Wednesday 20 April 2022

The group enjoying the sunshine

Stopping for a photo

Through the trees

Photos courtesy of Mary

Eight members and two visitors joined Karen for a 7km walk starting at Kettle Road. During the reccie on Monday, we ran into a very damp track in the lovely rain forest area not passable without getting wet boots. Karen knew if it rained again, it would not be possible to take walkers through the lower track, which of course it did!

However, Karen was determined to carry on with a walk and not to cancel yet another one and spent some time the night before looking at her map to find a walk in the area of the same distance. She succeeded and we all enjoyed a pleasant morning in bright sunshine walking good tracks. Bonus, not one leech was sighted. Four walkers had lunch at Longbeach afterwards.

Thank you, Karen, for the extra effort and a delightful walk.

Mary

Sunday 17 April 2022

Morning Tea on the old logging road (avoiding the leeches) –Neil, Ian, Donna (in chair), Rob, Sim, Sue, Bob (in chair), Peter, Heather, Karen, Glenn, Bev and Tony (in chair)

Photo courtesy of Karen

Finally, some sunshine and blue skies so our Easter Sunday walk could proceed. 16 bushwalkers turned up for a 9 km stroll along old and overgrown forest roads in Murramarang National Park, near Mt Agony Road. The roadsides are lined with hedges of sunshine wattle (Acacia terminalis) which is just bursting into flower, and filling the air with the smell of pollen. All the rain has scoured out the creek, but we managed to leap across without getting wet feet.

We were very wary of leeches – they seem to be everywhere in the undergrowth at the moment. There’s no traffic on these old logging roads, so we took morning tea and lunch in the middle of the road to avoid any pesky critters.

Thanks to everyone who joined me today – as usual it’s always fun to catch up with Batemans Bay Bushwalkers.

Karen

Thursday 14 April 2022

Bush bashing

Lunch on the road (literally)

Exploring the old gold mine site

The well hidden disused plantation

Photos courtesy of Rodney

This walk was a reworked version of an old walk through the logged State Forest in Benandarah just west of the Princes Highway. The group met up in bright sunshine and, although the area had seen three dry days, evidence of the recent record rainfall was everywhere. Normally dry trail bike tracks were muddy and slippery, and creeks usually filled with quiet stagnant pools required significant jumps. But most of all, the low storey undergrowth in the off track sections was thick and luscious. As a consequence, although the walk was only 8.5 kms, the bush bashing and slippery hills made it seem longer and more strenuous.

After a start along Shannons Road, the group turned onto bike trails and soon after were bush bashing through shoulder height regrowth in order to cross between valleys. We visited what we believe is an old gold mine site, freshly discovered on a recce only two days previously and, with careful navigation, did manage to reach the old (and now disused) marijuana plantation in one of the valleys. It is an interesting area, seemingly not burned in the recent catastrophic fires, but certainly burnt, probably from back-burning in previous years.

All in all, a pleasant morning out in an area which offers many opportunities for further exploration.

Rodney

Saturday 26 March 2022

Glasshouse Rocks

Unique spotted gum

Gloving up for the rock climbs

Rock ‘hoppers’

Couldn’t get around rocks so up and over

And well and truly over

Headland with Montague Island in background

The crew

Wet feet

Photos courtesy of Tom

Four club walkers enjoyed a 13km hike from Narooma to Mystery Bay along the coast. The track taken followed the coastline exactly and being low tide meant we were able to skirt around the headlands and along the beaches.

Some of the headlands had wave-cut platforms that were easy to traverse but most involved ‘cliff climbing’ as the accompanying photos document. The toughest was at Bogola Head, which club walkers may know from our Nargal Lake walk. Our walk leader Barry had not done this headland before so each time we rounded one section of cliff we wondered if the ocean was going to force us to backtrack. But once on the grassy cliff top, we could admire the views of Montague Island and the nearby mansion surrounded by its fields.

We also had two creek crossings as both Corunna and Nangudga Lakes were open to the ocean.

The final section of the walk took us through the Mystery Bay campground, site of the old velodrome built in 1892. This bicycle track has been long abandoned but is still mown by the Park Service so you can walk its circular track.

This is definitely a very scenic but tough walk. While there was some steep climbs and wading needed, we made it through and felt proud of our efforts.

Rob

Wednesday 23 March 2022

Leader Joan talking with Sim and Bob as the group ‘regroup’

Thought to be Ghost Fungus (that is florescent in the dark) – but no one came back at night to check!

Heading through the bush and checking for leeches

Photos courtesy of Mary

Thirteen members and 5 visitors joined Joan who led a walk along bush tracks on Square Head.

Rain threatened yet another of our walks but our leader decided to proceed with the morning’s activity.

We set out under overcast skies and moderate temperatures through pretty bush land encountering leeches and a few mosquitos along the way. Fungi on the side of the track were an interesting feature that had the cameras clicking away.

A number of kangaroos, a well-known group of local inhabitants, greeted us as we neared our cars. One very large male towered over the group and was given a wide berth.

Thank you Joan for a very pleasant morning.

Mary

Sunday 20 March 2022

Happy group by ‘the big tree’

Measuring ‘the big tree’

Shell layers visible in the eroded dune

Enjoying the sunshine at Richmond Beach

Rob with the discovery of the glass float

Eriochilus Orchid spied next to the track

The beautiful twisted spotted gums of the Murramarang

Leaving tracks on the way to Mrytle Beach

Rob giving a talk on the geological features at Dark Beach

Signs of work for the new Murramarang South Coast Track

Remains of indigenous shelters

Photos courtesy of Amanda, Karen, and Peter

Sixteen hikers enjoyed a 12km hike through the Murramarang National Park. After all the rain we have had, this day was all sunshine and a perfect hiking day. There were quite a few leeches down along the creek line but once we climbed up the hills they were gone.

I thought I had seen all the sights in this area but our leader Geoff, a local in the Durras area, showed us some features that were new to me.

I learnt that the huge spotted gum on Beach Road has a circumference of over eight metres which means the tree predates Captain Cook’s voyage up the east coast of Australia and is close to 400 years old.

On the headland at Richmond Beach, we saw indigenous shelters made with tea-tree branches that Geoff informed us were recently made by elders educating the younger generations of their cultural heritage.

Further along the track he showed us spotted gums that had scars from the extraction of surface wood to make coolamon bowls.

At Richmond Beach, the recent heavy rainfall flowing down the creek to the sea eroded a sand dune revealing shell layers in a soil profile that may date back 5000 years.

There was also an old glass float used by fisherman, washed ashore there. Given that most floats these days are Styrofoam it left us wondering how long this object had been afloat at sea before reaching shore.

I am sure this area has lots of other features to show us so I will await Geoff’s next walk.

Rob

Thursday 17 March 2022

Moving around an obstacle on the Lovells Pass easement ‘track’

Karen and Denise crossing one of the rebuilt bridges in the Discovery Trail

Erika braves the leeches to pose by the large fallen tree on the Discovery Trail

A friendly hitchhiker

Not tying shoelaces – this was the clearing leeches station.

Morning tea on the shores of Lake Durras

Heading out from the Discovery Trail (leaving the leeches behind)

The group emerging onto North Durras Beach

Crossing the sands to the Burrawang Walking Track up to Point Upright

The ladies at Depot Beach Lookout

Photos courtesy of Karen G, Helen, and Peter

Today was meant to be the Mt. Bushwalker walk, but with the recent rains, the access road to the track was closed. Rather than cancel yet another walk, the North Durras Highlights walk was moved forward to fill in. This did mean the club would be having three walks in the Murramarang NP in quick succession, but there is always something to see in the Park and 11 walkers took up the opportunity.

Whilst we were pretty sure we would not get rain; it was going to be wet underfoot and indeed it was – a walk for walking boots, not runners.

The first part of the walk was almost Kokoda like – up to Lovells Pass on an old disused easement track; hardly (probably never) used for walking. It was overgrown and full of obstacles. We bashed through wet foliage and clambered over, and under, fallen trees to reach the top. But that was not the real concern. It was the leeches! Surprised and excited to have some passing traffic, they came out in force – grabbing onto us at every opportunity. None escaped their company; and as we emerged at the top at the side the road there was a mad rush to get those buggers off!

Once composed, we  headed to Lake Road and down to the entrance of the Discovery Trail. The Discovery Trail had been closed for months, being badly burnt during the fires with the infrastructure of the viewing platforms all destroyed. National Parks recently reopened the trail with the track and bridges rebuilt, but there is still lot more to be done – and even more so now as the recent storms have layered the trail with fallen trees. Still, it was a pleasant walk through southern rainforest with nice views from the top. Of course, the combination of rainforest, recent rains and humidity had the leeches out again. No one dared stop too long to enjoy the views or even to take a photograph for fear of being attacked.

Morning tea was had on the shore of the inland side of Durras Lake, the water a muddy brown from the recent flooding, but still a good spot to rest. No leeches except those that had hitchhiked on our boots. From there we headed out past the caravan parks to pick up an old fisherman’s track to emerge onto North Durras Beach in bright sunshine. The ocean was an inviting blue – so inviting in fact one of our party took the opportunity to take a quick dip.

Then came the real test – the climb up to Point Upright. Remarkably the Burrawang Walking Track up the headland was in pretty good nick despite the rains, except for a great almighty gum that had fallen, completely blocking the beach end of the track, as if to say “thou shalt not pass” – but we did! Again, no dilly dallying there. Some poor animal had met its maker when that tree fell – and its stench filled the air.

Lunch was at Point Upright lookout, one of the best views in the area. There we met two other hikers who were enjoying the solitude of the spot. Oh well, they were very gracious when we invaded their space. At one point we thought they might even join us for the rest of the walk.

From Point Upright it was a short walk to Depot Beach village. The usual photo opportunity at the Depot Beach Lookout was taken, and then to the cars.

It certainly was an eventful trek, and although it was a distance of only 12kms, all of us believed it was definitely “a good 12 kms”.

Peter

Wednesday 23 February 2022

Avoiding the ‘small’ puddles

Taking off the wet weather gear

Cicada shells

Being sure-footed

Narrawallee Inlet

Fungi near the lunch spot

A wild and beautiful spot

Rockhopping on Buckleys Beach

Rare native Hibiscus

Photos courtesy of Philip, Erika, Amanda and Karen

Narrawallee Creek Nature Reserve is an hour’s drive north of Batemans Bay, but it’s worth it to walk through some different vegetation, geology and history. The day threatened rain, but not to be deterred, and dressed in every piece of wet weather gear imaginable, 5 Batemans Bay Bushwalkers took the Mangrove Track towards Narrawallee Creek. The rain didn’t eventuate, so 2 km in, we stopped to take our rain gear off again. The Mangrove Track is low lying and was quite boggy. This whole area was very badly burned in the fires, and is taking some time to recover. Pre fires, this track was fringed by head high Tassel Cord Rush (Baloskion tetraphyllum) – now just starting to push through again.

The Mangrove Track emerges on Buckleys Beach at the creek entrance, which is a beautiful calm, clear swimming spot. There was once a wooden bridge spanning this inlet to transport silica from the nearby mine to Narrawallee Beach. The walk then heads north along the beach, which is liberally sprinkled with tiny shells, to the fascinating rocky outcrop at Buckleys Point. Here our in-house geologist pointed out fossilised worm holes and tunnels in the sandstone underfoot.

Turning inland we followed the route of an old tramway built to transport silica from the quarry to the bridge. This joined the Silica Ridge Trail which passes through the old quarry. The silica mined here from 1926 was originally used to line the blast furnaces at Port Kembla steelworks, and then used as roadbase. There’s a cutting where you can see the volcanic basalt overlying the silica band, and there’s still plenty of silica lying along the track.

From there it was a short walk back to the start. On the way we found a rare native hibiscus flower called Hibiscus richardsonii. This plant was rarely, if ever seen on the south coast, but after the bushfires it popped up sparsely and randomly in well burned soils. Thanks to Erika and Philip for braving the elements and leading us on such an interesting 13 km walk.

Karen

Sunday 20 February 2022

Caves on North Durras Beach

Durras Lake entrance – now almost closed

The climb up to Point Upright

The view from Point Upright – you could look at it all day

The cliffs at Point Upright

Rod, Bob, Sharon, Pat and Simeon at the Village Lookout Depot Beach

Photos courtesy of Donna and Karen

The group that met at North Durras was looking forward to regular bushwalking after a long period of Covid-induced program disruptions. And they were welcomed by a beautiful sunny day which showed off the colours of the local coastline at its best. Indeed the day was so brilliant that the number of surfers and other visitors to these secluded beaches was even greater than over the Christmas period.

A trek along the North Durras Beach, sometimes on the sand, sometimes in the forest, was followed by a steep climb to the lookout on Point Upright. The fire affected path was in good condition and the lookout had been refurbished. The ocean was deep blue, dotted with yachts, and the view to north and south was uninterrupted, other than by a faint haze in the distance. Then it was down to Depot Beach for a walk in the rainforest followed by lunch on the beach. The rainforest walk had clearly recovered from the fires of 2019 although some maintenance on the path was still required. The power line easement allowed for a hot hilly inland walk back to North Durras where the surfies and families were packing up after a long day in the sun. The surfboards being carried up from the beach were more of a hazard than rocks and roots on the pathway!

All in all, it was an excellent day out and a splendid reminder of what a beautiful area we live and walk in.

Rodney

Thursday 17 February 2022

Bob and Denise at the start of Snake Bay Track

Passing the first of new infrastructure for the South Coast Track

Exploring where the new track will go

A somewhat large tree to go under

Karen at Little Pebbly Beach

Leaving Little Pebby Beach

Morning Tea at the unnamed cove

Saunders case moth larvae out for a mid day stroll

Heading off from Clear Point

Photos courtesy of Donna, Karen and Peter

Batemans Bay Bushwalkers’ first walk for 2022 was on Thursday 17 February at Pebbly Beach. With the weather difficult to predict in February, a 7 km Easy/Medium track along the coast was chosen to take advantage of any sea breeze.

17 walkers turned up to walk the old track from Pebbly Beach north through Murramarang National Park along the coast. This area was burned in the fires, and much of the track infrastructure – wooden steps and wooden bridges have either burned completely away or been severely damaged. There are also several large trees down over the track which made it an interesting obstacle course.

There are 3 short side trips along the way – the first was Little Pebbly Beach, a small cove covered in pebbles. The next is a larger cove (unnamed) at which we stopped for a break and to explore the creek. We turned around here and retraced our steps back to the third side trip to Clear Point, which has views north to Pretty Beach and Snapper Point, and south to Point Upright and Grasshopper Island.

This particular track will form part of the new Murramarang South Coast Track, running from Bawley Point to Maloneys Beach. It has already been surveyed and marked by the track construction contractors, so we should see it cleared and repaired in the not-too-distant future.

The walk ended back at Pebbly Beach for lunch in one of the big picnic shelters.

Karen McL.