BATEMANS BAY BUSHWALKERS INC.

Thursday 2 May 2019

Setting out for the uphill climb.

Leader Donna finds the side track.

Views on the way up of the coast and pastures.

Karen and part of the old manager’s house.

Pat and Sharon ready for lunch.

Sharon, Mary, Karen, Donna, Pat and Glenn in the ‘jungle’.

Overgrown track.

Battery track.

A leech looking for a feed after Mary removed it from her boot.

Decaying Forestry signboard.

Photos by Helen, Karen and Mary

Six brave female souls joined Donna up Gulaga for her second walk as leader. After being assured that nobody would be lost, or rather pleading with everyone not to get lost on the walk, the group was given the good news and the bad news.  The good news being that a nice new shiny toilet had been installed up the mountain.  The bad news was that the walk didn’t go as far as the toilet but that didn’t matter as that meant that we didn’t have to walk further up the mountain!!

We set off for a four km uphill walk in sunny, humid conditions and located the rarely used and unmaintained Battery Track.  In addition to its significant indigenous cultural history, Gulaga has a European history which involves the mining of gold from 1878 to 1920.  Stampers, boilers, aerial tramways and even a cyanide processing plant were housed on the mountain during this period.  At one stage there was also a school in the area as well as dwellings to house the four hundred or so miners and their families who lived there permanently.

The purpose of this walk was to follow the remnants of the Battery Track, which is now overgrown and difficult in sections, to locate artifacts and relics from the gold mining period.  The walk was a very scenic one with the lush rainforest harbouring some beautiful tree ferns along the way, even a Pinkwood tree was spotted nestled amongst them.  It really was a surprise to see such a beautiful rainforest in stark contrast to other parts of the mountain which are quite dry.

We made our way to what is left of the manager’s residence, which was just some bricks, bottles and remnants of some type of cooking utensil.  We had lunch at that location and then followed our path back out onto the main track.  Once on the track everyone was appreciative of Mary collecting all of the leeches residing on Gulaga so that none of us located any on our bodies!  We made our way back to the cars and some of the group indulged in some retail therapy at the new nursery, having earned that right. Meanwhile the walk leader pondered over why no males had attended her walk.  Was it the degree of difficulty or something more sinister?  Perhaps we may find out in the Deua…….

Donna

Wednesday 24 April 2019

Onto the beach.

Jennie and Donna.

Photos by Ainslie

Bev, undaunted by the gathering of 30 walkers, led a circuit of Tomakin. We started with the lookout at Melville point, where several others were enjoying the view, including the local mullet fishermen, waiting for the big “bully” mullet to run out of the river to spawn on the beaches.

Following the shoreline, we walked along “racecourse” beach, so called as it was used in the past for horse races, as the sand is flat and hard at low tide.  On reaching the estuary, we then walked around the big sand spit and up to the ramp.  Although the remains of the wharf have now been removed, in the past, coastal freighters docked here, taking on freight and passengers.  Due to runoff from land clearing and dirt roads, the estuary is now so shallow that this is impossible, but in earlier times is was deep enough for small coastal ships to navigate.

After morning tea in Jack Buckley Park, we resumed our circuit, returning via the new housing estate near Barlings Beach.

Bob

Sunday 21 April 2019

Photos by Erika, Mary and Philip

David led 5 club members to the site of an unnamed waterfall on a tributary in the area of Quart Pot Creek. The drive to our start was through pretty forest, and rough dirt roads necessitating the crossing of 12 ‘creeks’ all of which had varying levels of running water.

We started with an immediate launch into the forest and a bush bash up a dry creek bed. We soon came upon the creek tributary where the waterfall was situated. The creek although by no means flowing all the way through contained sufficient water for small water holes to form around which we found round holes that we believe were made by the yabby.

Features of the area are large boulders, rocks and tree trunks covered in bright green moss. The moss while pretty on the trunks of tree is treacherous under foot requiring careful negotiating for the day. As we worked our way up the creek we came upon spent orchids and birds-nest ferns. As on other recent walks there was a display of interesting fungi.

After much rock scrambling, some rock climbing and having to take to higher ground to find a way around deeper water we reached the 15m waterfall where some water was falling. David then led us up above the waterfall so that we could look down into the canyon below. There was a choice of lunch site, on the side of the hill in the sun or down near the creek in shade. Leeches were in good supply so the party split up evenly. Those of us already having had a close encounter with these hitch hikers opted for the sun, while the rest walked down to enjoy the last of the creek.

A good paced walk out to the cars along the fire trail, complete with obligatory black snake; completed a great day in the local bush. Thank you David.

Mary

Leader David briefs the group before starting the walk.

David surveying the route ahead.

Delicate fungi at home on a fallen trunk.

Erika finds a swing to test out.

Climbing on slippery rocks did not prevent Pat and Erika from having fun!

The climb to the top of the waterfall.

Erika, David, Philip, Pat, Donna and Mary at the waterfall.

Thursday, 18 April 2019

Down in the creek.

Making our way down.

Snuggled up to the base of a damp tree trunk.

Lunch for 14 on a fallen tree.

Rob enjoying a look around the old diggings.

Photos by Denise and Mary

On a mild autumn morning Glenn led a group of 13 walkers down into a forested gully, along a mostly dry creek bed and along scrubby trails to the stony remnants of Billy’s Hut. There Glenn described to the group, Billy’s life in that isolated spot.

The occupant of Billy’s Hut was William McCarthy, an Irish immigrant who arrived in his late 20’s and built a dry stone walled, 2 roomed hut in the forest near Nelligan. He became locally known as “Black Flat Billy.” and was a true bush character, an illiterate bachelor whose only  companions were a dog, a pig and a diamond python. The hut is now almost invisible amongst the forest, only a few metres from the creek he used for water and the quarry that were the centre of Billy’s small world.

Prospectors began making gold strikes in the 1890’s but it wasn’t until 1960 that the Mines department commenced a more systematic record of mine shafts. It can be assumed that shafts not included in the McIlveen Study were insitu prior to 1890. It is a testament to the skills & knowledge of many early prospectors that they could detect a site that would yields “liveable” amounts of gold.

Our group sat reflectively on a log and tried to imagine Billy’s life but perhaps that reality is just too different from this day & age.

Thank you Glenn for our walk & our trip into the past.

Denise

Denise

Tuesday 16 April 2019

Jennie and Mary.

We circumnavigated the lake.

Clear water in Mummuga Lake, perfect home for ‘momma-go’ and her young jelly fish.

Photos by Erika and Mary

Saturday 13 April 2019

Helen and Donna take in the first side track view of the coast.

Leader Mary, Erika, visitor Bruce, Denise and Donna and Philip, morning tea at Meringo Headland.

The group enjoying Mullimburra rocks.

Helen was quick with her camera…. and

Donna caught them too!

Erika caught them in her lens as well.

Black swans in flight.

There was a great display of Banksia shining in the sunlight.

Photos by Donna, Erika, Helen, Mary and Philip

On a perfect autumn day, with our transport arranged for us (thanks Karen) and no need to car shuffle, Mary led a group of seven walkers on the full length (13.6km) of the Dreaming Track from Congo to Tuross.

Traditionally over thousands of years, the Brinja-Yuin people used this route, linking their campsites, sites for ceremony and trading, fresh water and plentiful food sources. The area is rich in archaeological sites.

We were not disappointed, beautiful picnic spots at Meringo headland and Coila Lake, amazing sea scapes, pristine beaches, an abundance of large fungi, shady wooded areas and plenty of bird life on the lagoons and lakes.

There may not have been any hills, but the soft sand and good pace ensured good use of our muscles!

However, the highlight of the walk, was the show a pod of dolphin put on for us near Grey Rocks. 10 dolphins surfing a clear blue wave close to the shore right in front of us. All of us with cameras in hand, we had to have got the shot!

Helen

Wednesday 10 April 2019

Donna.

Leader Karen and Simeon examine mushrooms large enough to accommodate elves and fairies.

A black snake enjoys the Autumn rays.

Photos by Carol and Denise

Karen led walkers on a pristine Autumn day on an interesting circuit walk from Congo Camping Ground along an old forest track and then along the banks of the Congo Creek.

Thursday 4 April 2019

Coastal view.