THE CANBERRA BUSHWA! KING CLUB 7 INC. NEWSLETTER GPO Box 160, Canberra ACT 2601 VOLUME 35 March 1999 NUMBER 3 MARCH GENERAL MEETING 8pm Wednesday 17 March 1999 Speaker: Rob Gray, on Landscape Photography for Bushwalkers Dickson Library Community Room (entrance at rear of Library) Make the most of the evening and join other,members at 6.00pm for a convivial (BYO) meal at the Pho Phu Quoc Restaurant in Cape Street, Dickson. Try to be early to ensure there will be ample time to finish and still get to the meeting in comfortable time PRESIDENT'S unveiled a plaque recognising contributions made by the Bu- Item PRATTLE dawang Committee and the Page Paddy Pallin Foundation, and OBITUARY Dr Robert Story, Another eventful month, OAM 2 unfortunately not all pleasant, as accepted a cheque for $72,600 from the Budawang Committee MOTION ON CAVE indicated elsewhere. to use for purchase of the Co- CAMPING APPROVEDErrOr! Book After girding my loins for rang Peak area for inclusion in TRIP REPORTS 3 a heated debate on the "caves" the park. It is good to see NPWS NOTICE OF MOTION 3 motion last month, I was pleas- recognising the work of volun- CONSERVATION NOTES 3 antly surprised when it was tary bodies. passed unanimously - I had been TRIP PREVIEW 4 At a more CBC-centric hearing misleading gossip! level, Cohn Watson, Chairman MEMBERSHIP MATTERS 3 I wrote at length about the of the Budawang Committee, in INFORMATION FOR Confederation S&R weekend, a speech sunmiarising their PARTICIPANTS IN CBC ACTIVITIES 6 and the Leaders' weekend last activities, described production month, so this time I simply of "Budawangs and Beyond" as ACTIVITY PROGRAM 7 remind you of them - I'll see a key public awareness and DISCOUNT OFFERS FOR you there! funds raising component of their CLUB MEMBERS 11 On 25 February Allan work. In so doing, he specifi- IT CONTRJBUTIONS Mikkelsen, David Campbell and cally described the loan INVITED 11 I attended a function at the Wog Canberra Bushwalking Club Wog entrance to Morton Na- gave them to get the first edition action banning CBC camping in tional Park. Pam Allen, NSW printed as making the publica- Monolith Valley (leading to a Minister for the Environment, tion possible. Also, our 1976 total ban for everyone), and our 1988 onwards donation of efficient way to match up these helped arrange pack and sleep- money and labour toward track people. I hope to see many more ing bag hire and a place in a rehabilitation work were fa- people at future planning eve- tent, then provided advice and vourably mentioned during nings. Non-leaders can also suggestions for food and other discussions, in which the Minis- help, by providing ideas, sug- equipment. That walk converted ter was involved. Dianne gestions, and "consumer me into a committed walker. Ganood, NPWS Regional Man- feedback". The Storys were also the prime source of encouragement for me ager, Nowra, was delighted to On a lighter note, we did to first stand for a committee hear of our "caves" motion, and not see a koala on my February position. Sue met them and a strongly agreed that our "in Ettrema trip. No one complained CBC party in about 1970 when emergencies" let-out was rea- but I was almost disappointed on a Coast & Mountain Walkers sonable. It is important that we after the experience of my pre- trip in SW Tasmania. Robert maintain good relationships with vious two trips in the area. One and Sybil took her under their the NSW NPWS for many more sighting and I might have wing and introduced her to the reasons, including some which started to get a reputation and CBC when she moved to Can- do not apply to NSW-based hordes of followers! clubs. berrain 1972. Alan Vidler, President P The Walks Planning even- As a CBC member, Robert ing, the other event that day, was OBITUARY was a tireless worker, a source much less pleasing. It was at- of ideas and encourager of oth- tended by five of the eight Dr Robert Story, OAM ers, and a moderator. He was available Committee members I, like many people very, fair-minded, on occasions (3 were interstate) doubling up throughout the bushwalking, going to some lengths to provide from the previous day's Com- National Parks and Conservation a 'fair go' to people he disagreed mittee meeting - and no one communities, was saddened to with. He was good company on else. The job of the Committee hear of the death of Robert Story walks, exhibited strong dry wit, is to manage Club bureaucracy, on 19 February 1999. exuded quiet good cheer, not to lead the Club's trips, showed concern for the rest of although traditionally committee Robert and Sybil joined the party, and was a gentleman members do lead more than their CBC in 1963, andquickly be- in every sense of the word. share. came active in all aspects of the Club. When I joined the Club in He was an Honorary Life I know many leaders pro- 1973, Sybil was a past President Member, not only of CBC, but vide walks to the Walks and frequently the typist of IT also of NPA and several other Secretary via e-mail, telephone when no others could be found. organisations. In 1989 he was and snail mail, however a rea- Through Robert's good offices, awarded an Order of Australia sonable attendance at walks we held our monthly meetings in Medal for services to bushwalk- planning evenings is a powerful a room at CSIRO. Robert was a ing and conservation, which tool for exchange and develop- regular leader of weekend trips included several years as execu- ment of ideas and of providing and many extended ones, includ- tive member of NPA (ACT) and assistance to new leaders. For ing expeditions to SW of Kosciusko Huts Association. example, a new person may be Tasmania, NZ and other areas. For several years he was also the willing, even eager, to take They were both people to ap- ACT member of the Australian bookings, check suitability of proach when something National Parks Council. Inciden- applicants, and organise trans- important and abnormal had to tally and remarkably, Sybil also port (the hard bits) provided be done, and done correctly. was independently elected an someone else can help with Honorary Life member of CBC. navigation (the easy bit). An Robert led my first non- I extend my, and the experienced leader may have no base camp overnight walk, a six- Club's, deepest sympathies to time or no inclination for the day trip to the Budawangs. He Sybil, Judy, Muriel and their former tasks but happy to handle permitted me to participate after families. the latter. Discussion at Walks checking with several people Planning evening is the most with whom I'd walked. He Alan Vidler, President P Canberra Bushwalking Club IT March 1999 page 2 The Friends of Durras ask the new policy still allows caves CONSERVATION you to support its proposal by & overhangs to be used in ex- NOTES writing a personal letter or ceptional circumstances such as sending in the pamphlet panel to severely inclement weather or The Hon. Bob Can, Premier of injury. Greater Murramarang NSW, asking that he take the National Park - visionary step and create the Paul Edstein P Campaign Update Greater Murramarang National Park TRIP PREVIEW "The Murramarang Range rises from the ocean like a tidal wave. More information can be Rainforest gullies line its flanks. obtained from Geoffrey South Island, Further south in the tiny cove of Bartram, The Friends of Durras, New Zealand Dark Beach, the shingle on its Box 174, Batemans Bay 2536. shores is rattled by the waves. A Ph: (02) 6281 6434. E-mail: In February/March 2000, pod of dolphins cruises north on geoffreybartrarn@hotrnail. corn. Grahame Muller and I are a coastal patrol. Murramarang planning to go to NZ for some is the epitome of the southern The Friends of Durras mountaineering and walking NSW coast as it was." have started preliminary plan- (tramping, as it's called there). ning for a long distance walking Peter Wright Guide to Na- track from the northern to the There are wonderful tional Parks of Southern southern boundary of the opportunities for a Club NSW 'Greater' Murramarang NP with tramping trip in NZ and I should potential links to Murramarang like to hear from anyone who is The campaign by the Aboriginal Area and Lake Con- seriously interested in joining Friends of Durras for a Greater jola and Cudmirrah National such an activity. We could go to Murramarang National Park (see Parks. Give me a call one or two areas in South Island It October 1998) is gathering (6282 2403) if you would be and the venues could be momentum as the Regional interested in taking part in the arranged to suit the abilities of Forest Agreement (RFA) proc- mapping and 'ground truthing' the group. ess for the Southem Region's of the track. State forests moves into its final I particularly have in mind stages. The RFA will determine Terence Uren P a possible walk up the Hopkins which State Forests will be or Huxley Valleys (west of added to our national park estate At the February General Omarama) to one of the huts and and which will be returned to Meeting, the following motion spending a week or so doing State Forests with a 20 year was passed without dissent: walks and scrambles in this timber resource guarantee. superb, isolated environment That this Club shall no with the hut as a base.