Newcastle: Fernleigh Track, Glenrock Conservation Area, & Merewether Beach, Sunday 19/10/25

Newcastle: Fernleigh Track, Glenrock Conservation Area, & Merewether Beach, Sunday 19/10/25

Newcastle: Fernleigh Track, Glenrock Conservation Area, & Merewether Beach. Ten of us piled out of the train at Adamstown after the 2 hours 40 minutes’ trip from Sydney, for the first time on one of the “Modern Dynamic, State of The Art, Corporate Image Enhancing” D sets with mobile phone charging points, accessible toilets, but the disliked non-reversible seats. Right on…

Helensburgh to Stanwell Park Beach WEDNESDAY 8/10/2025

Helensburgh to Stanwell Park Beach WEDNESDAY 8/10/2025

Helensburgh to Stanwell Park Beach WEDNESDAY 8/10/2025. This relatively short walk of 7km shows that a lot of interesting things can be packed into a short trip. With three tunnels (not two) and whales as well as chooks, there was a lot to see. And the weather turned out almost perfect, not too hot with frequent sea breezes. Wednesday is…

Karloo Walking Track

Unforgettable experience in Heathcote!!! A week ago, I noticed a lack of hikes listed online, so I decided to lead a hike for the first time. I had originally planned to hike the Cliff Top Track in the Blue Mountains, but that’s a 20km hike, and I worried I wouldn’t be able to keep everyone safe and healthy, so I opted for today’s hike. This trail…

President’s Bludge Trip (PBT) 2025

President’s Bludge Trip (PBT) 2025

The President’s Bludge Trip first began as a club tradition in 1974 when a party of 6 led by then-president Steve Williamson ventured down to the Kowmung River to enjoy a bludge along its pristine grassy flats. 51 years later, and the October long weekend still sees a party of SUBWians make the annual pilgrimage for a most relaxing escape filled with jaffles, formal attire, wild west show verses, and campfire games that put lobotomies to shame. For the…

Slide night by the tents

Slide night by the tents

Slide nights are a longstanding SUBW tradition where club members share pictures of their adventures. This usually takes place in a lecture theatre, which, like your average lectures, can be fairly boring. Games in lectures have become a big culture in my class- Minecraft, Genshin Impact, Clash Royale, Soul Knight, the Tetris group battles in our physics tutorials, and those iPad kids with flight simulators and silly games scattered across the lecture hall. Our lectures start with a sign-in QR code, which we take a picture and send to 5 different group chats and 20 different friends, then the whispers for a gaming session start. We don’t go to uni for knowledge, but for vibes and tea. While I’m proud of our lecture gaming culture in my class, you’d certainly want a captivating audience for a meaningful slide night. This is when the idea comes in, to give this year-long tradition a modern twist. Modern problems require modern solutions, and the best one is to move it to a campground with barely any mobile reception, and everyone having nothing to do but to be a captivating audience. I got all the slides loaded onto my iPad, which only weighs roughly 500g and is perfect for ultralight camping, before hopping on the morning train towards Katoomba.

The Overland Track

The Overland Track

The Overland Track is a bit of a “choose your own adventure”. You can stay in huts or camp, catch the ferry at the end or walk the length of the lake, take the many sidetrips atop summits or to pristine alpine lakes. The self-proclaimed “Overland Track Cancelled Gang” left following walkers a bible verse that I think sums up our experience or indeed any Overland Track experience fairly well. “In his…

A 12 km Walk Made Sweeter by Free Gelato

As a 90% J-leader, I could not wait to share this unforgettable trip with you all. We gathered at 12:00 pm at Marine Pde, opposite Bond St, ready to set off on the iconic coastal walk. A few participants were delayed by public transport, but thankfully everyone kept us updated in the group chat. The funniest…

Bundeena to Eagle Rock (Whale Spotting)

Bundeena to Eagle Rock (Whale Spotting)

This hike was an out and back section of the Royal Coastal Track in the Royal National Park, passing through the Wedding Cake Rock, Marley Beach, Little Marley Beach, Wattamolla Beach and ultimately, Eagle Rock. The hike took us about 7 hours to complete and the group walked a total of 31 kilometres that day. The day…

Mt Victoria-Mt York & historic roads; Saturday 16th August 2025.

Mt Victoria-Mt York & historic roads; Saturday 16th August 2025.

Mt Victoria-Mt York & historic roads; Saturday 16th August 2025. The weekend of this walk was the first dry weekend for many weeks, enabling a chance at last to get out in the bush. I’m sure that the international students are wondering what is going on; it’s not “sunny New South wales”, it’s “saturated New South Wales”. And August…

Six Foot Track: Megalong Cemetery to Bowtells Swing Bridge

Six Foot Track: Megalong Cemetery to Bowtells Swing Bridge

The Six Foot Track, as the name suggests, spans approximately 46 km from Katoomba to Banda Bush Camp in the Blue Mountains. Our group chose to walk a 12 km out-and-back section from Megalong Cemetery to Bowtells Swing Bridge above Cox’s River. Most of the group members met up at Central Station, arriving on time for the 8:55 am train. After a…