Boxing Day Kuringai walk

Long version: We started late out of respect for Boxing Day, and did the easiest walk I could find within an hour’s drive of my house – starting with the Challenger track at Kuringai Chase NP (which wasn’t at all challenging), then the Flint & Steel track first to F&S bay and then to F&S beach (also very easy). We ate lunch at the beach – no jaffles or Hammer ‘n’ Tongs, but plenty of Christmas leftovers, and of course the obligatory cheese platter. Then some sunbaking (for those who tan)… or shade skulking (for me) and a very lovely swim before walking back to the cars.

Beginners’ canyoning weekend

The afternoon consisted of a walk up deep pass canyon itself then a stint of abseiling practice before beer o clock A post wedding party including several other subw members gradually made their way down to the campsite during the late afternoon and set up a short distance away. And so the evening went something like this: we drank, we ate, and discussed the number of useful things one can do with a jaffle iron (about 105 as it turns out). Tom G also told us of the story about a guy called moses, who it turns out climbed mount sinai in a pair of dunlop volleys. Apparently the story is based on the first historical documentation of this remarkable peice of footwear design. Someone then muttered something about having had enough to drink and going to bed, then staggered off in the vague direction of a tent.

Budawangs

I’d always wanted to have a look around Hidden Valley and on this trip we did just that. The drive from Sydney was via Goulburn and Nerriga, to the park entrance at Sassafras. Only the last 3.5km along the private road slowed us down, with a rather stony 4WD track forcing us to concentrate. Anne and I drove down on the Friday evening, had some jaffles and some Hammer ‘n Tongs, before being joined by Adrian on the Saturday morning. We had some more jaffles for breakfast then got going.

Xmas Walk to Coxs River

Party – Peter, Tom “Mr G” G, Dave L and Nicole, Greg and Kate, Rob H, Roger L, Marina, Su Li, Maria, Jo B, Ashley and Ann(e?), Albert and Kim, Lou Lou and Mitch, James B, Dave N

Festival of Canyons

It had been raining a bit (or rather a lot) up the mountains just before the weekend – but that didn’t seem to deter any of the starters – but at the North Richmond Bakery – we thought it prudent not to do Claustral Canyon which most of the party intended to do (in two groups) and instead join a group that Peter Raines was leading down Why Don’t We Do It In The Road Canyon at Mt Wilson. So we drove to the mountain and met up with Peter at the fire station.

Newnes canyoning

After no small amount of disorganisation on my part, almost all the people who expressed an interest in this trip instead buggered off down to Canberra and spent the weekend discarding their favourite possessions into the greedy waters of the Murrumbidgee River. But that’s another story. Suffice it to say that the same rabid weather system that allowed the canoe clubbers to risk life and sacrifice (several) limbs on otherwise calm rivers gave us some cause for reflection as we sped along Bells Line on Friday night …