Saturday 22 March 2025

Lake View

On the march

Lunch on the log

Photos courtesy of Rodney. Walk report courtesy walk leader Rodney.

This relatively short 5.5km walk started late in the morning at the Durras Lake Boat Ramp. The kangaroos scattered in all directions as thirteen walkers headed out of the village on the firebreak behind the houses, up to Fern Drive and then on to Durras Lake via the old tip site and disused gravel quarry area. Some very light rain cooled the group down as they climbed the narrow and sometimes steep track through the old quarry workings. They observed the new casuarina plantings on the old tip site and the secondary forest growth through much of the heavily logged areas.

Then followed a pleasant walk along the ridge top to Punt Arm and lunch by the Lake, as promised. The sun came out for the return journey at a lower level through some of the remaining original forest on the edge of the Durras Lake Wetlands, where some impressive swamp gums are still standing. During one brief stop on the return leg we realised that more than half the group were octogenarians. That, we felt, was quite an endorsement of bushwalking for fitness!

Saturday 8 March 2025

The Crew on the break

Fig Trees

A view through the mangroves

The group press on.

Photos courtesy of Peter and MaryT. Walk report courtesy of Walk leaders Ed and KarenG.

Twelve member walkers and two visitors made an early start to the drive to the Ringlands Narooma Circuit: a pretty and varied walk, popular with club. The walk began with a 1.5 kilometre trudge up Flying Fox Road until turning off to amble along the waters edge of Wagonga Inlet from Shell Point to Flying Fox Bay.

Our walk was mostly uneventful except we did attract the attention of two fenced Maremma dogs, keen to protect their free ranging chickens, prior to leaving the road. While we were enjoying our morning tea a friendly seal started waving to the group. Some of us were a bit surprised at the number of oyster beds along the way, though we were uncertain about whether their number had grown or whether they were simply more visible due to the low tide.

We lunched at Picnic Point on Ringlands Bay, seated on a large fallen log overlooking the waters. By time we reached the small remnant of rainforest with its two large fig trees, we were super glad of the shaded cool it provided. From there it was, thankfully, only a short walk back up to our cars for our tired, but happy walkers.

Thursday 27 February 2025

Ian explains…

Morning Tea 1

Morning Tea2

The crew at Myrtle Beach

Phytology

Relaxing Lunch

Stepping out

The Big Tree

Tree Crown

Twisted Spotty

Photos courtesy of Amanda, Brian, Priya and Lenore. Walk report courtesy of Walk Leader Lenore.

There were 14 keen starters for this walk on this warm, overcast and humid summer day. We made our way along undulating shaded fire trails, some well established and others well disguised. A few small detours were required to get around fallen timbers and overgrown bush. The trail through the coastal spotted gums with their individual forms was beautiful. This lead us onto Myrtle Beach where a few took the opportunity to refresh with a swim in the beautiful ocean.

“Big tree” was impressive with its great girth. This opened the questions to Ian, our forestry guru which enabled a pause for knowledge as well as breath.
I think all were happy to return to the cars at the end of a solid day out, thanks to all.

Wednesday 5 March 2025

Bimberamala crossing on the way back

Bimberamala crossing on the way there

Rusting steam engine in the bush

Rob with the rusting steam engine

The aforementioned lurking in the undergrowth

Gold Stamper Battery

Lunch by the river on the rocks

Portable steam engine

Visitor Peter at the mine

Morning tea history lesson

Photos courtesy of Amanda and Rob.   Walk report courtesy of Walk Leader Rob.

Seven club walkers, including two visitors, did the walk to the Bimberamala Mine on a bright sunny day with welcome low-20’s temperatures.

In 2022 we hiked to the mine and met a 4WD camper at the river crossing who told us about a boiler on the river bank 300m upstream. I planned to visit the Bimberamala Mine and try and find the boiler he described. On Monday 3rd I led an exploratory walk to the river with Donna, Amanda and Lenore to find the boiler. We started on Browns Gully Firetrail and then onto a very overgrown CPT482/1 track before descending to the river and heading downstream. This was a beautiful stretch of the river with river gums, large pools and rocky beaches plus the odd steep cliff scramble. Two kilometres later while stumbling through thick bracken on a river bend Donna spotted the boiler. I was very relieved to make the find as we were all exhausted from the hike and continuous removal of aggressive leeches in the wet vegetation.

I sent some photos of the boiler to a friend at the Moruya Antique Tractor Association who informed me it was not just a boiler but a full steam engine. An internet search revealed a similar model in a museum in England

On our hike today we visited the mine and our visitors were impressed by the cool breeze coming from the Adit (horizontal mine shaft) which I explained came from the vertical mine shafts upslope that the adit intersected. The mine was too wet to explore and the leeches were starting to come out in full force.

We crossed the creek from the mine and saw the abandoned gold stamper battery. This then raised the question – why was the steam engine that would have powered the stamper located almost 1km away on the river itself down a steep track? Mining stopped in 1915 so this is a 100 year old mystery, but here is my hypothesis. We have seen other stampers at remote gold mines which assume were abandoned when the gold ran out and considering their heavy weight were too expensive to cart to another location. The attached picture shows what one of these portable steam engines looked like so being portable could have been pulled back along the track by horses or bullocks. Why they left it on the bank of the river so close (300m) to the road that could have been used to take it back to Nelligen who knows. Today we view the steam engine as a rusting engine whose wheels and flywheel as well as other pieces of the machine were stolen over the last 100 years.

We have mapped the location of the steam engine and it will be added to future walks to the Bimberamala mine.

Sunday 2 March 2025

Morning tea by the lake

Durras Lake

Photos courtesy of KarenM.   Walk report courtesy Walk Leader Glenn.

The group enjoyed a pleasant morning walk following the track beside Durras Lake, stopping for morning tea before going onto the Discovery Trail.
Through the wooden gate and we discovered schools of fish in the little creek. Following the track past Cabbage Tree palms and spotted gums we reached a area with a spectacular view over the gully taking in the trees on the opposite side.
Upon completing the Discovery Trail loop we followed the track back along the lake to the cars. A great start to the day.

Saturday 22 February 2025

Group shot

Judges Beach

Heads-up

Long Beach view

Photos courtesy of BrianM, KarenM. Walk report courtesy of Walk Leader KarenM.

Long Beach to Judges Beach is a 10 km Easy/Medium grade circuit walk. On Saturday the temperature was forecast to be 28 deg C, so we tackled the hills and the forest section first before it got too steamy. However, by the time we reached the coast again at Judges Beach, we were already starting to feel the heat. We took a break on the beach to cool down and then made our way back along the Murramarang South Coast track to the Maloneys Beach trackhead.

The final leg was along Maloneys Beach and under the cliffs at low tide to Long Beach where we were able to enjoy the breeze. Several walkers took advantage of the perfect conditions at Long Beach to have a swim, followed by a picnic lunch in the shade.

Wednesday 19 February 2025

Gathering the group

On the beach

New ladder and steps

Around the headlands

Photos courtesy of DonnaG.  Walk report courtesy DonnaG.

Eight walkers, including three visitors, met at Malua Bay Surf Club for the start of Jenny’s Munjip Trail walk. Munjip is now the new official name of the Batemans Bay Coastal Headlands Walking Trail that spans the coastal area from Observation Point at Batehaven to McKenzies Beach to the south. On this particular day we walked from Malua Bay and headed north to Mosquito Bay. For a summer’s day the weather was quite cool with overcast skies however it was a welcome change to hot and humid weather.

Jenny led us along the track where we were able to check out newly constructed bridges and steps. The upgrade to the track is very impressive and there are a number of safety rails at various lookout points along the way however a few precarious spots were given a wide berth. Jenny’s impeccable timing meant that not only were we able to descend the steep steps down onto Mosquito Bay and the surrounding rock platforms without getting wet, but we arrived around to the nearby café just in time for a great morning tea spot on the verandah.

After resting at this rather civilised and upmarket morning tea location it was time to hit the trail again, this time taking the pedestrian path back down to our starting point. Thanks Jenny for this lovely morning walk it was great to get back out for just the second walk of the year.

Sunday 16 February 2025

On the sandstone steps

Gotta love those steps

Almost at the summit

View from the top

Backing down

There are some level areas

The summit from the lunch spot

One steep stairway

Call with a view

Group shot

Photos courtesy of Philip and Erika, Amanda, and Gay. Walk report courtesy of Walk Leaders Philip and Erika.

Commencing our walk on a cool and clear summer morning, we zig-zagged up the first section of the track. After negotiating the sandstone steps, we stopped for morning tea on a broad rock outcrop with a fabulous view across the coastal fringe to the ocean beyond. After morning tea, it was a few more steps, then some easy walking across the flat middle section of the track. But the easy walking didn’t last long, and soon we were onto the many, many (recently upgraded) steps that took us to base of the first ladder.

The final climb to the summit was up several tiers of steep steel ladders and staircases to the lookout platform, 720m above sea level. Our reward was beautiful panoramic views in all directions, a slight breeze and warm sunshine.
Once we had finished taking in the perfect views, pointing out landmarks and taking photos, we climbed back down to the bottom of the stairs and ladders. From there we retraced the route back to the ‘morning tea’ spot, and stopped for lunch.
Following lunch it was down more steps, along the windy track and back to the start of the walk.

Thursday 13 February 2025

Narooma walkers group shot

The new Living Shoreline jetty and pontoon

Enjoying the view

Lazing in the sun

Curiousity

Seal on the rocks near the harbor entrance

A closer look

View to the golf course and lunch destination

Photos courtesy of KarenM, DonnaG and Max. Walk Report courtesy Walk Leader KarenM.

The first walk of 2025 was a social walk in Narooma – starting at the Boardwalk on the north side of Wagonga Inlet and finishing at the Golf Club, where we had lunch.

This short easy walk gets lovelier every time we visit. We started by watching a couple of fur seals playing in the shallows next to the boat ramp with a third hauled up under a mangrove nearby.

The Boardwalk skirts the inlet and leads to a shared path over the bridge to Narooma’s new Inlet Living Shoreline development. Here the existing failing rock wall has been replaced with banks of low-growing riparian vegetation to create an environmentally friendly seawall. There’s also a new boardwalk, jetty and pontoon to explore.

The path continues past the commercial jetty, with its charter and dive boats and where the giant stingrays and a few more playful seals hang out around the fish cleaning table. We stopped at the nearby park for a break before walking out to the southern breakwall. Here we found the big rock with a hole roughly the shape of Australia in it, and quite a few more seals, either sunbaking along the breakwall or frolicking in the current.

From there we climbed the stairs to the lookouts with fantastic views of the coast north and south, and over the inlet. Then we skirted the golf course which is situated along the cliffline, and finished at the Golf Club.