Walks Program  February - March 2020

˝ DW Sun 16 February  Wivenhoe Hill Trail

Grade: M 3 4

Distance: 13 km

Leader: Mal Dorricott

Fuel: $10  Water: 2-3 Litres

This is a multi-use trail along the shore of Lake Wivenhoe with scenic views of the lake. It is quite hilly with some steep sections but is suitable for reasonably fit beginners. We will carpool from Goodna to the start of the walk with a pit stop at Fernvale.

It is a loop walk with a portable toilet at the start. We will have morning tea on the walk and drive a short distance to Captain Logan day use area for lunch after the walk, where there are excellent picnic facilities.  

Please call me for directions if you intend to meet us at the start of the walk. The walk will be cancelled if the forecast maximum temperature for Esk is more than 32°C. 

DW   Sat 22 Feb  Stairway Falls

Grade:  M 5 6

Leader:  John Marshall     

Distance:  Approx 13 km

Water:  2 litres  Fuel contribution:  $19

Going down Bull Ant Spur first, we will have a stop at Blue Pool before continuing downstream on the unmaintained track along West Canungra Ck to Stairway Falls. The going will probably be rough with many creek crossings, gaiters and walking pole(s) recommended. Return back to Blue Pool then up the graded track to O’Reilly’s. We will also be doing a cursory noxious weed survey for the ranger, please refer to this link for identification:  https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/giant-devils-fig

EXT BC Fri 28 February - Mon 2 March Woody Head Camp Ground Bundjalung National Park

Iluka, North Coast New South Wales

Leader:        Lynne Skaines  

A wonderful opportunity to "get away from it all" and relax in this beautiful setting on the ocean front. Lots of tent/camper trailer/caravan sites in grassed surrounds with great facilities. There are also cabins sleeping up to 6 people.

Directions - take the Iluka Road turnoff 72km south of Ballina on the Pacific Highway and follow the signs to Bundjalung/Woody Head. NB: There is an earlier turnoff on the highway to a remote camp ground (Black Rocks) also in the National Park - please ignore as there is no vehicle access between the two sites.

Facilities - drinking water on tap, hot showers ($1 for 4 mins), picnic tables, BBQs. Dine out opportunities in nearby Iluka.

Costs - tent/camper trailer/caravan sites $34 per night for 2 people. A tent site will accommodate  2 x 1-3 person tents. Sites are unpowered with generators not allowed. 

    - cabins are available. Provide own linen/sleeping bag, towel. Check website for details/costs.

     - vehicle access to NSW National Parks $8 per day or the appropriate pass which can be purchased on line.

Walking - there are a number of walks taking in the beaches, wave cut rock platforms and waterways, Iluka Bluff, Iluka Nature Reserve in the immediate vicinity with nothing too strenuous. Lots of bird and marine life. Calm water ocean swimming beach adjoins campground.

For further information: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

For booking/information: Phone 1300 072 757 or nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/woody-head-campground

 

˝ DW Sun 8 March  Aboriginal campsites of Nundah

Grade: S 1 1 some steps

Leader: Helen Sutherland

Distance: 8km

Water: 1-1.5L  

An easy flat loop walk mostly on concrete, off road shared paths. Kalinga and Shaw Parks contain corroboree and food trees, fishing creeks, a stone tool quarry, and a higher spot to assist connectivity with distant camps. We will then take a path for 2.5k along Schulz Canal, past Toombul shops to the next campsite at today’s Nundah Cemetery, Hedley Ave which was adjacent to the German Mission, the first free settlement in Brisbane. Return by same route.

Comfy shoes will suffice, hat and sunscreen as some open areas.

 

Tuesday 10 March 2020 Meeting at 7.30pm

Little Kings Hall, cnr O’Keefe & Carl Streets Buranda

BC 13-15 March - Pomona

Leader: Mal Dorricott  

We will be camping at the Pomona Showgrounds or staying at the Pomona Hotel. There are also several B&Bs in the local area if preferred. The Showgrounds have powered and unpowered sites and good facilities, just a short walk from the Hotel and other food outlets in the township. We will have dinner at the hotel on the Saturday night. Accommodation costs are as follows:

·         Camping - $20 (1 person) or $25 (2 persons) per night unpowered; $25 (1 person) or $30 (2

persons) per night powered

·         Hotel - $80 per night (single); $120 per night (twin or double)

  For those who arrive by about 2pm on Friday, we will do a scenic drive to some to the local lookouts and a short walk to the lookout at the summit of Mt Tinbeerwah. On Saturday and Sunday, we will be walking sections of the Noosa Trail Network. The walks will be approximately 15 km on Saturday and 9 km on Sunday. If you are interested, please plan ahead as you will need to make accommodation bookings no later than mid-February, as these venues are very popular. Please make your own hotel or B&B bookings or notify me if you will be camping so I can make a group booking. It should be a great weekend with very scenic walks and a good social occasion. The Noosa Trail Network brochure has details of the walks and accommodation and can be downloaded from: www.noosa.qld.gov.au/services-facilities/parks-facilities/noosa-trail-network  

 

Mini-EXT 29 March – 2 April  NSW Central Coast

Leader:  Neil Douglas

Nominations close: 29 February

Details of this trip have been published in the last several newsletters. There are currently 15 nominations plus one person attending socially.

More detailed descriptions of the walks and transport arrangements have already been provided to members who have nominated.

 

Advance Notices 

EXT 6-12 Aug  Jatbula Trail

Leader : Sandra Ogata 

I was able to secure a booking for 5 people for 6 days/5 nights from Thu 6 August 2020 to Wed 12 August 2020. Currently, there is myself and Karen Britton booked in, so we are looking for 3 people to join us. 

This will be the first time for both of us, so please speak to other members who have previously been on the walk for details on this spectacular walk. 

 

First aid matters

Yes, first aid DOES matter – and here are a couple of first aid matters for your consideration.

Snakebite bandages are an important addition to your bushwalking backpack when walking in the Australian bush. So, the BOSQ Management Committee is going to subsidise the purchase of compression and immobilisation bandages that meet the Australian Resuscitation Council standards. It will bring the cost of these bandages down to half price - $8 for two bandages (the Council recommends the use of two bandages in the case of snakebite).

BOSQ will also subsidise $30 towards the $80 cost of first aid courses through Australia Wide First Aid.

Please contact Safety & Training Officer Tom Bor if you are interested in bandages or the first aid course.  

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                                                                               A note about Walk Gradings

On occasions participants may question the gradings applied to club walks as advertised in Footnotes. Gradings are determined by the walk leader, based on a combination of prior knowledge of the walk, references to walk guides and websites, and ideally an on-site recce shortly before the editorial deadline for Footnotes.

The latter is not always possible so sometimes the grading published in Footnotes may not reflect actual conditions, for example recent weather impacts.

Particular features such as steep slopes, loose or slippery rock can also raise the grading for the walk, or if they are only a small portion of the whole the leader may elect to apply an overall lower grading in which case such features should be highlighted in the walk description.

Participants therefore should make allowance for the subjective nature of gradings supplied by our volunteer leaders in good faith.

If there are any concerns, please speak to the leader on nomination. 

A note about Petrol Money

The club encourages car pooling from the walk meeting point whenever possible, and the procedure is for passengers to make a contribution for fuel to their driver based on the distance travelled.

Each passenger contributes the same amount as advised in Footnotes, irrespective of the number of passengers in a vehicle.

For extended trips longer than a few days, the leader may advise different arrangements depending on destination or other circumstances.

It should be noted that other running costs such as wear and tear and potential for insurance excess payments in the event of damage are born by drivers who volunteer their vehicles for club events.

The Outings Secretary will from time to time determine the formula (in cents per kilometre driven) to be used for calculating passenger contribution amounts, based on the average cost of unleaded petrol in Brisbane.