Saturday 18 August 2018

Leader Len and Marion.

John, Val, Tim and Bob.

Bob caught in the act perhaps? He sure looks guilty.

Mike having morning tea on the side of the track.

Len and Elaine.

Heather and Karen.

Ainslie and Heather enjoying the sunshine in a sheltered spot.

Bob, Val and Mary enjoy a chat and morning tea on a log.

Photos by Carol and Mary

17 members joined Len for a walk through bush and dry creeks in the Durras area. Fortunately the high winds of late did not arrive until our walk was nearly completed. Bright sunshine guided the group all the way which was a blessing as the tracks were covered with recently fallen branches and treacherous vines ready to trip the unwary.

Thank you Len for another pleasant morning in the local bush.

Mary

Wednesday 15 August 2018

Lesley, Leader Carol, Elaine, Bob and Bev.

Donna on the track to the beach.

Donna, Lesley, Elaine and Bob climb steps from the beach.

Rock garden on the track.

Donna hugs a tree.

Photos by Carol and Donna

As we gathered at the meeting place, the forecast westerly winds were blowing strongly.   With some doubt about the safety aspect, we discussed alternatives, but decided to proceed, prepared for possible problems.

However, on arrival at our start point, we found conditions to be acceptable, and relaxed by counting the many kangaroos & wallabies lounging around the village. They were untroubled as we set off, walking past & through mobs that were relaxing in the sun. A pair of rare hooded plovers were foraging at the edge of the estuary, and also a pair of pied oyster catchers, further on, but not another human was to be seen on the long stretch of unmarked beach on the way to Point Upright.

Instead of our usual route around the rock platform, we climbed the track to the lookout, and found a new platform had been built, with fencing, to keep people away from the dangerous edge of the cliff.   The sea was flat, due to the westerly wind, but no whales were to be seen. After walking along the top of this prominent headland, we descended into Depot Beach, and found more kangaroos lounging on the grassy flats above the beach.  Before settling into lunch, we explored the groves of ancient rainforest on the slopes of the escarpment, protected & nourished by the slopes above.

Lunch overlooking this beautiful cove was a millionaire’s view, but we could see much smoke further up the coast, which we learned later was a major fire near Burrill Lake. Apart from that ominous sight, the walk was very enjoyable, and we returned to the cars satisfied with the excursion.

Bob

Sunday 12 August 2018

Anyone at home Denise?

Heather, Rob, Leader Karen and Helen enjoy morning tea on the track.

Leader Karen.

Maggie, Mary and Rob.

Bob admires tree garden.

Photos by Carol, Helen, Mary

‘If you go down in the woods today’…., Pooh wasn’t at home to answer Denises’s knock! However, that was the only disappointment of the walk in Mogo State Forest. 12 club members took advantage of a windless morning to enjoy winter sunshine and clear skies.

The yellow of many wattles in flower together with red feathered robins under brilliant blue skies added to the pleasure of the day and the promise of Spring. Once again Batemans Bay Bushwalkers were reminded that they don’t have to travel far to have a lovely day in forests near the Bay.

Thank you Karen for finding the tracks and trails.

Mary

Thursday 9 August 2018

Martin taking a break.

Martin inspecting a paper wasp nest by a cave.

Marg, Wayne and Philip take lunch on a convenient log.

Kellys Mine

The forest track returning from Kellys Mine.

Photos by Brian and Helen

Brian let 14 walkers on a very pleasant hike into the Mogo State forest west of Bimbimbie. The weather was kind with warm temperatures and no wind which had not been the norm for the region the previous week. This area was logged in recent years and still shows signs of the tracks and fallen tree debris. Still, the walk gave us plenty of forest and interesting granite rock outcrops to admire. Brian pointed out some interesting comb structures at the entrance to a small cave which on closer inspection proved to be a wasp nest that we judiciously avoided.

The highlight feature of this walk was Kellys Mine, an old abandoned gold mine last worked in the 1920’s. The Park Service is obviously very keen to keep vehicles away from the old mine as they have dug 7 pits and berms along the track to the mine. The mine itself still showed evidence of its previous activity with trolley tracks and rusting crusher equipment. The mine entrance is protected by a fence as it now houses a colony of endangered bent-wing bats.

All in all an interesting days walk close to Mogo and easy to access.

Rob

Saturday 4 August 2018

Today Saturday 4th August 13 walkers left from Grandfathers Gully car park and set off for Lilli Pilli beach via the headland  crossing Circuit beach and returning again via the same route.

The day was warm with wall to wall blue skies and just enough breeze to make walking pleasurable.

There weren’t any whales jumping to steal the limelight, but we did see several scuba divers out practising.

Thank you Bev for organising such a pleasant walk.

Denise

Wednesday 1 August 2018

At the Inlet after morning tea.

Narrawallee Inlet.

Morning tea by the inlet.

A clearing in the sunshine.

Double banded Plover.

Almost everyone went to enjoy the view at the lookout.

Old tin shed where explosives were stored.

Mangrove Track bordered by distinctive Tassel Cord Rush (Baloskion tetraphyllum)

Photos by Brian, Donna, Karen, Helen and Mary

On Wattle Day, a group of 19 walkers travelled north to Lake Conjola for a lovely, mainly flat 15km walk through the nature reserve at Narrawallee Inlet, along the coast and back along good forested tracks.

With four distinct eco-systems we enjoyed forested areas very different from the Eurobodalla, a swampy area currently dry but full of bird life, a beautiful stretch of beach with fishing dolphins and an old mining area where silica was extracted.

Complete with our own geologist who advised us about the mining area, we also saw the structure that housed the explosives required for this, now an artistically twisted tin shed with a flowering wattle backdrop.

A refreshment stop at Yatte Yattah nursery on the return journey made for an excellent day out.

Helen

Thursday 26 July 2018

Photos by Helen, Karen and Mary

On a crisp morning, promising a sunny winter day, twelve walkers including two new members, gathered to walk over Durras Mountain by a route that focused on its Western slopes.

From a car park on Dangerboard Road the group took a Parks access road before joining the more commonly used route up Durras Mountain from Pretty Beach. The chilly air in the forest gave way to sunny open country at the top of the mountain, where kangaroos were enjoying the pasture land cleared since the 1850s. From the lookout at the summit, there were views south to Depot Beach and Mount Dromedary, while the clear air also provided magnificent vistas to the Budawangs to the West.

The descent first took a side track through a stretch of pristine rainforest common to the western slopes where Lyrebirds were in evidence and Kookaburras swooped around. After rejoining the main track up the mountain and a speedy descent past many indicators of the earlier farming settlement, a little used overgrown track was taken back to Dangerboard Road. This certainly slowed the group down, with broken timber to catch unwary feet, patches of tangling vines to catch backpacks, numerous fallen trees to clamber over, and a slippery but dry creek crossing just before the road. The cool damp air in the forest there was in stark contrast to the sunshine on the mountain top.

All in all, an excellent walk, with natural variety and a dash of recent human history.

Rodney

Brian, Leader Rodney, Barry, Helen, and Rob at the viewpoint on Durras Mountain.

At the summit ready for morning tea.

On the way down on a sunny track.

Yep, hollow all the way up.

Rodney waiting for his ‘flock’ to negotiate the creek.

One of many obstacles in the lower regions of Durras Mountain.

Saturday 21 July 2018

Looks like a narrow way around the rocks.

Perfect day for the beach.

Walkers on a rock platform.

Karen, Bev and Karen

Jimmies Island from the track.

Photos by Karen and Lesley

Brilliant south coast winter morning for our walk exploring tracks & trails around Rosedale.

As we started our walk along Rosedale  Beach the rocky outcrop that is  Jimmies Island looked amazing against the blue sky and calm blue sea. The cameras came out and photos were taken. Heading north along the coastline we discovered a sea cavern and a great variety of rocky outcrops and quartz pipes, time to keep watching ones footing. A white heron was spotted stalking a meal in the distance. Our leader, who is very familiar with this area took us on tracks, trails  and steps only known by locals, giving us glimpses of some very unique architecture and interesting gardens.

Morning tea was taken while sitting  in the sun and watching holiday makers enjoying our beautiful beach. Then off again along the tracks up and down over the hills and through the bush to finish our walk back at our cars.

Thank you Ian for leading us on this lovely 5km easy scenic walk.

Karen

Wednesday 18 July 2018

Karen and Donna walking over boulders and rocks.

Looking down on a mine site.

The fascination of a hole in the ground.

Lunch in a sunny spot off the track.

Martin examines the safety grill at one of many mine entrances.

Karen and Helen at a mine entrance.

Leader Mark in pensive mood.

Cicada shells.

Photos by Helen and Mary

I went for a very nice walk yesterday in the Mogo State Forest with 12 other bushwalking friends. The walk had a bit of everything – forest roads, narrow winding trails, offtrack bushbashing beside a creek, rock scrambling, mine shafts – and best of all, we had the place to ourselves.

There are a myriad of large granite rocky outcrops in this part of the forest – too many to stop and explore, although we did take a break on a large flat outcrop beside the creek and admired the rock orchids and an unusual stand of Bottlebrush (Callistemon rigida) rarely found in these parts.

We also found a burnt out tree covered in old shells of cicadas from last season – some with their own cobwebs to show just how long they had been hanging on.

The GPS Club was there in force – I think we had at least five tracking our progress, and in the process brushing up on our bush navigation skills.

Thanks Mark – good fun as usual.

Karen

Sunday 15 July 2018

Walkers starting out on the track.

Barry ‘scales’ Big Rock.

Leader Donna at Big Rock.

Morning tea next to ‘The Rock’.

Water on the track but leader Donna had Plan B in hand.

Fortunately Donna was not relying on road signage!

Walkers bathed in winter sunshine.

Photos by Denise, Helen and Mary

Ten brave souls were up for the challenge of joining Donna on her inaugural walk as leader.  After being implored not to tread on sleeping snakes or break bones, the group set off on Big Rock Road Circuit.

Surprisingly Big Rock Road Circuit is so named because there is a big rock on the walk.  It is a new walk located in the Bodalla State Forest. Other than the ‘Big Rock’ the walk leader could not offer any whales or expansive vistas of the coastline, primarily due to the fact that the walk was inland. However, participants were advised of the possibly of sighting a Yowie riding a unicycle.  Unfortunately these creatures are very shy, particularly whist riding unicycles, so none were spotted on this occasion.  However, a couple of horse riders leading another horse were met on the track.  Following a Mexican standoff with neither party willing to give ground a solution to the impasse was reached and we all walked past each other.

Upon completion of the walk, the walk leader was ecstatic to discover that we returned with the same amount of walkers as when we left!  So that’s one down and 165 walks to catch up with ‘Queen of the Bush’ Val.  Thanks to Karen, Mary and Karen for exploring the walk, attending the reccie and assisting me on the day.

Donna