Information for Members 1 Brindabella Bushwalking Club provides a program of bushwalking and other activities that adults and children can enjoy, and promotes interest in bushwalking, safety and survival in the bush. We encourage minimal-impact bushwalking and preservation of the natural environment. Visitors are welcome, but should contact the leader beforehand. Please read the introduction to the program, particularly ‘Advice to Walkers' and 'Rules for Walkers’. BRINDABELLA BUSHWALKING CLUB WALKS AND SOCIAL PROGRAM JANUARY – JUNE 2019 PRESIDENT Peter Dalton 0414 363255 [email protected] VICE-PRESIDENT & WALKS OFFICER John Ellis 62412658 [email protected] TREASURER Lana Burmester 0401 178120 [email protected] SECRETARY Julie Pettit 62486358 [email protected] MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Davinia Wells 62544491 [email protected] SOCIAL CONVENOR Elaine Atkinson 62883557 [email protected] TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Bob Chittenden 62310856 [email protected] FACEBOOK Helen Locke www.facebook.com/BrindabellaBushwalkingClub/ GENERAL COMMITTEE Peter Ford 0437 110001 PUBLIC OFFICER Julie Pettit 62486358 WALKS SUB-COMMITTEE John Ellis 62412658 Jillian Bellamy 62863766 Robyn Gallagher 0409 891187 Peter Wellman 62885985 Robyn Kelly 62880449 Kathy Handel 62383596 Annabel Agafonoff 62820252 SOCIAL SUB-COMMITTEE Elaine Atkinson 62883557 Julie Pettit 62486358 Colleen Fox 62883153 Terry O’Brien 0437 992550 Peter Boyland 0413 378684 Monty Fox 62883153 Wendy Thompson 0439 026751 EMERGENCY OFFICERS Doug Finlayson 62815810 Colin Boreham 62864342 Both can be contacted at [email protected] An abridged program is on the Club’s website: www.brindabellabushwalking.org.au Information for Members 2 INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS MEMBERSHIP The Membership Year is from 1 October to 30 September. The current Application for Membership (form) is at http://www.brindabellabushwalking.org.au/documents/BBC_Membership_Form_2018-19.pdf WEEKEND DAY WALKS Meeting times and places The normal departure time is 9.00 am, unless shown otherwise (highlighted with ***). Please arrive 10 minutes before the departure time to allow the leader time to organise the car-pooling. The usual meeting places and their symbols are shown below. Please do not stand on the roadway at the meeting place, obstructing traffic. K: Kambah Village shopping centre car park, corner Drakeford Drive and Marconi Crescent, opposite the petrol service station NL: North Lyneham shops, Colville St, off Montford Circuit, off Cossington Smith Crescent Q: Queanbeyan Swimming Pool car park, Campbell Street S: Spotlight Queanbeyan car park, 6-8 Bungendore Rd (aka Kings Highway) W: The Weston Creek Tennis Courts car park, in Dillon Close, which comes off Namatjira Drive directly opposite and north of McDonalds at Cooleman Court. Cancellation of walks Walks are likely to be cancelled if heavy rain is forecast, or a total fire ban is in force. If warnings are issued or you are unsure about conditions, contact the leader at least a day in advance about possible changes. If there are fewer than four people the walk cannot proceed as an official club activity. Transport Car sharing is arranged at meeting places. The contribution for each passenger is shown in the walk description. It is currently based on 12 cents per passenger per kilometre, rounded to the nearest dollar. National Park and Nature Reserve entry fees are usually divided equally among all people in the car, and are additional to the 12 cents per passenger per kilometre. Drivers unsure of the route should ask the leader to wait at significant corners. A tail car may be nominated by the leader. Convoys inconvenience other drivers, so please allow plenty of room for overtaking traffic. Start and finish Day walks usually leave the cars by 10.00 am. The time of return to the cars cannot be guaranteed, but it will usually be by 4.00 pm in winter and 6.00 pm in summer. Some walks may start earlier and end later, and this will be indicated in the walk description. It is our custom to bring a thermos and enjoy a friendly chat after walks before driving home. Family walks Family walks are usually on the last Sunday of each month during school terms and are suitable for families with young children. The children in our group are mostly of primary school age, however on some walks strollers will be possible. The pace is slow, with a long stop for morning tea, and attractions for children are often included. Most walks are in Canberra bushland and about two hours long. Details of the walks are routinely emailed to members who have indicated their interest in going on the walks. Inquiries to Membership Secretary. 3 Information for Members DAY WALKS ON WEDNESDAY Short/Easy Wednesday walks These half-day walks of 10 km or less will be held throughout the year. The club would value your suggestions. If you are interested, come and try some of the walks. Easy/Medium Wednesday walks These are a bridge between the Short and the Medium/Hard Wednesday walks and are conducted on the first four Wednesdays of the month, in cooperation with the Canberra Bushwalking Club (CBC) on the same basis as the Medium/Hard Wednesday Walks (see below). They are graded at the upper level of ‘Easy’ or the lower level of ‘Medium’. They will usually take most of the day, but will be easier than the Medium/Hard Wednesday walk to be conducted on that day. Medium/Hard Wednesday walks These walks are conducted in cooperation with CBC and the National Parks Association (NPA). BBC arranges walks on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, CBC on the second Wednesday. Walks on fourth and fifth Wednesdays are arranged by the NPA. These walks have common features: Medium (grade 8) to the lower end of Hard (grade 12); sometimes difficult or exploratory; and walkers will feel exercised. Notification of Wednesday Walks. Descriptions of all Wednesday walks are emailed separately to interested walkers a few days before the walk. If you would like to receive these emails, send a request to [email protected] for the Short/Easy walks, or [email protected] for the Easy/Medium and Medium/Hard walks. You should also select the relevant option on the membership form. SHORT NOTICE WALKS Any leader can put a walk on at short notice with the concurrence of the Walks Officer, provided: it doesn’t coincide with any programmed walk (however, a different grade might be approved); or if it is a special occasion; e.g. to a waterfall after heavy rain; or if it is in lieu of a programmed walk that was cancelled due to weather; e.g. 40 degrees on Sunday, but 20 degrees on Monday. OVERDUE WALKERS Please direct any enquiries concerning overdue walking parties in the first instance to the club's Emergency Officers – see the front cover for contact details. If they cannot be reached, please contact an Office Bearer of the club. They will advise Police of the situation, if necessary. Upon return, leaders of overdue parties must contact the Emergency Officers as soon as possible. ADVICE TO WALKERS Bushwalking is an active recreation. The aim of the club is to facilitate enjoyment of the bush, safely and in good company. Each walker must be aware of the hazards and be prepared for them. If in the leader's opinion a walk is not suitable for someone, the leader has a right not to accept that person on the walk. The club expects all members and visitors to diligently follow the advice given below: • If you have doubts about your ability to undertake bushwalking, please consult your doctor beforehand. • For your enjoyment and safety, and that of others, it is important that you read the walk descriptions carefully and understand them. If you have any doubts, phone the leader beforehand. Leaders' phone numbers are always given in the program. • You should select an easy walk for your first walk, unless you are very experienced and the leader approves. Walkers with fitness problems and new members should stay with walks graded 'Very Easy' or 'Easy' until confident of their ability to undertake harder walks. Information for Members 4 • If walking with children, make sure you choose a walk that they can manage comfortably. Most walks that are under 10 km and over easy terrain are suitable for children of, say, seven years and older. Our family walks usually take 2-3 hours and are intended for families with younger children. • Most day walks take the party several hours away from car or phone, and pack walks often much further away. All walkers must take their own first aid kits – see the Rules for Walkers for details. The club cannot guarantee that there will be someone in each party with first aid qualifications. • Bring sunscreen and insect repellent as appropriate. Flies are likely to be a nuisance in summer. • Visitors are welcome on all walks, but they must discuss the walk and their own experience with the leader before going to the meeting point. If you have doubts about your ability to keep up with the group on a particular walk, do not attempt the walk. • TICKS – Helpful information for those doing NSW South Coast Walks Adult ticks are at their worst from October to February. Avoid ticks by wearing long pants tucked into socks, long sleeves, a broad- brimmed hat and tropical strength insect repellent. Avoid brushing vegetation if possible. In the evening, check clothes and body before retiring. Be aware of Lyme disease symptoms - see http://www.karlmcmanusfoundation.org.au/. Removal of ticks. This is the latest advice – Freeze, don't Squeeze. Buy a spray from the chemist that contains either, e.g. “Wart Off” or “Medi Freeze.” Spray the tick (freezes it) and wait about 10 minutes until the tick is dead.