tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73427828021525975392024-03-13T10:51:54.473+11:00awildlandexploring the wild land we live inUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-39521674903058625892023-10-11T14:33:00.001+11:002023-10-12T15:45:25.486+11:00Redbank Gorge - Tjoritja National Park, NTA few months ago we paddled into a mountain - one of our shortest and most accessible adventures yet. But also, one of our most extraordinary. Of course nothing will beat the Apsley Gorge Flash Flood for drama and excitement and nothing will beat Mt Cabre Bald or The Hidden Monoliths for that sense of unique discovery. Or Washpool for unbridled wilderness. But our Redbank Gorge adventure wasUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-72648643008027589392020-11-25T16:58:00.001+11:002020-11-25T16:58:24.051+11:00Pawenyapeena (Spring); Lake Belton, TasmaniaAnd winter only just turned over on that man-made bureaucracy known as a calendar as we set off walking for two nights and three days of sanity saving spring sunshine - finally, a three day forecast of no rain; clear skies. It is spring; technically, and, I’ll come back to that later.The aim of this trip is to introduce two new awildland team members to the world of wild places. Blue and Yella Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mount Field National Park, 66 Lake Dobson Rd, National Park TAS 7140, Australia-42.6635904 146.6493061-70.973824236178842 111.49305609999999 -14.353356563821151 -178.1944439tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-70135567323388103492020-10-31T20:07:00.001+11:002020-11-25T17:18:30.413+11:00Rumble in the Jagungal - Mt Jagungal, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW“A lot happened today” is the opening, understated sentence in my journal on Day 3 of an eight day walk in the Jagungal Wilderness of Kosciuszko National Park. “Up at 5:30am,” it continues. “The sky east was clear, the sky west dark with clouds. The frontal edge of the approaching storm is drawn in a straight line directly above us. Re-checked the weather and not much change but, hints that Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mount Jagungal, Jagungal Wilderness NSW 2642, Australia-36.1481807 148.3876649-64.45841453617885 113.2314149 -7.837946863821152 -176.4560851tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-81791193999494735992020-09-21T11:17:00.000+10:002020-09-21T11:17:02.001+10:00Standing Guard - The Sentinel Range, TasmaniaThe adventure is over. The awildland team have come in, from their latest foray into the mountains. Shoes and socks are wet through; gaiters are muddy and thermal tops stink of sweaty armpits. The house is strewn with damp gear that needs to be aired and dried. Slowly, methodically, backpacks are emptied, gear sorted, everything returned to cupboards and draws and each item reminds me of the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Southwest National Park, Tasmania, Australia-43.1711302 146.2204697-46.2580645548033 141.82593845 -40.0841958451967 150.61500095tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-76484717258012899532020-07-31T18:41:00.004+10:002020-09-08T19:06:53.170+10:00The Tyndalls: Paradise in the skyI drag my boots through my over pants, zip them down to my ankles then reach for my gaiters. These I strap on over the top. I zip up my raincoat, despite the sky being blue and clear. This full armour feels stiff and ungainly as I shoulder my overnight pack and follow Caz into a tight scrub of tea-tree and banksia. Last night it rained. This is why we wear everything. The trees are heavy with Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6Queenstown TAS 7467, Australia-42.0811804 145.5540562-68.80877137407181 110.39780619999999 -15.353589425928188 -179.2896938tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-7660812608844466202020-06-30T07:34:00.001+10:002020-07-01T07:35:13.489+10:00Kalbarri National Park, Western Australia
We arrived during a wicked thunderstorm; driving headlong into clouds the colour of the bitumen road. Then, torrential rain and the wipers banging madly left to right. The unsettled weather lasted three days. The rainfall meant dirt roads to the Murchison River gorge walks were closed. So, we began our explorations of this national park along the coast. We had stumbled into Kalbarri Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Kalbarri National Park, 70 Grey St, Kalbarri WA 6536, Australia-27.70922 114.16632-51.426967 72.8577265 -3.9914729999999992 155.4749135tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-42493236481002817642020-05-31T13:52:00.001+10:002020-05-31T13:52:30.658+10:00Mt Twynam, Mt Tate and the Rolling Grounds - Kosciuszko National Park
The sweeping, grassy hillsides are thick with daisies; their bright, white and yellow faces smiling away as I walk past. There’s an ancient snowgum halfway on the climb to the summit. Its canopy is a storm-swept tangle of twisted branches; its bark has those steely subtle hues of grey and green. As we walk, there are grand views across the range. Ravens are circling distant rocky peaks in huge Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mount Twynam, Geehi NSW 2642, Australia-36.3928456 148.3153112-64.703079436178854 113.1590612 -8.0826117638211556 -176.5284388tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-83055510359196078272020-04-28T15:05:00.000+10:002020-04-28T15:05:16.406+10:00Seeing is believing - Mt King William I
There is meant to be a mountain above us. I keep looking up in hope. I see nothing but a ceiling of cloud - the sky, overcast and low. It seems, if I stood on tippy toes I could touch it. As we follow the track towards the base of this invisible peak, it is tempting to turn around. I am wondering, what fun could we possibly have on a mountain in grey, wet soup like this? We keep Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4Mount King William I, Southwest TAS 7139, Australia-42.22 146.13-65.9378225 104.821406 -18.5021775 -172.56140600000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-57783934741664744312020-03-31T18:25:00.001+11:002020-04-26T09:33:08.710+10:00A celebration of waterfalls
Lower Belmore Falls, Morton National Park, NSW
“Of all the waterfalls we’ve ever visited, do you have a favourite?” I ask Caz.
He repeats the question back to me, then takes a sip of coffee. There is a long silence.
“Let me think about it.”
“You need to think quickly. I want the answer now, for the blog.”
“Oh.”
Lower Ebor Falls, Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW
Upper Hastings Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-2835534645004863172020-02-29T15:22:00.000+11:002020-02-29T15:22:24.480+11:00The lure of hidden monoliths...
I love bushwalker log books; but, this one is particularly unforgettable. It is housed in a silver box, attached firmly to a rock on the summit of a little-known mountain. The lid of the box is beautifully engraved with the mountain’s latitude. Due north is marked with a bold arrow. All the surrounding peaks are named and distances to them are also given. The logbook is an Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-23542674144967435382020-01-29T14:58:00.000+11:002020-01-29T15:01:01.020+11:00'The Monarch of Tasmania's west' - Frenchmans Cap
Picture this: a large rock midstream in a fast flowing river. The rock protrudes above the water. A swift current races around it and on the downstream side is a pocket of calm water. The current causes the sides of this calm to change and swirl with movement. But immediately behind the rock is complete stillness.
Now imagine the protruding rock is Frenchman’s Cap. The river's Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Frenchmans Cap, Southwest TAS 7139, Australia-42.27 145.81999999999994-65.9877525 104.51140599999994 -18.552247500000004 -172.87140600000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-67023725916705008782019-12-26T13:34:00.000+11:002019-12-26T13:34:16.604+11:00Mt Cabre Bald, Barrington Tops National Park, NSW
The Barrington Tops, in NSW, is renowned as the watershed of 14 different rivers including the once mighty Manning, the Karuah River and the Hunter. These rivers flow out of the Tops like arteries. And between each river valley, runs a long finger of forest-clad ridgeline, spreading from the subalpine heights of the wild plateau to the farm land far below.
Along one of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10Mount Cabre Bald, Carrabolla NSW 2311, Australia-32.1489478 151.38308080000002-55.866694800000005 110.07448680000002 -8.4312008000000027 -167.3083252tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-18466337112667179382019-11-29T06:43:00.000+11:002020-01-20T16:29:11.577+11:00 Revealing Mt Plagyan & The Pinnacles - Mount Kaputar National Park, NSW
This is one of those walks where I cross my fingers and hope the route will 'go'. Especially as we pop out onto the first high point and realise we've tracked a little bit too far north. Which is not surprising as we have no topo map to hand and bugger all pre-trip research that can help us navigate a route. Even the access road proved so anonymous it took a day to find it. This is Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mount Plagyan, Maules Creek NSW 2382, Australia-30.4739855 150.28712470000005-54.191727 108.97853070000005 -6.7562440000000024 -168.40428129999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-83226440853557100302019-10-30T14:14:00.000+11:002020-01-20T16:29:37.899+11:00Call of the Wild - Washpool Creek wilderness
Without a second thought, we begin what is now a familiar routine. We drop our packs, thread our walking sticks through the straps then launch the packs into the long pool of water ahead. We jump in after them, boots and all.
The rainforest creek we are following, has suddenly become gorge-like. Its sides are bare and sloping rock. The water is deep and black. Dense forest lines Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3Washpool National Park, Gwydir Highway, Washpool NSW 2371, Australia-29.3469444 152.3327779-54.6539904 111.0241839 -4.039898400000002 -166.35862810000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-34857930618435174572019-09-29T06:54:00.000+10:002019-09-30T07:14:09.946+10:00Mt Gingera, Namadgi National Park, ACT
At the start of this track is a sign - “Very Steep” it reads. I brace myself, but I have done “steep” before. And besides, one of my earliest lessons as a writer was to never use the word ‘very’. Something is steep. If it is steeper than steep then the writer’s job is to find a better word, not add ‘very’.
As we begin walking, there is no warm-up. The acclivity starts metres Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Mount Gingera, Cotter River NSW 2611, Australia-35.5766177 148.77982029999998-61.098652200000004 107.47122629999998 -10.0545832 -169.91158570000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-49145026804113323072019-08-30T17:41:00.000+10:002019-08-31T17:42:18.885+10:00Mt Giles, Tjoritja (West MacDonnell National Park), NT
Woke with the alarm at 4am! Walking by 6:15am. Still dark and we use head torches for the first 1-2km before there is enough light to walk by. But, it is a beautiful clear morning - there’s a pink glow in the sky. At the bloodwood tree we stop to put on our gaiters, then, head off track as the first sun hits the peaks around us. Walking through the magnificent bowl of Ormiston Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3Ormiston Gorge, Mount Zeil NT 0872, Australia-23.6166667 132.71666670000002-50.9437287 91.408072700000019 3.7103953000000018 174.02526070000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-1141569593949130482019-07-30T11:16:00.000+10:002019-07-30T11:16:30.683+10:00The Secret Waterfalls of Barrington Tops National Park, NSW
I know, it looks amazing. But, we’re not telling.
The creek has no name anyway. And, if we told you, well, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.
It is beautiful though, one of the prettiest creeks in the Barrington Tops. The waterfalls are only small but they are immensely scenic, surrounded by ferns and Antarctic Beech cool temperate rainforest. Perhaps someone else has walked into Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Barrington Tops, NSW 2422, Australia-32 151.46666670000002-59.9708745 110.15807270000002 -4.0291254999999992 -167.2247393tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-56712534384435147782019-06-28T19:09:00.000+10:002019-06-28T19:09:01.419+10:00Grattai Wilderness - Mount Kaputar National Park, NSW
From atop the rocky cliffs, the views are uninterrupted. The vast, clear sky burns orange at sunset and again at sunrise. But it’s been *@!# hard walking. If I hadn’t experienced this kind of off-track challenge before I would have left after the first night. Instead, I’m leaving after the second.
Just two days of moving through this wilderness and the emotion that spills out can’t be Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Waa Gorge, Allambie Rd, Berrigal NSW 2390, Australia-30.061935 150.09500030000004-43.5104785 129.44070330000005 -16.6133915 170.74929730000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-52807329402568563842019-05-29T16:38:00.000+10:002019-05-29T16:38:20.983+10:00The Stone Library – Mutawintji National Park, NSW
Descending from the Bynguano Range, we come upon a dead goat, hanging upside down from one of the mulga trees; its rear leg trapped in the fork of two branches. Unable to free itself, it has been a slow death. The grisly find brings home the unforgiving nature of the terrain around us. The air is still and the smell fetid. Our view has disappeared in the hot, close scrub. Trees scrape on ourUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5Mutawintji National Park, Mutawintji Rd, Mutawintji NSW 2880, Australia-31.162557 142.40035590000002-57.587661999999995 101.09176190000002 -4.7374520000000011 -176.2910501tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-58320731776433985052019-04-28T07:31:00.001+10:002019-04-28T10:37:56.169+10:00Crabapple Kingdom - Whispering Gully, Barrington Tops National Park, NSW
14/4/19 5:41pm
I am writing this to you from the forest; sitting in the tent. The ground is lumpy but soft. The creek is just a few metres from the door and it is noisy over the rocks. It is day 2 of our walk. My lower back is aching, sitting hunched over my notebook. Caz is rustling around beside me searching out the lumps under his sleeping mat. He extracts a stick and then a rock. He Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8Barrington Tops National Park, New South Wales, Australia-32.0670607 151.6631565-58.9760572 110.35456250000001 -5.1580641999999983 -167.02824950000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-52940850437314736772019-03-31T23:30:00.000+11:002019-04-06T07:14:19.247+11:00Capturing the Ephemeral - mist and fog in the Australian landscape
This is an old, but strong, memory: Caz and I standing on the edge of an extinct volcano at dawn. Mist, settled in the valley below. In the distance, the volcanoes remnant central vent, Wollumbin (Mt Warning), and 600m below my feet lush farmland now covering the ancient crater. We are at Pinnacle Lookout in Border Ranges National Park, entranced and awestruck by the day’s first casting of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-55149563121362777682019-02-28T07:14:00.000+11:002020-01-20T16:30:11.511+11:00Two ‘Tops’ Days Out - Barrington Tops National Park, NSW
Tuesday, two weeks ago, I was rock hoping down a narrow creek. Tea tree crowded the banks. The rocks were black and the water a dark trickle. Beyond the edge of the riparian zone stood tall mountain gums with pepper bush, banksia and snow grass in an open, rocky forest.
Tuesday, one week ago, I was rock hopping down a narrow river. Sub-tropical rainforest pressed in either side. The Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6Barrington Tops National Park, New South Wales, Australia-32.0670607 151.6631565-58.9760127 110.35456250000001 -5.1581087 -167.02824950000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-67183220035896737092019-01-30T10:20:00.000+11:002020-01-20T16:30:38.253+11:00Marching Orders - Cape Le Grand National Park, WA
It takes time, to find the emotional distance one need's, to re-tell a traumatic story. Finally, I am ready to write about the first and only time Caz and I have been kicked out of a national park.
And not just any national park, but the stunningly beautiful Cape Le Grand in the south-west of Western Australia with its granite peaks and deserted white sand beaches, its turquoise Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3Cape Le Grand National Park, Cape Le Grand Rd, Cape Le Grand WA 6450, Australia-33.924933 122.19587460000002-60.3521015 80.887280600000025 -7.4977645000000024 163.50446860000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-69101772700959990102018-12-22T10:09:00.002+11:002019-02-24T06:53:48.363+11:00Lessons in the Alps - Kosciuszko National Park
On this, our first (ever) extended walk in Kosciuszko National Park, we learnt a few lessons - that Pygmy possums appear like a blue flash out of the corner of your eye, that rivers move equally fast on the back of rain. We learnt about theft and mountains and aesthetics and adventure. Each lesson reminded us that when out walking, it is so much about the journey not the destination. Here Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mt Kosciuszko, Kosciuszko National Park NSW 2627, Australia-36.455897500000013 148.2635987-62.881751000000008 106.95500469999999 -10.030044000000014 -170.42780730000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342782802152597539.post-7928439469448359862018-11-23T16:49:00.001+11:002018-11-23T16:49:40.098+11:00The silent river - Wollemi National Park, NSW
It is the strangest sensation, to stand by a fast flowing river and hear nothing of its movement - no sound of water over rocks or gravel or bank. The Colo River makes not a whisper of noise as we set up camp on a wide sand beach. A lyrebird, foraging beneath the river oaks, gives an occasional squark but the river moves swiftly and silently by.
Cutting its way through Sydney’s Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Colo River, New South Wales, Australia-33.3148607 150.67511779999995-33.739474699999995 150.02967079999996 -32.8902467 151.32056479999994