QUEENSLAND BUSHWALKERS CLUB Inc.

Newsletter

PO Box 2199 Sunnybank Hills QLD 4109 Email qldbwc@yahoo.com Phone No (07) 3345 9543 http://sites.google.com/site/qldbwc/

May 2013

Snowy Mountains Walk

Club News
Tracks Which Are Open
The heavy rains earlier this year have caused the closure of many of the graded tracks in nearby National Parks. Green Mountains Walks which are open: Rainforest Return and Morans Falls Track. Box Forest to Box Log Falls, via Picnic Rock and Elabana Falls (anti-clockwise must return same way) Binna Burra Walks which are open: Rainforest Circuit, Bellbird Lookout Track, Caves Circuit, Tullawallal Circuit and Gwongoorool Track Daves Creek including Upper Ballunjui Falls Track; and part of Lower Bellbird Circuit including Lower Ballunjui Falls Track (access to Koolanbilba Lookout remains closed) track commences approx 500m north of Visitor Information Centre on eastern side of Binna Burra Road (must return same way). The Border Track between Green Mountains and Binna Burra is open.

Riding for Cancer

On the 17th and 18th of August I am on an amazing journey, riding a bike for two days, for one hundred kilometers a day to raise money for cancer research. We have to raise at least $2500 before we can participate and I know you would all like to help me by donating to conquercancer.org.au Cancer has touched us all, My brother died from melanoma cancer and I was one of the lucky cancer survivors,so please help so there are many more survivors. All donations go straight to The Institute of Medical Research. Contact email marysherlock@live.com.au Visit my personal page at http://cfrau.convio.net/site/TR? px=1278655&pg=personal&fr_id=1110&et=gjS6LYe6f1JpgkCx_ wKy6Q&s_tafId=13278 Thank you for your support. Mary Sherlock

Lamington N.P. Management Plan

The new Lamington N.P. Management Plan has been approved and is now on the departmental website. The document is 49 pages and the pdf file size is 1.03 MB. http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/managing/plansstrategies/pdf/mp005-lamington-np-mgt-plan-2011.pdf There is much of relevance to bushwalking clubs, refer Section 4.5 on page 9. The Plan will remain current for 10 years with a review in 5 years. John Marshall BWQ

Some Information on Track Closures:

Warrie Circuit: may not be opened for years - major damage to track & cliff sections and would require between $500k to $1m to be repaired. Purling Brook: may never be re-opened. No one has ever seen the levels of damage on this track before and would need over $1m to repair. West Canungra: needs about $200-$300k to fix. Fraser Island Great Walk closed for at least 6-8mths. There are some short walks currently open but only in the popular areas around Kingfisher and Lake Mckenzie. Wollumbin [Mount Warning] National Park looks like being closed for at least 6 months.

Editor Required
Please note that I will be retiring as Editor as from the end of June. If no one comes forward to be an editor by 28/5/2013 then there will be no more Newsletter. If any member is interested in being the editor please contact Richard on 0422 429 717.

Page 1 of 6

Meeting Place

General Information

President Secretary Treasurer

The Management Committee

Helen McAllister Robin Laban Marion Laban Patricia Kolarski John Hinton David Kenrick Geraldine Burton Richard Kolarski vacant vacant

0419 684 319 0408 753 052 0405 536 718 3341 7509 (H) 3343 3724(H) 3349 8238 (H) 3376 9454(H) 3345 9543(H)

Club meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month starting at 7.30pm. There is no Club meeting in January. Meeting are held at the Little King's Hall on the corner of Carl and O'Keefe Streets, Buranda. Entry is via the gate on Carl St. There is parking within the grounds and in Carl Street. Tea/Coffee and cake/biscuits are provided after the meeting. A coin donation would be appreciated.

Vice President

Outings Officer Membership Officer Editor Social Secretary Training Officer

Membership
Probationary Membership A non-member automatically becomes a Probationary Member on his/her first walk after signing the Acknowledgement of Risk form. No fee is payable to become a Probationary Member. A Probationary Member must become an Ordinary Member on his/her second walk by filling out a Membership Form and paying the membership fee. Ordinary Membership A person may become an Ordinary Member by filling out and signing a Membership Form, having a proposer sign the form and handing the form with the membership fee to a committee member or walk leader. The proposer may be a friend who is a member of the Club, a QBW walk leader, the Membership Officer or one of the committee members. Only an Ordinary Member has the right to vote at an AGM or be elected to a committee position. Members of Another Bushwalking Club Members of another bushwalking club which is affiliated with Bushwalking Queensland Inc. (or an interstate Federation) and who are covered by the same Insurance do not need to become a member of our Club to go on our walks. However Club members will have priority if there is a limit on numbers.

Other Voluntary Positions

Equipment Officer Supper Convenor Librarian BWQ Rep BWQ Rep Richard Kolarski Noelene McCay Mary Sherlock Anne Kemp Richard Kolarski 3345 9543(H) 3889 0264(H) 3209 8514 3371 2707 3345 9543(H)

Compasses Steripen

Club Equipment

Topo Maps Emergency Lights First Aid Kits

UHF Radios

The above are for free use by members. Garmin GPS. QBW has 4 GPSs which have a 20 metre contour topo map of the whole of Australia included. PLBs with inbuilt GPS The Club has 5 PLBs with inbuilt GPS. The PLBs will be made available at each Club meeting and will need to be returned at the following Club meeting. Back Pack for Hire $5.00 charge $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00. Bivy Bags For Sale

Reciprocal Walks with Other Clubs

Redlands Bushwalking Club
Only stipulation is that Redlands club members have priority over visitors. Calendar is available at: http://www.redlandbushwalkers.org.au/static/calendar.html

These bivy bags are 2 metres by 0.9 metres and are bright orange in colour. Use as a pack liner or emergency bivy bag. Space Blankets For Sale $2.50 each. Lightweight and take up no room at all. A must for all walkers! Contact Richard on 3345 9543 for any of the above.

Bushwalkers of Southern Queensland (BOSQ)

BOSQ allows financial members from other bushwalking clubs affiliated with Bushwalking Queensland to join in BOSQ activities without having to become members of BOSQ or pay visitor fees. This will be with the agreement of the activity leader. Members of BOSQ will have priority for nominations. Calendar is available at http://www.bosq.bwq.org.au/

Editors Pic

YHA Bushwalkers
Members of other BWQ affiliated clubs can join up to three walks per calendar year. Calendar is available at: http://sites.google.com/site/yhabushies/outings

Family Bushwalkers
There is a $5 temporary membership fee per adult. Phone: (07) 3878 3293

Gold Coast Bushwalkers

Gold Coast Bushwalkers may admit as honorary members financial members of bushwalking clubs which are affiliated with BWQ. This dispensation will be at the discretion of the Management Committee.

Ipswich Bushwalkers Inc

Intending walkers must contact the leader in advance. The newsletter also contains a full description of the grading system and a list of Committee members and their contact numbers. Calendar available at www.ipswichbushwalkers.bwq.org.au
Morning Glow

A winner in the Pictorial section of the photo competition was Morning Glow taken by Aileen Elliott.

Page 2 of 6

Coming Walks
Any person wishing to come along on a walk must contact the leader of the walk first. The leader will organise the meeting place and the car pooling. The leader has full discretion on who can come on the walk. Nominations close 9:00 pm on the Wednesday prior to a weekend trip. For Wednesday walks, nominations close 9.00 pm on the Monday before. May 2013 8 D/W Leader Wed S T5 F4 Richard Kolarski 0422 429 717 Mt Langley (Conondales)

June 2013 1 D/W Leader 2 Sun Crossover D/W Leaders M T5 F5 David Kenrick John Brunott 3349 8238 3209 9598 Sat L T4 F4 Patricia Kolarski 3341 7509 Gheerulla Falls and Doons Drop (Mapleton)

Mt Alexandra to Romeo Lahey Memorial

Upper Portals Circuit Walk

Past Walks
10 February 2013

Leave from Sunnybank 6.00am Mt Langley is the highest point on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Most of the walking is on old forest roads with an off track section to get to the summit. 11 D/W Leader Sat M T4 F4 John Morris 3277 3253 Box Forest Walk (O'Reilly's)

We numbered 11 for this walk, John, Julie & Justin, Aileen, Sandy, Michael H, Bert, Norm, Michael P, Mary and myself. I told everyone who nominated that if there was a problem with the road up to Cleared Ridge, there were other rock pools in the Mt Barney area that we could change to, i.e. Cronans Cascades or Lower Portals. The road however, was in very good condition, as a testament to how well-graded the road when last graded. We met a family of 4 walking up the road, and gave the two children a lift to the top. Their plan for the day was to go to Montserrat. Our walk was to access the Upper Portals by the Ridge. For the most part this has quite a few long uphills on the mowed grassy road. It was quite hot, so we were all hanging out for our swim at Upper Portals. Once we got to the rocky narrow ridge, we knew we were getting closer. As we started to descend, we were listening for the sound of running water. It didnt come until right at the last. Four of our walkers (who were walking in the middle) went a little astray following the track no doubt that heads down towards the Yamahra Creek campsite.

Box Forest to Box Log Falls, via Picnic Rock and Elabana Falls (anti-clockwise must return same way) 12 D/W Leader 12 D/W Leader 15 D/W Leader Wed M T5 F4 Richard Kolarski 0422 429 717 Sun M T5 F5 Margie Rae Mt Borumba (Kenilworth) 3395 1838 Sun L T6 F6 Peter Weallans 0429 950 352 Montserrat to Durramlee via Cedar Pass

Springbrook Pinnacle via Mt Nimmel Rd

Leave from Sunnybank 6.00am We will drive to Borumba Dam and then follow fire trails to get to the fire tower on top of Mt Borumba. 18 B/C Leader 19 B/C Leader 19 D/W Leader Sun M T5 F5 Patricia Kolarski 3341 7509 Sun M T5 F5 John Brunott Mt Maroon (Rathdowney) 3209 9598 Sat M T5 F5 John Brunott Beau Brummel (Laidley) 3209 9598
Upper Portals

Kangaroo Mts (Laidley)

Well, Im pleased to say we all went for a swim, even Julie cooled down from the side. John couldnt wait to get in quick enough, fearing if he waited until he cooled down, he may not want to get in. Some of the really keen ventured further down Barney Creek to swim in the next pool as well. It was interesting to see the evidence of how high the water had got during the Australia Day Weekend weather event. Ive never seen so much of the bottom of the pool as it has had a good clean. It was 32 degrees when we arrived. The water temperature was 19 degrees. When we left, the air temperature was 28 degrees. We headed up Barney Creek and found a slightly different place to cross, due to the water level being slightly higher than it normally is. Then we crossed back again to make our journey up the valley which is criss-crossed by Yamahra Creek, about 8 times. It was interesting to see how some of these crossings have changed since the Australia Day Weekend. We cooled off at the last crossing before our climb back up to Cleared Ridge. Page 3 of 6

We will be going up the normal route up the gully on the north side. Meeting place to be arranged. 25 D/W Leader 25-26 T/W Leader Sat-Sun M T5 F5 Julie Shera 5546 0381 Sat L T4 F4 Helen McAllister Panorama Point 3844 4866 Goolman to Flinders (Ipswich)

We met up again with the family. They too had swum in Barney Creek after failing to find the track up to Montserrat from the junction of Barney Creek and Yamahra Creek. We all 15 drove back down to the Waterfall Creek campground. Thanks everyone who joined me for the walk. Marion Laban

Not far down I encountered a likely looking foot pad marked by occasional cairns, which as it turned out climbed steadily towards the summit of Mt. Townsend. One by one the others decided to turn back, but Di and I persisted as far as the wreckage of the trig station just below the top. We didn't do the final, short rock scramble but there were still great views. Townsend is a considerably better defined peak than Koscuiszko. We were able to follow the pad almost all the way back to the tents. Ironically, the only place where the pad disappeared was on the final approach to the Main Range Track. That night was one of the best I've ever experienced on a throughwalking camp. There was a spectacular sunset and sunrise, it wasn't cold despite being at 2000 metres, and a gentle breeze all night kept the tents dry. In the morning Patricia was feeling well enough to carry on, so we set off north along the Main Range Track again. The weather had changed somewhat - a breeze from the west was bringing cloud in from that side, but it remained clear to the east. We soon started meeting early walkers, including a party of 3 nearing the end of a week-long walk from Kiandra. They told me about the rocky and difficult-to-navigate terrain north of Mt. Twynam, and an old 4WD track through most of it. We got good but fleeting glimpses of Lake Albina as we went past, but the top of Carruthers Peak was in cloud when we reached it. Not much further along we came to the parting of the ways, where the Main Range Track turns downhill back to Charlottes Pass and an old 4WD track continues uphill to Twynam. The going was about to get harder, and as Patricia was still not feeling 100%, she decided to head back towards the Pass. The remaining 5 of us embarked on the long slog towards the top of Twynam. Fortunately the cloud stayed in the west and we had clear views all the way. We saw a large group of people milling around the summit trig, but they had mysteriously disappeared by the time we go there. It was the obvious place for lunch, and this time, in the absence of cloud and sleet, I got sunburnt legs. Then we donned packs again and, for the first time since 20 March 1984, I resumed northbound progress from Mt. Twynam. It was fairly rocky right from the start, but before long we found the old 4WD track the other group had mentioned. Apart from a couple of shortcuts, I followed it all the way down past Mt. Anton to the saddle before Mt. Anderson. Now able to see the terrain clearly, I realised that the decision to turn back in 1984 was indeed prudent - it would have been extremely difficult to navigate properly and safely through the rocky landscape in a whiteout. Once at the saddle, we turned east and descended the short distance to the headwaters of a tributary of Pounds Creek. This was our second camp. The tent sites were a little lumpy, but otherwise it was a great spot with a clear creek nearby.

Snowy Mountains

10-17 March 2013

This was a joint BOSQ/QBW trip and there was a well balanced group with 4 from each club. We all met up at Canberra airport at noon on the first day and proceeded to the formalities of signing up for the two station wagons I had booked. These proved just right for fitting in the bods and gear we had, and we were soon on our way to Cooma to shop for supplies before heading up into the mountains to our first stop at Charlottes Pass. We had 5 nights in the Charlottes Pass area, staying at the Southern Alps Ski Lodge when not out throughwalking. I had stayed there on the previous club trip to the Snowies in 1984, and it's still a good place to stay. It was warm weather when we arrived (considering it's at 1900 m), but that evening there were thundery showers. Next morning, despite predictions of early showers, it was brilliantly clear. It looked good for my second attempt to walk the Main Range from Mt. Kosciuszko to Mt. Tate and then to Guthega, the first being on another club trip 29 years before on which we turned back at Mt. Twynam because of foul weather. Six of us set off with throughwalking packs on the closed road to Rawsons Pass and Kosciuszko. John and Judy walked with us with light packs, as they were going to do the 22 km Main Range Circuit in one day. The mountains were looking great as there had been 120 mm of rain just over a week previously, resulting in lush green alpine grass and lots of water in the creeks. The road climbs quite gradually towards the pass, but the heavy packs and altitude made it feel like a slog. After a while we came to Seamans Hut, which was worth a visit to see this historic stone structure. It brought back memories of a very crowded night I had spent there out of the rain in 1984.

Lunch Along the Track

From there it wasn't too far to Kosciuszko. Once we got to Rawsons Pass we met dozens of other walkers who had come on the shorter approach track from the Crackenback chairlift above Thredbo. We paid our obligatory visit to the summit then continued north on the Main Range Track - now much less crowded. We reached the first saddle, the one just before Muellers Peak, for lunch. It came to light there that Patricia was not feeling at all well. I therefore made a decision to camp there rather than further along the crest. This proved to be a good move as there was a little spring nearby (the only one we saw on the top of the range) and it was also the optimum point from which to tackle Mt. Townsend, the second highest peak. Judy and John left us here to complete their circuit before dark. After putting up tents most of us set off to climb Mt. Townsend. I started off by contouring around the side of Muellers Peak, but after the going became increasingly rocky I decided to drop down closer to the stream to the west.

That night the wind rose and cloud around the ridgetops increased, but it did not get cold. Packing up next morning in the wind was an interesting exercise. The wind and cloud reinforced my decision the previous evening not to go to Mt. Tate then down Tate East Ridge to Guthega, but to avoid the rocky terrain by going direct down the valley of Pounds Creek instead. The going was easy over alpine tussock at first, but when we came to the dropoff to the lower valley it became apparent we had scunge to contend with. Although it was generally well under a metre high, in places it proved so thick that you could walk on top of it. Even though we had gravity to assist us, it took around an hour just to go the few hundred metres to where the grassy lower flats began. We had little time to admire the cascading creek nearby, and at one point the scunge temporarily devoured the lower part of Helen's walking pole. Once on the flats it was much faster progress down the creek and over one last ridge to the historic footbridge over the Guthega River.

Page 4 of 6

From there it was just a short walk to the Illawong Lodge ski cabin, where I had arranged for Judy and John to meet us for lunch. Before they arrived, however, two fellows from the Illawong ski club turned up to do some maintenance on the hut. They very kindly put on tea and biscuits for us, and showed us over the hut - an unexpected bonus. Then we walked to Guthega with John and Judy to be reunited with the cars for the short drive back to Charlottes Pass and at least some of the trappings of civilisation. Next morning the wind had dropped and it was clear again. All of us except Patricia - who was still not completely well - went on a day trip up the Munyang River valley from Guthega power station. On the way out we followed the powerline maintenance road up the western side of the valley for about 4 km to the spur track to Horse Camp Hut. The side trip to see the hut proved very worthwhile. It's in a beautiful forest setting with a clear creek nearby, and the historic hut is well maintained and looks as if it would be great to spend a night in. Then we continued another 3 km up the valley to the junction with the Disappointment Spur Trail, which we followed down the eastern side of the valley back to the power station. This also featured an historic hut part way along, but it was much smaller and more basic than Horse Camp. An unfortunate feature of the walk was the vast number of dead snow gums from huge bushfires a few years ago, with the only redeeming feature being that the views were more open than usual.

The views were great - north to the main Kosciuszko massif and south over one range after another in Victoria. As we were having lunch we could see the sky darkening in the south and west. It made for a more urgent walk back to the car, but although it looked very threatening, there were only a few spits of rain on the way. We drove straight back to Thredbo, arriving at the YHA 15 minutes before the rain arrived - the first we had seen since the storms at Charlottes Pass on the first evening! Next day (which was cloudy and much cooler) we made an early start to drive back to Canberra to drop the cars off. We said our goodbyes and headed for home, most on flights that evening. Thanks to everyone who helped with the trip in various ways, especially to the drivers and to Judy for keeping the trip kitty. Those who went with me were Di Thornthwaite and John and Judy Whitehorne (BOSQ) and Helen McAllister, Patricia Kolarski, Noelene McCay and Gail Cibilic (QBW). Neil Douglas

Trekking the Larapinta 2012

Rocky Gully to Brinkleys Bluff
The next morning we left camp at about 7.30 am and walked back along the track for about 200 metres before turning to the right up a short steep bank and heading towards Hugh Gorge. There were no major hills but the track was undulating and rocky. After about 8 kms we came to Ghost Gum Flats where we stopped for morning tea. There was a table under a magnificent Corkwood Tree which was very welcoming. We rested for about 30 minutes in the shade of 2 corkwoods and a large Ghost Gum which had 3 burls in its trunk.

Way to Dead Horse Gap

Next day was basically a travelling day. We shifted from Charlottes Pass to the YHA at Thredbo for the last 2 nights. Di and Gail were very lucky to get a lift up to Rawsons Pass with two botany students who were staying at the ski lodge. From there they walked to Thredbo via the top of the Crackenback Chairlift and Dead Horse Gap. The rest of us merely ferried the cars around. Once settled in, people did their own local exploring for the rest of the day. On our full day at Thredbo 5 of us did a daywalk from Dead Horse Gap to The Chimneys, granite outcrops forming a small range above the headwaters of the Thredbo River. We made a fairly early start as showers and possible storms were forecast for the afternoon. The first 2 km were on a gravel road that followed the river upstream, and on our way we were overtaken by mountain bikes hurtling past - there was a school mountain biking championship on at Thredbo at the time. Then we continued up the valley on a brumby (and walker) trail which was well defined at first but gradually became fainter. After a few more km the main "Chimney" came into view in the distance and we left the river to head south up the snowgum covered slopes towards it. Even here faint brumby trails assisted progress to some extent and, although there was some scunge at times, it wasn't all that long before we were at the foot of the last scramble to the top of the Chimney. Three people elected to stop and have lunch on a rock ledge on the southern side of the eastern subsidiary peak, but Di and I persevered over boulders to the main summit cairn.

That's Where We're Going

We then walked for a little over 3 kms to Hughview where we rested for a while and enjoyed the wide expanse of the landscape. There was a lovely little fern growing in a crevice of one of the rocks which I think was a Woolly Cloak Fern. From Hughview it was only a 4 km walk to Hugh Gorge. This is a lovely camp site even though it doesnt have a toilet. There are river gums and reeds growing throughout the riverbed nestled between the high ridges of the gorge. We were in camp early enough to wash our clothes and nearly get them dry. Only my socks were still damp when we were preparing our evening meal. The bird songs broke the quietness of the evening as the cold air started to seep into the camp. We hadnt heard a dingo since Serpentine Chalet Dam and today there were multiple clumps of dry horse droppings along the track which lead us to hope we might see brumbies at sometime in our walk through the gorge. The next 3 days are over the hardest sections of the track and we planned to take it slow and steady. Other walkers had told us there was good water at Fringe Lilly and therefore we wouldnt have to carry double water tomorrow.

Page 5 of 6

I woke to birdsongs and frogs croaking the next morning which is a lovely start to any day. The stillness of the air and the coolness of the morning added to the tranquillity of the experience. We left camp just after 8 am and made our way up the gorge. The reflections of the jagged red rock walls in the rock pools made for a very enjoyable mornings walk. There were a couple of tricky areas but the walk to the junction wasnt as bad as I expected. From the junction some of us took a detour up to Hugh Gorge Waterhole. It was very similar to Redbank Gorge with steep red rock walls encasing a small stream of water. From the Junction the walk up to the saddle was quite challenging. The reflected heat from the surrounding hills made it relatively hot and at the top I was glad to stop for lunch. Then it was downhill for just over a 2 kms to Fringe Lilly. The walk was steep to start with and care needed to be taken to negotiate the rocky terrain. Then it was into a dried creek bed for the remaining section of the walk. The camp area at Fringe Lilly was basic with no toilets or water tanks. There was water flowing in the creek so we all managed a wash and collected water to treat before drinking/cooking that evening. It was lovely to sit in the cool of the creek bed and relax after the days walk.

What a lovely spot and well worth the walk. I must remember to buy a pair of binoculars for my next trip as the birds are just amazing and I would love to be able to see them properly. They arrive at the waterholes on dusk to drink from the pools and then sit in the trees. Their songs are delightful and add to the beauty of area. David and Gil went for a swim in the water hole and I admire their spirit. I walked into the water to my upper thighs but it was too cold for me. After setting up camp I went for a wash and then relaxed with my book. I also enjoyed taking photos of the reflections the trees displayed in the water as the sun said goodbye to the day.

Brinkleys Bluff

The next morning it was up early to start the walk to Brinkley Bluff. As we packed up camp we noted dingo footprints about 5 metres from our tents and we had heard dingoes howling during the night. As there is no water source between Birthday Waterhole and Stanley Chasm we had to carry 2 days water supply. We left Birthday Waterhole at about 8am and arrived at the Bluff just after 1 pm. The walk took us along the edge of a dry river bed through flat Spinifex terrain for just over an hour. We then crossed the creek and started the climb up a narrow track to Stuarts Pass. As they say slow and steady saves the day and so it was up the steep rocky track to the top. Gil, Anne and I stopped at about 10 am and had a morning tea stop and rest. We then pressed on to the saddle where we caught up with the others. The track then took us down to Rocky Cleft which was a fairly steep descent. The view from Rocky Cleft was incredible. Looking through the opening between the 2 ridge lines showed beautiful cycads growing on the floor below and what would be a spectacular waterfall in the wet season. We then started a steep climb up to another saddle which was the base of the climb to the top. We started the steep climb to the top just before midday and decided we would stop at 1 pm for lunch. The climb up was very steep and we took it slowly and enjoyed the expanding view of the terrain below. The track was very narrow and at times we had to scramble over rocks and use narrow foot holds to progress up the side of the mountain. We were just planning to stop for lunch when we heard Linda called Hey Bob and we were only about 100 metres from the top. It was a great feeling to have completed this very challenging day and the scenery was our reward. There were beautiful little finches and other birds chirping in the low growing trees. The finches had a red patch of colour in the centre of their chest and red at the base of their tail and we identified that they had nests in the Spinifex. After setting up camp we walked along the ridgeline to enjoy the views of the surrounding landscape. The view included looking back towards Birthday Waterhole and the river system we had traversed to reach the Bluff. We had decided to sleep in the open to enjoy the elements and the views of the night sky. Therefore my campsite consisted of my sleeping bag on top of the ground sheet for my tent. The next morning I woke to find a spot of ice on my bag even though I was warm throughout the night. The morning was quite cold but the night sky which had been serene and beautiful was worth any discomfort. (To Be Continued)

All Together Now

Late in the evening Kerry and David arrived after 5 pm while we were having soup. They were walking with 4 boys from Davids school who were participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and had started at Brinkleys Bluff that morning. The boys were apparently coping well and had formed into a good team. We sat up later than usual talking and the weather was reasonably mild compared with other nights. Friday - 29/06/2012 1600 hrs. How time flies when you are enjoying yourself! I could not believe that we only had a week to go until the finish of the walk. Sitting in the sand beside Birthday Waterhole enjoying a cup of tea made me think of how much I had enjoyed the walk and I started to think about the end and returning to normal life. That morning we had slept until 6.30 am and after breakfast packed up camp and said goodbye to Kerry and David. After leaving Fringe Lilly there was a steep climb up a loose shale ridgeline followed by a spectacular walk along Razorback Ridge. The track was narrow in sections and there was a stiff wind blowing and care needed to be taken to reduce the risk of injury. From Windy Ridge the track took us along a steep downhill section and through a gorge strewn with large boulders. This was slow going as I picked my way through the boulders and loose rocks. At the bottom we came to Spencers Gorge which was a lovely forested area with pools of water interspersed throughout with cycads with bright green new foliage. The rock pools had vibrant dark green swirls of moss in them that simmered in the sunlight. At the end of Spencer Gorge the track took us over a saddle and down a steep valley to Birthday Waterhole. To get to the camp site we had to walk for sometime through a sandy riverbed which was challenging at the end of the day.

Page 6 of 6