Mogo Forest with a Difference

Thursday 3 May 2018

Twenty walkers gathered at the southern end of Burri Road all ready for another great walk in the Mogo State Forest.  There are a myriad of tracks in this area, and though our leader Mark had mentioned that the walk was “hilly”, we were surprised just how many hills you could fit into a 10 km walk!

The walk took us through an area near Dunns Creek Road which was severely burned during a bushfire some 8 months back.    The forest floor was now thick with green bracken, and you could see where leaf litter was starting to accumulate.   In patches it was evident that fire had reached the crowns of the trees, but now many of those blackened trees were sprouting new exocormic growth.

With no breeze and the temperature rising we were all pleased to find a cool lunch spot in a little shaded gully.  Then it was just a couple of more hills back to the cars….or was that several more hills back to the cars!

A great walk with a special reward at the end….afternoon tea at the Leader’s home.

Mary

Moruya Airport to Mossy Point

Sunday 22 April 2018

Photos by Carol

One perfect day, 10 walkers set out to amble along the track behind Bengello Beach, which was a minor road, before George Bass Drive was built. The southern end of it was washed away in big seas, during an “East Coast Low” storm in the early 1970’s (1971, I think).

This was the same event which dramatically changed the Tuross entrance, and partly washed out the coastal drive at Bermagui. But our day was sublime & serene, with only a light breeze to keep us comfortable.

We turned to the beach at the parking area, known as “the sand mines”, as several decades ago sand was taken from there for various construction purposes.  Morning tea on the dunes allowed us to survey the features of the beach, such as sand banks, gutters, sideways drift & numerous rips, which occurred regularly about 200 m apart. Surprising to find that most people still need help to identify such hazards.

Then up over the headland for magnificent views of this beautiful coastline, and along Broulee Beach, enjoying all the fun being had by people with human and furry kids. Lunch was taken on Mossy Point, where the magic of this coast made us feel immensely fortunate, as we are, living in a millionaire’s playground.

Bob 

 

 

River to Ridge

Thursday 19 April 2018

Photos by Mary

The club walk today, led by Mary and Stan took us to the start on River Road near Nelligen where we walked Ridge to Ridge as the walk was aptly named.

The weather was perfect, mainly overcast and warm for the group of 17 members and 3 visitors to walk up the many hills along forest roads to, since some clearing of trees, beautiful views of Pigeon House, The Castle and the River Clyde.

The group was so fit and enthusiastic that we made a possible lunch site a little early. Our leaders decided to forego a bash down to the river to eat, instead we made the short drive back to the village and enjoyed our lunch on the lovely green at Nelligen.

Thank you Mary and Stan for sharing your local forest and tracks with us.

Mary

 

Snapper Point and O’Hara Head

Saturday 14 April 2018

Photos by Carol

With 23 members and 2 visitors we set off on the first section of the days walks, starting from the Kioloa boat ramp at the Marine Rescue Centre and continuing around the well signposted O’Hara Head Track.  This was a new bush walk for our club and was relatively easy walking with a variety of interesting trees and vegetation on the circuit.

After morning tea the group drove to the second leg of the day, commencing at Pretty Beach and continuing on the well worn track via Snapper Point and Merry Beach then back to Pretty Beach.  The ocean views and rock formations seen from the lookout and cliff tops were spectacular.  We were so lucky to have such a lovely fine autumn day for both walks.

John

Extended Termeil Point/Tabourie Bush & Beach

Wednesday 11 April 2018

Photos by Brian and Mary

Our walk today took us to Termeil Point and Tabourie beach with bush land in between. The day heated up quite rapidly as we made our way through lovely forest and bush land to the first beach in Meroo National Park. A surprising and very welcome breeze greeted our first beach walk. Morning tea on the rocks near the entrance to Termeil Lake was followed by further bush with sea glimpses as we made our way to Tabourie where school children and terns were enjoying the expansive sands and a low tide allowing access to the nearby Crampton Island.

We left the beach and walked along side Tabourie Lake to our lunch spot complete with tables and shade. A stroll through the village took us pass gardens still full of flowering shrubs and flowers and along another bush track  to our cars. The day had become unseasonably hot and a welcome stop on the way home at a favourite club watering hole at East Lynne completed another lovely day in the Eurobodalla Shire.

Thank you Karen.

Mary

 

 

 

Mount Bushwalker and Goalhouse Pass

Sunday 8 April 2018

 

Photos by Carol and Mary

On Sunday 8th April 15 eager Batemans Bay bushwalkers set out for Mt Bushwalker on the escarpment behind Milton. Along the way we negotiated a steep descent down into Goalhouse Pass supposedly so named because of a few cattle rustlers who attempted to move cattle through the pass and up onto the plateau for grazing.  The rustlers ended up in detention in the enclosed pass. The descent down to the Pass was indeed worth the effort as we were rewarded with moss and lichen covered walls of rock towering above our heads. The floor was covered in tree ferns and moss covered logs together with the odd clump of orchids clinging desperately to overhead rock ledges.

Continuing on to Mt Bushwalker we were again treated to spectacular views across the valley towards The Castle, Biangee Wall and The Budawangs. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and we could just see the cork of Pigeonhouse Mountain peeping up over Tianjara.

All in all a very spectacular walk which everyone thoroughly  enjoyed.

Nancy

Murramarang Back Country – Tracks Less Travelled

Thursday 5 April 2018

Photos by Carol, Helen, Mary and Brian

Fifteen walkers enjoyed a very pleasant 13 kms hike from Maloney’s Beach to Murramarang Resort (Durras Beach). Our walk leader, Mary, had the car shuffle well organized which is always a good way to start a long hike.

Entering the forest of Spotted Gums (Corymbia Maculata) Mary took us to the “canoe tree’ where indigenous people cut out a large section of sapwood to create a canoe. No one was able to tell us how long ago this was done. We then followed an old forest road for 1.5kms that felt more like a steeplechase as trees had been felled every 30m across the track to stop 4WD vehicles. This track used to follow an old property line so additional hazards of barb wire from a fence long gone were encountered. We even saw some old concrete mile posts attesting to the age of this road.

The track then took us into the National Park proper and up and over some very steep dirt barriers used by the local mountain bike clubs. We then headed down into a valley where we came to an old gnarled spotted gum said to be of similar age to ‘old blotchy’.

We had lunch in the forest overlooking Dark Beach and before venturing on had to remind our two surfers (Brian and Phillip) to get out of the water as they were on a hike. The water did look inviting and Brian said the water temperature was great so I can’t really blame them for the short delay.

The last section of the walk was along Mill Beach at the resort where we saw a mature sea eagle catch a fish and circle overhead. The three fishermen watching with us felt very upstaged as they had caught nothing but felt somewhat relieved there were fish in the local waters.

A great hike with lots of interesting features. Well done Mary !

Rob

Paddle Tomaga River

Wednesday 4 April 2018

Photos by Mary

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Name Mountain Waterfall

Monday 2 April 2018

Photos by Mary

Seven club members (Sharon, Mary, Glenn, Simon, Rodney, David & Ian) enjoyed this short, but challenging, walk.  The target waterfall was spotted some years ago on aerial photos and, being remote from roads and tracks in the Monga Wilderness Area, it was finally time to investigate.  The walk was designed as a sister trip to the recent Lyons Creek waterfall walk and in many respects it was similar, but a little more difficult.

We left Quart Pot Road and headed across country northward, crossing Quart Pot Creek and followed the Buckenbowra Fault line with associated Comerang volcanics’ hard rock strata.  From subsequent weathering, this rock spawns some interesting formations in this area’s topography, including waterfalls.

We approached the falls from below, and because the banks were too vine infested, particularly with the unfriendly lawyer vine, we stuck as close as possible to the creek bed.  About 300 metres from the target, we emerged into a pleasant patch of rainforest containing a number of Soapy Box trees and one example of the locally rare Brown Beech.

The creek then narrowed down considerably and solid rock appeared – a good sign if you are looking for waterfalls!  The first cascade was easy enough to negotiate but the following deep rock pools forced us to mountain goat the western sides of the canyon until we reached the base of the falls.

The waterfall is a near sheer drop of 25 metres with another 10 metres, top and bottom, of cascade, making the total drop about 45 metres. Its bottom slopes of solid rock proved to be a great viewing platform and we lingered for photos and lunch.

Because the area is not well explored, and no record of the waterfall (verbal or recorded) had been found, we gave it a name – No Name Waterfall, in honour of the nearby mountain of that name.

After lunching on the rocky ramparts, we rock scrambled to the top for further inspection, and took more photos.  Via a steep narrow ridge we descended back to the valley, the rainforest, and retraced our route to the cars.

This was a short (3 km each way), but strenuous (6 hours), exploratory walk to an unnamed waterfall, previously known only by suspicion, but now bearing the name No Name Waterfall.

It was well worth the trip and certainly confirmed the initial suspicion that a “notable rocky drop” indeed existed at that spot.

Ian