were moving off at 6.00am. He gave every appearance of getting out of bed, but ever and anon I had to call out to him from where the rest of us were having breakfast; and despite all this encouragement he was still snugly ensconced under his frost covered tent at 6000am, whereupon he made a very hasty and. breakfastless uprising to be away with us. He actually packed up while we were scrap- ing the ice from car windows co that we could see where to go.

When we reached Nullo Mountain we had to spend some time in placing the vehicles where we would need them after the walk, and it was during this time that Bill attended to his breakfast. At 8.45am all the preliminaries had been completed and we began the walk along the Widden Fire Trail from the front gate of The Range. An hour's walking brought us to a property that was surrounded by 8feet high double wirebetting fences, and another hour after that brought us to a good hut in a clearing. This hut was clean, it had a large fireplace, two beds and mattresses, a tank, and a verandah, and it would be a wonderful place to spend a snowy day looking out at the view. Between this hut and The Range we had caught tantalising glimpses of the rugged and dissected sandstone country around Widden, and soon after leaving the hut the trail took a switchback course through the escarpment and dived down to the bed of Myrtle Creek.

November 1970 Once in the creek ,:the track..dodged.back.and forth, sometimes keeping close to the creek.and.S-ametiMes sidling high when the bed of the creek narrowedand,was .enolosed,,,v,R…w4ils. that 'formed canyons. The creek had a good flow'.oi4Water -Whi-c-ia,:went underground from time to time and we anticipated no trouble: in finding a good pool downstream, so we decided to have lanch at the-first good spot we found after 1 O'clock. Well, we found. miles of good spots after 12o'clock but by this time we were .right down to the valley floor and the creek was as dry as a bone. We had beautiful green grassy flats, whispering SheOaks, yellow walls around us, a blue sky above us, but yes we had no water. At last we came to a windmill which had recently been erected and was not yet in operation, but the tank was nearby and when we clambered up the side and looked in we saw that it had a foot of clear rainwater in it. Bob Younger took his sandshoes off while we found a heavy length of chain which we draped over the tank. Bob climbed the chain and lowered himself to the Precious fluid while we countered-balanced- him by hanging on to the other end-Of the chain on the outside of the tank. A water bucket was tossed over to Bob, and hey presto we had water for lunch and we couldn't even taste Bob's dirty feet in it. Then I say that we had lunch, I mean that some of us had lunch 3 for Bill and company were dawdling along on a botanical jaunt and when he did at last come up to us he had the Dockets of his Pack bulging with ore hids which he had gleaned along the way. After lunch the party became strung out and it became apparent that we would not reach Blackwater Creek tonight. It was a very pleasant stroll down the valley, with the White Box and Cress Pine trees indicating that we were close to the Great Divide. The watershed between Myrtle and Emu Creeks provided very spectacular scenery, one pinnacle in, particular being for all the world like one of the spires in the WarruMbunblges. We sat around for more than an hour in this vicinity, enjoying the views, while we waited for the tailenders to arrive. Charlie's feet were giving him trouble and I suggested that he not complete the route but either return the same way or go down the valley and catch a ride toDenman, but he declined and said he wanted to do the walk.,

However, the tail had slowed to a crawl as we rounded the bend into Widden Brook and we spent another half an hour guzzling sweet brown windmill water as we got the party together again. Has anyone ever had a sweeter or more pleasant drink than windmill water, with the sails of the windmill making music as they pump the water into the tank?

A little later we passed through the well kept Baramul Stud Farm, and not far beyond this delightful property we made camp on the lush bank of Widden Brook under a grove of sapling SheOaks. The scenery around these parts is tremendous, and there was one massive bluff down valley that towered above the plateau and seemed sheer for hundreds of foe-b.

The day had been glorious, the night was glorious with moonlight later, and at 7am I rolled out in my bag under the She-Oaks after arranging to start walking at 6.00am on Sunday. Oh! well! the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley (as that well-known Scotsman once remarked), and little did I know what was in store for the morrow.

Bob Younger was up at 5.00am and had the fire alight in a twinkling and at 6am sharp we started moving up the valley in twos and threes.

Widden Valley is the most beautiful place imaginable. It is a land of well-kept stud farms surrounded by level paddocks of lucerne and barley and rye and the other nourishment that thoroughbred horses need, and in the centre of all this beauty the Brook winds its way between tree-lined banks, with mares and foals gambolling and frisking all around. Who could get lost in Widden Valley? Consequently when we stopped after a couple of hours to assemble the party I wasn't worried when a count of skulls showed that Bill, Helen, and Charlie were missing, but a little later when Bill and Helen disembarked from a motor car on the other side of the Brook and said that they had not passed Charlie (although Charlie had left camp before them) I began to revise my opinion as to whether anyone could get lost in Widden Valley.

Bob and Helen took up a vantage point whence they commanded a view up and dawn the valley, the others lit a fire and boiled the billy, and I spent an hour and a half walking back down the valley calling out and looking for Charlie, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was a chap mowing lucerne but he said he had not seen Charlie; however, I left a message with him for Charlie where to find us and then I walked back up the valley to rejoin the others. Perhaps you can imagine my dark thoughts as I ambled back. I had executed Charlie in about three hundred different ways by the time I got back. Last year the English slowed us down on Pomany and we didn't get into Widden and here they were at it again and it seemed that we wouldn't get out of Widden. Well, I had different ideas. Bill did not have to go to work until Tuesday, Helen and Tina were housewives and their husbands could spare them for another day, so they very generously agreed to stay in the valley, alert the farmers, find Charlie, and bring him out on Monday.

After this slight delay of more than three hours (what price early rising after this?) The Flying Dutchman, Bob, Frank, Jim, and I ret out up the valley to Hool 'Em Boy Creek, after assuring Bill that we would make a cairn at the foot of our exit route, which was the spur on the Nullo side of Hool 'Em Boy. The ramparts of Widden seem impregnable generally and there really aren't many ways out, but this is :Cale that looks the only 'goer' in twenty miles-there are others, but they don't look as promising as this one. The spur provided good fast going to the first pinnacle, then a drop to the galD between the first and second pinnacles, then a scramble up a narrow gully, and finally a scramble around a e small tree providing a good hold.

When we reached the top a cold rain began to fall. Jim Brown had been out to Pomany the week before and he had warned me that a big snowfall in September had broken a lot of branches off the trees and these had obliterated the never very good Pomany Track; consequently I made no attempt to find the track at the top but trudged on shirtless and hatless through the prickly scrub, receiving an icy shower every time we bumped a bush. It was at last a pleasant sight to see the basalt boulders underfoot and the big trees overhead and to be rid of the sandstone.

After reaching Jim's car in drizzling rain we then had the tedious task of driving miles across slippery paddocks and bringing back Helen's Kombi so that she and Bill and Tina could get out (Charlie's car was here of course, but on Sunday afternoon it seemed probable that after he was found Bill would have to climb the ridge, get the Kombi, then drive around through the Bylong Valley and up Widden Valley if Charlie were unable to walk out).

Well, we got home about 2.00am on Monday morning and after making a couple of phone calls to allay the fears of worried spouses and soaking Nullo's red mud off me in a hot bath I fell into bed for a few hours' sleep.

And Charlie? Would you believe, he walked up the valley past us where we sent over three hours looking for him and he went up as far as the exit spur, then he walked back dawn tho valley past the five of us who came out on Sunday, and he didn't see or hear us. He finally turned up at a farm house and was told where Bill was camped and rejoined him at 7.30pm.

Widden is such a beautiful Place, but something always happens. Apart from this year's trip and last year's trip, I can recall reaching the junction of Red Creek and Widden Book in the dark from Kerry and Coricudssy with an unknown route ahead next day via Pinchgut and WE. worril to reach the car at the Sawmill, and another time when it took all afternoon to get off Mt. Cond. into Widden by dark, with a probe next day for a way out—-that was how the spur at Hool 'Em Boy was found, the only one that really looks a 'goer' in twenty miles of ram- -Parted valley. And next year? Who's coming?

A COUPLE OF GEMS FROM DAVID COTTON ON HIS BEE TRIP “People who have bees in their bonnet's, generally don't have sufficient to pollenate the fruits of their minds.” “Honey is like women; too much makes you sick.”

*xxxBaitara Bruoe* It happened on Sunday, 8th November, when the clouds were mostly - grey, but the sun managed to sneak through for a while about midmorning, There were 22 people, including OUT leader, waiting to see what the bees dos Morag Ryder, Bob and Christa Younger and their two daughters, Julie and Kay with a friend, Susan, Neville and Lesley Page, Owen Marks, Ramon UTrien, Barbara Krams, Bill Griffiths, Richard Watkins, Rory Mc- Gregor, Lyn Faithful', Peter Martin, Alan Round, Pat Marsson, Jim Gardiner, Geoff Mat-tingle y and myself. Three cars pulled up within two minutes of one another at the Darkes Forest turnoff, arriving 20 minutes early, but the others had arrived.. by 10,30. A couple of miles dawn the road we turned into an orchard. To give David time to prepare his equipment, Morag led us off over the road to see the waterfall, located on what she calls “Darkes Forest Creek”, for the want of knowing its proper name. On the way back we heard the strangled croak of the Banjo frog and I suppose it does sound like a flat banjo chord at that. Back at the hives David was almost ready, stuffing some drie ine needles into the little smoke puffer he uses, to supposedly calm the bees down before opening their hivew. He commenced his lecture by pointing out that only one person in the whole of his three previous trips had been stung bS; a bee and that was more their own fault. No comment. (Some may recognise an innuendo here.) David demonstrated, as we watched in awe, how to treat a bee sting by making a poor bee sting him and then die) so that he could swipe it off in the right fashion, leaving the fine, barbed tail with muscle attached in the skin of his upper left hand. He pointed out how the muscle was pulsating up and down and pushing the sting under his skin. Having made sure that everyone had seen this, he then wiped the sting cleanly off his skin with a knife and bathed the spot witha liberal splashing of methylated spirits. Later in the day he was to tell us several times that he had left the sting in his skin too long, as it had swollen up considerably, making his skin feel quite tight. Ah, but!tis all for the sake of Scienco (as he said). I won't go into detail about the remainder of the demonstration, as this would spoil it for anyone who might go another day. However, he explained about the different kinds of bees, about the hives, the bees' habits, tho wax, the pollen and the honey. Later we were given a real treat what you might call “a practical demonstration”..

Page 10 THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER . November 1970 /

71. S - 1 \\I 1 , .
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\ Vil \ iN V”-Ni if \ ,.. .i) 1 t With lunch and the first stage of our education over, David then lea us on a walk around his “back yard”. A new prospective in the Club, and one of David's work pals, Jim Gardiner, wanted to know among other things whether this could be classed, as a.test walk. He said that I couldn't toll him that test Walks were'not harder than this, and I said I couldn1t, either. Jim is about as good a stirrer as David, and for . tunately it rained before we got back to the hives, so that I owe him a schooner. I'm quite truly grateful that he won, actually. Nevertheless, we had a very pleasant walk among all the ferns and beautiful Gymea lilies, also spotting a few waratahs not to mention the many other varieties of colourful wildflowers that we didn't know the names of. We came across another waterfall, but the rain had stirred up the mud so that the water was very “milky”. The vegetation here was like rain forest lush and green; On the return half we passed the air extractor for the local coal mines and then it started to rain. We all straggled back to bast looking near drowned, and while we were enjoying another treat and cup of tea-the rain stopped. David gave us one more lesson in the bee business everyone was struck by his ingenuity before we all wended our ways home. And gosh there wore a lot of corny beejokes and puns bandied around during the day, as might be imagined. ',,,,- ,,',47', …,'.'-.',.,,, -, ,` ,a ,…-, ,,i., 4. ',-..,',….q644,411,S11%…0P-W+484::;30NtArVIS:kaleaq..14-4.4.1011..01110,4070t7i'i,,,,,,,Kg…,.7…,,,ia,,,,e *,..y. 441.1.,A04.1/2– 4,……a, 2,..9,-,,,,,,,,,,..,e41.–,Z, ,.. ., '. ..8,6kkle;.4.0.r..V.,,,,,,,,,,,, ?….4,,…4,..,%:. r. ..i .. -”,..,,……,….. lt, Nvember 1970 :- , + - , ' ' s,:,:,, '.“4 tt '1,- ” a L,!,1 ` \-1 - r , happri *xx x x x* (“L , I - – *.:X7X-44:-*i. 4R--X1C-36 X X X X With owen. X f '4; '4*”4, i On:We' nesday 16th. December at 8 p.m. a composite talk on “The SnO*Y- MciUntains” is scheduled by Jim Brown, George Gray, Don Mate ai. Alan Pile. The four speakers will discuss various aspects of r ALE4g4S;4ate Park, summer walking, the rivers, snow time etc. This ., bajpopular night, if only because the Club is closed the fthssoty.4ng:tm weeks during the Christmas period. *5C-*.* -TraliPort details for the Chri6tmas Party are as follows. Foii thov using public transport an excellent bus service operates from 1'eft:..Sidefcif the railway station looking south). The route number * 114; Thb,:t'us'w. 11 drop you off at the door - just ask for Edward Street. I 1/4, 5Mit41411474Wn enjoyable day. And may the r b OAIX'AWASi11104,111:1ZoWu*T4WW,iii,Wa,01,01240+-M 1“-:44=e*,0T,4,4 ;:, 11 . , . ..: / e, ',.., et th lit lroprit. e .. k'. . , '+4 V. '.1,… '. :th:%., ,,- .. rtt'o. :.,… i,Q4;-.4 er,.:, … a - an Mbrag too - on behalf of all of us, for a \ tr ;' PSH117 w.st. 49:fig P.11:1 est of h days e igt-rV, i :,')… i l t ' ,`' PI $ a , .0 .i. ..'”) . i': ' 1 ,:::: '“”:1 .., .H:. . VI ; 1, 4i .\\.'-'-'-The-dte for the Christmas party \ t 0.5'4847;41E aT'4 p.m. and continuing into i:*the,..barbeeue for tea. \i'll3.'4,CdOkt4ils and hors d'oevres will Aoti.i.%ng. So come along and enjoy of 3tuti bt.V-Wallee'F.1-enas. ' , ; 1.1 Tiro:e0am Hurstville are 3.47 p.m. 4.47 P.m. 5.47 P.m. 6.47 P.m. he.r.;4.st bus returning to .140.4-3PrAiably arrange a lift xon;T:tiforget where it is “ Hurstville is back at least It's Eric and 52 Edwards Street, SYLVANIA HEIGHTS. ' la! , ,Y; ;, 10.53 p.m., but once t.1.1ere,/,/ . to the station by car.? , Norma Rowen's place:- o'clock and in the compA,w4 fmr– ..-” I “it, L”. ,, is Saturday, 12th. December,…, the night. Bring some meat to co be served at 5 the festivities NEW ADDRESS PADDY PALLIN PTY. LTD. 69 Liverpool Street, SYDNEY, N.S.W. Aust. RAVE YOU BEEN DOWN YET TO SEE US IN OUR NEW PREMISES IN LIVERPOOL STREET. WE'RE JUST 80 YARDS WEST OF GEORGE STREET. THERE ARE ELEVEN 15MINUTE FREE PARKING SPACES OUTSIDE THE DOOR AND SEVERAL 2HOUR METERS ACROSS THE STREET. TEE SHOP IS LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES FROM KINGS GOULBURN STREET PARKING, BUCKLE HOUSE PARKING AND THE NEW TOWN HALL CAR PARK IN KENT AND SUSSEX STREETS. OUR TELEPHONE NUYEERS REMAIN UNCHANGED2 26-2685 26-2686' 61-7215 . i111)',1,111i1q1111 November 1970 TEE SYDNEY BUSIMALKER Page 13 JimBRm* I very much doubt that I am the first to have noted this fact about the Melon Country. However, if there are precursors in the field,I've not heard from them, at least not in the Sydney Bushwalker Magazine. By way of introduction, let's point out that several blackfellow Place names in some localities have an identical or similar prefix or suffix. Think of the “GONGS” of our. South Coast and nearby tablelands WollonGONG, GerrinGONG and MittaGONG. On the “TARRAS” IilaWARRA, CaMbeWARRA and GarraWARRA (or is that last one a phony, compounded of GARIE and Illawarra?). . Then, over in Western Australia we find a huge array of “UPS” (WOKALUP-i' GINGINUP; MANJIMUP, to name a few), and an even more impressive collection of “INS” or “INES” (TammIN, KbIlerberrIN, BencubbIN, WaggrakINE, ClacklINE, and innumerable others). ' Quite belatedly I've begun to find a similar name pattern in those Northern Blue Mountains I've enjoyed for something like 20 years. I could have kicked myself for not realising before that there is a liberal sprinkling of MELONS in that area. Most obvious, of course, is basalt crowned CUMBERMELON, the lump that sticks up just behind the cement town of Kandos. I fancy it must command quite a landscape work towards those peaky hills around Rylstone, east towards the Capertee Valley and north east to the big basalt tops of Coricudgy and Nullo. Some day I must get up Cumbermelon, even if only by following what must be a perfectly easy route to the beacon nossi , 7 bly a Civil Aviation tower on its summit. Now, over to the east of Kandos, but still in the Northern Blue Mts, is the MELLONG Range which is plainly MELON with a final“ G”. It forms the divide between the Colo and Macdonald Rivers for a distance, it bears the PuttSingleton road, and it has given its name to a military map. Not far away, north of Putty, and forming one of the headwaters of the Macdonald River, is MULLEN EALONG River, (or Branch Creek), which is quite palpably the effort of an illiterate abo to spell Melon, and having a couple of slightly differing goes at it. Page. 14 TIE- SYDNEY BUSHWALICER November“ 1970 Finally so far as my reaearch has gone to date –there is MOUNT MbNUNDILLA:mhich has had the treatment from several walking parties . and also from the Army. Now, Manundilla as so rendered doesn't have any Obvious affiliation with Melons, but I remember sitting out in 1953 to get there in a party organised by Alex Colley. Just where we left civilisation in Putty Valley we discussed our proposed jaunt with a local farmer. Monundilla didn't mean a thing to him, but he soon realised we were aiming for that distant high point MELONJELLY. Thereafter we talked_ Monundilla and he replied about MelonJelly until we started off up the ridge behind his place. T bus, if we count the doublebarrelled MULLENMALONG River as one only, I can point to four Melons in the Northern Mountains, all within a radius of about ten or twelve miles of the head of WOLLEMI Creek. Possibly there are more and if so, I iall be happy to hear of them. Meanwhile I counsel walkers not to assume that this Melon business has any edible significance Like the tasteless jam,-melons to be found all along the Wollondilly, the melon of the Northern Blue Mountains is an anagram the answer is a lemon. * Th/) r? ) 1-731-? e L.J Li I 0 )! t-1 17) 1”7- rqr-J- xxxxJim callaway The minute6,of the previous meeting were reaa and received. At the previous meeting a request for a Patron and a Solicitor for the S & R 'section was made. A suggestion was made for a Patron but was rejected by Nin Melville. There were no nominations for the position of Solicitor. The Treasurer volunteered for the position of Accountant of S & R section. Nin thought that we should try ana have some rodio announcer give his section some publicity. Somebody made a suggestion tu use !Mad Mel'. Nin was not amused. If anybody has any suggestions for the filling of -blies,: positions please come forward. Regarding the request of the Sydney Uni, Mountaineering Club for affiliation to Federation, Warrick Daniels volunteered to attend a meet- ing but was unable to find them at the nominated place. A ietter.was received from the Cancobinand,dabramurra Walking and Touring Club stating that the S.M.A. had refused entrance to sothe bushwalkers and skiers through what would appear to be a vehicular entrance. November 1970 TI E SYDNEY BUSHWALICER Page 15 ' The Wild Life Service'replidd fh.zai-the huts reMoved from tigai. National Park had been erected by the Snowy Mountains Hydro Eleotric Authority. The Service was reviewing the position of the other huts. The Mitchell Library wished to inform Federation that they had received the Visitors Book from 'The Castle'. A new book is required. A letter was received from the National Trust.. There had. been proposed several alterations to the Trusts Constitution. Nin Melville moved a motion that we take the stand that the constitution remain in its present form. The motion was lost by a 6 5 vote. A motion was then put that we keep out of the argument. It was carried. In the letter was also a voting card for the election of officers. It was left to the President to make this vote. FederatiOn.has applied for membership of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Gordon'Edgecombe circulated a copy of the letter which he had .sent to the Minister for Lands. The letter was protesting againSt the proposed road through the New England National Park. The Ball Committee reported that they had made $142-37 Profit. Nin Melville stated that he thought that amount was too small. He made the suggestion that next years Ball admission charge be increased. A vote of thanks was to be conveyed to John Durante C.B.C. for his work as treasurer of the Committee. Nin Melville moved a vote of thanks to the Ball Committee. Two alerts were received by S & R during the month. Three members of C.B.C. were reported overdue in the Colo area but returned home late but well. A S.B.W. party was reported overdue in the Merrigal Creek area on the long weekend 3-4-5 October but turned up later. Two boys from Holy Cross College became lost in the Erskine Creek area. The Ranger from the area had requested assistance. The National Parks and Wildlife Service had supplied a Helicopter upon request. A letter of thanks was received from one of the boys. . About 150 people attended the S 100 people attended the Talks given. Helicopter fora night landing but a Mackie and Jones who own the site of are welcome to hold functions there. & R Demo. in the Cola area. About The Army declined to supply a Saturday air drop was arranged. the Demo. have stated that clubs Southern Cross Equipment of 11 Anderson St; Chatswopd, 1St floor and Flinders' Range both have new catalogue out. There iS,a new Map reading booklet out called Map and Compass No 7. It is of Canadian origin and sells at Scout shops for 35c. - Daze - ——7HE-SYDNEY BUSHWAIKER - arvsmber 1970 NEW MAPS: Lands Department: Mt. David Shooters Hill Edith. Army: Merriwa. 1-100,000 QueenslanOt Lamington.. 2“ 1 mile. Forestry ) . Paddy Pallints new shop is situated at .6.9 Liverpool St. Experiments in Israel have shown that Potassium salts have more effect against heat exhaustion than sodium salts (common salt). There was an article in one of last years editions of Outdoor Magazine which dealt with the experiments of A Canadian doctor in the field of snake bite. He had proved that a tight tourniquet, on being released, caused great circulation of poison in the victim. He.therefore recommended that a loose tourniquet should be applied. He still supported the cutting of the bite in the prescribed manner. This information about treatment of snake bite was to be referred to Dr. Bob Binks for his comment. A Seminar on the Huts in the Kosi. National Park will be held on the secand week end of Decetber at White Rivers Hut. Mr. A.skin has been approached on the recognition of Rescue Clubs. If he should do this Federations Search and Rescue could be eligable for a yearly grant. Another Insurance proposition has been received for $1-60 per head. Death or Capital $109000. Injury $400. Compensation $80 per week. Two Jumas and a Hammish McGuinness Stretchers have been ordered through Paddy Pallin. The question of the exact location of the Six Foot Track which runs from Nellies Glen to the Cox along Megalong Creek for some of the way is still in doubt. Several barbwire fences have been erected in the surrounding area. Anybody who c .ri give its exact location please come forward. A Gentleman from the Myall Lakes Committee attended the Meeting. He stated that Myall Lake National Park would be approx. 36,000 acres of which 12,000 acres was land. They hoped to obtain all the land on the sea side of the proposed Park. It is now hoped that they will be able to protect the western side from incroaohment by buying a key block to achieve this aim. The lot which they hope to buy is 426 acres and the owner wishes to obtain $279000. The Committee have been assured of half the purchase price and hope that we will be able to help them with the rest. Information is sought about the hut on Mt. Hay. Also any suggestions for the site for the 1971 Federation Reunion. XXX* Page 17. WE WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE I to every member of the SOB 0W0 and hundreds of others whom we have bored for the last 12 months with an outdated .advertisement. To prove the point that we take: our apology seriously, we will give you a “Baby. Can Opener” FREE as compensation, but you must tell us that we bored you Admittedly that is almost mockery as far as compensation is concerned, but although we would like to give you a “FAIRY DOWN” sleeping bagor at least a “BORDE” petrol burner, we unfortunately can't afford it at present. However, we will try to give you the best service you can get. If you have ideas and suggestion's on how we can serve you better, please tell us, and we will listen to you. For a start watch out:for our new REGULAR WEEKLY SPECIALS as advertised at our.Town Hall showcase Or on our blackboard at: 929-6504 MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT PTY. LTD., 167 Pacific Highway, NORTH SYDNEY, N.S.W. 929-6504 Page 18. THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER November, 1970. * By Alan pike 11TH0 12TH0 & 13TH. .DECEMBER People have been talking about this weekend's walk 6ver since it appeared on the preliminarY programme.. Thee “S no doUbt it will attract a large croud, not only of “Young and Daring”, but of the “Old and Bold.'” also. The trip. .was, originated by that connoisseur of fine walks: Pat Harrison,, and he specified a full moon before handing over leadership to our high country expert, Bill Gillam. The Bimberi Mbuntains are south of Canberra and some of the peaks eiceed. 69000 feet. You must not miss this one; no doubt there will be as much talk after the event as there has. before it. The Sunday walk, led by Esme Biddulph is in the most interesting part of Kuringai Chase. It features, apart from wonderful bush and coastal scenery, aboriginal carvings, swimming, and.so on, with an inspection .of some abandoned military installations hidden away on West Head. Esme recommends that cameras be taken. 18TH. 19tb. & 20TH. DECEMBER. There's no river like the Cox's River for a bludge weekend. This walk led. by our latest revolutionary, Keith Muddle, starts from Carlon's Farm and then goes wherever fortune takes it. The main thing is, there will be plenty ofswimming and liloing with not much walking. Sheila Binns also has a nice ,easy walk on Sunday surfing and 14ing in the sun., from.Lilyvale to Garie.. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR Only one trip on the programme over the holiday period, and that one is on the Cox's River; to be led by Peter Franks. However., if you would like to do something more constructive, come into the Club and see if you can get something organised. A Kowmung trip would go down very well at this time of tho year. *-* “Natural history forms one of the main bridges between science and the humanities.Our natural .surroundings and.our-fellow crettUres are as much a fascination to poets, painters and musicians as they are to ethnologists, zoologists, botanists and ecologists.” H.R.H. Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh. 'November, 197O. TI T SYDNEY BUSHWALKER _ . Page. 9. X X)* By observer It looks like Tshirts with cartoon characters are going to be this summer's craze. Heather Smith has already got a Mickey Mouse Tshirt. Ian Guthridge wants to get in the scene, so he is buying one with Superman on it. , On a recent walk down the Shoalhaven.JulieTrost the leader went to awaken a per6bn under a yellow tent with a large stick, thinking it was PeterFranks, but to her surprise it turned out -to be a person from another Club. .* Alan Pike has a word of warning to those who wish to follcw his advice and(buy a transparent tent like his. Don't go to bed nude, because in the morning you must be an early riser. Ask him and he'll tell you what happened to him. iff* Recent'news.is that Freda DaWhorn has married again. We wish Freda and her husband all the best for the future. Observed before the snow melted a strange pale pink object drifting through the snow gums. On approaching, it was discovered merely to be Phil Butt peering out of a pink balaclava. His excuse was that it was the only colour Paddy had left. It's the Summer .of .the Seventeenth Camera in the Noble household, as Grace Noble (Dot's mother) prepares to follow Paddy's footsteps to the Himalayas. She will be doing a similar trip, this time to be led by John Bechervaise, The Committee's feelings towards the President were elevated recently when he invited Committee up to his, flat for a special meeting to consider the new Walks Programme; After wining and dining sumtuously on traditional Greek fare, Committee felt very cooperative and the Walks Programme went through in record time. The President rejected a motion suggesting that all future meetings be held at Spiros place. * Last week in the Clubroom a new face was seen. Or so it was thought, but on close examination it proved to be a Member in disguise; namely David Cotton behind a moustache. Page 20. THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER November, 1970. Ray Hookway's recent lib trip was chiefly notable for the persistence of the leader, who insisted that come hell or high water, the trip would go as per programme. The leader was last seen drifting like a lone iceberg down the chilly Kowmung River. - It is reported that on Peter Franks' trip to Crown Mountain, the leader came home with a pack that was heavier than when he started.. Reports that the. pack contained oranges are unfounded. a j-TYM2 Y-TM Xxx U2D royv-kr I, * By Elihu F. stemmallo* Well, the programme said: “Wolgan River Crown Mountain”. So the 15 people who set off at 9 o'clock on the Saturday morning from the cars (left beside the. Newnes road) fully expected to conquer this impressive mountain under Pater Franks' leadership. We started walking later than intended, as one carload had arrived before the rest of the party on Friday night and had campod about a mile further down the road. Of course we didn't know if they had arrived at all until David Peacock (who has served only 4 months of his exile from the Mother Country in the Colonies) appeared over the hill. He had set out to look for us, in the best traditions of the glorious Empire! With drums beating and the native bearers following, the party proceeded through paddocks. in the valley of the Wolgan River (West Branch) towards the head of the valley and McLean Pass. After a cloudy, warm night the weather was Clearing to become quite hot by the time we started climbing. Scrubbashing up steep slopes, and some awkward Clanibering up a rocky creek bed got us to within 100 feet of the ridge top, where further progress was barred by unscaleable sandstone cliffs. Don Finch' and Ian Guthridge Lid some investigating and found a roundabout way up, but by this time everyone was ready for lunch and a good rest. On top of the ridge the going was slow, as large expanses of deeply fissured rock were interspersed with belts of thick scrub, but the view of the Caper-bee Valley was well worth the effort, with Crown Mountain jutting up from the valley floor only a couple of miles away. Sandstone formations along this edge of the ridge had. been eroded into weird shapes by the wind, z November, 1970. THE SYDNEY BUSHWALKER Page 21. and in obliging a photograph&s.request for someone to pose on top of a small Nushroomshaped pillar of rock, Peter stood too close to a thin edge, which broke away, giving him a nasty fall onto the rock below. Luckily he received .only grazes and a shaking, but to his disgust the performance went unrecorded on film. Apparently impassible cliffs blocked our way down to the valley, and to make matters worse the mapreading experts deduced that we had in fact ascended the wrong creek, about imile east of McLean Pass. With the time at nearly 3 o'clock we realised that Crown Mountain would have to wait until another trip, as completing the original schedule of the walk was now ceat,of the question. Everyone was happy with the suggested alternative, that we walk east along the ridge and camp at the first suitable place. About 20 minutes walking Past bright patches of wildflowers brought us to a sheltered campsite near Mount Jamieson, giving us a grand total of about 3i- miles covered for the days A large rock buttress adjacent to the campsite provided a grandstand view of the sun setting, and later on the moon rising. Prospectives please not despite appearances to the contrary, bushwaikers do not usually howl at the moon, or recite rude limericks all evening. A good night's sleep was ended at about 6 a.m. by growls of thunder and a shower of rain, from which the weather optimists (who had slept out) beat a hasty retreat. Breakfast was prepared between intermittent showers, but the threatening skies fulfilled their promise and we packed up and moved off in heavy rain. Rather than attempting to find another way down the cliffs in adverse conditions, Peter decided to return the same way as we had come. An extended morning tea under a rock overhang enabled us to dry out around a fire, and descending the creek was considerably easier than ascending it, due in part to taking a slightly different route. By this time the rain had stopped, but the scrub was still sodden. Level grassy ground at the head of the valley provided a pleasant spot for lunch, although conditions there seemed to favour extensive patches of nettlesS.After lunch, with plenty of time to spare, several members of the party demonstrated the truth of Darwin's theory, with displays of treeclimbing and various gymnastics. A further hour's walking saw us back at the cars in time for a short visit to the historic Newnes pub and its justly famous art gallery. Even if we didn't reach our objective, a very pleasant weekend was enjoyed by all thanks, Peter. -X-X-** Page 22. Pt \
- \ A41 “In the hest traditions of the Glorious Empire!”