PO BOX 150
NUNDAH 4012
A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all
members and guests who have walked, talked, dined and
shared with us throughout the year, plus a special thanks to all
who contributed to this our last newsletter for the year.
Stoves
There are a wide range of stoves on the market and this article
will lay out briefly the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Solid Fuel Stoves
These use hexamine and are cheap, light and compact They
are excellent as a foolproof emergency backup but impractical
for everyday cooking.
Gas Stoves
These use butane/isobutane/propane or a
combination. They come in a sealed cartridge
and are quiet, clean, light and easy to use.
Butane boils at ~0C, propane at -40C. Butane is
thus more affected by low temperatures so
blends exist for use in cold weather. Gas stoves
are ideal when weight is a concern.
The penetration-type cartridges are less convenient than the
screw-on cartridge. Ultralight gas burners have the canister
screwing straight to the burner but stability may be a problem.
Some gas burners come with a flexible pipe connection so that
the burner is closer to the ground making it more stable.
However you need to take care to inspect the flexible tube fairly
regularly to ensure it and its joints are secure and not leaking.
Other burners have a rigid pipe connection giving it the best
overall stability but making it hard to pack without damage. Gas
canisters are fairly expensive and pose a disposal problem.
Liquid fuels
Shellite (white spirit) is a clean, efficient and
cheap fuel to use but is highly flammable and
should be handled with extreme care. Also, it
can be harmful to fabric proofing if spilt. All
shellite stoves require either pre-heating or
pressurising. The ones with a pressure pump
attachment are safer. The fuel tank should
only be 2/3 filled. Preheating involves burning
some fuel round the burner of the stove so that the shellite
reaches the burner as a vapour. Shellite stoves are quite noisy
and heavier than gas stoves.
Kerosene is a safer fuel than shellite but leaves a long lingering
smell if spilt. It needs a separate fuel such as metho or lighting
paste to light the stove initially (unless it has a built-in wick).
Useful if you're trekking in third world countries, where kerosene
is more readily available than petrol.
Methylated Spirits stoves are convenient, less
volatile and dry without a smell or taste when
spilt. They burn with a long, sometimes
invisible flame. The heat output is only about ½
that of other fuels. They require a wind barrier
to work more efficiently and to concentrate the
heat round the billy. No preheating or
pressurising is necessary and they are among
the safest to use. The Swedish-made Trangia comes with a
combined windshield, pot and stand. Metho can burn with a
smoky flame which can blacken your pots but adding water
(about 10%) will help to decrease this.
Multifuel Stoves
These are able to use a variety of fuels including petrol, shellite,
kerosene or methylated spirits. However they are expensive
and more complicated to use. Richard
(Disclosure. I’ve used hexamine, gas and shellite stoves and an
MSR but would dearly love to own a Trangia.)
November 1999
AGM
The Annual General Meeting for election of a new
Management Committee will be held Tuesday 1st February
2000 at the Community Hall Northgate, corner of Scott and
Ridge Streets. All Committee positions will be declared
vacant and nominations then taken.
Calendar
There’s a new calendar for the first half of the year 2000.
With a walk every weekend, there’s one just right for you.
Club Web Page
The Club’s web page is at:
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Campground/6721/
The web site has our calendar of events, past walks plus
other information about the club.
email
Our email address is qldbwc@yahoo.com
Logo
We now have a logo. The design in the top left corner of our
newsletter was endorsed by members at a recent meeting as
the club logo.
W elcome to the following who had their membership
applications accepted by the Management Committee.
Julie Barns Ben Wain
Total number of members 37
GENERAL MEETINGS - The Queensland Bushwalkers
Club has its General Meeting on the first Tuesday of the
month at 7.30 pm at the Community Hall, corner Scott and
Ridge Streets, Northgate.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS The Management Committee
also usually meets once a month to discuss any
necessary business. If you feel strongly about a matter
come along and have your say. Ring the Secretary first
though, to confirm the time and place as it varies.
CLUB SUBSCRIPTIONS. Ordinary Members and
Probationary Members $15.00 per year.
From the Editor
We would like to hear what you think and how
this newsletter can be improved. We’d also like to
receive articles about any matter of bushwalking.
All articles must be either clearly printed, typed,
or sent on a 3.5 inch floppy disc (ASCII, Works, Word or
RTF formats are compatible). The articles can be handed
in at any meeting or mailed to:
The Editor, 74 Kallista Rd. Rochedale, 4123.
E-mail address is pjkolar@hotmail.com.
The deadline for the next newsletter is 13/2/2000.
Management Committee Members
Secretary Suzanne Williams 3865 3223(H)
Treasurer Bill Butler 3266 8330(H)
Outings Secretary Richard Kolarski 3341 7509(H)
Membership Officer David Lodge 3261 8498(H)
 Past Walks
XXX Coming Socials XXX
Our Christmas Get Together is at Mt Barney Lodge on the 4th
and 5th December. The Foresters Hut is available at $27 per
person for the two nights(Fri/Sat) and accommodates 10
people. Camping sites are also available at $6 per person per
night. A walk will go out Saturday and a BBQ Saturday night. If
any takers could also do a short walk on Sunday. As I need to
have some idea of numbers could you please let me know as
soon as possible. Ring 3265 4834
Next Coffee Night will be at Park Road Milton on Tuesday 16th
November.
Past Socials
August Social was a Pizza Night at Lutwyche.
Twelve members came along and a most Lynn Nicol, Patricia Kolarski, Christine Hall, Nicole Waller, Suzanne Williams
enjoyable night ensued. Unfortunately Ed and
Noosa National Park 28th August 1999
Cathy arrived a little late due to my directions
being somewhat misleading and drove a few Leader Nicole Waller
extra kilometres past the pizza place looking for a By accident this turned out to be the first “all girls” walk for the
non-existent round-about. Club. Five of us met at the coffee shop at the Park gates.
Weather was perfect on Sunday 5th September for the bike We set off along the path overlooking the sea. Nicole shared
ride. June came over on the train and met up with Bill, Suzanne, her knowledge of the plant life along the way. There were
Mal and myself at the Shorncliffe Pier. We rode around the several beautiful little bays on the way to Hell’s Gate where we
foreshore at Sandgate, over the Hornibrook Bridge and on to stopped for morning tea. No whales, unfortunately, but plenty
Scarborough (approx. 40 klm round trip). We had a relax on a of fantastic ocean scenery.
grassy hill at Scarborough overlooking the Ocean (excellent We then set off inland to complete the circuit back to the cars
Fish and Chip shop nearby), then returned to Shorncliffe for a passing through a variety of vegetation from open beachfront
late lunch. Marilyn to thick forest. There was no sign of the koalas Nicole had
seen on the pre-outing.
Casuarina species within S E Queensland
A BBQ lunch followed by a visit to Baskin Robins completed
the day. Great company in very pleasant surroundings.
There are 9 key species of Casuarina found within SE-QLD,
each in a different habitat. They are typically hardy trees with no leaves Patricia
as such, instead having many toothed sheaths. They have woody fruit/
nuts, which are easily identifiable and unique to the species. This
species is identified by the fruits, which can usually be found on the
ground around the tree and the number of teeth connecting individual
sheaths.
The timber of Casuarinas is generally reddish or dark brown,
marked with a close grain and is hard, tough and durable making it an
ideal timber for cabinet work and turnery. The trees are also known to
be quick growing. The most commonly encountered varieties include:
1. The Forest She-Oak (Casuarina torulosa)
This is the most common of all Casuarinas, found mainly in
forest country on hillsides and mountain slopes. It is typically a tree up
to 20m in height with grayish bark, which is longitudinally cracked and
corky in appearance. The individual sheaths typically have less than 5
teeth. The fruit or seedpods tend to be large in size with valves (seed
storage areas) being located longitudinally along the pod, making it
easily distinguishable.
2. Coast She-Oak (Casuarina equisetifolia) Cathy Thistlethwaite, Patricia Kolarski

As the name suggests, this particular variety is found along the
coast growing in communities in sandy soil near the sea. The trees
tend to be up to 10m tall with greyish rough bark on the lower trunk.
There are usually between 6-8 teeth in each sheath, with short soft
hairs present at the join of the sheath.
3. River Oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana)
This variety is found along the banks of creeks and rivers,
hence preventing erosion along watercourses. This variety grows up to
15m tall with dark grey fissured bark. As with the Coastal She-Oak
there are between 6-8 teeth in each sheath, however this species is
distinguishable by its fruit/seeds, which is less than 8mm in diameter.
4. Black She-Oak (Casuarina littoralis)
The most common of all Casuarinas, found on coastal plains,
especially in forest country with sandy for stony soils. The timber has
been used for cabinet work, fence posts, with the pollen being a useful
supply for bees during April to October. This variety grows to
approximately 10m with grey rough and fissured bark. Each sheath
typically has 8 teeth, with the fruits/seeds being between 1 and 2 cm in
length. These seed pods tend to have many valves (areas in which the
actual seeds are stored).
Nicole Waller
Sundown National Park 18th - 23rd September
Leader Richard Kolarski
Club members spent 6 days walking in this National Park
south west of Stanthorpe. We drove down Saturday and set
up camp in the southern section of the Park at Broadwater
camping area. Even though it was the school holidays, the
campsite was less than half full.
Sundown has much to offer with countryside quite different
from any other in Queensland. With an elevation of between
600 to 800 metres, the land mass has been shaped by time
and the Severn River into steep ridges and gorges.
The first three days were spent exploring the gorges of Ooline
and McAllister’s Creek and rock hopping up the Severn River.
There were cascades, cliffs and some spectacular waterfalls
to be seen and enjoyed.
One leisurely day was spent driving to Glenlyon Dam and
visiting the information centre there. To finish off our stay, we
drove to the northern section and did a walk to Red Rock
Falls.
Six days was not enough to see all there was. Thanks to Ed,
Cathy and Patricia for great company.