BATEMANS BAY BUSHWALKERS INC.

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

Thursday 29 April 2021

The first sculpture

Morning tea overlooking the dam

Another sculpture

Yet another sculpture

Regrowth

View across Deep Creek Dam

Photos courtesy of Philip and Erika

We started out from Deep Creek Dam carpark on a clockwise circuit on the mountain bike tracks that follow the ridges around Deep Creek Dam catchment. For most of the walk the dam was not visible, since the tracks skirt the ridges some distance from the dam itself.

The well maintained bike tracks provided us with a winding and undulating, single file, trail through the bush. The bushfire devastated country around the dam is slowly recovering and most areas along the walk were covered with a dense regrowth of understorey plants, probably boosted by recent rains.

Every now and then we came across an intriguing sculpture beside the track.

About half way through the walk we turned off the bike track and headed down Burnt Ridge Road South to the dam edge, where we paused for morning tea. It was a sunny, windstill autumn morning and the dam looked quite beautiful with reeds along the shoreline and trees reflecting in the smooth water.

After morning tea we walked back up to the bike track and continued on the circuit. Several more sculptures were encountered along the way, as well as a couple of bike riders and two men cutting back vegetation along the sides of the track.

At walks end we crossed the dam wall and arrived  back at our starting point, Deep Creek Dam carpark.

Philip