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Author Archive | Kirsten Mayer

2023 Online Systems Club Survey

Ten members from nine (13%) of our clubs responded to our Online Systems Survey (the survey is still open). All but 2 (20%) use online systems. They use online systems for:

Membership Management, Activities Management and Website Editing are all very popular targets for online systems used by 60% of clubs surveyed.

Now here’s the good stuff for you: These are the systems that clubs use:

Six (60%) of respondents said they would like to use more electronic systems. The systems they are interested in using are:

  • The 2 clubs that don’t have Membership Management, Activities Management, Committee Management, and Website Editing would like them
  • Another 2 clubs would like to further enhance their Activities Management:
    • integrate activities management into salesforce or upgrade our current system
    • Leader Resources, specifically a list of activities (walks) with information a leader requires to find an activity to lead and offer it themselves
  • Skills development, specifically around navigation
  • Online forum with other club committees and leaders to discuss club stuff
  • image management and route management
  • Open Street Maps
  • History, photos, maps, walk details, club records.

The wonderful news is that the majority of clubs would like to share their knowledge and experience with other clubs:

Some clubs are also looking for advice so BNSW will set up an online forum to discuss online systems!

Would you like help to manage your club using online systems?

Complete our Online Systems Survey now and join us on 16th May 2023 meeting where Peter Whitely, Northern Rivers Bushwalking Club Membership Officer, will introduce us to Member Jungle membership and activities management system. Registration essential.

Lost City walkabout

A weekend walk through the Gardens of Stone lead by Keith Muir

It was an easy start to the weekend staying Friday night at Keith Muir’s place in Katoomba and then being driven to the car shuffle and then to the start of the walk.

We started walking on broad fire trails that passed through unspectacular heath on the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area not far from Lithgow. However, before long Keith and the others stopped at a large rock on the side of the road which gave a view over an amazing valley. We were looking down over a huge canyon-shaped valley lined with intricate pagoda structures. The Lost City. It truly was reminiscent of an ancient city with each pagoda-shaped ‘tower’ with its rounded ‘head’ and ironstone fenestrations.

We walked down the hill into the valley and the view of the Lost City just got better. As we got up close to the structures you could see the sandwiched layers of ironstone and sandstone. With the sandstone weathered away leaving the ironstone jutting out.

In places the ironstone was twisted and curled up making even more beautiful structures.

We walked through the valley floor which was filled with beautiful bush before Keith identified a ridge which we could climb to reach our campground. The climb was a steep scramble at times and we needed to find our way around some rock formations but we made it without a hitch. Keith really knows this area well.

We walked across the plateau and then climbed up more pagoda formations. Getting close enough to the pagodas to climb them makes you super aware of how fragile they are. The ironstone layers that jut out and give the pagodas their intricate decoration are unsupported and easily break off. We were extra careful with every step to be sure we didn’t break off rock as we climbed.

After admiring the view from the top we headed across the plateau to our campground in a lovely clearing near a water soak. We enjoyed our meals around a campfire and headed to bed early to get a good rest.

On the Sunday Keith lead us on a circuitous route through another canyon-like valley surrounded by pagodas. The bush was beautiful and we all enjoyed our lunch beside a beautiful pagoda. We then walked out to the car shuffle car with no trouble.

I’m so grateful to Keith for showing me this precious part of the world. Having seen the pagodas from afar and up close, and having seen how fragile they are, I am inclined to write to NPWS and ask that they:

  1. ban people from walking or climbing the pagodas of the Lost City, and
  2. develop walking tracks that pass close by the pagodas so people can enjoy them.

If this area is opened up to mass tourism, with people allowed to climb the pagodas, I can see their delicate ironstone protrusions getting snapped off until there are no more protrusions giving the pagodas their delicate filigree-like decoration. Surely we need to take care of these delicate structures to the next generations can enjoy them as we do.

Have your say on Facebook or by email to admin@bushwalkingnsw.org.au.

GET Ground Truther’s Competition

Great Escarpment Trail

Paddy Pallin

Ground Truther’s Competition

18th January, 2022

We are looking for people who can “ground truth” the Great Escarpment Trail (GET). We need to you to walk the trail and try out the campsites and adjacent accommodation, food and transport options. We then want a trip report from you on the good and the bad of the section you walked. We would love to see your photos, videos, maps and track notes on anything and everything of note.

You could also win yourself some great Paddy Pallin gear! Just share with us:

  • the best photos and video taken of spectacular sights along the GET
  • videos and photos that capture the essence of the GET
  • the best 3-day-2-night and 6-day-5-night walk/experience along the GET
  • the best track notes or best name for a 3-day-2-night or 6-day-5-night walk within the GET

Every 6 months we will award a prize in each of these categories:

  1. The most spectacular photo or video taken on/from the GET track, campgrounds or accommodation
  2. The best video or photo displaying the unique character of the GET track, campgrounds and accommodation – a photo that tells the viewer the best thing/s about the GET experience – it could be sitting around a campfire, your mates gazing at a view, an abundant moss & lichen garden – whatever strikes you as the essence of “The best of the GET”
  3. The best idea for a 3-day-2-night or 6-day-5-night walking adventure/experience along the GET – the experience could involve spending a final day at a resort at the end of the trail, or staying an extra night along the trail to do side-trips – tell us the most exhilarating 3 or 6 day experience you can envisage on the GET
  4. The best track notes or best name for a 3-day or 6-day walk along the GET. We would love to see photos of track junctions and wayfinding indicators.

Things you can share about the section you walk are:

  • good photographs
  • whether the route is easy to follow
  • mobile phone coverage
  • identifying hazard points, like watercourse crossings, bad erosion, steep inclines, fences, gates, and access.
  • places of scenic interest
  • potential locations of campsites
  • any commercial operator along the trail that services bushwalkers, like accommodation providers, shops, roadside stalls, etc.  For example the Styx River Forest Station is listed as a free camp as it is on a main road.
  • anything else that may strike you.

Paddy Pallin have generously contributed these great prizes for the 4 categories:

1 x PAT Altvia pack 22L Abalone Blue- L: https://www.paddypallin.com.au/patagonia-altvia-22-pack.html

1 x KNO Bandicoot 250- Blue: https://www.paddypallin.com.au/knog-bandicoot-250-lumen-rechargable-headlamp.html

1 x  OPT Crux Lite Stove: https://www.paddypallin.com.au/optimus-crux-lite-stove.html

1 x Pure Race starter pack bottle: https://www.paddypallin.com.au/pure-sports-nutrition-race-starter-pack-bottle.html

Paddy Pallin Prizes

How to enter

Firstly, contact  Gavin Dale – Bushwalking NSW Operations on operations@bushwalkingnsw.org.au to receive the latest track notes and maps for the sections of track that you’d like to walk.

On your walk, take note of any improvements/corrections you would suggest to the track notes. Record your experience of the trail in words and photos. And think about what would make an awesome 3-day-2-night or 6-day-5-night walk along the GET.

On your return home simply email your entry photos and feedback to Gavin at operations@bushwalkingnsw.org.au. Attach your images to your email or include a public link to your photos (eg google drive, dropbox or photo share apps).

Please share photos and video with the highest resolution and quality possible.

Terms & Conditions

Photos with the best photo quality will be more likely to win. We would love to know who was the photographer for each photo however please note that by submitting photographs to this competition, you acknowledge that:

  • you possess copyright to the images,
  • you give Bushwalking NSW Inc (BNSW), Bushwalking Queensland Inc. (BWQ) and The Great Escarpment Trail Inc. (GET) permission to use the images you supply in any BNSW, BWQ or GET website, newsletter, social media, email, online and printed publications without attribution, and
  • you warrant that BNSW, BWQ and GET will not infringe any copyright by using the images you have supplied in any way.

We will contact the winners via their email address and publish the name of the winners in our monthly newsletter. Any prize that isn’t claimed within 1 month of the email being sent to the winner will be forfeited and will go into the next 6 month prize draw. Prizes for categories that haven’t received entries will go into the next 6 month draw.

 

Wishing you well in your ground truthing. We hope you have a great time!

 

2022 Great Ocean Road Trek Early Bird

As a keen bushwalker we’d like to let you know about the early bird discount now open for the 2022 Great Ocean Road Trek.

 

About the Great Ocean Road Trek

The Great Ocean Road Trek is one of Australia’s most iconic walks, starting at Apollo Bay and finishing at the Twelve Apostles. The 100km walk will take you through lush rainforests, across deserted beaches, and along majestic cliff faces.

 

A few of the highlights will include:

  • Spectacular views, quiet trails and secluded beaches in some of the world’s most beautiful locations.
  • Remote walks to places like Moonlight Head and Devil’s Kitchen.
  • Abundant wildflowers and native fauna including koalas and echidnas.
  • Walking with like-minded adventurers.
  • Being supported by our guides, including a dual qualified Credentialled Diabetes Educator and Exercise Physiologist.

If you’d like more information, download the information pack or call me on 07 3551 1411.

Download information pack

Sign up today
If you’re ready to take advantage of this great offer and sign up for the adventure of a lifetime, you can register directly by clicking the button below.

REGISTER HERE
Places for the 2022 Great Ocean Road Trek are limited so don’t miss out! I look forward to welcoming you on the adventure of a lifetime.

 

Kathleen Cook

Great Ocean Road Trek representative

Diabetes Queensland

 

PS. To save $300 on your registration, secure your spot today.

Child Protection Mandatory Reporting

On 1st October, 2020 the Office of the Children’s Guardian provided a webinar titled: Understanding your reporting obligations in sporting and local government organisations.

The recording for the webinar can be accessed here.

If you are listening from a place where children can hear the webinar the use of headphones is recommended.

 

Below is some information that was mentioned in the webinar and shared by Harris Short, Child Safe Coordinator, Local Government/Sport, Office of the Children’s Guardian.

For more information, click on the links provided.

 

Department and Communities and Justice (DCJ)

Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), previously known as Family and Community Services (FaCS) or Department of Community Services (DoCS), is NSW’s statutory child protection agency. The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 and Regulation 2012 detail DCJ’s responsibilities in keeping children safe.

A key responsibility is that DCJ is responsible for assessing reports made to the Child Protection Helpline. While anyone in the community can make a report to the Child Protection Helpline, that a child or group of children might be at risk of significant harm, the Care and Protection Act makes it mandatory for some people who work or volunteer in certain roles. For more information https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/families/Protecting-kids/mandatory-reporters/about

For guidance about making a mandatory report, using the mandatory reporter guide, to submit an e-report, or other information about mandatory reporting, visit https://reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s/

JCPRP

The ‘Joint Child Protection Response Program’ (JCPRP), which used to be called JIRT, aims to provide a seamless service response to children and young people at risk of significant harm as a result of sexual assault, serious physical abuse and extreme neglect. JCPRP is a tri-agency program delivered by the NSW Police Force, Department of Communities and Justice and NSW Health. Joint Referral Unit (JRU) has a representative of each agency to work on joint decision-making around intake to JCPRP. JCPRP investigations are led by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.

Reportable Conduct

Learn about your obligations under the Reportable Conduct Scheme in our 30min video.

You can find information on the Children’s Guardian website about:

  • Identifying reportable allegations
  • Heads of entities and reportable conduct responsibilities
  • Planning and conducting an investigation
  • Recognising and managing conflicts of interest etc.

 

Information provided by:

Harris Short | Child Safe Coordinator, Local Government/Sport | Office of the Children’s Guardian
www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au

Trek 100km along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road – join Diabetes NSW & ACT’s adventure of a lifetime!

Celebrating its sixth year this year, the trek covers 100km from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles across Victoria’s rugged coastline. Lace up your hiking boots and join Diabetes NSW & ACT for this seven day, 100km trek along the Great Ocean Road. Set yourself a challenge for fun, fitness and fundraising.

The Great Ocean Road Trek runs over five days and hikers say they take inspiration from the breathtaking scenery of Victoria’s rugged coast along the way. Connecting to nature, observing koalas in their natural habitat and discovering the full beauty of the region’s abundant flora and fauna is part of the daily experience. Participants comment on the spectacular beauty of the trek and their delight at hearing echoes of birdsong as they wind their way through forests, rocky shores, deserted beaches and windswept clifftops.

Our team took the opportunity to interview Beverley on the experience – from signing up through to conquering the five day challenge in October this year. Beverley said “I often wondered in recent years, if ever I was to be challenged, could I rise to the occasion?” Beverley went on to disclose to us the contemplation process prior to embarking on the Great Ocean Road Trek adventure. “I knew it would not be easy, as I would have my age against me (68), and type 1 diabetes to contend with. When I saw the article on the 2018 trek, I knew it was time to answer those nagging doubts I had!” Beverley recalled.

Beverley’s adventure of a lifetime – 100km across the Great Ocean Road!

Beverley said her favourite moments included witnessing the colour of the ocean shift from grey to blue, the cliff views and the comradery that comes with finishing a challenging endeavour with likeminded individuals.

“As a team, we helped each other, laughed with each other and deepened our connection, as we trudged as a group further along the length of the coastline.”

The elation didn’t stop there for Beverley and the intrepid team. Her excitement at reaching the Twelve Apostles is contagious. “As we reached the final hilltop, the summit seemed to be silhouetted against the vast, blue sky. I felt like the twelve apostles were waving to us upon our arrival. An incredibly joyful feeling!” said Beverley.

Are you ready for an adventure of a lifetime?

Expressions of interest for 2020 are open, submit your registration by 31st January and save $150 on early bird offering. Don’t miss out, simply email fundraising@diabetesnsw.com.au or head to https://diabetesnsw.com.au/great-ocean-road-trek/ to find out more

 

Alternative activities

Have park closures or extreme weather conditions cancelled your plans?

Here are oodles of awesome alternate activity ideas.

No need to do them alone! Meet the group you were planning to head outdoors with at a cafe or library instead. Have fun and feel good about these ‘indoor adventures’ together!

  1. Find and schedule the walks and activities you want to lead in the new year
  2. Not a leader yet? Call a current club leader and ask if you can buddy up to learn to lead – they are friendly folk!
  3. Read the Bushwalking Manual – a great read for everyone doing all kinds of outdoor adventure 🙂
  4. Get started on a first aid course – you can do the pre-reading online for free! https://pfa.stjohn.org.au/
  5. Meet up with a club buddy to plan a club activity together in the new year
  6. Read our Risk Management Guidelines – it is truly worthwhile
  7. Learn all about our insurance – consider becoming an insurance officer – ask us how
  8. Start planning and coordinating a risk management training session for your club. You don’t have to know it all – ask club members with each special expertise to talk on their bit.
  9. Run a navigation theory session for your club and friends
  10. Learn how you can help our suffering wildlife: WIRES & NWC
  11. Write to members of parliament to ask for a climate action leadership:
    1. Federal Ministers.
    2. NSW Members.
    3. ACT Members.
    4. Tell them you’d rather be bushwalking or hiking, healthy and active, than sitting indoors because of extreme weather events!
  12. Brainstorm how to engage more youth in your club
  13. Organise your photos and send in some great ones to us so we can share them through our newsletter and website – email to admin@bushwalkingnsw.org.au.
  14. Contribute your photos and descriptions of the great walks of NSW & the ACT to manual@bushwalkingvictoria.org.au
  15. Check out all the resources available for you on the Bushwalking NSW website
  16. Ask your club management committee if they need any help
  17. Sign up for a Bushwalking NSW working group
  18. Help Bushwalking NSW develop a Hot/Extreme Weather Policy that can help all our clubs – contact us now!
  19. Schedule club social events for the new year
  20. Look for great speakers for next year’s club meetings
  21. Call friends affected by extreme weather and learn how they are doing
  22. Prepare you home for fire as a group – going to each member’s home to clip and clear.
  23. Learn how to plan and prepare for fire
  24. Help out others affected by natural disasters
  25. If you haven’t done it yet – put your Bush fire survival plan at the top of your list!

And once you’re done. Pat yourself on the back and thank your team 🙂

Adapting to climate change

Our changing climate is bringing new risks which bushwalkers and outdoor adventure enthusiasts should keep in mind whenever planning trips, and whenever we head out on our adventures.

This page gives a quick summary of what to consider. Click through to the relevant authority for detailed information, alerts and to subscribe to alerts and news from each authority.

Extreme weather

The consequences of our changing weather are:

  • More National Park/State Forest/etc closures + more track closures – due to:
    • Threat of fire
    • Damage from fire/flood making tracks unsafe and/or impassable
  • Dehydration & heat stroke of greater concern in hot summer days
  • Increased chance of flooding
  • Poor air quality making prolonged exercise inadvisable (see below)
  • A new Fire Danger Rating

That is why it is important for you to check conditions before you head out. Also monitor conditions for rapid changes. For example, on high fire danger periods/days, or during extreme rainfall, etc.

Avoid remote areas during bushfire conditions. Look at the forward forecast fire ratings and weather before multi-day trips and err on the side of caution.

National Parks closed and damaged by fire

Air quality & health

Air pollutants, including smoke from bush fires, can be harmful to our health and so check air quality forecasts before you head out.

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment states that we should all reduce heavy or prolonged exercise when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is >150.

However, The Climate and Health Alliance have now declared: “There is no safe level of air pollution. The higher the level of pollution, the more hazardous the risks to health. Bushfire smoke is particularly hazardous because of the high levels of tiny particles (PM2.5).”

You can check the current and forecast air quality here: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/aqms/aqi.htm

And find out what the AQI colours mean for your activity here:

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/air/Pages/aqi.aspx

Leaders should cancel activities to areas likely to be affected by poor air quality.

Fire Ratings

Note that a new Bush Fire Danger Rating exists called “Catastrophic”. If a Catastrophic warning is issued when and where you are planing to be in the bush, you should cancel your planned activities and move to a place of safety.

A “Catastrophic” rating may be issued in advance so always check the forecast if you are planning/heading out to a multi-day activity.

The current RFS advice for what you should do if the Bush Fire Danger Rating is “Catastrophic” is:

  • For your survival, leaving [the area to be affected] early is the only option.
  • Leave bush fire prone areas the night before or early in the day – do not just wait and see what happens.
  • Make a decision about when you will leave, where you will go, how you will get there and when you will return.
  • Homes are not designed to withstand fires in catastrophic conditions so you should leave early.

See the RFS for full details of Bush Fire Danger Ratings including “Catastrophic”: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fdr-and-tobans?a=1421

Learn more about Bush Fire Danger Ratings and Total Fire Bans here: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fdr-and-tobans

Fire damage

Every time you head out – check:

To manage these hazards always check before you head out:

Hot Spots

These new tools may indicate fire activity, however the site creators say they are “not to be used for safety of life decisions. For local updates and alerts, please refer to your state emergency or fire service.”

Always remember, that this information is only as updated when a satellite passes over the location you are viewing. IE: not that often.

https://firewatch-pro.landgate.wa.gov.au/ (seems to be more current just from our casual observation)

https://hotspots.dea.ga.gov.au/

Alerts

  • Bushwalking NSW does not pass on alerts. Instead, we recommend you sign up for alerts directly with the relevant authority
  • Bushwalking NSW periodically remind our newsletter subscribers that people and clubs should check for alerts:
    • In anticipation for activities
    • Before they head out
  • Sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page and here

Subscribe to updates

  • We encourage all people engaged in outdoor adventure to sign up to receive alerts from the relevant authorities.

Clubs

  • We suggest clubs consider how they are communicating with their members when conditions become hazardous or extreme.

 

We hope this brief guide helps you all to continue to enjoy safe and successful outdoor adventure in our beautiful natural places!

A bushwalker’s two day crawl before rescue

In kindly and candidly sharing a very painful and harrowing ordeal, a club leader has given us some important points to reflect upon. Every time we head out.

In mid-September, Neil Parker (54), an experienced leader for Brisbane Bushwalkers, was conducting a solo recce (reconnaissance walk) of Cabbage Tree Creek near Brisbane, Queensland.

While alone, Neil fell down a 6-metre waterfall, fracturing both his leg and wrist. He then crawled for two days, to reach a clearing, in the hope of a search team finding him. Excruciating.

He did not have a PLB*, and did not leave trip intentions.

It is rare, but sometimes things go wrong.

This article describes the incident: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-18/mt-nebo-bushwalker-crawls-to-safety-after-fracturing-leg-wrist/11522794

Neil’s personal account is well worth a listen:

https://www.facebook.com/ABCSunshineCoast/videos/2434513696831834/

We encourage you to reflect on Neil’s experiences.

 

Some of our reflections are:

  • Take a PLB*, especially when going solo. Even for short walks. Register it with AMSA.
  • Always Leave Trip Intentions with a reliable person.
    • That means telling someone your detailed trip plans, and when you are due to return. Plus it means that person calling the police if you haven’t returned at the time you said you would. Always call your responsible person on your safe return.
  • Neil is saying the right things in his interview so he is clearly very knowledgeable and experienced. This helped him save himself. So:
    • Join a bushwalking club to learn a wealth of invaluable knowledge and experience in all kinds of adventure. For a very low cost! Have a great time discovering new places. and new types of adventure activities.
  • Neil didn’t panic and had a good first aid kit.
    • He could have also included a sam splint in his kit – it is a much better for dealing with a fracture than walking poles or tree branches.
  • Neil demonstrates how important it is to take first aid kits seriously and keep them well-stocked. Even for a short, familiar walk.
  • Neil took warm clothes and a space blanket on a short, local walk, in a warm climate. And needed them.
    • Consider also a cashmere beanie – superb warmth-to-weight ratio.
    • The space blanket kept him warm and could help rescuers see him.
    • Regularly replace your space blanket – they can de-laminate over time.
  • Neil also took a head torch, his mobile phone and energy-packed snacks. He needed all of these too.

 

If you haven’t watched it yet, do watch Neil’s personal account:

https://www.facebook.com/ABCSunshineCoast/videos/2434513696831834/

Pass it on

All outdoor adventures can benefit from Neil Parker’s experience, so please pass this onto them.

For Clubs

We’d also recommend that club committees devote some time to discussing Neil Parker’s experience and insights, and the implications for each club’s risk management.

We advise all club members to put all exploratory (recce) trips on their activities program. This is the minimum requirement for an activity to be covered by our Bushwalking Australia Insurance.

We also recommend all clubs have: (1) a way of recording trip intentions for all activities, (2) a way of checking that all participants have returned from their activities when they said they would, and (3) a person who will call the police if a person/party haven’t returned when they said they would.

 

We wish you all the best out there. And we wish Neil Parker a rapid and full recovery.

 

*PLB = Personal Locator Beacon

Packing and planning for the best trip in Europe

One of the wonderful things about walking in Europe is the accommodation available to walkers.  Amazingly, this remote mountain refuge (Rifugio Pramparet), on stage 9 of the most beautiful walk in Europe, had the most interesting and delicious food of all rifugios on the trip!

 

Local communities and mountaineers have been walking these routes for generations. So to make it all a lot easier, they have built places to stay called rifugios (refuges). Rifugios provide bunkbed accommodation, a cooked breakfast and dinner, alcoholic beverages, cakes, and a packed lunch. To top it off you can often even get a shower … though some of them are cold!

 

All this in a cozy hut, high in the mountains surrounded by amazing beauty. The speck in the middle of this incredibly steep forest is Rifugio Vassoler:

All of these luxuries can reduce the weight of your pack to a sleeping sheet, towel, your walking snacks, toiletries, and the gear you will need for the wide range of weather and track conditions you can encounter in the mountains. But don’t forget your walking sticks – they are essential equipment for the Alta Via 1 walk which is unbelievable steep in places:

The best way to learn how to lighten your pack is by joining a bushwalking club like the Coast and Mountain Walkers (CMW) and heading out on some overnight walks with them. Super-experienced bushwalking club members, like those from CMW, have so many tips and tricks for keeping you comfortable and happy in all conditions out in nature 🙂

 

Having that kind of experience behind you means you’ll enjoy your trip so much more.  Nothing beats knowing how to thrive in the wild. It’s like opening a doorway to a world of adventure.
The other thing you can learn in a bushwalking club, is how to pack a light meal and save yourself some money for more trips like this! Then lunch can be a picnic spread out in the middle of all that beauty!
Here is where you can find a club near you that will help you discover the most beautiful places to walk in NSW, the ACT and the world: our clubs.