Wednesday 29 June 2022

Plan B initiated

The sign says it all

Some curious locals

Prefect walking weather

The only ‘off track’ section

Ian recounting a moment in Monga history.

Monga Mountain ‘summit’

Ian identifying the various trees

On McRae’s Road

Simeon and a new friend

Photos courtesy of Amanda and Philip

Monga Mountain (960m asl) may not have been so named except that the first coast to tablelands road of the 1850’s was built over it. The gold rushes of southeastern NSW, Majors Creek and Kiandra in particular, demanded a bullock dray route for the feverish aspirants and their financially driven service providers to disembark ships at Nelligen and head inland.

The Kings Highway up and across Clyde Mountain is today the best known of the route, but the last leg, the low range separating the Mongarlowe and Shoalhaven Rivers, is less recognised. This final link was achieved via Monga Mountain and the road, slightly realigned in places, is still trafficable.

Eight Club members turned up at the Monga “gateway” just off the Kings Highway expecting a 7km easy walk but surprise! – we were immediately confronted by a missing bridge over the Mongarlowe River, demanding a rethink. Curiously, there were no public notices to the effect that the bridge was being replaced.

Being an adaptive lot, and under favourable weather, we abandoned cars on the King’s Highway and decided to walk on, up McRae’s Road to Monga Mountain and return in a circuit to the missing bridge site via Link Road, Monga Lane and River Road. All this area was burnt in 2019-20 so we avoided the prolific undergrowth and remained on roads and trails.

It was only a mere 16km, slightly longer than anticipated. It took 5 hours and the walking was most enjoyable.

Because of the activity associated with the original road, and there being a sawmill in the area for the last 170 years, the history of the area is rich and needed retelling. With the elevational and geological changes encountered, the vegetation was quite varied, from dry ridge tops to lush fern gullies and riverside vistas. The post fire tree ferned landscapes were a treat. We saw good examples of Narrow Leaved Peppermint, Silvertop Ash, White Ash, Mountain Grey Gum, Brown Barrel, Messmate and Ribbon Gum.

Ian

Sunday 26 June 2022

Silhouetted in the morning sunshine

Glenn and Mary enjoying lunch amongst the spotted gums

Leader Karen and Niamh all smiles at lunch

Too nice a spot to leave

By Congo Creek

Sheer tranquillity

Photos courtesy of Mary and Karen 

Bushwalkers took advantage of perfect walking weather on Sunday to explore a couple of pockets of Eurobodalla National Park near Pedro Point and Pedro Swamp.

The walk began at Pedro Point on Dolphin Beach and eventually turned inland towards Congo Creek. The track followed Congo Creek west until a private property fence line, and then swung east again towards the coast. Walkers then headed towards Pedro Swamp which is full to overflowing after all the recent rain.

One of the features of this walk is the different mature forest types – bangalay forest, blackbutt forest and spotted gum forest, all in an 8 km catchment.

Karen

Thursday 23 June 2022

A muddy stretch

A gentle climb

Crossing the sand at Meringo

Attractive woodand

A group pose

And another on the lookout

Photos courtesy of Karen G and Donna F

Fourteen bushwalkers (including 2 visitors) led by Donna, set off from Mullimburra Point along the South Coast Dreaming Track. It was a glorious winter day filled with sunshine and blue skies.

The group walked along Packers Beach before leaving the beach to enjoy views from a viewing spot along the Dreaming Track. The walkers navigated a stretch of muddy path prior to reaching a trail through attractive woodland. After a brief trek across sands at Meringo it was a gentle climb to morning tea that was enjoyed at a headland at Congo with great views up and down the coast.

A return to the starting point at Mullimburra Point completed our much-enjoyed 8 km walk.

Karen G

Saturday 18 June 2022

Crossing Currawon Creek

Heading towards the mine

Along the way

Over a few obstacles

Crossing Bimberamala River

Arriving at the mine

Inspecting the mine

Remains of the old stamper

Rob explaining the remnants

Photos courtesy of Amanda, Philip and Erika

Seven walkers, including two visitors made the 13.5km trek to the Bimberamala Gold Mine. This is a Val Harris walk last done in 2017. Most of this area was burnt in the 2019/20 fires but the Bimberamala River valley was spared the devastation.

The mine is in quite a remote part of the Yadboro State Forest so we were surprised to find a camper at the Bimberamala River crossing. We followed a well-used 4WD track, now blocked by fallen trees to within a kilometre of the mine. The mine entrance itself shows evidence of collapse when compared to the photos taken in 2017. The remains of an old stamper are also visible near the mine entrance, abandoned when mining stopped in 1915.

On return to the main forest road and river crossing where we had lunch five additional 4WD vehicles turned up making us realise two things: first- this is a popular 4WD site and second- we should only schedule this walk on week days!

Our overnight camper showed us a video of a large boiler he found on the river 300m upstream of the river crossing. We will do a recce in the coming months to find this artefact and add it to the walk for future walk leaders. I did some post walk internet research and found that the Bimberamala Gold Mine yielded $8m of gold (in today’s value) and that there was an additional nearby Bimberamala Creek alluvial gold working site. This is probably the location of the boiler our friend had pointed us to.

Rob

Wednesday 15 June 2022

Under tall timber

The leader and her group

Posing for a picture

A fine morning’s walk

Enjoying morning tea

Photos courtesy of Donna F and Glenn

A sunny day added to a pleasant forest walk with glimpses of Meroo Lake, enjoyed by 12 members.

Morning tea was by the lake where we were reliably informed the nearby chirping birds were robins and wrens.

At the finish of the walk a few members stopped at East Lynn for pies, while the remainder headed home.

Glenn

Tuesday 14 June 2022

Karen Max and Lin enjyoing a quiet spot on the river

Perfect weather for perfect reflections

Sheep watching on from shore

Morning tea on a sand beach

Bob leaving the ‘morning tea’ beach

Photos courtesy of Mary

Six paddlers enjoyed another brilliant morning this time on the Moruya River. We launched at Yarragee and paddled as far as the water level would permit. Once again we were treated to lovely reflections on the water.

Paddling up river we were able, for a while to take advantage of the incoming tide which turned before we reach our destination giving some strong, swirling currents.

Morning tea and lunch were taken on sandy beaches. During lunch the water receded making it a challenge for those of us not wise enough to leave their kayaks in deeper water. The result of this mistake afforded the group much amusement when one of the party got ‘too close and cosy with the wet, soggy sand’.

With chillier temperatures and a weakening sun strength coming up, we will soon take a winter break.

Mary

Sunday 12 June 2022

Bingi Headland

Negotiating the rocks.

Kellys Lake beach and surf

Setting out along the road at the start of the walk

Morning tea at Bingi rocks

Big crashing waves

Photos courtesy of Mary

After such a cold start to the long weekend Sunday’s warm, mild, and almost windless weather was just what 16 Batemans Bay bushwalkers were hoping for when they began a 6 km hike from Mullimburra Point to the headland just south of Bingi Bingi Point and back.

High seas had eroded much of the sand from the beach, exposing previously submerged rocks and providing a place for a grey reef heron and sooty oystercatcher to search for food. Further down at Kelly’s Lake three endangered hooded plovers did their characteristic dart across the sand and into the cover of dunes. Nearby a lady fisherperson reeled in a sizable fish for her dinner.

The walkers stopped for morning tea at a large flat headland with almost 360 degrees of coastal scenery, a sight that never fails to entrance us and revive spirits.

The return section of the circuit was part of the Dreaming Track  and and while there were muddy puddles, it was much drier than previously, and walkers could step around wet spots. No bush flowers or fungi were seen but birds were heard, and two eastern yellow robins were spotted along the track.

The walk finished at lunch time and several members decided to eat their sandwiches on the beach whilst watching the large waves crash onto rocks and the breeze pick up the spray making a mist.

Thankyou Mary for an enjoyable walk and a lovely day out.

Denise

Thursday 9 June 2022

Starting off

Through the gully

Finding a way through

and over the debris

Today’s group photograph

The 2017 photograph from the same area

The now open canopy

Ian amongst the damage

the destruction is apparant

before – the rainforest in 2017

But life still hangs on

Photos courtesy of Amanda, Philip and Erika with past photos from Ian

Following last month’s failed attempt to visit the three areas of Monga’s rainforest, this revisit concentrated on entering only the largest patch. We used a new route through the surrounding regrowth scrub, proliferating after the catastrophic 2019/20 bushfire, and it yielded a perfect result – hardly any bush bashing.

Once under the remains of the Pinkwood (Eucryphia moorei) canopy, it was immediately clear the fire had burnt most of the rainforest causing significant damage.

It was a sorry sight. The general view through the area was of dead trees. Although some of the Pinkwood had relatively undamaged crowns, many were dead. Many had a killed crown but the stump is now shooting coppice regrowth. Although the coppice may eventually form a new tree stem (many decades) it will have to compete with the fast growing Brown Barrel (Eucalyptus fastigata) seedlings, prolific wherever a remnant has shed its seed load.

In stark contrast to our visit five years ago, the forest floor was no longer a mossy floored park land missing only elves and goblins but now littered with recently fallen trees. Much of the ground’s soft spongey organic layer had burnt.

Many of the previously scattered very large Brown Barrel remnants were now gone, burnt, fallen or killed. A few survive. We found two of our favourites – the “photo tree”, still alive, and the standing remains of the “hollow” tree, now a dead shell. We took photos for old time’s sake.

Our exit up the gully line to the north was a little more promising. This narrow strip of rainforest and tree ferns, although damaged, was still relatively intact. A few tree deaths and fallen trees have created some openings in the canopy but in other places, mainly in the wet gully bottom, the rainforest was still as lovely as it always was.

In summary, although the walk was interesting, seeing the fire damage was very disheartening. Approximately 90% of the rainforest burnt. Possibly 50% will eventually survive as rainforest but it will take decades before the Pinkwood canopy reforms. The other 50% will now become a eucalypt forest. The 10% which survived is mainly in the northern gully line, a reminder of what was here before.

In this one small area, an aesthetically pleasing and interesting ecological system, which took thousands of years to evolve at this place and, until very recently, a survivor of a prehistoric era, has now almost disappeared.

Ian

Saturday 4 June 2022

One happy group

Stairs to Myrtle Beach

Heading south on Myrtle Beach

Tom and Gay enjoying morning tea in the sunshine

Through the lamandra

Lunch at Oaky Beach

Capturing that shot

and that one as well

Photos courtesy of Amanda, Helen, Brian, Tom, Philip and Erika

From the start at Wasp Head carpark we followed the trail through the bush and down onto Emily Miller Beach. There was little wind, the sea was calm, the day was sunny and we walked under a cloudless blue sky. These beautiful conditions had attracted a couple of naturists who hastily left the beach upon seeing us.

At the end of Emily Miller Beach we went inland and made our way through the forest and around the headlands, past Dark Beach, and down onto Myrtle Beach. At the end of the beach we paused for morning tea at a pleasant grassy spot, before heading back inland and continuing further south. As we meandered along the low winter sun created beautiful light and shadows throughout the forest.

After walking along Richmond Beach and passing Little Oaky Beach, we pushed our way through an area of thick lamandra onto Oaky Beach where we stopped for lunch at yet another beautiful spot. After lunch we went back inland, then onto Honeysuckle Beach and finally to North Head.

Before the walks end at North Head carpark we stopped at the viewing platform to look back over the cliffs and headlands to the north and to admire the expansive ocean view. We were pleased to spot a couple of whale spouts in the distance.

At various locations during the course of the walk we encountered one small snake (type uncertain), two red-bellied black snakes, several kangaroos and a couple of wallabies. Thanks Brian for leading us on a very fine walk.

Philip

Thursday 2 June 2022

Nancy and Bob enjoying the perfect conditions on the creek

In a narrowing Clyne Mallowes

The fleet at rest

Which way up – Dock over river.

Nancy gliding past and enjoying the scenery

Mangroves and their reflections

Exploring one of the creek tributaries

Photos courtesy of Mary and Karen

Five members and one visitor met in Nelligen to paddle Cyne Mallowes an off shoot of the Clyde River.

The day started out with high clouds and rather chilly. By mid morning the sun was out and what a display we were treated to. The reflections in the water were mirror like.

Clyne Mallowes starts out as a wide section of water and the further we paddled, narrowed to quiet water, tall trees with some green paddocks . As the tide was high the group were able to journey well up the available navigable water, reaching further than we have done before, about 12 km.

As so much of the land around the water edge is private property, the only way to experience this gem on the Clyde River is by water craft. This is reason for it being so quiet with little to disturb the truly incredible reflections.

A sunny spot was found for morning tea with lunch back on the river bank at Nelligen.

Mary