FRIEND’S NEWSLETTER, MARCH, 2015
www.greatsouthwestwalk.com,
P.O. Box 192, Portland, 3305
Bill Golding
crossing the Surry River on
the
original bridge built by
volunteers —
A marvel of
improvisation,
engineering plans available
on
request!!
Thanks to the following for their financial support for 2014/15:Auswalk Walking Holidays, Cape Bridgewater Seaview Lodge, Wesley College, Cape Nelson Farm, Rotary
Club of
Portland, Portland Bay Rotary Club & Bayview College.
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FRIENDS OF THE GREAT SOUTH WEST WALK
WALKING GROUP PROGRAM 2015
DATE
Saturday
April 18
Saturday
May 16
Weekend
June 12/14
inclusive.
Saturday , July
11
Saturday August 15
EVENT
KMS
9.00am start from Portland –
Mt Richmond to Bridgewater Lakes
A downhill walk!
9.00am start from Portland.
Explore Annya State ForestTracks
Bush scenery in Annya State
Forest.
Friday Afternoon start –
Grampians – Hall’s Gap Based. A couple of
interesting walks
Staying local accommodation.
Cost to be advised.
Booking and deposit details will be in the
GSWW Newsletter.
8.00am start from Portland to meet walkers
at
Hamilton at 9.00 am.
Black Range – Wild Man Cave.
Jan - 55232646
10
Robyn & Alan –
55272003
or 0418574814
10-12
Rob - 55265372
or 0428381772
-
Wendy 55723097
10
9.00am start from Portland –
Monibeong Loop Walk
16
Saturday
September 12
9.00am start from Portland – meet others at
Casterton
Strathdownie. A beautiful,
natural flower garden.
2
Rob 55265372
or Mob.
0428381772
Jan 55232646
@ 10.00am
Wilkin Flora& Fauna Reserve,
CONTACT
8
Saturday
October 10
Saturday
November 14
9.00am start from Portland –
meet others at Hotspur Bridge at
9.30 –
Crawford River, Hotspur
3.00pm start from Portland Walkers' End of Year Port Fairy to Koroit on Rail Trail.
Evening meal at Koroit (venue to
be advised).
8-10
Jenny –
55788206
Or
0427788206
Heather 55218049
12-15
Please read ‘What’s On’ in Friday’s Portland Observer in case walk details overleaf have changed.
Unless otherwise stated, all walks leave from the Customs House, Cliff Street, Portland. Our By-laws require that intending walkers advise the contact person by the
Thursday prior to the walk so that transport arrangements can be made.
We would like to encourage all walkers who are not already financial members to join
up and help keep us running. Membership forms are available from the contact person
on the day of the walk or go to our website, www.greatsouthwestwalk.com and either
download a form or pay online.
Suggested Equipment for Day Walks
Morning tea, nibbles and lunch, water bottle (min. 1 litre), day pack, sun hat, sunscreen,
waterproof jacket, insect repellent, beanie, comfortable, broken-in footwear, change of
clothes for return trip (left in car) if
conditions are wet. Additionally, on Twilight Walks, meals will be at
designated venues at own expense and, as walks commence after lunch, something to
nibble on, eg fruit, nuts or the like, would be advisable.
Julie Davies, FGSWW Recreation Officer
Ph: 55232131 or Mob: 0407052914
Bridgewater Bay Café
Meals, refreshments and
supplies for walker with advance notice
Phone (03) 5526 7155.
3
MALLEE CAMP TO QUARRY GATE—17:1:15
January 17th. was a cool day but good walking weather for our first walk for
2015. We started near Mallee Camp and walked through the Moonah Forest
of the Enchanted Forest and along the cliff tops, passing the engineering
workmanship of the GSWW
Volunteers—steps, stairways, bridges and look-outs! What a
wonderful job they do and a huge thank-you to them all.
We navigated on, admiring the giant limestone boulders that sit there without
damaging the magnificent forest.
Twenty-nine walkers then continued on to Yellow Rock, stopping at the lookout along the way and enjoying the beautiful coastline we have here in our
own back yard. Crayfish Bay was the next viewing point and our 8km walk
ended at Quarry Gates. The day concluded with an evening meal and lots of
chit-chat at the
Richmond Henty Hotel. Thank-you to all who participated.
Alan & Robyn Lewis.
4
WHITE’S BEACH TO BLOWHOLES—14:2:15.
Friends of the GSWW recreation walking group held another
successful twilight walk on February 14th. Walkers met at 3pm
then travelled to Cape Bridgewater. After a car pool, 7vechicles
travelled along Amos Road to the start of the 5km trek along the
rugged cliff-tops with scenic coastal views of Discovery Bay
Coastal Park.
A short break was enjoyed at the Springs Camp. In perfect sunny
walking conditions with a light south east breeze, 26 walkers
enjoyed their 90 minute walk finishing at the Blowholes Car park
4 extra people joined the group for the evening meal at the
Bridgewater Bay Kiosk.—Leader Julie.
5
PENSHURST VOLCANIC CENTRE AND MT ROUSE, 14:3:15.
Twenty nine members and visitors from Portland, Heywood and Hamilton
explored the Penshurst Volcanic Centre and climbed Mt Rouse followed by
an enjoyable picnic tea in the Penshurst Gardens. Jill from the Volcanic
centre explained to members, using samples, how the different types of
rock were formed from the volcanic activity of Mt Rouse and dramatically
and graphically illustrated the extent and history of the Western Districts
volcanic plain.
The view over Penshurst and the surrounding country side is expansive
and was well worth the steep climb to the top of Mt Rouse followed by a
welcome descent, meal and walk in the extensive gardens with its permanent spring to keep the gardens green.—John
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BANDICOOT SIGHTING!
It was another beautiful, quiet
Saturday afternoon, early
January, when a walk
seemed like a good idea. At
around 4:30 pm, just metres
along Bill's walk, a Blue
Tongue Lizard and a rather
prickly Echidna were clearly
enjoying the conditions as
was I.
A vandalised sign had made
mention of Rufus birds and
Bandicoots which I had never
seen before. Just a
couple of hundred metres along, there it was, in broad daylight —
a Bandicoot!. A second Bandicoot was seen an hour later, a bit further from
the camera. It did look smaller and a bit darker but may have been the
same one. Unfortunately a feral cat was also hunting along the same path.
I tried to shoot it with my camera, (mobile phone), but missed. I love the
walk, there is so much to see and enjoy!
Keith Meerbach.
Thanks Graeme Hume
for the
refurbishment of our
GSWW sign.
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Saturday morning work crew hard at it between the Blowholes and
Seal Cave.—Bill Golding, Nevin Bruton & Graeme Hume.
Volunteers are welcome to join the work crews for a great
day out working on the track Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday of each week. Contact Gordon, 0428234248, Graeme
55231927 or Bill 55232696 to schedule a suitable day for
you to assist. All volunteers are welcome for one day or
more
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Aussie Camino, Victoria-SA
The Camino Australia - MacKillop-Woods Way is a pilgrimage route
running from Portland in Victoria to Penola in South Australia inspired by the life and journeys of Australia's Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Based on the traditions of the
Camino de Santiago de Compostela,
pilgrims receive passports, scallop shells and stay in the local hotels in towns along the
way. Although the Aussie Camino is designed to be
self-guided for groups of around 20-30 participants, it can also be walked by individuals
with the assistance of a guidebook. For information on the next Camino Groups—Email:
[email protected]
Landcare Cape Bridgewater
mences for 2015—
Com-
Pictured are the Wesley College students,
staff and Bill Golding spreading coastal wattle 4:3:15.This was the first of 14 days
scheduled for 2015 for the students as part
of their environmental program while
camped at Bridgewater Lakes.
The Supported Walk Started
Sunday 15 March 2015—Fifteen walkers,
along with leaders pictured prior to setting
out to complete the 250 km GSWW Long
Walk in fourteen days, returning 26 March,
2015.
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FGSWW volunteers unloading coastal
wattle on site.
Thankyou to
Brewster & Walsh for their
sponsorship of this
Newsletter and Cathie Cram for
printing it.
DISCOVERY!
Our last Newsletter featured the first of four poems on which
composer, Dindy Vaughan, based the Discovery Symphony.
Her second poem takes us to Discovery Bay.
The first line gives us the broad
picture, “Grey-green the ocean,
skies grey to horizon line”.
This line inspires ten bars of
beautiful, quiet, spine-tingling
music.
However, Discovery Bay is
seldom quiet and we are soon
confronting the magnificent
violence of it all.
It’s almost as if we glimpse the
very engine room of creation. “The heart of the world beats with thunderous
power”. The music is likewise thunderous. Even the notorious undertow
gets a mention.
Yet this is a friendly place too as the third verse shows. The music changes
to a jaunty rhythm—almost a dance tune.
Dindy’s last verse marvels at the seals. They are completely in tune with
this wild environment and, indeed with creation itself.
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Second Poem—
Grey-green the ocean, skies grey to the horizon line,
Shifting and stirring clouds, foam-flecked and low.
Wind from the headland no harbour or haven.
The heart of the sea beats in strong undertow.
White in cold fury, wind whips sand and sea-spray,
Bend to the wind as waves pound the sea-shore.
Land meets the sea and embraces wild freedom,
The heart of the world beats with thunderous power.
Sun strikes as daggers, gold spears through the great waves.
Deep blue and turquoise their joyful heads rise
To dash with huge laughter on sea-cliff and black rocks,
The heart of the earth beats in salt-drenched surprise.
Daring and fearless, seals ride the huge surges,
Cruising on waves till they crash in the foam,
At one with the ocean, at home in each moment,
Their hearts and creation beat even as one.
Dindy Vaughan.
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Mt Pitt, Mt Bates Walk & Cook’s Memorial Walk, Norfolk Is. Feb. 2015.
A fellow walking friend and I decided to walk tracks in
The Norfolk Island National Park. The park is about 400
ha, owned & financed by the Australian Government. The
forest is mainly Norfolk Pines, [as seen around our
coastal towns], and spectacular fern gullies, no native
animals but quite a few birds, some of which are indigenous to the area, eg the NI Green Parrot, Long-billed
White Eye and the NI Boobook Owl.
We walked from Burnt Pine Township through the Park,
traversed Mt Pitt & Mt Bates, both approx. 320m, then
passed through fern gullies on our descent back to town.
Some of the ferns in these Gullies are the tallest in the
world at over 20m. They are named Yathea Brownii, the
trunk is smoother than our local tree fern. From Mt Pitt
walkers have a 360 degree view of the Island of about
3,500 ha. It is a spectacular, scenic island, permanent
population approx. 1500 with approx 1000 visitors a
week.
It is serviced by 4 flights a week from Auckland,
Sydney & Brisbane. Two coastal traders a month deliver
goods, groceries & fuel & both are dependant on the
weather to unload. The Island is very inaccessible by
sea with high cliffs and small beaches.
We walked about 9kms on this walk on good track and
roads. Also as a touring group, we walked to Cook’s
Lookout through the NP. Highlights were the coastal
scenery & the Fairy Terns nesting on the branches of the
Norfolk Pines, no nests,
rolling their egg, one per
nesting spot, & the fluffy
chicks surviving on the
branch!
Mal & I had a great week on Norfolk Island, walking &
learning about the Mutiny and the return of the
Pitcairnees to Norfolk.
Rob Bartlett &
MarleneDuffy
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