Saturday 14 April 2018

Heading down another headland track.

Our never ending beautiful coast line.

Pittosporum Revolutum open ready for birds to scatter the seeds.

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

Wednesday 11 April 2018

Ian, Philip, Bev, Simeon, Karen and Stan by Termeil Lake.

Looking towards Crampton Island on a seemingly deserted beach on the way to Tabourie.

Ian, Stan, Simeon, Bob and Karen on Tabourie beach

Pelicans hoping to share in the catch near a fisherman on Tabourie Creek.

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

Sunday 8 April 2018

Mike at morning tea.

Descending into Goalhouse Pass.

Lesley goes bush.

Leader Carol leads the group safely out of the Pass

Walkers disappearing into the bushes on the plateau.

Donna overlooking the range.

Photos by Carol and Mary

On Sunday 8^th 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

Thursday 5 April 2018

Helen in the forest.

Rodney, Glenn, Karen, Helen, Karen, Betty, Carol, Pat and Donna take a break and a chat on one of natures ‘chairs’ in the forest.

Rob enjoying a break in the sun.

Betty strides out on a clear track.

On the way down to Emily Miller Beach

Emily Miller beach.

‘Got it’. The one that didn’t get away.

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

Wednesday 4 April 2018

Leaving the boat ramp at Mossy Point.

Peaceful site for morning tea on the Tomaga River.

Lunch in farm country.

Relaunching after lunch.

Log jam bars the way.

Photos by Mary

Monday 2 April 2018

Ian, Simon and Sharon heading off into the bush.

Morning tea on Quart Pot Creek.

Simon and Ian ascending the waterfall.

Simon at ‘No Name Waterfall’.

Leader Ian ‘living on the edge’ at the top of the waterfall.

David, Ian and Simon standing almost on air at the top of the waterfall.

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

Sunday 1 April 2018

Morning tea near Judges Beach.

Leader Karen with Mary.

So this is what makes all the noise in the bush.

Photos by Carol and Mary

This year’s Easter Sunday walk started at Maloneys Beach and proceeded through Murramarang National Park, via beaches and forest to North Head.

20 walkers enjoyed the warm calm weather, first visiting one of the notable spotted gums in the area, followed by a morning tea break at the ruined concrete sea pool near Judges Beach.  Then it was cross country through the burrawangs and eucalypts to North Head Beach and lunch in the shade on the rock platforms.  Batemans Bay Bushwalkers have scheduled this walk many times in the past and generally never see another soul on our travels, but at Easter there are holidaymakers on even the most remote beaches, although we had the forest tracks to ourselves.

On the walk back we took a slightly different route through the National Park past a set of abandoned stockyards and via Quiriga Beach.  A most relaxing way to spend Easter Sunday.

Karen

Wednesday 28 March 2018

Joe, Valerie, Carol, Lesley, Bev, Molly, Bob, Donna, Dorry.

Dappled sunlight on a forest track.

Val, Lesley, Donna and Molly stop for morning tea.

Joe and Dorry relaxing on a handy log.

Leader Valerie on the track.

Photos by Brian and Carol

Only a small group of keen walkers (total of 10) joined Valerie on the day for this, what turned out to be a very enjoyable walk. All the way the bush tracks were well maintained which made it easy to walk along. Gentle elevations and beautiful lush forest made the walk most pleasant for all of us.

We spotted a kangaroo and a whole lot of birds but the highlight for us all was a flock of yellow tailed black cockatoos. They are most magnificent birds. They flew ahead of us for a while as if to show us the way out of the forest.

It was interesting to see different plants and even other trees growing out of, what we thought were dead old tree stumps. Cycle of life is just fascinating.

The day itself was just perfect for the walk. It was warm but not hot, very light breeze with lots of shade in the forest that all together provided just perfect conditions that made us all very happy participants, which was demonstrated in lots of chatting and laughter.

Thank you Valerie for a great day!

Joe

Sunday 25 March 2018

Lush valley at the foot of Gulaga.

Looking across the valley to the sea.

A long, slog to the top.

Philip, leader Rob and Erika pause on the way to the top.

One of a number of Geological survey plaques sighted on the way up Gulaga.

A welcome morning tea at the top of our ascent.

Panorama across the rocks at the waterfall.

Sharon and Betty enjoy a well earned lunch at the waterfall.

Photos by Helen and Mary 

With a forecast of rain at 2pm and overcast skies, 10 walkers travelled to Tilba Tilba to walk part of Gulaga mountain (Mt Dromedary).

Reading up on the dreaming stories as outlined on the information board, apparently Gulaga was the mother of two sons, Baranguba (Montague Island) and the younger son, Najanuka (Little Dromedary). The story goes that Baranguba didn’t do what his mother told him, can’t be reunited with her and is separated by the sea, so she kept Najauka closer to herself when it was time for him to leave.

After a car shuffle we set off on the long climb to Gulaga’s saddle, thankful that there was no hot sun and that there were plenty of distractions from the steep gradient with filtered views of Wallaga lake, lush tree ferns, bird song and fungi. Several Geological survey plaques were also noted on the route.

Gulaga appears to have good tree coverage now, though mining history records how one side of the mountain was de-forested in the search for gold from 1860’s onwards.

After a break, we viewed the magnificent granite tors that are sacred to Aboriginal tradition. It was an impressive detour to a very special place.

But wait! There’s more!

Next, picking up a 4WD track, Rob led us to Narooma’s water supply dam complete with a huge slab of granite rock face and waterfall where we had a well earned rest and lunch.

Bang on cue, the rain arrived during the last leg of the 11km walk but it was not enough to dampen our enthusiasm for an excellent day out.

Helen

Sunday 25 March 2018

Leader Ian with his fellow ramblers.

Photo by Ian

One can be lucky with the weather. Rain had preceded and was forecast to follow this easy morning walk, which was enjoyed by 12 walkers in good weather.

The Burrewarra peninsula at Guerilla Bay is rewarding for the views north, east and south and for it’s flaura and fauna. The group enjoyed a cliff top walk  to the lighthouse, followed by a ramble along the beach.

The sea was notably clear and the swimmers told us the temperature was great. Don’t we live in a great part of the world?

Ian