Ho Chi Minh Trail

Wednesday 18th September 2002. HO CHI MINH TRAIL.  Features: good views, big rocks and orchids. Leave: 8.00am.  Standard requirements. Grade is moderate/hard.  Length is 6-8km.  Climb: 500m.  Max. elevation: 900m.  Track type: old trails and foot track.  Contact Sue SODA on 40922283.
This bike trail climbs up from Station Creek between Mt Molloy and Mary Farms. there is interesting vegetation and granite rocks on the way, then Mt Lewis road is reached with an old mining hut, remains of a water race for tin mining, and two dams in rainforest. An interesting walk with varied vegetation.

 Ian Cunningham during a rest break uphill.

Betty, Gillian, ?, Sue Soda, ??? Bob Lewis

  

Lunchtime at a dam before descending.

Kahlpahlim Rock

Sunday 25th August 2002. KAHLPAHLIM ROCK via Cairns Track.  Features:  good views, orchids.
Leave: 6.30am. Standard requirements. Grade is hard.  Length is medium, 8km.  Duration: all day.  Climb: 600m.  Track type: old forest track.  Contact Keith and Linda  HALFPAPP on 40924871.

Liz came on this walk with us and took a lot of photos.

[find these photos]

Sue Cook, Dick and Keith ready to head off.

this is similar to a photo taken in Central Qld in May 04

Bradlaugh Road to Halls Falls via Mt Stewart

The next walk was Wednesday 21st August 2002. BRADLAUGH ROAD TO HALLS FALLS via Mount Stewart. 
New walk east of Herberton.  Features: dry sclerophyll forest, rainforest, good views, swim at falls. 
Leave: 8.30am.  A car shuffle will be required.  Standard requirements. Grade is moderate/hard.  Length is long, 12km.  Duration: mid-afternoon  Climb: 300m.  Max. elevation 1200m.  Track type: forestry track, cross country.  Contact Peter and Carol SMALLWOOD on 40962484. 
Despite the lack of rain for several months, it was wet this day. In fact we got really wet once we got down to the rainforest - and leeches. I did not take any photos but I enjoyed the day.

Natural Bridge on Walsh River

Wednesday 7th August 2002.  ARBOUIN MINE AREA.  Features:  Old mining area. Leave: 8.00am,Atherton; 8.30am Herberton.     Standard requirements. Grade is moderate.  Length is medium, 12km.  Duration: mid-afternoon.  Climb: 100m.  Track type: old road, cross country.  Contact Blue & Faye on 40954037.

 These are photos of Natural bridge on Walsh River. I am not sure if this is the same walk but they are dated thus.

Lunch at Natural Bridge. Bluey boils up. Sue swims.

Looking downstream at Natural Bridge - Walsh River

Natural Bridge on the Walsh River. The water flow was unusually low.

Above our lunch spot, looking upstream

The next walk was Wednesday 21st August 2002. BRADLAUGH ROAD TO HALLS FALLS via Mount Stewart. 
New walk east of Herberton.  Features: dry sclerophyll forest, rainforest, good views, swim at falls.
Leave: 8.30am.  A car shuffle will be required.  Standard requirements. Grade is moderate/hard.  Length is long, 12km.  Duration: mid-afternoon  Climb: 300m.  Max. elevation 1200m.  Track type: forestry track, cross country.  Contact Peter and Carol SMALLWOOD on 40962484.
Despite the lack of rain for several months, it was wet this day. In fact we got really wet once we got down to the rainforest - and leeches. I did not take any photos but I enjoyed the day.

Rocky Creek - Bones Knob

Wednesday 24th July 2002.ROCKY CREEK - BONES KNOB.  Features:  Great views, WW2 history, swim. Leave: 8.30am Tolga Post Office; 8.45am Park Lane, Rangeview Park.  Standard requirements. Grade is moderate.  Length is medium, 5-6km.  Duration: to early afternoon.  Climb: 240m.  Max elevation: 900m.  Track type: rock hopping - there is an easy option for the less vigorous walkers, some steep.  Contact Bluey & Faye on 40954037.

spillway the washed out dam on Rocky Creek

Closeup of the washout. 

This was once a large private lake used for water skiing. It broke on 29 Feb 2000, causing the flood in Mareeba.

Copperlode Dam

Wednesday 26th June 2002. The BLUE ARROW TRACK, Cairns was closed so we climbed to Copperlode Dam from Crystal Creek. Features: lovely views, rainforest and open areas. Leave: 8.30am opposite Barron River Hotel, 37 Stratford Parade, Stratford.  Standard requirements. Duration: to mid-afternoon.  325m climb.  Max elevation: 325m.  Track type: start & finish - steep ascent/descent. Contact Gillian FORSYTHE on 40551441 or Karen LYNCH on 40517209.

I took a car load from Mareeba - Noel, Lee, Phil Murray and Betty. My camel pack water bladder leaked on the way down so I had to refill, then I conked out on the initial climb. Was it the early start and busy start or did I start too vigorously? My legs filled with lactic acid. Anyway I rested and recovered, taking it more quietly under Angela's instructions. The road to Copperlode Dam was still closed so it was deserted at the picnic area. We walked across the dam and up the road to the power line. It goes through and there were good views from up there. We had lunch at the picnic ground and it was an enjoyable day.

One of the good things about this walk was that we climbed to Kahlpahlim Rock in August and looked down on it over lunch.

Windin Falls

Wednesday 12th June 2002. WINDIN FALLS.  Features: spectacular waterfall, rainforest, view and swimming (for the brave). Leave: 7.30am, Atherton; 8.15am Butcher’s Creek.  Standard requirements, coat. Grade is easy/moderate.  Length is long, 10-12km.  Duration: all day.  Climb: undulating.  Track type: old forestry roads.  Contact Kathy KILPATRICK on 4095 4536.

Kathy and Steve Kilpatrick, Noel, Phil Murray, Brian, Trish Veivers, Pat Gillespie?, Marie from Butcher's Creek [pipe band], Marie from Tolga [touch football],

This was a nice walk in from past Lamin's Hill along an old forestry road. The valleys overlooked were deep and rugged. There was a nice swimming hole upstream from the falls - reached from an alternate descent from the end of the road where there was an old picnic table.

 Marie, Steve Kilpatrick, Brian, Kathy, Marie - Bluey boiling up in background. The falls descend a long way from here into the upper Mulgrave area.

Lunch at Windin Falls. Noel Brooks and Phil Murray mid-stream above the falls.

Jungletop

Wednesday 29th May 2002. 'Jungletop' on the Great Divide Tolga. Features: Spectacular views, unique rainforest. Fitness a must. Leave 8.00 am Post Office Tolga. Standard requirements - 3 litres water. Grade is moderate/hard. Length is medium, 8-10 km. Duration: all day. Track type: cross country, extended ascent/descent. Contact Kathy Kilpatrick on 4095 4536

We climbed up the dip on the southern end of Mt Emerald then south along the top which had been burnt. We came to a patch of rainforest up on top which had been logged for a short time but found to be too inaccessible. It was heavily disturbed by pigs. We had lunch near some foxholes dating from WW2 training then descended a steep hill to farmland at the end of the Bones Knob road where Bluey met us with a billy of tea and biscuits.

Emerald Creek Falls

Emerald Creek Falls One & Two  Wednesday 1^st May 2002

Led by Noel Brooks, we left Mareeba at 7.30 am. We climbed up above the falls, initially in the creek then up on the western side, until we came to the next falls, where we had a swim and smoko.

the falls – there is a narrow gorge

Noel Brooks, above the falls, soon after lunch, when things started getting difficult, on the way down.

Was this the one where we got light showers coming across to make it slippery?

Easter 2002 at Cobbold Gorge

This was our first camping trip with the club and we set up our camper next to Colin and Jean Wilson, the leaders. It was nice to find that their style of camping was similar to ours.
On Saturday we walked up the river which had only a few weeks earlier been 12 feet up in flood, then into Agate creek, collecting odd red rocks on the way.
We then headed a bit north to some cliffs for smoko and into some gullies. We were accompanied by a ranger from the park who was interested to see if he could make some walks for tourists.
I particularly liked a blind gully with some posts and rails at the end for mustering livestock.
We then climbed up and walked along a rocky ridge above Cobbold Gorge.
Next day we went up the gorge on a boat.