THE CANBERRA BUSHWALKING CLUB INC. NEWSLETTER it GPO Box 160, Canberra ACT 2601 VOLUME 38 November 2002 NUMBER 11 NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING 8pm Wednesday 20th A short walk in the Indian Himalayas Speaker: Roger Farrow Roger Farrow is a retired CSIRO entomologist with an interest in the Himalayas and particularly in the wildlife there. He will talk about two walks he did there earlier this year, the first up the Singalila Ridge, the border between India and Nepal, and the second up to the Guichela Glacier at the foot of Kanthenjunga.. Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science Gordon Street, Canberra City Make the most of the evening and join other members at 6.00pm for a convivial meal at the Vietnam Restaurant, 8-10 Hobart Place, Canberra City (opposite Canberra House Arcade, next to Aussie Home Loans) Try to be early to ensure there will be ample time to finish and still get to the meeting in good time danger in most of our favourite watercourses of the Cox, Kow- PRESIDENT’S walking areas. On our recent mung, Wollondilly and Nattai, are PRATTLE Barallier walk in the Blue Moun- bone dry. It is still magnificant tains, the impact of the drought was country to walk through, but it is very evident. Apart from certain certainly suffering. Our new committee for 2002/03 pockets near the Cox, there was a You will notice that a number of hope to make this an enjoyable and noticeable lack of spring wildflow- our weekend walks on this program productive year for club members, ers, and much of the bush foliage is are designated as “beginner walks”, and will do our best to maintain a drooping and parched. (We know and we have put these in to encour- good walks program. This will be of course of its natural propensity age those of you who would like to quite a challenge over the next to recover after rain). Many of the branch out and try overnight trips months, as we are likely to face the creeks feeding into the major impact of drought and high fire but haven’t quite known how to go Canberra Bushwalking Club IT November 2002 page 1 about it. Leaders of these walks are Carefully consider where you leave Horsfields’ place in Kambah, the more than happy to give advice your cars, too. Recently, one of other on the northside at the about gear and food to take on such our members helped save a dozen McKones’ in Holt. Leaders who a walk, and the club has gear cars at the Wog Wog entrance to think they may need one for their available for hire as well. We’d the Budawangs where they were programmed walk can inform me love to see lots of newcomers on almost engulfed in flames. when they submit their trip. these walks, though other club EPIRBs will be issued with notes There is a lot of burnt out bushland members are welcome too of detailing their responsible use. which may look devastated at the course. Let’s hope we don’t have to acti- moment. This leaves the soil loose vate them! At our last general meeting the and open to erosion and weed club membership approved the invasion; it may also be dangerous Outdoor Australia. You may have purchase of two Emergency Bea- on steep slopes where boulders can noticed that this magazine has cons, which will be availaable for easily be dislodged with the risk of adopted the commendable policy leaders to borrow free of charge, them falling on anyone below. of encouraging walkers to join with bookings throught the Walks However, (and without going into clubs. As part of this effort they Secretary. One will be kept at the details of a very complicated are publishing one page Walk Meg’s place on the north side, and argument) the bush is resilient, and Profiles along with a conservation one at the Horsfields in Kambah. when the rains do finally come we or safety tip, each prepared by a Such a provision is an important will see a miraculous recovery. bushwalking club. Outdoor are part of the club’s “duty of care” interested in publishing an over- In the case of a total fire ban, towards our membership. night trip in Namadgi N.P. by remember all naked flames are Canberra Bushwalkers. The Our IYM program continues until banned, so this means no fuel Committee is thinking of Orroral March 2003. We would encourage stoves. Anyone got some good Valley - Cotter Gap - Pond Creek - walkers to put a small donation in cold recipes? Creamy Flats and return, with with their petrol money if they are NPWS (Land Management) optional side trips up Coronet Peak going on an IYM walk, and in this Regulation 2002. This Regulation and Cotter Rocks. This would be a way our funds will steadily accu- is now in force, and covers all positive promotion for the Club, mulate. At the Christmas party you national parks in NSW, although and should not result in a stampede will also be able to donate to this variations may occur within the of environmental damage, as there worthy cause by buying fresh Plans of Management of individual are strict limits on the numbers produce which will be on sale parks. We wrote to the Minister camping in the Cotter Catchment there, as well as checking out items last December as we were con- area. for auction- so bring your cheque cerned about limitations on where books or ready cash along! I hope lots of people will make it to we could car camp the night before the Walks Planning BBQ on 19 Jenny Horsfield a walk and where we could park November (see the Activity Pro- President our cars while we were on the gram for details). If you’ve been walk. It looks as if bushwalkers’ hesitant in the past to lead a trip, submissions have been heeded and WALKS WAFFLE here is your opportunity to talk to we should not have any problems. other leaders for general tips and Bushfires. Unless we get some The lighting of campfires is also information about where to go. decent rains, our walking activities permitted, using deadfalls of tim- Meg McKone may be severely curtailed over the ber, as long as allowed by the PoM Walks Secretary coming months. You can check of the park you are in, there is no whether or not particular National total fire ban, flammable material PS I hope lots of people will make Parks are closed on the NSW within 1.5 metres of the fire is it to the Walks Planning BBQ on NPWS website: http://www.npws cleared away and the fire is 4.5 19 November (see the Activity .nsw.gov.au/news/firenews.html, or metres from any log or stump. Program for details). for the ACT at http://www.enviro ment.act.gov.au/ie4/bushparksand More details are available from the Tree Felling - Sat 7 Dec reserves/bushfireinfo.html. How- National Parks and Wildlife web- For all those folk out there who ever, I did find last summer that the site at www.npws.nsw.gov.au have chainsaws could they please information on the NSW website EPIRBs. As detailed elsewhere in contact me as I would like lots of was not always correct, and it was this it, the October general meeting help to cut down a large worth phoning the relevant ranger voted to buy two EPIRBs to be backyard tree (with ACT office, where the rangers were very available to club parties free of Environment's blessing, of helpful. charge. For the time being, one course!) - Rene Lays phone 6241 will be kept on the southside at the 7862 or [email protected] Canberra Bushwalking Club IT November 2002 page 2 dismembering preceding the The Malevolent March placement on an ant nest. Immola- COOKS’ CORNER Fly tion around the campfire is a favourite. I remember a competi- RICE SALAD These are also known as either tion where cotton thread was Here is a recipe you can pack Horse or Gad flies. In Australia attached and the winner flew with Friday night to eat for tea on Satur- there are some 243 species ranging the heaviest pay load. day to save cooking and help you from 6mm to 25mm in body cope with total fire bans. If you’re length. In the mountains the most worried about it growing bugs, you frequently seen one is about 20 to could omit the mayonnaise. On the 25mm long. The male can be theory that salt is a preservative, I distinguished from the female by add a reasonable amount of this the fact that the eyes meet at the four letter “s” word. front. Both have a fine hair cover- ing over their eyes that often shows Boil and drain 100 or more grams iridescent reflections. of rice. Mix together a drained tin each of corn kernels and three bean In the mountains our “macro-fly” is mix, chopped celery, capsicum, It is a species of fly with the scien- an intelligent tactician. I would carrot and shallots. Carefully mix tific family name, Tabanidae. The suggest the following list as its in the rice and two tablespoons female lays eggs in or near the principles for hunting humans, each of oil, vinegar and mayon- water, some species a small num- naise. Add salt and pepper to taste. • maintain a proximity to the ber, others in the hundreds. The moving prey. young larvae fall into the water and Serve with a small tin of salmon or • don’t generally buzz around as feed on smaller insects.