,.,. ' ~ ' ·~.I THE NEWS OFTiffi MELBOURNE BUSHWALKERS MELBOURNE BusHWALKERS INc. EnmoN625 MARcH 2003 60 CENTS Club Barbeque this Month Wednesday 26 March 7- 9 pm, Clubrooms ·Thank You Members and visitors welcome. Graham Wills-Johnson B.Y.O. meat and a plate to share. Wine, soft drinks and hot beverages available. for putting the Wilkinson Lodge log books (1950 -1992) on to CDs These two CDs are now available for sale at $5 each or for borrowing from the club's library. Graham would like a volunteer Combo! to copy ("bum"), label and package more cds. Federation Sunday Walks Details are on the notice board in the clubrooms. Please phone Graham or Doug Pocock and/or Base Camp if you would like to volunteer. 28 - 30 March, Warburton The Federation ofWalking Clubs walks start running from 8.30 am onwards, ie. early. So either: contact Jan Palich for car sharing for the Sunday only (remember no bus this day) or contact me, Sylvia Ford for accommodation at the Warburton camping ground. Lowdown on accommodation: cabins- different sizes*, lodge- share 9* ($12 approx.) and camp sites -lots of space ($6 per person). * Sheets and doona hire available. New Membership Fees All beside the Yarra River and it's smashing! Single: $45 Best of all is dinner together on Saturday night at the Single cone.: $30 Wild Thyme Cafe with drinks and nibbles to share on the lawns before hand. Couple: $70 Couple cone.: $38 Book early! The News subscribers: $20 Sylvia Ford ENQ.: CLUB OPEN: 7-9 PM WEn., HoRTICULTURAL HALL, 48 MAcKENziE ST., MELB. WEBSITE: www.melboumebushwalkers.org.au EMAIL: [email protected] Members of the Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc. meet on Wednesday evenings Vacant Position: between 7.00 & 9.00 pm in the Clubrooms, Federation Conservation Convenor Victorian Horticultural Society Hall, 48 MacKenzie Street, Melbourne. Are you committed to the environment and want to preserve what we have for the enjoyment and Visitors are always welcome. appreciation of future generations? Do you care that Bushwalking Clubs have a voice in the policy direction of our government? Can I interest you in applying for General correspondence should be directed to: the position of Federation Conservation Convenor? The Secretruy, "What is required?" you may ask. Well, there is a Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc., position description available from the Federation POBox 1751Q, office. However, the main function of the Conservation Melbourne, Vic., 3001. Convener is to convene the monthly meetings of the The News ofthe Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc. Conservation Committee. In addition, the convener is is the newsletter of the Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc. automatically a member of the Federation's Council and and is published monthly. is required to attend its monthly meeting and report Editor: Vicki Scrivenger. upon the activities of the Conservation Committee. Walk previews & reviews, articles, poems, news items, Hence the desirable skills are an understanding of the photographs of club events, reports of new gear, political process and committee procedure, good book reviews, letters "to the Editor", advertisements, etc. communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to are always welcome. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions delegate duties to other Conservation representatives where space, clarity or propriety dictate according to their expertise or area of interest. and to maintain editorial consistency. What do you get out of it? Well, the satisfaction that you are in a position to effect changes on the Contributions to The News may be sent to the Editor by: conservation front that will preserve our environment * Emailing to: for the benefit of future generations and the Placing diskette or hand written material * opportunity to work as part of a team with fellow in the Editor's pidgeon hole in the clubrooms walkers who share your values and commitment to the * Posting diskette or hand written material to either: The Editor, Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc., environment. I feel confident that there is a Bushie out POBox 1751Q, Melbourne, Vic., 3001 there who is willing to take up the challenge of this or V Scrivenger, News Editor, position, so please give me a call to discuss how we can introduce you to the Federation Executive and get you on the job a.s.a.p. Electronic mail is preferred. Closing date for receipt of material for The News Trish Elmore is the last Wednesday of the month. Federation Representative Advertisements in The News Only advertisements directly relating to bushwalking will be accepted (e.g. gear, maps, trips, tours, etc.). Members' ads are free. Advertising Rates (Artwork Ready) in: printed edition only: as below, or printed & on-line editions: as below+ 25% or on-line edition only: as below + 25%. Size: 1 Issue 3 Issues 12 Issues (1 Year) Y.Page $35 $90 $330 !hPage $55 $150 $550 Full Page $100 $250 $900 PREVIEWS OF DAY wALKS, ETC. - APRIL 2003 Sunday Bus: French Island Maroondah Highway to about 10 km north of Buxton and tum right into Cathedral Lane. Continue for 2.5 km Sunday 6 April DATE and tum right into Little River Road. Go along this Easy and Easy/Medium STANDARD road for a bit more than 5 km to Cooks Mill which is & DISTANCE 14 18 km our meeting place. LEADER(S) John Coe & Elizabeth Ingham TRANSPORT Bus-Southbank Blvd-8.30 am This will be an opportunity to walk at the Mt. Sugarloaf RETURN TIME 7pm end of the range for the first time for quite awhile. We MAP REFERENCE Parks Victoria publication, will start walking at the southern end of the range and Vicmaps Barrallier & Rhyll climb to Sugarloaf Peak for magnificent views. Then we will continue north along the ridge, going slowly and And now for something different - a ferry ride to carefully over the slightly tricky rocky sections along to fascinating and historic French Island, located in The Farmyard- so called because of the animal noises Westernport Bay, to the south-east ofMelboume. There heard from the farms below. If time and energy allows, will be two walks, during which we will explore the we will go to the Jawbones for views to the valley western side of the island and enjoy its varied habitats. below. Then we will descend steeply and finish at The many natural attractions ofFrench Island have been Cooks Mill and afternoon tea. There will be a short car preserved, as it has escaped major development over the shuftle at the end. years and recently two-thirds of the land mass was declared a National Park. Note that Susan and Stuart are leading a mid-week base camp at Cooks Mill in March. Depending on the walks French Island has a population of around 65 people and they do, the above arrangements may be modified. If encompasses some 21,800 ha, making it more than you let me know that you are coming ( ) J twice the size ofPhillip Island. The island's coastline is can tell you of this and try to arrange car pooling. predominately salt marsh with flourishing mangroves on the mudflats. The interior is mostly heathland with magnificent wildflower displays in spring. There are around 600 plant species and a great diversity Track Maintenance Day ofbirdlife (234 species), including the white-breasted sea eagle, as well as mutton-bird, pelican and ibis DATE Saturday 12 April rookeries. There are short-tailed shearwater colonies at STANDARD Easy/Medium Tankerton and Tortoise Head. French Island supports LEADER(S) Marika Jagow Australia's largest koala community, so much so that it TRANSPORT Private now exports to the mainland and to international zoos. RETURNTIME 5.30pm The koalas can be seen throughout the island, including AREA Yarra Ranges National Park the recreation hall and post office at Tankerton where This is a track maintenance Saturday with a difference. the ferries dock. The rare potoroo has also found a I have been in contact with the ranger at the Yarra niche on French Island as there have been no incursions Ranges National Park, one of the closest parks to by foxes, their main predator. They can be seen in bushy Melbourne and Federation ofWalking Clubs to select areas throughout the island. the most needy track. But due to the bushfire fighting, Plenty of water, a hat and sunscreen, as well as insect people have been preoccupied. I hope the mystery of repellent should be carried. the track will inspire people to join in on this day of 'gardening work'. I considered the Richard's Tramline N.B.: The bus will leave Southbank Blvd at 8.30 am Track which was noted to be overgrown on a walk sharp. The return trip on the ferry to French Island organised by the club. I have since learnt that the is $17. Victorian Walking Club have cleared this track. I have spoken with Parks Victoria to organise a speaker in April to talk about the partnership between us, the Wednesday Walk: Cathedral Range Melbourne Busbies, and the rangers to work on track maintenance. Again due to the bushfires the speaker DATE Wednesday 9 April may not be available until later in the year. If the STANDARD Easy/Medium speaker is not available I will give a briefing on the DISTANCE 7 km (but steep) Wednesday night before the track maintenance. I will LEADER(S) Max Casley also place a flyer on the track maintenance details on the TRANSPORT Private noticeboard and see you in the clubrooms. Look RETURN TIME 4.30 pm to cars forward to seeing you. AREA Buxton, Maroondah Highway Meet at Cooks Mill at 10 am. To get there go along the Sunday Bus: Quo Vadis - Beech Creek­ Sunday Bus: Arthurs Seat- Cape Schanck Myrtle Valley (Healesville area) DATE Sunday 27 April DATE Sunday 13 April STANDARD Easy and Easy/Medium STANDARD Easy and Medium DISTANCE 15 km and 19 km LEADER(S) Ralph Clayton and Tracey Jamieson LEADER(S) Lynda Larkin and Alan Miller TRANSPORT Bus - Southbank Blvd - 9 am TRANSPORT Bus - Southbank Blvd - 9 am RETURN TIME 6.30 pm Please talk with the leaders in the clubrooms about MAP REFERENCE 7821-2-1/2 & tourist maps these two Sunday walks.