THE CANBERRA BUSHWALKING CLUB INC. NEWSLETTER it GPO Box 160, Canberra ACT 2601 VOLUME 39 October 2003 NUMBER 10 OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING 8pm Wednesday 15th THE KIMBERLEY TO THE CAPE Speaker: Meg McKone Slides from recent travels on sea and land in northern Australia, including a Sea Safari from Wynd- ham to Derby, the "Lost City" formations of the Gulf country, and a glimpse of Shelburne Bay. 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 knowledge, competence and forms to him, either via the club’s PRESIDENT’S judgment I will depend heavily. mail box or directly to his home PRATTLE Rob Horsfield takes over as Walks address. The unfilled position is Secretary after acting in this role important especially for the for some time. Gary Trevean is organisation of training, especially In this, my first Prattle, I would Club Secretary and Lucinda in first aid and navigation. Please like to thank my predecessor, Prickett is Social Secretary. Gary contact me if interested. Jenny Horsfield, for her contribu- is not quite new - he was Treasurer tion as President. The keys to her The AGM also decided to when I first joined the committee. success were, I think, her strong strengthen our insurance coverage. Lucinda is one of our newer personal qualities and her inclusive We now have the most comprehen- members whom I believe has much approach. I plan to continue the sive insurance arrangements to offer as Social Secretary. inclusive approach. It doesn’t possible under the policy now in matter what type of walk you like Two positions were unfilled at the place with both public liability and or lead, I will support you. But I AGM, those of Assistant Walks personal accident insurance for will need your help, your support, Secretary and Training and Safety everyone on our walks. your ideas and contributions. The Officer. Keith Thomas has There are also three committee club is the sum of its members, the subsequently accepted the former decisions I need to tell you about. officers are just the beginning. and walk leaders will now need to check in to him. His details are in 1. Since activities not covered by The Annual General Meeting the committee list at the back of our insurance cannot be advertised elected a new committee. It is a this IT. You will also need to send in our Activity Program, the strong committee with many your ‘Acknowledgement of Risks’ committee has decided to institute experienced members, on whose Canberra Bushwalking Club IT October 2003 page 1 a new page in IT, to be called ‘The Leanne Aust’s 4WD by biting Bulletin Board’, where these through the wall of the front tyre. I BIMBERI activities can be advertised. Ads wouldn’t have thought it possible. WILDERNESS for items for sale by members will The Bulletin Board is for items also be advertised there. It will be not usually put in the Activities made clear that the club doesn’t Letter to the Editor Program. warrant these activities. More What is it about our society that details elsewhere in IT. There will be a combined it for makes every generation want to do Dec/Jan. Members leading walks 2. To give people greater the equivalent of reinventing the in the period will need to have flexibility in paying membership wheel? Is there nothing that we can details in by the November it fees, it will now be possible to learn from the consolidated closing date. The Wild Card make direct bank payments to the wisdom of past efforts? option, where the Walks Secretary club. See the section at the bottom acts as a telephone control for This was the main thought that of the walks program for details of walks arranged through him at came to mind when I read John this. short notice, is not to be relied I'Ons suggestion in the August IT 3. As was the case last summer, upon as he might be away. that we call the Bimberi Wilder- there will be no January IT. ness something else because the In reviewing some of the charac- Consequently, leaders wishing to fire and weed problems there are teristics of our walks program and offer activities over the Christmas just too hard to solve in the its participants, there has been a period will need to get their ads to wilderness context. reasonable volume and variety of Rob Horsfield in time for inclusion trips with good leaders. This is What John was describing as the in the December IT. surprising since the number of difficulties at Bimberi are to some We have been using the Shine people who lead trips each year is extent or other the problems faced Dome at the Academy of Science large, but only a very few lead by all wilderness managers. Their for our monthly meetings for some more than two or three in that time. challenge is to provide the time now. This has been at We try to have two one-day and management prescriptions required privileged rates and this arrange- two overnight trips each weekend to tackle the problems and meet the ment will come to an end after our and extended or other activities like distinctive needs of wilderness. November meeting. We thank the canoeing are considered additional They are the type of challenges Academy for the use of this to the schedule. I think this which have been studied and excellent facility for so long. Next ambitious but worth plugging for addressed in the alpine region of year, we will need to meet at a new but it obviously needs a healthy which Bimberi is a part for thirty place. Further information next IT. supply of leaders. years. Anyone interested in a This is a good club with good The bush is fantastic at this time of worthwhile discussion of problems people and a good program. You the year, particularly with the post- and practice could well begin by can take the opportunity to meet fire regrowth and doubtless we’ll reading Roger Good's informed other members at the Christmas see many of you out and about. article on "Fire and Wilderness Party to be held at Roger Edwards’ Protection" in ' Wilderness and the home, 101 McInnes St, Weston at Rob Horsfield Future' (Envirobook, 1994). 6pm, Sunday, 7 December. See the Walks Secretary By its very nature, as a result of ad elsewhere in this IT. it Collations being the exact opposite of the land uses preferred by the economic and Stan Marks, President technological forces which it collations are held on the second dominate our contemporary Wednesday evening of each month Walks Waffle culture, wilderness is under at a member’s home. Come and constant probing and attack by its help fold, stick, label and sort A minor caution is needed for enemies. In this situation the last newsletters between chatting about people entering the Tarlo River thing it deserves is desertion by its the next walks you plan to do. It is N.P. , as described by Warrick natural friends; walking away a great opportunity to get together. Blayden in last month’s it: Roger under the banner of 'realism'. Edwards helpfully provided us If you can offer your home as a with the details of entry and whilst venue for the collation in Decem- Very little of what is worthwhile I understand that he met the ber or any month next year after was easily won and its preservation friendly farmer, I doubt that he February, please give me a call on requires unremitting vigilance and became acquainted with his dogs. 6247 6857. solidarity. One of the muts was able to “kill” Cynthia Breheny, Publisher Geoff Mosley Canberra Bushwalking Club IT October 2003 page 2 is not an area that our club gets to other community groups, CBC has 42nd AGM often. I will certainly be going been badly affected by the very President’s Report again next year and think it would litigious climate in which society be great for the cub to have a operates these days. We are no Welcome to our 42nd Annual regular presence at the event. longer able to offer the full range of outdoor activities that until General Meeting. Thank you for Dave Drohan, our training officer, recently provided challenges to the showing your support for the club organised a Senior First Aid course more adventurous members of the by coming along tonight. The main in conjunction with a Remote Area club: rock-climbing, canyoning, purpose of my report is to provide First Aid course late last year. This cross-country skiing and walking an overview of the club’s activities was made possible through an ACT above the snow line. These events over the past year and highlight its Sport and Recreation grant of $1 are not covered by the insurance main features in retrospect. 000 for club training, which policy which we have as members allowed us to subsidize 50% of the 2003 has been a year of difficulties of the NSW Confederation of costs of all members who attended and setbacks for most community Bushwalking Clubs. The commit- the courses. The Remote Area organisations in Canberra. The tee did recently try to obtain a Course was very valuable, January fires and the insurance separate snow insurance cover presenting useful scenarios about crisis both had the potential to from another insurance company, how we’d cope with emergencies severely limit our normal running with the support of the club in the bush.