THETHHE NEWSLETTER OFF CANBERRACANBERRA BUSHWALKINGBUSU HWALKING CLUBCLU it VolumeVolume 44, Number 6 JulJulyy 200920 CanberraCanberra Bushwalking ClubClub IncIn PO Box 160 Canberra ACT 2601 GENERAL MEETING 8pm Wednesday 15 July 2009 Dingoes and wild dogs in Namadgi Presenter: Andrew Claridge Dr Claridge is a wildlife biologist with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. He has worked in various forested landscapes in south-eastern Australia over the past 20 years, as well as in the Pacifi c Northwest United States, specialising in mammal ecology and conservation. For the past fi ve years he has coordinated the “Dogs in Space” program, aimed at better understanding the movement behaviour of wild dogs in the Australian Alps through satellite tracking technology. Dr Claridge will be talking about the fi ndings of this program as they relate to wild dog management . Main meeting room, St. John’s Church Hall Constitution Avenue, Reid Canberra Bushwalking Club it July 2009 page 1 one walk which turned out to be The current walking program has President’s brilliant.bri There is plenty of room for plenty of good trips and September moremo leaders; the participants will through to December are fi lling up Prattle followfo and leaders who typically so I suggest that leaders book their getge large numbers will not need to walks early. The relative numbers declinede people so often. of trips going and participation rates ob managed to amuse me with are quite good lately. Rthe opening line of his waffl e. The development of the Adventure It particularly struck home because Activity Standards is continuing. In mid-June we were on Dead- someone, with magnetic closers Confederation has nominated two man’s Hill (along the ridge from on her two breast pockets, recently people to the Technical Working Booroomba Rocks car park) and I managed to send a compass hay- Group which will assess submis- was surprised at the heavy ground wire. The last time I saw it, the sions made in response to the initial cover of snow. It really brought compass sat, lonely and dejected, draft, which was largely written home the appreciation that you on her kitchen bench, pending a trip around the way commercial opera- could be out there on a day trip with to the rubbish bin. I have never seen tors function and didn’t suit us. The a minimum of gear, have a sudden that happen before. Working Group will then prepare a weather change: heavy snow say, second draft for consideration by with the consequent problems of I also agree with Rob that there is an interested parties. navigation, exposure and shelter. excellent program of walks in this it. The Bureau of Meteorology is cer- I would also encourage people to put And remember that the AGM is tainly worth checking before the trip walks on the program. There are two coming up. We need a new President, and basic gear carried needs to be schools of thought on participation. if nothing else, as the constitution adequate for the worst case scenario At one extreme, there is the belief limits one person to two successive for the time of year. that there are a certain number of terms. This limit does not apply to people wanting to walk on any given other offi ces but it does mean that The stage management and set for weekend and that too many walks one person does not become a fi xture the Navigation Refresher #2 (Night will spread them too thinly. The as President. I have heard of a club Dead Reckoning exercise) was other view is that a wider range and where they had the same President particularly successful this year. greater number of walks will attract for 17 years, which would not be The fog or ground-level cloud-base more participants. a good thing. If you want the job, enabled a clear range of vision of please tell me as I am fi nding it hard perhaps 10 metres. They really I am largely of the latter school. The to generate any interest. Some other did have to use their compasses participation levels lately have been offi cers will also be standing down and pace their distances. But I was good. There were 40 people on our but I don’t know which ones yet. told that the sights from the top of walks on the weekend of 20 and McQuoids Hill were great. One was 21 June. There would have been Stan Marks above it all, in some places lights more had the weather been more President poked through and the effect was co-operative (for bushwalking that “marvellous”. Some said that the is, not for the farmers), I believe horses in one paddock were too that seven people cancelled from friendly in the dark, nuzzling them Walks along. And we didn’t lose anyone. Contents Waffl e In the meantime, good walking! 2 President’s Prattle Rob Horsfi eld 2 Walks Waffl e ome one-liners are painful: Walks Secretary 2 Membership matters S“Drucilla! Please go away! It’s the magnetic personality; stuffs my 3 Check-in chatter compass,” he said anomalously. 3 Review: Rugged beyond Recently Terence and John found a Membership imaginationimagination note attached to the sign post at the 4 Veteran’sVeteran’s choice:choice: track junction of the Cotter Hut and matters Smokers Gap fi re trails. It briefl y BimberiBimberi from TantangaraTanta gave time, date and intentions of 5 RemoteRemote arareaea FirFirstst aaidi a party (several names and phone Please ensure that you keep the trainingtraining numbers given) that appeared to Membership Secretary informed be overdue if not previously lost. of any changes to your email 5 RoleRole ooff ofoffi cerscers Terence and John subsequently address. 6 Experts want snakebitesnakeb followed it up to see that all was New members: Rosemary Anyon, fi rst aid changedchanged well. It was suggested that I men- Helena Chan, Mandy Cottingham, 6 Feeling literary?literary? tion this as a good little idea for the Peter Jones, Kerrie Tomkins, and next occasion when you get lost and Juanita Moolman and Malcolm 6 FromFrom thethe AArchivesrchives wish to be helpful to your would-be Watson 7 Activity programprogram rescuers. Remember also that one 11 Bulletin board always carries a pencil and piece Allan Mikkelsen of paper. Membership Secretary Page 2 – Canberra Bushwalking Club it July 2009 changes have also been made to the listened to Beryl Woods describ- Check-in notes for leaders and to the notes ing her experience as a young girl for participants to provide more rounding up a straying cow in the chatter guidance to prevent, or respond to, snow. Photographs, both archival instances where walkers become and from the author’s 1990s fi eld separated from the party. work, abound in the book and a ver the last year or so the Com- slideshow was presented at the mittee has been reviewing club Jeff Bennetts meeting. O Check-in Offi cer documents and forms. Some of the Matthew’s premise is that just as resulting changes affect check-in people shaped the environment, procedures. so the environment shaped them. Leaders are now asked to provide RReview:eview: May it continue to do so to us as the check-in offi cer with some basic we walk these areas, armed with information about their walks in RRuggedugged bbeyondeyond greater knowledge of and a greater advance so that, in the event of an appreciation for them through emergency, the appropriate authori- iimaginationmagination resources such as this wonderful ties can be promptly informed of 1177 JuneJune 22009009 book and presentation. names and contact details of missing A must read! or injured persons and where they nformationnformation delivereddelivered withwith papassionssion are expected to be. This would Iis powerful. Matthew Higgins Further information can be found enable any necessary search to be wields this combination with easy on the National Museum of Aus- commenced and hopefully com- confidence in his new book and tralia’s web site at www.nma.gov. pleted more quickly than under the delivered tantalising glimpses of au. Follow the links to Research, old procedures, whereby some delay the publication at last month’s CBC Centre for Historical Research, The could occur whilst the check-in general meeting. Centre’s People, Matthew Higgins, offi cer sought this information. Rugged Beyond Imagination. There We are fortunate in our local region are a number of resources including The trip booking form has been in that over 50% of the ACT is pub- a recent Stateline segment, photos amended to capture the required lic open space. Namadgi National and audio. information. It can now be sent to Park, the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve the check-in offi cer before the walk and adjoining areas are within easy John Evans as an email attachment. Alterna- reach and home ground to club tively, leaders can send the required walkers. Yet there is so much more Lindsay Pryor talking at Pryors Hut information in the text of an email to this high country and Matthew’s May 1993 (Matthew Higgins) or over the phone. In most cases it presentation and book extend should take no more than 5–10 min- our appreciation to include other utes to do this. major themes bridging time and There was an incident on a club walk land use. in March in which police assistance Grazing, brumby running, survey- was sought to look for a walker who ing the ACT–NSW border, fi re and had become separated from the forestry, water harvesting, science party. The leader asked the acting and skiing are the themes treated check-in offi cer to make the call, in this highly researched work.