BATEMANS BAY BUSHWALKERS INC.

Thursday 10 June 2021

A happy bunch of bushwalkers

That looks like a big rock

The Big Rock

Tom on the feature

Discussing the feature

Ros and Gay with yet another feature

Where’s Gay?

Coming out of the boggy bit, with a few leeches too

Photos courtesy of Gay, Amanda and Tom

Seven brave souls took the chance and joined Donna for a 14kms walk in the Bodalla State Forest.  Prior rain and a dismal forecast for the day didn’t ‘dampen’ enthusiasm so a punt was taken and we were rewarded with a good day for walking.

This walk is a new walk so it was a great opportunity to explore some areas of the forest not previously traversed by the club.  We started our walk from Big Rock Road and passed a number of quirky ‘sculptures’ constructed by locals from various materials found on the surrounding ground.  A teepee, crocodile and stickman riding a horse were just a few of the creations that we passed.

We made our way to a big granite rock, no guesses for where the name Big Rock Road came from! and then continued onto Stony Creek where we observed an old log in the creek, a remnant from an old bridge previously used by loggers many years ago.  Who said this walk had no features!!  After a nice morning tea stop, serenaded by a particularly chatty lyrebird, we continued along various bike tracks, ridges and of course the odd incline (aka hill) or two, or maybe three, hmmm well perhaps four.  We made our way down through a lovely fern covered gully and then through a marshy area which fortunately was easily crossed without any boots becoming wet, although a few hitchhiker leech’s were quickly discarded.

Lunch was abruptly cut short due to a short five minute downpour so we donned our rain gear and picked up the pace for the remaining few kilometres.  The weather gods were in our favour as we were able to make it back to the cars just in time to beat a heavy downpour.

Donna

Saturday 5 June 2021

Jill’s friends

A big group of walkers enjoying the gorgeous day

Karen, Leader Jill and Denise heading down to Pretty Beach

Taking advantage of low tide

Just a bit of seaweed to navigate

Some geological specimens

Ainslie and Mike

Ailza and Gay checking out O’Hara Islet from a distance

Morning Tea

Jim and Karen with new members Paula, Grant, Jill and Ian at morning tea

Bob, Elaine and Heather at morning tea

Leader, Jill and Rodney trying to spot the whales

A rare sighting – Tony and Donna together on the trails

Viewing platform at Snapper Point

Jill Whispering Whales

Rounding the headland back to Merry Beach

Heather in the wattle

Gillian and Rodney coming onto Merry Beach

Views back towards Pretty Beach

Photos courtesy of Lesley, Ainslie, Gay, Rodney, Mary and Bob

With her usual sunny disposition, Jill soon had the milling crowd moulded from a herd of cats into an organised group of 21 bushwalkers.   After leading us into the wilds from Merry Beach, she introduced us to her many macropod friends, who patiently waited for the intruders to pass by, before resuming their important basking and other social graces.

Around to Pretty Beach for the mandatory morning tea and toilet stop, we had beautiful clear views down the coast to Gulaga, over a lively sea, with a solid swell decorated by surfers.   As the heavy swell made it risky to venture out to O’Hara Islet, we turned east for Snapper Point, where Jill, “The Whale Whisperer” showed off her talents by encouraging a pod of lively Humpbacks to cavort in front of us.

The welcome descent to Merry Beach led us back to the cars for a sumptuous picnic lunch for some, and a dash back to attend to chores for others.   A very pleasant day out for all.

Bob

Wednesday 2 June 2021

Walk beginning on new Batemans Bay Bridge

Removed road section of old Batemans Bay Bridge

Part demolition of old Batemans Bay Bridge

Leader, Joan, with a few facts about the bridge

Photos courtesy of Joan and Lesley

A perfect sunny day gave 17 bushwalkers a feeling of anticipation at beginning this first walk by the club over the new Batemans Bay bridge.  Before starting the walk the leader gave a brief summary of a few facts about the bridge, namely the length being 307m,  the height allowance for boating of 12m and the budgeted cost of $274m.  In order to arrive at the bridge the walkers were led from the car park to the Surfside roundabout, up and on the footpath around to the caravan park, then followed the directions up to the start of the bridge walk while inquiring from bridge employees as to the reason for a very large hole being excavated – answer was that it will be sediment collection pit.

Once on the bridge all walkers changed into strollers while discovering various sights and work in progress to absorb and photograph.  This was also an excellent opportunity to view the demolition of the old bridge as well.  Once over the bridge the walk was led to the foreshore coffee precinct and then to the walk conclusion at seating on the end of the longest pier out over the water where the ferry to Nelligen was admired making its way under the new bridge.  The return to the Surfside car park was the ending to an enjoyable memorable historic walk by club members.

Joan

Wednesday 2 June 2021

Blackened trees but a clear track

Brian, Rob and Donna with the remains of the Clear Point sign

Whale sightings

Donna in a contemplative mood

Photos courtesy of Amanda and Brian

On a lovely, fine morning, six walkers set out from Pretty Beach campground on the long, steady climb up the northern slopes of Mt Durras.

Only recently re-opened after the bushfires, this track revealed plenty of evidence of the devastation that occurred here however the path remained clear all the way to the summit where morning tea was enjoyed basking in the sunshine in the clearing where a  farmstead once stood.

The descent to Clear Point was slightly more difficult than it had once been. In areas where the tree canopy had been burnt, sunlight has poured in and onto the forest floor, allowing weeds and vines to take hold and thrive. This will be an ongoing challenge for bushwalkers and for Parks management.

Lunch was taken at Snake Bay and the remaining section of the walk back to Pretty Beach was punctuated by whale sightings and wonderful coastal views all the way down to Gulaga.

Brian

Thursday 27 May 2021

Kaye, Bev and Barry

Barry, Bev, Nancy, Kaye and Louise

Lesley, Barry, Bev, Nancy and Kaye

Photos courtesy of Lesley

Last Thursday saw a small group of bushwalkers keen to explore the Discovery Trail at North Durras to see how it had fared after last year’s fires and recent heavy rains.

While a few landmarks were no longer there and some large trees had suffered  it was a  joy to see the magnificent spotted gums towering grandly over a carpet of lush green ferns.  A large number of cabbage tree palms were seen pushing up and the forest was alive with birdlife.  The lake was very calm hosting a pair of black swans and the odd kingfisher.

In all a very pleasant morning’s walk.

Nancy

Sunday 30 May 2021

Walkers tackle one of the many hills on the walk

Nearly to the top

Time for a break

Start of the wetlands on Waterfall Creek

A happy smiling Donna

Ed looking a little concerned?

Negotiating a fallen tree

Muddy tidal flats of Waterfall Creek

Another hill

Are we there yet?

One of the millions of regenerating she-oaks sprouting like grass after the fires

Bob, Lynne and Michael

Grant and Peter

Photos courtesy of Karen M,  Karen G and Rob

Nineteen walkers fronted up for an 11km hike west of Mogo in the Salt Water Creek area. This is a Betty Richards walk so the attendees were told to expect hills, bike tracks and forest roads, a staple of her walks. The weather was kind to us with enough sunshine to stave off the morning chill but not too hot for the hike. One section of the walk followed the water pipeline coming from the pumping station on the Buckenbowra River and ends at the Deep Creek Reservoir. It presented the steepest descent and climb on the day and quieted down our noisy group of hikers. An interesting feature of the walk was the section that skirts the tidal mud flats of Waterfall Creek where there are extensive mangroves which surprised some of our walkers who did not realise how far the Clyde River drainages reach inland.

Rob

Wednesday 26 May 2021

Sharon and Bob setting off from Nelligen

Jane and Karen setting off

Jane enjoying the river and the sunshine

Sharon and Bob stopping for a chat

Looking north up the Clyde towards Nelligen

The elegant sweep of the new Batemans Bay Bridge

Photos courtesy of Mary and Karen

With an outgoing tide, and a following breeze, our paddlers made easy work of the 12km kayak on the Clyde River from Nelligen to North Batemans Bay.

Most of the riverbank had been burned by the bushfires.  In some places where the fire was most fierce, regeneration is slow and it was a sobering reminder of that terrible time as we floated by.  However, it was a cool, clear, sunny day and perfect for mooching down the river, past the houseboats and extensive oyster leases.

As we approached Batemans Bay, the new bridge loomed above – today was the day they had begun to dismantle the old bridge structure and there was a lot of construction traffic, both on and off the water.  We avoided all that and pulled into the beach at North Batemans Bay for lunch on a grassy bank in the sun.

Karen

Saturday 22 May 2021

Big spotted gum down after one of the recent storms

Walkers dwarfed by the Big Tree

Photos courtesy of Karen

Batemans Bay Bushwalkers followed a 10km circuit along forest tracks through Murramarang National Park on the weekend.  Starting at North Head Road, they took a gated track through several gullies, eventually emerging at the Old Highway.  From there they passed through one of Murramarang’s iconic twisted gum forests to Myrtle Beach, pausing on the beach for a morning tea break.

Leaving the southern end of Myrtle Beach they followed the quiet backtracks to the Big Tree – a huge spotted gum spared by logging.  Then it was a gentle incline back to North Head Road and the end of the walk.

Karen

Wednesday 19 May 2021

Heading out on the track

Rob enjoying the view

Sharon and her lunchtime view

Stunning

This is why we go there

Gentleman duties

Rodney on the road

View from the lookout

Photos courtesy of Amanda, Karen and Denise

It was a wonderfully crisp, clear, sunny day – excellent conditions for a high plateau walk. Eight walkers left Batemans Bay for the 75 minute drive north of Ulladulla and up into the Moreton National Park. Only parts of the plateau are open and our original longer walk was curtailed due to flooded tracks. The lower depressions in the sandstone plateau are taking a long time to drain after heavy rain earlier in the year. The walk out to Florence Head showed how badly the heathland had burned. In particular the Banksias were little more than blackened skeletons. At Florence Head the view was spectacular – encompassing the Castle, Byangee Walls, the ranges as far as Moruya and, of course, the coastline to the Bay and beyond. Although the drop down the cliffs to the forest is spectacularly deep, we could hear Lyre Birds cavorting and singing below us. A few wildflowers were showing in the regenerating bush on the plateau, but overall the gloomy picture was one of fire devastation. Lunch at the end of the walk was at the Pointer Gap Lookout, again with clear views up and down the coast including to George’s Basin and the Point Upright lighthouse. All in all, a lovely day out in an area we visit infrequently.

Rodney