MAGAZINE OF THE CONFEDERATION OF BUSHWALKING CLUBS NSW INC. ISSN 0313 2684 AUGUST 2001 WINTER EDITION VOLUME 27 NO 1 www.bushwalking.org.au [email protected] B ACK FROM THE BRINK - T HE GROSE WILDERNESS by Andy Macqueen* The dreary appearance, abrupt- THE CONFEDERATION OF ness, intricate and dangerous route we valley or out amongst the mazes of experienced at this place, induced me to ridges too unpleasant, too difficult, or B USHWALKING CLUBS ROLE call it the Devils Wilderness. too scary to contemplate. So wrote George Caley after clam- Development has been kept out of John Macris Conservation Officer bering down to the confluence of the most of the Grose area for two centu- Grose River and Wilderness Brook in ries, thanks to its ruggedness and to The year was 1996. While various 1804. He was on an epic journey to various moves to preserve it. As early outdoor recreation groups were aligning as 1875 a with one another and launching their large part was colourful campaigns based on a presumed reserved inherited right of access to every bridle or partly in fire trail on public land, Confederation was recognition taking a somewhat different direction. that it was a The central and oldest section of national Blue Mountains National Park centred spectacle, on the Grose Valley, had remarkably thereby retained a high level of remoteness and defining what natural integrity, in spite of its proxim- could be ity to the tourist mecca of the upper described as mountains towns. Australias It was conceivable to us that the first national commercial or mass tourism footprint park. This did would gradually enlarge beyond the not however present nodes like Katoomba, prevent leases View of Grose Wilderness from Perrys Lookdown - photo Richard Merry Wentworth Falls or Blackheath. Maybe being taken only incrementally, but the signs were Mount Banks, and his troubles were up at Blue Gum Forest, and it was one already there, with adhoc establishment only just beginning. At every turn he of these that became the focus of the of vehicle based tours to the formerly was confronted by canyons, strange campaign in 1931-32 - a campaign little visited Mount Hay area and a rock formations, thick vegetation or which probably did more than anything noticeable growth in commercial amazing insects. else to give momentum to the national canyoning operations. Blue Mountains Caley and his convict assistants did park campaigns of Myles Dunphy and National Park had been without an not appreciate the natural values and his bushwalking followers. adopted plan of management for over opportunities for solitude afforded by In 1959, when Dunphys Blue 20 years and past draft attempts gave the Grose Wilderness. When they Mountains National Park dream started mixed messages about limiting the camped in the sassafras in Dismal to be realised, parts of the Grose spread of high impact activities. Dingle, near Claustral Canyon, his men formed the lions share of the new For these reasons, and also simply in found it so oppressive that on the return reserve. recognition of the wild values that were journey they refused to stop there even Not that there havent been real still abundant in the Grose, we utilised for a rest. Wed prefer the worst cell threats to the areas integrity. Schemes the public nomination provisions of the weve ever seen in a prison, they said. for dams, mines, power stations, roads NSW Wilderness Act (1987) to set in Such places were no prison to the and logging have all surfaced at various motion a wilderness assessment of the Aborigines. They had travelled through times. In the 1920s a mining company area. and lived in the Grose area for thou- proposed to transform the valley from Under this Act, once a public sands of years. There is evidence of a riot of scrubland to a hive of indus- nomination of an area for wilderness significant occupation quite close to try. In the 1850s the Grose River has been accepted and verified as Blue Gum. But the early whites were offered the favoured route for the credible (eg you couldnt just nominate repelled, and many are still repelled. western railway. And as recently as Centennial Park or the Lane Cove Even in the tracked areas, many people 1999, Earth Sanctuaries proposed to Valley) it must be assessed within two find the prospect of a walk deep into the fence off part of the valley for a wildlife C ONTINUED ON PAGE 5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 ............................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................Walk Safely - Walk With a Club THE BUSHWALKER C OMMITTEE MEMBERS Contributions, letters to the editor, original cartoons and sugges- President - Wilf Hilder Conservation Officer John Macris tions are welcome. They should be Sydney Bushwalkers Ph 9587-8912 (02) 9877-0915(H) National Parks Associa- sent to the address below. Except for tion [email protected] short notes or letters, all contributions Vice President - Jim Callaway (02) Tracks and Access officer - Alex should be accompanied with text file 9520-7081 (H) (02) 9219-4379 (W) on three and a half inch floppy disk in The Sydney Bush Walkers Tucker (02) 9451-4028 National Parks Association [email protected] IBM format or E-Mail. Treasurer & acting Secretary - Prudence Tucker (02)9451-4028 email Magazine Editor & Communications Distribution is through affiliated clubs, [email protected] National Parks Officer Colin Wood, Tel (02)4625-0916 H major retail outlets, council information Association 0438013500 National Parks Association centres and national park offices. [email protected] Address all correspondence to The Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Editor, The Bushwalker Bushwalkers officer - Keith Maxwell (02) 9622-0049 Training officer - Peter Mullins NSW PO Box 2090 GPO Sydney 1043. Pager phone 13 22 22 pager no 6277321 [email protected] E-mail [email protected] Mount Druitt Bushwalking Club The Confederation of Bushwalking Insurance Office and membership [email protected] Clubs NSW Inc represents approxi- secretary - Anne Plowman (02)9747-1346 mately 67clubs with a total member- [email protected] ship around 10,000 bushwalkers. Minutes Secretaey Judy Hellyer Formed in 1932, the Confederation ......... (02)[email protected] provides a united voice on conserva- tion and other issues, runs training courses for members, and provides for 2 2 the public a free wilderness search and rescue service. People interested I N THIS ISSUE in joining a bushwalking club are invited to write to the Secretary Bushwalkers NSW at the above Back From The Brink - The Grose Wilderness ......................................1 address for information on clubs in their area. The Bushwalker The Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs’ role ......................................1 Or web site www.bushwalking.org.au Advertising .Ring Judy Hellyer 9604- NavShield 2001 – Biggest and Best Ever ..............................................3 1101 or [email protected] Prices for advertising Important News For Abseilers .............................................................4 Back cover $450 - full page inside back cover $400 - full page inside Letter to Editor NavShield2001 ...........................................................4 $350 - half page $175 - quarter page $90 business card size $50 insert $250 +insertion cost approx $90 all prices plus Bushwalkers History Museum & Collection ..........................................5 GST Deadlines for magazine An Anniversary to Inspire – Blue Gum 1931 to 2001 ..............................6 Summer edition, 2nd week in October- Autumn 2nd week in January The Jagungal Wilderness .....................................................................9 - Winter, 2nd week in April - Spring, 2nd week in July Photographic Competition ..................................................................9 How Big is Your Walking Party? ........................................................10 Along The Track - Volunteer Work In National Parks...........................11 T HEB USHWALKER is the magazine of the Confed- Stop Press: New Canyon Discoveries .................................................12 eration of Bushwalking Clubs NSW Inc. It's published quarterly. Bushwalkers Bushdance ....................................................................13 The aim of the magazine is to provide articles and information of Great Grose Gorse Walk ...................................................................14 interest to the members of clubs affiliated with the Confederation and Bushwalkers generally. Any opinions expressed by individual authors do not always represent the official views of the Confederation. Walk Safely - Walk With a Club................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................... N AVS HIELD 2001 BIGGEST AND BEST EVER Keith Maxwell - President Bushwalkers This years Wilderness Squad finding a checkpoint then choosing the Bushwalkers does not always crack the site. The real route to the next one. The late Saturday Wilderness site planning starts when the course co- afternoon trickle of lesser experienced Rescue ordinator gets out his map or tries to teams arriving before dark soon turns NavShield unobstrusively purchase an uncom- into a flood