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The Bush Club – 85th Birthday Celebrations

The Bush Club

Bush Club Birthday Celebration Walks

The Bush Club came into existence on 19th September 1939. The Club was founded by Marie Byles and Paddy Pallin. Both Marie and Paddy believed that the rigorous standards of the tests, pack walking etc., for gaining entry to bush walking clubs was too high. They believed this prevented those who simply want to walk in and appreciate the bush from joining clubs. Their belief was that a love of the bush and a willingness to protect its environment should be the main qualification criteria along with making friendships through bush walking. These core values remain the same for the Bush Club today.

Today the Club has 890 members. While the Club has grown considerably over the years it remains thru to the core values of its founders. The Club places great emphasis on celebrating the creation of the club each year. We mark certain milestones with special events.
The Bush Club celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2014 by completing club walks in 75 national parks all over the world. The walks ranged from the Blue Mountains, the Lake District in England, Horton Plains in Sri Lanka to Los Glaciares in Argentina and were completed between May 2013 and end of August 2014. See here for more information.

The Club celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2019 by completing 80 different club walks by 80 different leaders. The walks were completed between December 2018 and October 2019 from the Ophir Goldfields in NSW Central West to the Garden of Stone and as far afield as the Kerry Way in Ireland. More info.

This year we celebrated the 85th Birthday of the Bush Club. We asked our Leaders to put on 85 ‘trig’ walks / cycles to mark the occasion. As always, our Leaders responded enthusiastically and completed the 85 ‘trig’ events. The trigs were visited between October 2023 and October 2024. These walks and cycles took place throughout NSW, Interstate and the Lake Dunstan trig was claimed on a Club cycle in New Zealand.

All our special birthday events are recorded and a page created on the Bush Club Website for future members to look back on and continue the tradition into the future.

Along with the special occasions, we celebrate the Club’s birthday each year with walks to a central location within a National Park around Sydney. This year the walks finished at Commandment Rock, Lane Cove NP. There was tea, coffee and the birthday cake. We had in excess of 50 members attending the celebrations.

Perceptions of image and naming of our bushwalking clubs: a survey

There is growing concern that many bushwalking clubs throughout NSW and ACT are not attracting younger members, particularly younger people who are willing to take on leadership roles (see our recent Opinion Piece on this issue).

Many people have suggested that a part of the problem is the somewhat staid and less-than-exciting image of bushwalking clubs in Australia. Accordingly an important question is should we consider a change of image and possibly our names within the bushwalking movement?

We would love it if you would help Bushwalking NSW further explore these issues by completing our 3-minute survey: Community perceptions on bushwalking and outdoor adventure terminology. By completing this survey you will be in the running for one of several great prizes, including three $150 gift cards from Paddy Pallin and five subscriptions to Wild magazine.

For more information please contact us at: youngpeopleinclubs@bushwalkingnsw.org.au

How to set up a new bushwalking club – Coffs Hikers story

On a sunny day in spring 2021, a small group of keen walkers met at the Botanic Gardens in Coffs Harbour to discuss setting up a bushwalking club. But how do you set up a club?

This is our story. We hope sharing will help others on their journey to start and manage a bushwalking club.

Start with why, then how

We began by discussing our values, which determined the form the club would take. We agreed to set up a not for profit incorporated association and to affiliate with Bushwalking NSW Inc. This provides legal protection and insurance for our volunteer and members, allowed us to open an association bank account and get an ABN (useful for grants), and to benefit from knowledge shared within the NSW peak bushwalking organisation.

The minimum number of members for an association is 5 – we met that. Next we needed a constitution, and that required making some early decisions. For example, did we want to set a maximum period for serving on the committee to prevent burn out and stagnation? What membership classes were we going to have, and could children be members? We sought input from other clubs, and opted to keep it simple.

Once the constitution had been debated and finalised, our first committee was formed. The newly appointed Public Officer was given authority to go ahead and lodge with Fair Trading, incurring our first expense. Two days later, our application was accepted and Coffs Hikers came into existence. Our domain name was registered, and work began on a website.

We went to the bank to open an account and also set up a Business Account with PayPal so that we could support online payment of fees. PayPal charge of course, but they manage all the risk around credit cards and compliance, and we were comfortable paying for automation that eases the burden on our volunteer Treasurer. We set our annual membership fee at $35, to cover insurance premiums and fund the website, with a little to spare. Our first ten members signed up and paid their fees.

Once again, our group met at the Botanic Gardens to discuss our first activity program. Talking about walks is way more fun than constitutions! The final step in the process was completing the forms for affiliation with Bushwalking NSW Inc, and paying our first insurance premium. This was done in late November, just in time for our first walk on 4th December 2021.

So, there you have it – from initial discussion to incorporation, affiliation and first activity took us two months.

Automation reduces administration

We like to walk, but we’re not so keen on admin. We would rather not have to nag people to pay fees, or update membership registers, or, as leaders, have to remember who signed up for a walk and who cancelled and how many are coming now and what is that new person’s name again? Fortunately, we had a committee member with website skills.

The aim was a modern, low cost, mobile-friendly website that was easy to use for members, volunteer leaders and committee members. Before digging into the details of the technology used, let’s begin with some thoughts on how to simplify website building.

We built what techies call a “minimum viable product”. This avoids getting bogged down in committee discussion, designing an overly complex solution. We got a basic site up quickly, and learnt from that. We also tried to avoid reinventing wheels. For example, we link to Lotsafreshairs excellent videos and the Bushwalking Manual, no need to write your own.

Lastly, it’s important to be flexible with club management processes. For example, fees can be charged on a fixed calendar year (January to December for example, with discounts after July, and further discounts for families and concession cardholders). Or they can be like a gym membership, on a rolling 12 months from the date you sign up, with no discounts, auto renewed. For us, the second option was simpler and easier to implement.

Let’s get technical

As a new club with hardly any money needing a website fast, a bespoke outsourced solution was never an option. We considered club management software such as Wild Apricot, but were put off by the high price and concerns that it attempts to do everything without excelling at anything.

So, we went for a mix-and-match approach based on WordPress, combining different tools that play nicely together. WordPress iswell-known and widely used, development skills are readily available, and it is easy for volunteers to use. While we had the luxury of a member volunteering her time, we wanted to ensure others could maintain the site in future. Cost was important too: WordPress itself is free, with a large market of competitively priced plug-ins.

Before we could start building a website, we needed hosting for our website and chose Siteground as they have servers in Australia.

The website took about two weeks to set up and test, ready for opening our doors to new members. There was some maintenance work in the first few weeks of operation, as we refined our content and processes, but ongoing website maintenance is now light.

MemberPress provided us with a login system and the ability to restrict content to members only. We set up two membership classes (Trial, Full members) with different fees. We created an online membership form with a digital acknowledgement of risk and connected it to PayPal. We also provide an option for payment by bank transfer, but hardly any people have used this.Members can update their information, if their address changes, for example. Reminders are automatically sent when membership is due for renewal. We created roles for Committee Members and Leaders, who have access to extra functionality.

We installed The Events Calendar to manage our program of walks, cycling, kayaking, meetings and social activities. A calendar overview is available to the interested public as this encourages new members to join, but only members can see details such as leaders contact information, meeting place and time. We use Registrations for The Events Calendar Pro to manage online bookings, cancellations, maximum group size and a waitlist, an attendees list, walk reminder emails and more. A pre-filled sign on sheet is emailed to the leader the night before the activity, which makes it easy to remember who is coming!

We useMailerlite to publish a monthly newsletter and for occasional surveys. We could add a member forum to the website, but chose to use a public Facebook page plus a private Facebook group instead. Both the newsletter and Facebook have been instrumental in building community.

We also set up a shared Google Drive for storing documents and working collaboratively on committee meeting minutes and finance spreadsheets, for example.

We have begun work on a database of activities which will be available to all leaders in our club. We hope this will answer the question “but I don’t know any good walks to lead” and encourage our experienced leaders to share their detailed knowledge of local trails and campsites.

What works for you?

There are many paths to systems to support a club and build a community, these were our choices. We’d be interested to hear what has worked for other clubs, and your ideas for the future. We are still learning and improving!

Guest post by Yvonne Everett, Coffs Hikers President

Let us know what works for you here

Sydney Bush Walkers

A Week of Walks, Kosciuszko National Park, Christmas/New Year 2021/22, Sydney Bush Walkers, Report by John Kennett, Photos by John Pozniak

Between Christmas and New Year 2021/22 myself and thirty other members of Sydney Bush Walkers (SBW) travelled, walked and gathered on the trails and in the ski-lodges of beautiful Kosciuszko National Park.

Every day we embarked on a different walk and were rewarded with the sight of brilliant blue skies, beautiful weather and voluminous wildflowers. Among the fantastic locations we visited were the Iconic Trails, Mt Twynham, Ramshead, Dead Horse Gap, Guthega, Mt Anton and Mt Tate.

To cap off a successful week our visit concluded with 2022 New Year’s Eve celebrations which were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Our March Club: Sydney Bush Walkers

Our club of the month, Sydney Bush Walkers is one of Australia’s largest and oldest Bushwalking Clubs. SBW was founded in 1927 and has a membership of around 850.

The club offers challenging day and multi-day walks including extended 12 day (or more) trips.  Canyoning is a very popular club activity in the warmer months.

SBW volunteer trip leaders are experienced walkers who aim to maximise members enjoyment of the outdoors while also ensuring the safety of all walkers. While SBW leaders foster group co-operation participants are also expected to be self-sufficient to ensure that all members cope with walk conditions and challenges that arise.

While the Sydney Bushies provide a range of bush experiences, they also offer a great social network of like minded, outdoorsy types. A SBW membership provides a unique opportunity for bush lovers to develop skills, increase confidence and meet new like-minded friends!

The club holds monthly information nights for people who are considering joining (book here). For more information visit the SBW website or Facebook Page.

 

 

Southern Highlands Bushwalkers

Mount Jellore, Nattai National Park, Southern Highlands Bushwalkers

A recent walk that Southern Highlands Bushwalkers managed to slot between various lockdowns was a hike up Mt Jellore in Nattai National Park. It had been couple of years since the Club had been on the Mount Jellore Walk as it has only recently re-opened after the bushfires.

There is a short walk to a rocky outcrop where you get the first view of the mountain, then a steep drop to a creek, followed by a steep walk up to the fire trail that leads to the base of Mt Jellore. From there it is a zig zag track up to the summit. There is now a lot of waist high regrowth. The trig at the top had survived the fires and from the peak you can see Sydney on a clear day. We took the alternative route back to the start which also involved a drop down to a creek followed by a climb back out.

Nattai NP offers beautiful wilderness and rugged walking experiences. The park is conveniently located close to several towns and features spectacular scenery and landscapes including sandstone cliffs, rainforests and woodlands. Walks in Nattai NP include Couridjah Corridor, Mount Jellore, Starlight’s or Nattai River.

Our January Club: Southern Highlands Bushwalkers

Southern Highlands Bushwalkers is an outdoor activities club which develops friendships through exploring natural wilderness and National Parks. The Club endeavours to plan activities to suit the needs of both individuals and families. Club activities range from short day walks to overnight backpacking hikes and car camp out weekends. However, other special activities may also be included in the Club’s programme.

The Club was formed in 1990 as the Highland Adventurers then underwent a name change to become the Southern Highlands Bushwalkers (Inc) in 1994. Since inception, membership has grown to about 60 and the members hail from as far afield as Palm Beach in the north to Goulburn in the south.

Southern Highlands Bushwalkers holds activities in the Mittagong, Bowral, Berrima area of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. This area has a great diversity of flora and fauna and access to many national parks and forested areas. Most of the local area is undulating to steep, easy walks are very few and a reasonable standard of fitness is required.

The worn Sydney sandstone of the area offers some many interesting and beautiful windblown features with views from ridges into valleys, creeks and gullies. These offer glimpses of lush cool rain forest, eroded sculptured landscapes and stunning views down the valleys formed by the rivers such as the Nattai.

The club offers mostly day walks from moderately easy to strenuous with a range of overnight backpacks or car camps and the occasional trips to more distant destinations. Off track walking may be through thick and difficult vegetation which requires experience and good navigation skills. The Club also does coastal walks, mainly in the Illawarra as well as some on Sydney Harbour.

 

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Bankstown Bushwalking Club

FAULCONBRIDGE – VICTORY TRACK – NUMANTIA FALLS – MAGDALA CREEK – SPRINGWOOD, Saturday 23 October 2021, Report by Lynda Paju, Bankstown Bushwalking Club

A group of nine keen fully vaccinated walkers from Bankstown Bushwalkers gladly emerged from lockdown to enjoy the bush together again. Not being sure of fitness levels after such a long time confined to local areas, they returned to a favourite part of the amazing Blue Mountains. Spirits were high as walkers reconnected with old Club friends and organised a car shuttle at the start of the walk.

Before long they were enjoying each other’s company and a gentle descent along Sassafras creek. Despite fairly recent rains in Sydney there wasn’t a large volume of water in the waterfalls and the tracks were dry. They passed Clarinda Falls before taking a side trip to Numantia Falls for morning tea.

Numantia Falls

 

A leisurely lunch break at a lovely swimming hole near the Glenbrook Creek junction provided a chance for interesting conversation. A couple of party members even braved the icy creek waters for an extremely invigorating and refreshing swim! Of course, after heading down the creeks they had to head walk back up again. The walk up Magdala Creek was a fairly gentle ascent and the party paused at Martins Falls and Magdala Falls for short breaks on the way.

After a successful walk the party happily stopped for the traditional coffee and cake on the way home.

The general consensus was that the Club must go back on this walk again after more rain! After such a long period where people couldn’t get out and walk together the Club is now planning a lot of day walks, abseiling trips and other great activities. It is certainly going to be a busy summer for the Bankswalking Bushwalking Club!

Our December Club: Bankstown Bushwalking Club

Our club of the month Bankstown Bushwalking Club currently has just under 150 members. Bankstown Bushwalking Club prides itself on being friendly and inclusive. The Club offers walks at all grades from easy, social beginner walks through to multi-day, challenging and exploratory walks. The Club also offers abseiling training, canyoning, caving and multi-pitch abseiling trips.

Established in 1980, the Bankstown Bushwalking Club attracts members from all over Sydney. The Club’s program is published each quarter and short notice walks are advertised to members by email.

Bankstown Bushwalking Club has a Facebook Group and interested walkers are encouraged to join so they can get a feel for the Club. The Club also encourages interested people to do a couple of walks as a visitor to decide if they want to join or not. Please note that abseiling activities are restricted to fully paid Club members only.

 

Blue Mountains Conservation Society

Various Bushwalks, Blue Mountains and surrounds, Words by Doug Nicholls, Blue Mountains Conservation Society.
A typical lunch break, sitting under an overhang enjoying the view. This particular walk was on the Undercliff Track Wentworth Falls which is often done as a circuit with the Charles Darwin Walk and the Conservation Hut.
The Grand Canyon Circuit is a very popular family walk. If you only have time for one walk, this one is a good choice for a classic Blue Mountains experience.
Dargan Arch

Dargan Arch in the upper Blue Mountains is an amazing natural sandstone arch in a gorge and an easy walk from carparking. To get to the bottom and under the Arch requires a little more effort but is well worth it.

Our November Club: Blue Mountains Conservation Society

The Blue Mountains Conservation Society (BMCS) has 330 bushwalking members who enjoy walking in amazing locations in the Blue Mountains and surroundings.

Blue Mountains Conservation Society has weekly bushwalks to suit a range of abilities held on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.  The Club’s walk details can be found on the BMCS website where the activity subsection will invite new walkers. BMCS also has a monthly Plant Study Group.

October 2021 was special as the Blue Mountains Conservation Society celebrated its 60th Birthday.

Comerang Mountain – Batemans Bay Bushwalkers

Comerang Mountain, Dampier State Forest, Sunday 21 February 2021, Walk Report by Rob Lees, Batemans Bay Bushwalkers

Seven hikers from Batemans Bay Bushwalkers set off on an exploratory walk to visit interesting geology seen on aerial photography in the creeks downslope from Comerang Mountain.

By definition an exploratory walk has not been reccied.  However, we do examine topographic maps beforehand to evaluate terrain and access roads and to estimate a walk time and route. This is very important so club members can decide if this walk is compatible with their abilities and expectations.

Notwithstanding our best efforts, the reality once on the walk can often be very different!

The first thing we discovered was that B-Travers road (a well-used mountain bike road before the 2020 bushfires) had not been cleared of fallen trees. As we had hoped to drive our vehicles along this road, our walk was increased by 2km just to get to the starting point.

I had also proposed to use a number of other logging roads to get best access to the creeks. However we also found out once on site that these roads had not been used in decades. This made navigation difficult due to the forest regrowth and fire damage.

However once we finally made it to the creeks it was worth the effort as everyone was pleased with the spectacular geology, waterfalls and ponds.  We noticed that the ancient volcanic rocks were highly fractured and very resistant to erosion which created the spectacular scenery. To our delight, in one pool we saw an eel and many small fish.

As walk leader I quickly realised we were not going to be able to visit all the outcrops that I had hoped to see and so we headed back upslope to Comerang Mountain. We knew the climb was going to be tough given the high humidity and temperatures that exceeded all projections. After the ascent, and with only 3kms remaining down a flat trail, we seven weary hikers were happy but also very glad that we would soon see our cars!

I will plan another exploratory walk in the winter that will go straight to the larger outcrops via a different route. I am hopeful that the scenery will be even more spectacular than what we experienced on the Comerang Mountain walk today.

Our Club of the Month: Batemans Bay Bushwalkers

Our club of the month Batemans Bay Bushwalkers are a crew of around 200 members, who have the shared goal of finding, exploring and enjoying the natural secrets of the national parks and forests of the NSW South Coast. First formed in 1985, Batemans Bay Bushwalkers are not-for-profit and run by volunteers.

Batemans Bay Bushwalkers publishes 4 Walks Programs per year, with 2 walks a week of varying grades. Visitors are covered by insurance for 3 walks each financial year to allow them to come and try Club walks. Walks are led by volunteer Walk Leaders, who carry a GPS, topographic map, and when appropriate, a safety beacon.  Walk are graded according to difficulty so members can choose walks to suit their level of ability.

Batemans Bay Bushwalkers club members also get together for a variety of social activities and camps.

 

All Nations Bushwalkers – Little Digger and Two Creeks Track Ramble

LITTLE DIGGER AND TWO CREEKS TRACK RAMBLE, 21 February 2021, Walk Report by Dee McCallum, All Nations Bushwalkers

Parts of this track were known to me but not all, so I was pleased Leah had put this walk on. We met at Roseville Station where several of the group started with a morning coffee, then headed off through the delightful Roseville streets with many fine Federation houses, beautifully renovated with lovely gardens. We got to our first stretch of bush at Little Digger Track, which was not so straight forward but we picked our way alongside houses and past the creek. After a short detour across the wrong bridge we came back onto the main track and were met by our wet weather friends the leeches! We eventually came out onto the fabulous Middle harbour track – easy walking with view through trees to the water. There is plenty of history in the area and lots of informative signs. After passing under Roseville Bridge, we stopped for morning tea at the picnic tables near Echo Point. It was good to be under shade as temperatures were rising!

We then backtracked along Middle Harbour before joining the Two Creeks track. Parts of the track were quite exposed, so we were getting hot and just in time we had our lunch break under the shade of the trees. More friendly leeches about, they seemed to be everywhere! The track continued along Middle Harbour with lovely water views.

Shortly after lunch, we got to the most attractive part of the track, well shaded with beautiful trees and overhangs.

We then had an exciting detour through the tunnel at Gordon Creek. This would be impassable in rain but the water level was fine. Luckily there was a handrail to guide us! After exiting, a last uphill track before getting back to the road at Lindfield Station where we all dashed off after a hot but enjoyable day. On the walk, ably lead by Leah, were Dee, Francoise, Linda, Steve, Len, Tricia, Helen, Bryan, Richard, Molly, Connie, Geraldine, Elaine and Daniel.

Our Club for April 2021 is All Nations Bushwalkers

Come and explore the wonderful Australian bush with All Nations Bushwalkers. The Club visits beautiful national parks and wilderness areas around Sydney and further afield and has a graded series of walks, bike rides and water-based activities.

Most activities involve bushwalking in national parks within 100km of Sydney, including Blue Mountains, Ku-ring-gai Chase, Royal, Wollemi, Bouddi, Brisbane Waters, Dharug, Marramarra and Sydney Harbour national parks, or the parks and reserves of the NSW Southern Highlands and Illawarra regions.

All Nations Bushwalkers activities suit a wide range of fitness and experience levels. Most activities are day walks, ranging from easy to rather hard. There are also overnight camping trips and longer expeditions to destinations across Australia – bushwalking by day, enjoying the companionship of the campfire gathering at night! Club members also organise social activities, such as restaurant nights, cinema and art gallery visits, Christmas parties and various special outings.

Getting to club activities is easy – they generally meet at a train station and then car pool to the walking track. You won’t get lost and don’t need your own transport! Club members are men and women of all ages and nationalities from across the Sydney area.  You are welcome try a bushwalk walk first – choose a walk then contact the organiser for details. Visitors can try one walk for free before they’re expected to join. Membership starts from only $30 a year (for 3 years). Learn more

 

Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers – Eurobodalla Regional Botanical Gardens

Eurobodalla Regional Botanical Gardens Easy 6km walk, Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers, Saturday 27th March 2021

A recent Dalmeny Narooma Bushwalkers Club walk was an easy 6kms in Eurobodalla Regional Botanical Gardens. The Eurobodalla Regional Botanical Gardens are set on 42 hectares of Mogo State Forest, adjacent to Deep Creek Dam. The site has not been logged since the early years of the twentieth century and visitors can appreciate many of the region’s plants in a natural setting.  The Gardens has 8kms of beautiful public walking tracks which vary in length and gradient to cater for individual requirements and limitations.

It was a perfect day for the Club’s walk during which Margaret Lynch explained what was happening in the Gardens.  After the recent bushfires a lot of work has been completed and more is planned. The walkers were delighted to see the Gardens regrowth including many young green wattles which protect the undergrowth floor and let other native plants thrive.

The Club members walked 5.5km and had a look at Deep Creek Dam, for which a new lookout is planned. At the end of the walk Bev Brazel thanked Margaret for the walk on our behalf. Some walkers enjoyed lunch at the Cafe, some bought plants, and others had their lunch in the grounds. Overall all participants agreed that it was a very pleasant day.

Our Club of the Month for April 2021: Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers

Our club of the month is Dalmeny-Narooma Bushwalkers who have been walking for 35 years. The Club meet at the Red Tractor, George Noble Park, Dalmeny, with a plywood tractor now used to represent the original to honour the Club’s history.

Dalmeny Narooma Bushwalkers was established in May 1986 to encourage bushwalking as a pleasant group activity. The Club welcomes new walkers to join in and enjoy the beautiful bush and coastal environments of the far south coast of NSW.

Volunteer walk leaders offer various grade bushwalks twice a week around the local area of Eurobodalla and Bega Valley, as well as club camps in other localities and some social activities. The Club aims to keep its procedures as simple and as affordable as possible but also has a few rules to keep all walkers safe in the bush. Walks are grouped into 3 programs a year – Autumn, Winter and Spring – and are published on the Club’s website.

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