QUEENSLAND BUSHWALKERS CLUB Inc.

Newsletter

PO Box 2199 Sunnybank Hills QLD 4109 Email qldbwc@yahoo.com Phone No (07) 3345 9543 http://sites.google.com/site/qldbwc/

November 2012

Palm Falls

Club News
QBW Christmas Party
Fri, 30 Nov Sun, 2 Dec 2012

Map and Compass Training

7 October 2012

A last minute reminder that the Christmas Party is almost here and will be held at Camp Laurence which overlooks Moogerah Dam. Camp Laurence has an idyllic landscaped area with great views of the dam and surrounding peaks. It has a big kitchen and hall with a big verandah and lots of trees. There are 3 cabins plus dormitories with 8 bunks in each. An amenities block is is separate from the accommodation but close by. The cost will be $50 per person for the weekend. The cost is the same whether you stay one night or two. What to Bring You will need to bring your own toiletries, bed linen, blankets, pillow and towels. Bring along a salad or some food to share plus of course your favourite liquid refreshments. The meat will be provided by the Club. Vegetarians will be catered for too. At the Club meeting we will have a catering form for you to note which goodies you will be bringing to share. Activities There will have a walk on the Saturday and in the evening it is party time with lots of food, a BBQ, quizzes, photo competition results and photo presentation of past walks. There will be a Dress Up competition. This year the theme is Pyjama Party. Prizes to be won for best male and female. We will once again have the $10 Christmas Gift giving this year. It proved popular last year so could all members coming to the weekend please bring a gift approx value $10. Wrap in Christmas paper and suitable for either male or female. Directions on how to get there are on Page 3. Any questions please call me 3219 6228. Lynn

There was a map and compass training session held at Dave K's place before the walks planning and BBQ. David S., Marion L., and Helen M. were the participants with Richard K. the coordinator. The first part was getting to know how to read a map and how to use a compass. This was interspersed with some practical activity such as orienting a map, finding a location if given coordinates and taking a bearing with a compass. After a short quiz involving taking back bearings, it was time to test it all out. A short walk was done where the participants could check their course, take bearings and show on a map where they were. We all got back to Dave K's place before the BBQ so I am happy to report that no one got lost! There will be a further training session involving the use of a GPS in the future. Richard

Walks Planning Day and BBQ

The walks planning day was attended by fewer people than usual. This was mainly due to a number of leaders being away overseas or unable to attend due to jet lag! Robin L. brought along some old newsletters to help give some ideas for walks. There were some maps and brochures too to help. As at present we have no Social Secretary an innovation was that some walks are being which have a social component. Many thanks to members who put their name down to lead a walk or social. However there are still some blank spots on the Calendar. Any member who would like to add a walk or event to the Calendar please email qldbwc@yahoo.com There are Leader Walk Notes and a lit of possible walks available at https://sites.google.com/site/qldbwc/leaders

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Meeting Place

General Information

President Secretary Treasurer

The Management Committee

Helen McAllister Robin Laban Marion Laban Patricia Kolarski John Hinton David Kenrick Geraldine Burton Richard Kolarski vacant vacant

0419 684 319 0408 753 052 0405 536 718 3341 7509 (H) 3343 3724(H) 3349 8238 (H) 3376 9454(H) 3345 9543(H)

Club meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month starting at 7.30pm. There is no Club meeting in January. Meeting are held at the Little King's Hall on the corner of Carl and O'Keefe Streets, Buranda. Entry is via the gate on Carl St. There is parking within the grounds and in Carl Street. Tea/Coffee and cake/biscuits are provided after the meeting. A coin donation would be appreciated.

Vice President

Outings Officer Membership Officer Editor Social Secretary Training Officer

Membership
Probationary Membership A non-member automatically becomes a Probationary Member on his/her first walk after signing the Acknowledgement of Risk form. No fee is payable to become a Probationary Member. A Probationary Member must become an Ordinary Member on his/her second walk by filling out a Membership Form and paying the membership fee. Ordinary Membership A person may become an Ordinary Member by filling out and signing a Membership Form, having a proposer sign the form and handing the form with the membership fee to a committee member or walk leader. The proposer may be a friend who is a member of the Club, a QBW walk leader, the Membership Officer or one of the committee members. Only an Ordinary Member has the right to vote at an AGM or be elected to a committee position. Members of Another Bushwalking Club Members of another bushwalking club which is affiliated with Bushwalking Queensland Inc. (or an interstate Federation) and who are covered by the same Insurance do not need to become a member of our Club to go on our walks. However Club members will have priority if there is a limit on numbers.

Other Voluntary Positions

Equipment Officer Supper Convenor Librarian BWQ Rep BWQ Rep Richard Kolarski Noelene McCay Mary Sherlock Anne Kemp Richard Kolarski 3345 9543(H) 3889 0264(H) 3209 8514 3371 2707 3345 9543(H)

Compasses Steripen

Club Equipment

Topo Maps Emergency Lights First Aid Kits

UHF Radios

The above are for free use by members. Garmin GPS. QBW has 4 GPSs which have a 20 metre contour topo map of the whole of Australia included. Some of these are on permanent loan to members. PLBs with inbuilt GPS The Club has 5 PLBs with inbuilt GPS. The PLBs will be made available at each Club meeting and will need to be returned at the following Club meeting. Back Pack for Hire Bivy Bags For Sale $5.00 charge $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00.

Reciprocal Walks with Other Clubs

Redlands Bushwalking Club
Only stipulation is that Redlands club members have priority over visitors. Calendar is available at: http://www.redlandbushwalkers.org.au/static/calendar.html

These bivy bags are 2 metres by 0.9 metres and are bright orange in colour. Use as a pack liner or emergency bivy bag. Space Blankets For Sale $2.50 each. Lightweight and take up no room at all. A must for all walkers! Contact Richard on 3345 9543 for any of the above.

Bushwalkers of Southern Queensland (BOSQ)

BOSQ allows financial members from other bushwalking clubs affiliated with Bushwalking Queensland to join in BOSQ activities without having to become members of BOSQ or pay visitor fees. This will be with the agreement of the activity leader. Members of BOSQ will have priority for nominations. Calendar is available at http://www.bosq.bwq.org.au/

Editors Pic

YHA Bushwalkers
Members of other BWQ affiliated clubs can join up to three walks per calendar year. Calendar is available at: http://sites.google.com/site/yhabushies/outings

Family Bushwalkers
There is a $5 temporary membership fee per adult. Phone: (07) 3878 3293

Gold Coast Bushwalkers

Gold Coast Bushwalkers may admit as honorary members financial members of bushwalking clubs which are affiliated with BWQ. This dispensation will be at the discretion of the Management Committee.

Orchid at Bunya Mountains

Ipswich Bushwalkers Inc

Intending walkers must contact the leader in advance. The newsletter also contains a full description of the grading system and a list of Committee members and their contact numbers. Calendar available at www.ipswichbushwalkers.bwq.org.au Page 2 of 6

Members
As at 31/10/2012 we have 70 financial members

Special Coming Events

QBW Christmas Party
Don't forget to bring: Own toiletries, bed linen, blankets, pillow and towels. A salad or some food to share Pyjamas for the Dress Up competition. A $10 Christmas Gift A great sense of fun Fri, 30 Nov Sun, 2 Dec 2012 Get ready for a fun time at this year's Christmas Party.

Coming Walks
Any person wishing to come along on a walk must contact the leader of the walk first. The leader will organise the meeting place and the car pooling. The leader has full discretion on who can come on the walk. Nominations close 9:00 pm on the Wednesday prior to a weekend trip. For Wednesday walks, nominations close 9.00 pm on the Monday before. Warrumbungles NSW Wednesday to Sunday, 7-11 November2012 Leader Patricia Kolarski M T4 F4 3341 7509

An early start from Brisbane for the 728km drive (9 hrs min approx) will be required to reach the Warrumbungles, 35km west of Coonabarabran in North-Western NSW in the early evening. The Visitor's Centre closes at 4pm and it would be good to go there first. We will be camping at Camp Blackman (hot showers). Booking on arrival or self-registration ONLY, no prebooking is possible. Vehicle access fees $7 pd. Camping fees $5 pn. It is possible to buy an annual pass for park entry. Details of this will be available at the Visitor's Centre. Thursday walk - Breadknife Grand High Tops walk 12.5km. Friday walk - Mt Exmouth, Cathedral and Arch 17km. Saturday walk - Alex Gould Circuit and Bress Peak 12km approx. Sunday - pack up and return home. Driving down on the Wed and returning on the Sun should take a full day each. Walks Thur, Fri, Sat will be about M44 to L45 visiting the Breadknife, Mt Exmouth, etc. I plan on camping at Blackman Camp (hot showers). Booking on arrival or self-registration ONLY, no prebooking is possible. Directions Camp Laurence is located on five hectares on the western bank of Lake Moogerah and is approximately one and a half hours drive from the Brisbane GPO. Drive along the Ipswich Highway as far as the Cunningham Highway turn off to Warwick. Veer left onto the Cunningham Highway to Warwick. Approximately 20 km from this point you will veer left as you pass the Amberley turn off. Keep travelling towards Warwick for about 35km until you come to a small town called Aratula. Keep travelling through Aratula. About 400m out of Aratula you will see a sign on the left indicating Moogerah Dam IGNORE THIS and continue for approximately 4km until you come to Spicers Gap Road on the left. Turn left into Spicers Gap Road and travel for about 1km. Turn left into Ski Zone Road (dirt road ok for cars) and travel for 1 km. Turn right at the gate into St Lawrence Road (just before a cattle grid). Follow the road for 1km until you come to Camp Laurence. Bare Rock (Cunninghams Gap) Saturday, 10 November 2012 Leader John Morris Graded track. 12.4 km return. Mount Hobwee (Binna Burra) Sunday, 11 November 2012 Leader Aileen Elliott after 7pm Graded track walk. It is 18.2km return. Teviot Falls Exploratory (Boonah) Wednesday, 14 November 2012 Leader Richard Kolarski S T6 F4 3345 9543 L T4 F4 5427 9369 M T4 F4 3277 3253

This will be an exploratory walk of Teviot Brook. After driving up to Teviot Gap we will explore the two creeks and falls. There will be an opportunity for a swim at the infinity pool at the top of the falls. Wear protective clothing and expect to get wet boots. Meet at Boonah at 7.30am Westrays Grave (Beaudesert) Saturday, 17 November 2012 Leader Aileen Elliott after 7pm S T4 F3 5427 9369

Tangalooma Talk

4 December 2012

The Tangalooma Island Resort will present a briefing at our December Club Members evening. The briefing is to let members know what is happening on Moreton Island with updates on tracks and attractions on the island. Supper and some prizes will be available so be sure to come along.

A walk along a rough track beside Christmas Creek to the grave site. Need to cross the creek so bring sandals. Bally Mt (Mudgeeraba) Sunday, 18 November 2012 Leader Richard Kolarski S T5 F4 3345 9543

An off track walk up a mountain giving great views of the Gold Page 3 of 6

Coast. Some steep sections but a short walk. Meet at Mudgeeraba 7.00am East Cedar Creek Exploratory (Mapleton) Wednesday, 21 November 2012 Leader Richard Kolarski S T6 F4 3345 9543

By this time we were about 100 metres from the creek and when we made our way back we noticed some markers and wreckage and realised we were back on the Lincoln Track where it turns up the creek towards the wreck. Quite a few years ago one of the V12 Rolls Royce Merlin engines from the wreck had been slowly being washed down this creek and was a few metres below this turn off. I was hoping to find this further down the creek but we didnt see it so I figure it must be jammed in some rocks at the top of the falls we had just bypassed or half way to Adelaide by now. Anyhow, after Richard had got rid of some evidence of extracurricular activities by some previous walkers we moved on to the top of the falls for our lunch break. After lunch we returned along the track back to the cars and headed back to Yangan for some refreshments. Many thanks to all those who participated on the walk. David Kenrick

A walk to check out this creek near Mapleton. There will be some walking along forestry roads and some off track creek walking to see its suitability for future walks. Meet at Sunnybank 6.00am Bohgaban Falls via Creeks (Binna Burra) Saturday, 24 November 2012 Leader Richard Kolarski M T6 F5 3345 9543

An exploratory off track walk going to and from Bohgaban Falls via Bell Bird and Rifle Bird Creeks. Need to wear protective clothing. Expect some steep scrambling in sections. Meet at Canungra 7.00am Bushrangers Cave and Wagawn Sunday 25 November 2012 Leader Marion Laban 3805 3300

Palm Falls

2 September 2012

This walk was a pre-outing for the Pilgrimage which was on the following week. I wanted to check out the state of Coomera Creek and the falls so that there would be no surprises. Five of us met up at Canungra and we drove up to the Binna Burra Information Centre. From here we started the walk down the Illinbah Track to Gwongoorool Pool.

South Kobble Creek (Mt Glorious) Sunday 25 November 2012 Leader David Haliczer
0432 901 030

Blackfellow Creek Exploratory (Glen Rock) This walk is in Glen Rock where we will walk along part of the creek. There are some swim holes along the way so may be a chance for a dip. Meet at Sunnybank 6.00am

Past Walks
Lincoln Falls
19 August, 2012 Lincoln falls is the name I have given to the impressive falls just below the creek crossing on the track on the way up to the Lincoln wreck from Emu Creek. I had attempted this walk earlier in the year but because of very wet ground conditions I thought that the very steep descent into the falls creek might be a little dangerous so it was decided not to continue with the walk on the day. This time the conditions were perfect so after the rendezvous at Aratula we drove on up to Emu Creek. We headed off up the Lincoln Wreck track, which showed a lot of evidence of extensive feral pig activity. When we reached the turn off point we crossed a saddle and descended down a side creek into the main falls creek. This creek is not named on the map but is one of the upper branches of the Condamine River and although the falls are fairly high they are not marked on the map either. We had our morning tea break at this junction and then headed up the creek towards the falls. The walk up the creek is fairly easy and very picturesque and it didnt take long to reach the base of the falls. A little bit of time was spent exploring the area before heading off to have lunch at the top of the falls. There is a fairly easy exit to the Lincoln track by contouring left along a ledge until a break found but I wanted to see if we could exit by following up the creek which comes down from near the wreck. From the falls we retraced our steps to the junction and then headed up this creek until a high double drop falls was reached. This was passed by scrambling up some very steep slopes to the right of the falls until we reached a fairly flat area.

Palm Falls Walk

Before getting to the pool we turned off the main track and started the off-track section up Coomera Creek. It had not rained for over a month and the river level was low. This made the rock hopping very easy and were we could not stay in the creek due to deep pools we were able to get up and walk on the bank. However this meant that sometimes we had to scramble under and round fallen trees. Following the creek up for about an hour and a half we got to our turnoff point. Walking up a side creek we were soon at the base of these falls which are spectacular but somehow rarely visited. After taking photos we retraced our steps. We had lunch at Gwongoorool Pool and then walked back up to the cars. Many thanks to Marion, Norm, Bob and Gill for sharing the day. Richard

Venman Bushland Walk

5 September 2012

Five members came along to do this circuit at Daisy Hill on a fine Wednesday morning. We met up at Leo Lindo Drive outside an access point to Venman Bushland National Park and began the walk along the dirt road. After walking for a few minutes we got on to the main walking track, the Venman Circuit which is signposted. Following the circuit in an anticlockwise direction we arrived at the main day use area. Here there were toilets and some information about the origins of this particular park. Continuing along the Venman Circuit for about another half hour we turned off to enter the Neville Lawrie Reserve which is managed by the Logan City Council. We came to a disused

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quarry, now a large lake filled with water. We had morning tea overlooking this lake and then continued our journey into the Daisy Hill Conservation Park. These areas make up the Koala Bushland Coordinated Conservation Area. Though we kept a keen eye out we did not spot any koalas along the track. Continuing on in an anticlockwise direction we got back on to Leo Lindo Drive and back to the cars.

came by. We found out that the burn had been arson just a few days ago and not a controlled burn as thought originally. From here it was a walk along dirt roads back to the start. We did a little diversion to look at the stepped causeway at the dam. We had lunch in the shade of a tree at the park. Many thanks to my walking companions. Richard

Mts Cooee and Tunbubudla

19 September 2012

Mts Cooee and Tunbubudla are two minor peaks in the Glasshouse Mountains. Mt Cooee is a rounded peak next to Tibrogargan and as far as I know the Club has never done it before.

The Quarry Pool

To make up for not seeing any koalas we drove to the Daisy Hill Koala Information Centre where fortunately they had three koalas there. We had lunch just outside the centre. All in all it was an easy relaxing day with some good company. Many thanks to Tony, Bill, Jim and Julie for coming along. Richard

Gold Creek Reserve

12 September 2012

There were six of us for this walk in the Gold Creek Reserve at Brookfield. It has a dam of historical interest as it was the world's first dam constructed with a concrete stepped spillway.
On Mt Cooee with Tibrogargan in the Background

There were only three of us on this walk on a fine Wednesday morning, Tony, myself and a visitor. We met up at Samford and drove north up to Beerburrum. From there we headed west and then drove on a very potholed dirt road to near Mt Tunbubudla which is also known as The Twins. This is due to its two peaks. We weren't going to climb either peak but to do a circuit round Tunbubudla East. The walk started on a forestry track which we followed for about a kilometres. We then crossed a small creek and followed a path which took us to the saddle between the two peaks. On the other side of the saddle we found a research area where they were testing treated wood and how it stood up to the elements. We returned back to the car via some dirt roads and then drove to the Tibrogargan car park. For this part of the walk we needed the GPS and a map as there was some off track walking involved. We started on the Tibrogargan circuit track initially but then veered off to climb the southern side of Mt Cooee. There was no definite path and we had to push our way through some brush. There were some rocky slabs though and we had terrific views of Tibrogargan. We could even see some people at the lookout at the top. Continuing up Mt Cooee we eventually go to the summit where we rested and admired the views. We descended down the northern side and here there was a walking pad made by some other walkers. It was thus a much easier trip down and it took us to a forestry road. It was then an easy walk back to the car park. Both walks were short and we finished at just about lunchtime. The car park had toilets and tables and made a suitable place to relax and eat. Many thanks to my two companions. Richard

Searching for Gold Creek

We began the walk along a dirt road which took us in a counter clockwise direction round the dam. The road rose gradually and we were able to get some glimpses of Brisbane in the distance. It was a hot day and we took the pace slowly as we needed some rest and drink stops. After walking about 6 kilometres on the road we came to our turnoff, a side road which lead us down to Gold Creek. The creek was flowing but slowly. There was some shade here so we had morning tea on some rocky slabs. The next section was off track. On the map it was less than a kilometre up a ridge to a dirt road but the terrain was unknown. I was hoping that there would be no lantana. We were all surprised though that after only a few metres of walking uphill, we found that the area had had a recent burn. There were still some logs smouldering. This made our walk up rather interesting. With each step we set up puffs of ash and we spread out to prevent inhaling it. Dave K. was able to start a small flame going on a smouldering log just by stirring up the embers. However the bare earth and no shade meant that it was even a lot hotter struggle up than usual. We finally go to the dirt road and as we rested a ranger vehicle

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Navigation Using a Map and Compass

This is the first of a series of articles in the Newsletter to help members develop their skills with a map and compass. Though GPSs are now being used more and more often, knowing how to use a map and compass is a basic skill which should be learnt and maintained. After all, a GPS could fail due to breakage or low batteries. Anyone using a GPS should carry a paper topographic map and a compass and should know how to use them. Navigation Objectives Navigation using a map and compass is a skill which allows a bushwalker the freedom and confidence to explore Australia's remote places. This skill allows a bushwalker to know his/her position and the location of the destination on a map or in the wild and to plan and follow the best route between those two points. In order to navigate competently, you should be able to: Scale The scale of a map is the ratio of the distance between two points on the map and the actual distance between these same two points on the ground. Most maps have a scale bar as below. Understand map scale, distance and symbols. Know what terrain forms are represented by various contour configurations. Supply a grid reference. Orient a map visually and by compass. Take a true and a magnetic bearing and convert one into the other. Calculate a backbearing. Use a map and compass to determine your position. Walk on a bearing in any weather, navigating around obstacles.

To calculate a distance along a winding path or river Using pencil and paper divide the distance into a series of straight lines from bend to bend. Mark each straight section along the edge of a piece of paper and then measure the distance obtained by comparing the paper with the scale line. This method is not very accurate over long distances. Map Symbols

Topographic maps use symbols to depict features on the ground. These symbols are usually colour-coded. Black symbols man- made features such as buildings, power lines, telephone lines, fences, paths, boundaries, etc. Red symbols depict certain classes of roads. Green symbols indicate agricultural and natural features of vegetation, such as cultivated land, forests, grassland, etc. Blue symbols indicate water features. Brown symbols for contour lines, rocky outcrops and secondary roads. The key to these symbols is usually found along the margins of the map. Terrain

For bushwalking the most commonly used topographic map has a scale of 1:25,000. A distance of 4 cm on the map is equal to 1 kilometre on the ground. For a map with 1:50,000 scale a distance of 2 cm on the map is equal to 1 kilometre on the ground. Most modern compasses have a ruler down the side edge of the compass and this can be used to measure distance.

Topographic maps use contour lines which are lines joining points of equal elevation above sea level. A contour interval is the difference in elevation between the contours. The contour interval is usually stated in one of the margins of a topographic map. Some contour lines have elevation markings. On Australian topographic maps these numbers are written as if you were looking uphill and so is an easy way of recognising which way the contours are increasing in height. Close spacing between contour lines indicate a very steep slope while wide spacing between contour lines indicate a gentle slope. To Be Continued

To calculate the straight-line distance between two points Use the compass or a ruler to measure the distance on the map in centimetres and then compare the map distance with the scale line or multiply this distance by the representative fraction. If on a 1:25,000 map the distance is 6 centimetres then the ground distance is 1.5 kilometres as each 4 centimetres represents a kilometre. On a 1:50,000 map a measured distance of 6 cm is 3 km on the ground.

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