Mud, Bad and Dangerous to Know [1] – The Western Arthurs Traverse The Western Arthurs are an ice-carved range of mountains in southwest Tasmania. Its jagged peaks and spectacular glacial lakes feature in some of the most famous photographs of the Tasmanian wilderness. First traversed…
Caption 30km, 1800m ascent https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.7/150.1311/-35.2938&pubLink=kbrMKb2az4h2vKrcGB1opfME&trackId=fe619e42-a7f0-4f7c-864f-844089622f2d Yadboro River whilst slow was relatively easy work. Freeman Creek became too steep and had to divert after encountering a 2nd waterfall Whilst incredibly narrow after re-joining Freeman creek was still accessible but you needed to be quite agile to reach the path.
Guthega Power station -> Geehi Resevoir -> Sirens Song Tunnel -> Opera House Hut -> Lake Albina -> Blue lake -> Charlotte Pass Reserve https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=11.0/148.2825/-36.3416&pubLink=504iRdFYGrmO3NcpwYApdzkk&trackId=d15d23209b21e39b8cd75a6bdc2d992e859617b2 61km with 3600m of ascent Sirens Song tunnel was only about mid thigh at its deepest Lady Northcotes had very different speeds for different people fastest was 1.2h per km and slowest 2.2 per km Caption
Although exam time was coming up, I decided to run this walk this day as between now and March next year, this walk is too hot for trips in summertime. So I decided that it was now or never (or a while anyway). I knew that there would be not a lot of people wanting to come on walks right now, in exam time, and I originally had 6 sign up. Three however…
On a clear and sunny morning, five enthusiastic bushwalkers met at Springwood Staion. Springwood is an interesting little town with some hipster atmosphere. We follow the main road of the town down to a car park, which is the start of a hidden trail down to the Magdala Gully. The trail,…
With an uncharacteristic forecast of low temperatures in November, it seemed a good opportunity to do a walk in the Wild Dogs which would normally be less than ideal at this time of year. With a couple of weeks notice everyone signed up quite early and that was it. Only one pulled out due to an injury. The plan…
Originally 10 people had signed up for this walk, but the drop out started soon after midday when a heavy storm struck Sydney suburbs, and eventually 6 pulled out, leaving just 4 people to do the walk. Meanwhile I was in a train from 12.30pm travelling for 45 minutes in bright sunshine and under blue skies as far as Hornsby. The rain…
I had set a limit of 12 people on this walk, as I considered that a larger number would be harder to manage on a walk like this. The wait list was almost taken up with people cancelling earlier (thank you to those), and I offered someone a spot around midday on Friday. They didn’t respond so I assume they must have got a better offer in the meantime. With people…
We got on the train at various places (or in Barbara’s case drove up) and met up at Blackheath Station. All the way until Katoomba we were in sunny weather, but once past Katoomba it became cloudy, and near Medlow Bath the view showed that there was snow falling near Hampton on the Jenolan Caves Road, and around Kanangra-Boyd and The Oldies Ranges (where the 3 Peaks are). At Blackheath…
At Helensburgh, start of walk.This walk looked like being yet another cancelled Figure 8 walk, something which has plagued trips here over the last few years; the usual reason being bad weather. Sea forecasts a week earlier had predicted a swell of 2.5 metres on the Saturday, which would have made a walk from Burning Palms beach to Figure 8 Pool too dangerous even at low tide. I had…
Although I had limited the walk number to 10, in accordance with COVID19 rules, and the walk filled up, Celina Li had to drop out, opening a space for Reece. Then on Friday and Saturday, three more had to drop out, leaving us with seven. One other person who signed up, Vasu, was nowhere to be seen on Saturday, so must be regarded as a “no show”. The weather…
Unfortunately one outright “no show”, from whom I have still heard nothing. Note that this trip occured in pre-COVID19 conditions hence the numbers. There were a few changes made in the itinerary, some made as we went along to suit the conditions, and a couple forced by unexpected track closures. The day…
Matthew was the first to arrive at Kangaroo Valley on Friday and checked us in to the campsite. Another 14 people showed up between 6.00 and 11.00 and so the party grew larger, first at the pub and then sitting around Jen’s immaculately restored VW camper for tea, timtams and whisky. We had…
Most of met up at Central Station, with Lily getting on at Redfern and Matthias, Nathalie and Patrick getting on the train at Helensburgh. At Coalcliff station I showed the group the top of the Illawarra Escarpment where we were headed (see photos) and then set off along the relatively new footpath and bicycle way that goes from Coalcliff to Stanwell Park (It was completed in November 2018 and eliminated a dangerous walk along the narrow verge of this busy road). The Wodi…
After the walk set down for here on 31st August was cancelled due to rough seas, this was put on on the next available day for a low Spring tide at the right time on a weekend. Even then, it was originally set down for the previous day (28/9), but a sea swell of 2.3 metres again made it too unsafe to go to figure 8 Pool that day. The forecast…
Quite a long report but I think you will find it interesting. This trip was originally planned for Coolah Tops but that park put on a local fire ban on the weekend intended for the walk, so that would mean no camp fire. So instead I decided to do Mount Royal National Park instead, as there was no park fire ban there, so a camp fire was allowed in their campfire sites (but not elsewhere). It also…
A planned mid morning departure from Strathfield got delayed due to my being delayed by a car breakdown right in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge on the M1 (F3), causing an initial half hour delay. Of course the delay meant I ran into heavier traffic on the Pacific Highway and Ryde Road which meant I was 45 minutes late getting to Strathfield. Eventually I…
Valley Heights steam tramThings didn’t work out quite the ideal way I had planned it. Most of the group had turned up 15 minutes before train departure time, so I got them to go into the second front car to get seats in one group before the tourist hordes arrived. Unfortunately just 7 minutes before train departure, the train staff discovered a broken window in the second car and moved everyone out of it and into the remaining cars (two of which were “quite carriages” not suitable for our group!). And it…
We all met up at Central for the long train trip to Mount Victoria, except Zhong who met us up there. I think that a few of us had had a late night the previous night as some of us dozed on the way up. We got a later train than normal for a Mount Victoria walk, as I wanted to get to One Tree Hill – Elevation above sea level 1111 metres – at 11.11am on 11/11. The date…
Couranga TrackA computer “meltdown” affecting the rail system the previous day caused some anxiety about whether the trains would be mucked up on the Sunday. As it turned out the trains on Sunday (walk day) were OK. Not so OK for me though, as in the government’s usual wisdom it closed down all trains running between Strathfield and Brisbane for trackwork, thus requiring me to meet everyone at Hurstville Station instead of Central. While waiting…