QUEENSLANDBUSHWALKERS

CLUB Inc.

74 Kallista Rd.Rochedale South

QLD 4123Email qldbwc@yahoo.comPhone No (07) 3341 7509

www.geocities.com/qldbwc

Newsletter March 2007

Bushranger’s Cave

Club NewsQBW Members Involved in Rescue in Eastern ArthursFrank and Barbara are back safe after their trip to Federation Peak which was full of drama. On their way to Federation Peak they met a party in distress and were able to assist. A report by Scott Rainbow, a member of that distress party follows:“At 7.30am on February 15th one of a group of 4 trekkers walking to Federation Peak via the Eastern Arthurs, fell and broke his leg. He was given first aid and placed in a tent set up on a small rocky saddle, about 15 minutes from Goon Moor.Two of the group decided that they had no option but to trek back to Scotts Peak Dam as fast as they could and raise the alarm.At about 11.30 am the two trekkers met Frank Bowling and Barbara Makepeace about halfway up Luckman's Lead. The trekkers were very thankful to find that Frank and Barbara had a QBW EPIRB, which they activated. Frank and Barbara continued on towards the accident site, whilst the two trekkers continued on to Scotts Peak Dam.At about 5.00pm the Police rescue helicopter located the EPIRB signal and winched a medic down to render assistance. The victim, his friend, and all the groups' packs were winched into the helicopter and flown to Hobart Airport. They were then transferred via ambulance to the Calvary Hospital. The victim had sustained a serious "spiral fracture" that required the placement of a steel rod in the tibia. The two trekker's arrived, exhausted, at Scotts Peak dam 15 hours after leaving the accident site. They rang 000 but were relieved to find that their friend was safe in hospital.

The group of 4 trekkers are very thankful for the assistance of Frank Bowling and Barbara Makepeace and the use of their QBW EPIRB. The trekkers have decided that they will take an EPIRB on all future treks.”Since the accident there have been two phone calls to QBW to thank us, one by the accident victim ringing from his hospital bed! He is expected to make a full recovery.There was also an enquiry by them whether our EPIRB's are registered and whether we had had any calls about the EPIRB signal. QBW's EPIRB's are the old type and are not registered. This type of EPIRB will become obsolete in February 2009.The newer EPIRB's, beside being more accurate, send a digital signal carrying a code which identifies the owner. By checking the database, authorities can then ring an emergency contact number. This will cut down on the number of false alarms.QBW still has 4 EPIRB's for the use of members and encourages members to carry one, especially on remote walks.

Walks Planning Day 17 February 2007Small in numbers but big in enthusiasm, that was the Walks Planning Day. Seven members enjoyed a BBQ then got onto the serious discussion of walks. Many old-time, almost forgotten walks were considered for inclusion in the calendar as exploratories.Phone calls and e-mails from members unable to attend the BBQ have also meant additions to the calendar.Thank you to all those people. Remember, check the calendar regularly for updates. Patricia

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General InformationMeeting PlaceClub Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at the East Brisbane State School, corner of Stanley Street and Wellington Road, starting at 7:30pm. No meetings in January.There is parking within the school grounds off Wellington Road. Consult a street directory, as there are a number of one-way streets in the area. There is also parking in Wellington Road.Light refreshments are provided after the meeting. A coin donation would be appreciated.

MembershipBefore a visitor can go on a walk, he/she must be a Member (Probationary or Ordinary) or be a member of an affiliated club.Membership of QBW lasts till the end of the Club’s financial year which is on the 30th of June each year.Probationary MembershipA non-member automatically becomes a Probationary Member on his/her first walk after signing the waiver form. There is no fee payable to become a Probationary Member.However a Probationary Member must become an Ordinary Member on his/her 2nd walk by filling out a membership form and paying the membership fee.

Ordinary MembershipA person may become an Ordinary Member by filling out a membership form and handing the form to a committee member or walk leader and paying the membership fee. An Ordinary Member has the right to vote at an AGM or be elected to a committee position. A Probationary Member has neither of these rights.Members of Another Bushwalking ClubMembers of another bushwalking club affiliated with the Queensland Federation of Bushwalking Clubs or another State Federation are covered by the same Insurance as QBW. It is not necessary for them to become a member of our Club to go on our walks.

Equipment for Use by Members

ITEM No Contact Ph NoCompasses 29 Dave Kenrick 3349 8238EPIRBs 5 Frank Garland 3341 5207GPS 4 Trevor Davern 0411 512 202UHF Radios 12 Trevor Davern 0411 512 202Abseil Gear Trevor Davern 0411 512 202Back Pack 1 Trevor Davern 0411 512 202Emergency Lights 6 Richard Kolarski 3341 7509First Aid Kits 3 Richard Kolarski 3341 7509Topo Maps 34 Richard Kolarski 3341 7509Sunmap CD’s 1 Richard Kolarski 3341 7509

Equipment for Sale

Bivy Bags $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00These bivy bags are 2 metres by 0.9 metres and are bright orange in colour. They can be used as a pack liner and can double as an emergency bivy bag.Club Polo Shirts $20.00 eachL, M and S size left only Space Blankets $2.50 each.Light weight and take up no room at all. A must for all walkers!Ring Patricia Kolarski on 3341 7509 to purchaser any of the above.

The Management CommitteePresident Helen McAllister 3844 8464 (H)Vice President Gary Woodward 3245 2695 (H)Secretary Lynn Nicol 3219 6228 (H)Treasurer Bob Gur 3345 3971 (H)Outings Officer Patricia Kolarski 3341 7509 (H)Membership Officer Lynne Cavanagh 3376 5053 (H)Editor Richard Kolarski 3341 7509 (H)Social Secretary Danuta Gur 3345 3971 (H)Training Officer David Rae 3395 1838 (H)

Other Voluntary PositionsEquipment Officer Trevor Davern 0411 512 202Supper Convenor Margaret Smith 3886 3342 (H)Federation Rep Kerry de Clauzel 3209 7146 (H)Federation Rep Richard Kolarski 3341 7509 (H)FMR Rep Frank Bowling 0419 715 719FMR Rep Barbara Makepeace 0421 784 783

Campsite MonitorsBarbara Makepeace Ratatat Hut

Mt BarneySpicer’s Double Peak Saddle

Kerry de Clauzel ThroakbanLower Portals

Richard Kolarski Running Creek FallsChristine & Cliff Harrison Mt SuperbusAnn Kemp Spicers PeakJohn Brunott Ballows

Editors Pic

Montezuma Birthday Girl

New MembersMary Allen Barbara BonneyJan Criswell Nicky Davison

As at 27/2/2007 we have 120 financial members

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Coming EventsDVD Slide Show Creation - Training Day 24 March 2007On Saturday the 24th March David Rae will be conducting a training session on how to create a DVD movie of your still photos or movie clips.Venue:- 3 Urquhart Street Carindale for 10:00am startThe program that will be used is Video Studio 10. Visit www.ulead.com for details on the software. With this program you will be able to turn your photos into a professional looking presentation with, titles, transitions, overlays, music and voice over. This is a very simple program to use and all you need to bring along is:

A CD of photos or movies clips of your favourite walks. Most file formats are catered for eg jpg, tif, mpeg4,avi. Bring at least 200 photos Notes on where the walk is so you can create the correct annotation.Optional map of where the walk is. We can scan this in prior to creating the DVD USB stick - to transfer photos, music between computers A CD of your favourite songs, preferably in mp3 format. I have over 2000 mp3 songs if you have none of your own. Blank DVD's. Bring DVD+RW ( to practice for multiple burns) plus DVD+R (for the final burn)

A number of computers will be available but I will be limiting the number of users to 2 per computer. If you have your own laptop then you will not be restricted by the number of computers. Your laptop will need:- Windows XP, min 512 mb RAM, fast processor eg P4, Core 2 Duo 1.8ghz, DVD writer, 10gb spare disk spaceFor lunch we will have a BYO BBQ. David Rae - Training OfficerPilgrimage 2007 24-26 August 2007The Pilgrimage is the name of the annual gathering of the Bushwalking Clubs of Queensland, who are affiliated to the Queensland Federation of Bushwalking Clubs. QBW is hosting Pilgrimage 2007 with Ipswich Bushwalkers Inc., Brisbane Catholic Bushwalking Club Inc., FMR and Logan and Beaudesert Bushwalkers volunteering to assist and will be the co-hosts.Pilgrimage 2007 will be held at Kalbar Showgrounds.Kalbar is in the Boonah Shire and just over an hour's drive from Brisbane. It is in the Fassifern Valley with the Main Range National Park and Moogerah Peaks National Parks nearby.More information available at http://au.geocities.com/qldpilgrimage/index.htmlWilsons Promontory 8-16 September 2007I am organizing an extended trip to Wilsons Promontory in south-east Victoria from Saturday 8 to Sunday 16 September 2007Richard and I will be driving down to Victoria, arriving on Saturday 8 and would be able to provide transport from Foster, the closest point for public transport. I have information on public transport from Melbourne to Foster. This would be done in reverse on Sunday 16 giving enough time to meet flights back to Brisbane on the Sunday evening. Anyone working would need to take holidays for the week 10 to 14 September.There is a multitude of walks possible. We could do two three-day throughwalks (to the lighthouse, and the eastern circuit via Setters Cove). Or, one throughwalk to either of the above and the rest day walks. This can be varied to fit the group.Our base will be at Tidal River where we can camp or there is basic cabin accommodation. This also is negotiable.As this is a popular place to walk, I would like to finalise camping bookings and permits by the end of March.For more information contact Patricia Kolarski 3341 7509.

Training QuizThis Month’s Question and AnswerHow do you determine a grid reference?A grid reference is used to describe a unique position on the face of the map. In a grid reference, the eastings (the vertical grid lines) are always quoted first. A grid reference is usually represented by six numbers.

To obtain the grid reference of Point A in the above map:1. Locate the vertical grid line to the left of the position and read the two figure easting value and then estimate in tenths its distance from that grid line to the next one. This provides the first three figures (eastings) of the six figure grid reference. In the above figure the easting value of the vertical dashed line is 134.2. Locate the horizontal grid line below the position and read the two figure northing value and then estimate in tenths its distance from that grid line to the one immediately above it. This provides the last three figures (northings) of the six figure grid reference.The northing value of the horizontal dashed line is 771.Hence, the six figure grid reference is: 134771.Next Month’s Question:

My topogaphic map has grid numbers such as 6876000mN and 513000mE. What do they mean?

Comings and GoingsMargaret R, Paul M, Gail C and Noelene M are off to Nepal to trek in the Everest Region. They will be trekking to Gokyo and then on to Kala Pattar.

The Home WaterWise ServiceThe Home WaterWise Service is a subsidised service where a licensed plumber can visit your home and you receive a water audit of your home, new water-efficient showerheads to replace your old ones, water-efficient aerators on your bathroom and kitchen taps and up to three leaking taps fixed.The Home WaterWise Service is just $20.Simply call the Home WaterWise Service hotline 1300 287 462 and the customer service staff will arrange for a plumber to carry out the service at a convenient time.

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Past SocialsMontezuma Restaurant 9 February 2007The call went out and 22 who came had a great night out at Montezuma Restaurant, Mt Gravatt.We celebrated Patricia’s birthday with good food, good wine, good company and a good flow of conversation.The service was not bad considering that there were 22 of us plus unexpected patrons who turned up at the last minute.Patricia wore her tiara with a “regal” air; Lynn was excited about her upcoming walk in NZ; Jaz enjoyed her “little” walks through the restaurant; Margaret ate her first taco; talks about walks in Tasmania and New Zealand were overheard; and much, much more. However, we missed John’s “stories” as he had a family night prior to his flight to NZ.Good to see you Lorraine without your cast and welcome to Leon. The birthday cake came out with sparklers and the air rang out with birthday wishes – Happy Birthday Patricia. Danuta

QBW WebsiteWebsite Occasionally UnavailableSome members have mentioned that when they have gone to the QBW website, they are sometimes unable to view the contents. Instead a message appears stating:Sorry, this GeoCities site is currently unavailable. The GeoCities web site you were trying to view has temporarily exceeded its data transfer limit. Please try again later.Our web site is supplied for free but its hourly use is limited. If too many people are on the site at the same time, the connection is temporarily turned off to the site.If you wait at least an hour, you should be able to then view the website.Website ImprovementRecently I have had time to improve the appearance of the Club website plus update and upgrade some of the features.The Past Walks section has been expanded to include walks going back to 1999 and thumbnail pictures have been added.An Extended Calendar with draft future walks going to December 2007 has been added to the Leader's page. The extended Calendar is mainly to help leaders plan future walks.The Newsletter will now only be in PDF format. There are links on the website to where you can download a PDF viewer.Broken links have been removed from the Links pages.For the technically minded, the HTML has been updated to use CSS so the website is easier to maintain.Please send me feedback on qldbwc@yahoo.com if you notice any errors.Hope you enjoy. Richard Kolarski (Website Manager)

Surveying QueenslandBushwalkers may be interested in a new book recently published by the Dept. of Natural Resources and Water and the Qld. Museum.Bill Kitson and Dr Judith McKay have co-authored a book 'Surveying Queensland 1839 - 1945: A Pictorial History'.The book is available from the Qld. Museum.RRP: $32.95Bulk orders: (18 copies) $19.76 ea plus $8 postage.Contact: Bill Kitson 3896 3000email: bill.kitson@nrm.qld.gov.au Bill Kitson is Senior Curator, Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying

Past WalksWarrie Circuit 8 October 2006Warrie is the longest track walk in the Springbrook National Park area and it follows the base of the canyon cliffs and then descends into the depths of the rainforest.We commenced our walk from Tallanbana picnic area taking in the breathtaking views and enjoying the quiet atmosphere.Between Lorraine and Mary the camera was out more often than not taking some good shots of the area.A good break for lunch and before we knew it we were back. It has been a while since we did this walk but as always a good walk.

Warrie Circuit

We all decided that we deserved a “coffee/maybe cake”. Some of us even had ice-cream – great service and some good books to look at. What a great day – thank you for joining us.

Bob and DanutaPS If anyone finds a great pair of sunglasses on this route please check with me, mine went walk-about.

Wilson's & Frances Ck 22 October 2006Seven people arrived to start the walk at about 8 am. The walk up to the veranda was a hard adjustment after not climbing a decent hill in months. The veranda as usual was a spectacular amble to the top of the cliffs leading to Kinnane's falls. Barely a trickle was noticed flowing down Wilson's creek as we crossed it to get to the other side of Kinnane’s Falls. Some basalt outcrops give great views of the falls from here. Following the top of the cliff line with great views over Mt Bangalora we reached the summit of this hill and had our first morning tea.After 10 minutes break we continued east following a fence line and then onto a narrowing ridge with great views down hill until coming to a gate. Crossing the gate we soon made a sharp right down to Frances Creek which involved a little skirmish with lantana. The creek was nice and rocky with a number of slabs and small water falls. We had our second morning tea at a nice glade along the creek. This one lasted 20 minutes. After another hour ambling up the creek we came to a large but dry waterfall. In a wetter time it would be a worthy visit. We had our third morning tea as we waited for people to scramble to the base of the falls. At the top of the falls the group maintained a fast pace westward until the creek swung to the south and the group followed the plan to ascend a minor tributary west to a saddle and then down another valley into Wilson's creek. Finding a lovely little meadow by the side of the creek in the shade we had an extended lunch of about 2 hours whilst the group explored in two little groups a great set of basalt slabs about 15 minutes upstream. A quick walk downstream led once more to Kinnane's Falls and then we scrambled over the knoll above the veranda before heading down to the cars. Flavours Café at Boonah was the unwinding point to finish off a great day. Thanks to all who came. David

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Bribie Island 28th October 2006It was a hot and humid day in Brisbane and quite a relief to have a sea breeze on arrival at Bongaree (on Pumicestone Passage, on the mainland side of the island).

Bribie Island

Eight of us set off walking along a bike track to Woorim (on the ocean side). After a short break at Woorim to take off our shoes and to have a bite to eat, we set off along the beach toward the southern tip of Bribie.The beach was badly eroded due to recent high winds and a steep bank had formed along the beach. It was high tide as we paddled along in the cool water. We were passed by tumble weeds blowing in the pleasant breeze as we headed south.As we approached the southern end of Bribie we spotted a group of dolphins in shallow water only a few meters from the waters edge and it was a delight to watch them swimming around just meters from us.Further along we came across some pelicans, some speedy crabs, driftwood and many jelly fish washed up on the sand. On return to Bongaree we had drinks at the Cafe and watched a stunning sunset over the Pumicestone Passage and main land.A great day and thanks to all who came along. Noelene

Coomera Circuit 25 November 2006We decided to do this walk on a Saturday and what a difference. There were not as many people in the area and parking was much easier.This track is located at the Binna Burra section of Lamington National Park. It is approximately 17.5km return but a very interesting walk. We commenced down the Border track full of enthusiasm. The track is well sign-posted and very soon we came to our turnoff. A short break for morning tea at the lookout – beautiful.Some of the creek crossings were challenging and I am glad I had my trusty pole (no pun intended). The gentlemen were gallant and assisted some of us to cross – I just couldn’t stretch far enough.Richard W who joined us took quite a few photos to show his colleagues back at work. So much water, so many breathtaking views and a few leeches. At last Mary got to see some.Forgot my camera however, thanks to Richard W and Helen we managed to take the inevitable photo shot. On the way back Mary twisted her ankle and finished the walk with the assistance of two poles.Back at the carpark extra first aid from Redencion. Thanks, everyone. A great day Bob and Danuta

Bushrangers Cave 2 December 2006Twenty people lined up for this walk during the Christmas Party at Camp Bornhoffen. We managed to all fit into 4 cars and drove the short distance to the Qld/NSW border. It was considered safer to drive to the start than try and walk along the narrow winding road.

At the border we began walking up a side road and crossed over a fence. We made our way slowly uphill along the fence line. There were occasional views to the south with Mt Warning standing out prominently. There were frequent stops for drinks and to take photos as there was no rush. We eventually reached a cliff line and had to negotiate over some rocks and the fence line to finally arrive at the cave. Here in the cool shelter we had a long morning tea. Some of us went exploring while others were just content to relax.The trip back was uneventful though Wayne kept busy with a video camera filming members. We arrived back at Camp Bornhoffen in time for lunch.Thank you to everyone to coming along on this short walk.

Richard

Mt Beerwah 8 December 2006What sounds better? Sitting at home on a Friday night watching crap Christmas TV, or climbing Mt Beerwah?Leaving Brisbane the sky looked quite clear with light high cloud cover. Should be a nice night, I thought to myself. Maria and I were meeting the rest of the crew at the BP centre on the Bruce Highway for a 6.30pm departure time. The road from Beerwah Centre to the start of the walk was a bit damp in some sections. Hmmm, maybe they’ve had a light shower, could add to the fun. It was quite evident that the moon was having a sleep in and would join us later for our walk, even though Linda had said this would be a moonlit walk early on in the week and head torches would be an optional extra, but we won’t hold this against her.Leaving the car park Linda said there was a prize for the first person to spot the moon. We had our first breather after completing the walk to the start of the rock scrambling section. The first 20m rock section seems to scare a lot for people, but not our crew. The only real issue was the water from the previous showers lying in some of the foot and hand holds which made it a bit slippery for the last couple of climbers.From here it was straight up to the caves section. This part of the walk is quite impressive as you traverse around to the right side of the mountain, underneath sheer cliff face. After this section, there was another short scramble to the top of Beerwah.The moon must have had a bender the night before as it still had not come out to greet us. After hot chocolate and rum balls it was time for a photo shoot. Damien is into creating alternative photography. We all had to sit still for 15 seconds with our torches shining in our faces. In the end he had got a good image minus the moon and it was time to head down the mountain.In no time at all we were down to the last section of the mountain. We won’t mention the story about somebody’s big bum getting stuck in a hole. As the saying goes what happens on the mountain stays on the mountain, or in this case follows BEHIND you home.I would like to thank Linda for putting on the walk and Maria, Damien, Barb and Frank for the company.By the way, the moon joined us as we were heading down the mountain, but I never did hear what the prize was. Wayne

Upper Portals 9 December 2006Seven members met early in the morning in Beaudesert for this walk and set off in 4WD's. The 4WD's were very necessary as the dirt road up to Cleared Ridge was quite rutted with large loose rocks. At Cleared Ridge we left the cars and began walking along the dirt road beyond the locked gate.We walked for about an hour along the ridge to get to our turnoff. Here we headed down a steep narrow track to Barney Ck campsite where we stopped and had morning tea. From there we began the long walk and rock hop upstream.

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The water level was low due to the drought and though this made the rock hopping relatively easy, the hot humid day made us all feel the heat. We tried to avoid the rock hopping as much as possible and follow a track on the bank, but this was not always possible due to thick clumps of lantana. Even so, we made good time and reached Barrabool Ck just after midday. A little further on was a large pool with a small waterfall where we stopped for lunch. A few of us went in for a swim to cool off in the chilly waters.

The Upper Portals

All too soon we had to continue upstream. There was more rockhopping and we passed several more deep pools. Arriving at the Upper Portals, we met up with some other day trippers having a dip in the pool. After a short rest we continued upstream but had to negotiate round a large uphill detour, or otherwise swim through the deep pool. We finally left the creek a short ways upstream and walked along the road back to the cars.We had the obligatory afternoon tea in Beaudesert. Many thanks to those who came for their company. Richard

West Canungra Creek Circuit 23 December 2006With only a small group of eight walkers, we decided to avoid the sometimes-monotonous graded track and head down to West Canungra Creek via Bull Ant Spur. Surprisingly, this track showed very little signs of use lately and was a little difficult to pick up in places. Since the graded track down to Yerralahla has been re-opened, it looks as if Bull Ant Spur is not being used much. Not a bad thing as it was starting to look very well worn at one stage.We had an early morning tea beside a large pool in West Canungra Creek before starting our walk upstream. The big tree fall has been cleared, so it was an uneventful stroll. Some confusion just before the Box Forest Circuit junction: the leader had the troops marching uphill and down a couple of times until a map check put us right.

The Caramel Mud Cake Takes Place of Honour

Lunch was taken on some almost-dry rocks beside the creek. Maria produced a caramel mud cake as a treat for us all. Kerry tested out her new water-resistant camera on a baby cray in a shallow pool.

Box Log Falls provided a picturesque rest stop with all cameras out. Then on to Elabana Falls for another photo opportunity before heading uphill and back to the car park. John H. and I kept company with a couple of ladies, one of whom seemed to have broken her arm, while the others strode ahead to complete the car shuffle.A welcome coffee was had back at Canungra before heading off for home. Thanks to everyone for sharing this lovely day. A special thanks goes to Richard for being the track-finder and cobweb catcher. Patricia

Petra, The Lost City of StonePatricia and I visited Petra on a recent trip to the Middle East and were overwhelmed by this historical and most scenic city.Petra was built out of the rock in a rift valley in Jordan about 80 kilometers south of the Dead Sea. Its history goes back to 1200 BC when the area was populated by the Edomites. However by 300 BC the Nabataeans, one of many Arab tribes, occupied it and made it the capital of their kingdom. It became the center for the spice trade and flourished.Petra came under Roman rule in 64 BC and it continued to prosper. However an earthquake in 363 AD destroyed half of the city. A change in trade routes and a further more devastating earthquake in 551 AD all but brought the city to ruin. It was used by the Crusaders in the 11th and 12th centuries AD but then forgotten by the Western world.In 1812 the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt re-discovered Petra. Since then it has been the subject of archaeological exploration but still less than one-twentieth of the ancient city has been unearthed. In 1985 it was included in the World Heritage List.

The Monastery

Patricia and I entered the city through a narrow gorge, a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks. This gorge is 1.2 kilometres long and in places only 3-4 metres wide. It then opens up to a breathtaking site, the "Treasury", but in reality a massive tomb.We continued walking along a wide gully admiring great tombs and an amphitheatre carved into the sandstone rock faces. There are nearly 3,000 rock-cut tombs and dwellings here in Petra, all elaborately carved and set against a backdrop of rose-colored cliffs.Climbing up a long winding staircase we came upon the High Place of Sacrifice. Further on there was another tomb, an almost exact duplicate of the Treasury, called the Monastery as it had been used as such during the Crusades. From these high places there were superb views of the surrounding mountains.There is enough to see in Petra to keep you walking for days. For the more adventurous there are walks to the nearby mountains and to a summit thought to be the tomb of Aaron, Moses's brother.Petra has the capacity to astonish and that it did. Richard

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