g o r F e e r o b o r r o iitt C Canberra Bushwalking Club Inc PO Box 160 Canberra ACT 2601 Volume: 48 www.canberrabushwalkingclub.org Number: 7 August 2012 In this issue 2 Canberra Bushwalking Club Committee 2 President’s prattle 2 Bulletin Board 3 Walks Waffl e 3 Training Trifl es 3 Membership matters 3 Want the inside scoop? 4 Review: What’s happening in Namadgi? 7 Activity program 12 Feeling literary? 12 Wednesday walks A frosty walk up Red Hill GENERAL MEETING 8 pm Wednesday 15 August 2012 Environmental weed control in the ACT Presenter: Steve Taylor The ACT Parks & Conservation Service, Senior Weed Management Offi cer, Important dates Steve Taylor will give an overview of environmental weed Control in the ACT. 15 AugustAugust He will also talk about invasive weeds that ACT bushwalkers should keep an eye out for so that quick action can be taken when new infestations establish in GeneralGeneral meetingmeeting remote areas. 22 AugustAugust CommitteeCommittee memeetingeting Main hall, 22 AugustAugust Hughes Baptist Church, Submissionsubmissions close for 32–34 Groom Street, Hughes Septembereptember it 19 SeptemberSeptember Annualll General Meeting Committee business Canberra Bushwalking Club Committee President: Phillip Starr [email protected] 0419 281 096 hereh have h all ll the h lladies di gone? Alison li iis the h sole l Treasurer: George Carter Wlady on your committee. All committee members [email protected] are doing a great job, which is certainly appreciated. My 6251 2130 job as president has been made easier by the enthusiasm of our current committee. It is just that the committee Walks Secretary: Rob Horsfi eld would be more representative of our Club membership [email protected] if we had more lady members. Can you help address this imbalance at the AGM in September? 6231 4535 By the time you receive this newsletter there should General Secretary: Stan Marks be a new document on the website ‘Transport Pooling [email protected] Guidelines,’ which is based on current practices for use by new and existing leaders and for the further 6254 9568(h) or 6274 7350(w) information of new members. Membership Secretary: Roger Edwards These are guidelines only and are not mandatory. Like [email protected] all of our documents it will be a living document and 6288 7863 or 0406 378 217 subject to review and change in the future. Training and Safety Offi cer: John Evans The last detailed records of the Club, which were passed onto the Canberra Archives for their safekeeping, cov- [email protected] ered the period up to 1996. Other later material has been 6288 7235 or 0417 436 877 given to the Canberra Archival Unit above the Library in Phillip, but little of it. The Archival Unit of the Canberra Conservation Offi cer: Nathan Holt Public Library is always ready to receive documents in conservation@canberrabushwalkingclub. relation to this Club’s activities and personalities, which org may be researched by any individual or organisation 0414 628 429 wishing to investigate bushwalking activities. It would be appreciated if past presidents and committee Web Manager: David Briese members would search through those papers that they [email protected] still retain from their time on the committee and pass 6286 3479 any that they feel have a historical interest to the Club’s archivist, Doug Wright. He will arrange for any papers, Editor: Alison Milton documents or books that you may have, to be handed [email protected] over and included in the Club’s archival material, which is already held in the Canberra Public Archives. 6254 0578(h) or 6289 2717(w) g o Phillip Starr r F e e r o b o r r o Assistant Walks Secretary: Keith Thomas C President [email protected] 6230 1081 or 0421 607 667 Social Secretary: Quentin Moran [email protected] 6288 9840 Publisher: Tom George [email protected] 6257 0613 All members of the Committee can be contacted in one email to [email protected] CHECK IN: Ring Keith Thomas on 6230 1081 WEB SITE: www.canberrabushwalkingclub.org g o r F e e r o b o r r o C Page 2 – Canberra Bushwalking Club it August 2012 g ro F e re o b o r r o C Committee reports Watch how any challenges are met, such as fi rst aid, navigational uncertainties, unexpected weather. Rob and Jenny’s annual Navigation refresher events have been sched- uled – see the activity program. g o r F e e John Evans r o b o r r o here will be a total eclipse of the C ecommended practices for Training and Safety Offi cer Tsun ~0800 hours EST, on 14 No- Rday walks in the high country, vember 2012. The centre line for and in other challenging locations, the ‘path of totality’ is within a few have been published on the Club’s kilometers of Cairns, the shadow is website. Access them via the CLUB about 150 km wide and includes the DOCUMENTS button and the Daintree. Duration of the event is ‘Recommended Practices – Day ~2 minutes. In Canberra, projection Walking in the High Country and of the phenomenon onto a screen Coping with Challenging Condi- will show ~50% overlap of the sun’s tions’ link. Well worth a read by disc by that of the moon. This event everyone and careful consideration Please ensure that you update any might be a good excuse for some of by walk leaders. changes to your email address our members to plan a trip up there or inform the Membership and take in some of the Daintree as Every walk can be a training oppor- Secretary. tunity for you, if you want it to be. well, although November can be hot New members: Mark Rogers, and wet in that region. The last total Prepare for the trip by reviewing Wayne Puckett, Lelde Vitols eclipse seen in Australia was in 2002, the area of the walk on your map. at Ceduna, South Australia. There Try to estimate the route your walk Roger Edwards will be another to view from Sydney leader might take. Membership Secretary in ~100 years’ time; perhaps that’s a little long to wait. On the day of the walk, pay particu- lar attention to the walk briefi ng and Training and Safety Offi cer, John plot the route on your map so that Want the Evans has posted onto the website a you can follow it. At the beginning document concerning day walks in of each leg of the trip, ask your inside scoop? the High Country. It is important for walk leader to describe that section members and especially leaders, to with you – start and fi nish locations, The Club’s commit- be aware of the content. The concern magnetic bearing, distance, change teetee generallyg know is that we operate safely and are in height, expected going in terms adequately prepared in the event of ‘a of vegetation and land form. Stick what’sw going worst case scenario’. A succession of close to him or her and ask ques- on in the Club unanticipated calamities in adverse tions – any leader worth their salt before the rest conditions could easily result in a will appreciate sharing the naviga- fatality. Thanks to John for seeing tion with you. of the general this matter through. membership,me so Watch how they craft the walk’s The current walks program has navigation – use of handrails such as why not join the inner circle some good trips, both day and tracks, streams, ridges; use of catch- and get the goss ahead of time. overnight coming up. We could ing features so that objectives are The Annual General meet- always do with more overnight pack not overshot; deliberately aiming trips. At the last committee meeting off when navigating to point loca- ing is approaching and the I was confronted with a line of tions; use of spurs and drier slopes Club needs new committee bemused smiles when I mentioned on hills where possible. These are members, in particular, a new this, mid-winter not being the best just some of the techniques used. of times it seems. treasurer. Watch how they make the path, Each year, the committee work The end of the Club year is September whether it be setting an appropriate and committee positions are open pace on a track or forcing through is carried out (usually) by the for election. Thanks to all who have undergrowth or navigating round same small group of people, supported the walking program, knolls on ridges. but it needs new blood and both leaders and participants. I’m happy to stand again for the Walks Watch how they manage the party new ideas, so why not con- Secretary position but hasten to add – in terms of setting drink, eating sider giving up just a little bit that if someone else is keen and able and rest breaks; maintaining group of your time, even if just for and wishes to have a go, I wouldn’t cohesion (easing back the front run- contest it. ners, encouraging the back markers 12 months. and maintaining communication); Who knows, you might fi nd In the meantime, good walking! providing flora, fauna points of interest patter. it rewarding, and just get that g o r F e Rob Horsfi eld e r o b o r r o C scoop! Walks Secretary Canberra Bushwalking Club it August 2012 – page 3 Review of general meeting talk Quentin Moran This article is a condensed version Walking Trails Rendezvous Creek walking trail has been upgraded to a loop walk.