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ClubmeetingsareonthefirstMondayofeachmonth(excludingJanuary)

7:30pmBuderimMen’sShed

38AdvanceRoad,Kuluin(IfthefirstMondayfallsonaholidayorlongweekendthemeetingisheldthefollowingMonday)

Scheduledactivitiesareonhttps://www.scbwc.com/activities

CommitteeMembers2020-2021

President: JulieNunn pres@scbwc.comVicePresident: ClareStaines vp@scbwc.comSecretary: StephenHunter sec@scbwc.comTreasurer: PamSanders treas@scbwc.comWalksCoordinator: RodEdwards walk@scbwc.comNewMemberOfficer: KarenEdwards enquiry@scbwc.comHireEquipmentOfficer: JoeKirkpatrick equip@scbwc.comGrantsOfficer: PeterFowler grants@scbwc.comLibrarian: GerardGallop cooroora35@gmail.com

NonCommitteePositionsTrudgeEditor: StephenHunter trudge@scbwc.comDigitalMediaOfficer: JulieNunn media@scbwc.comOH&SOfficer MalcolmRodleyAssistantSecretary AnneMillerAbseilingCoordinator PeterFowlerRefreshmentsCoordinator LindyKenniwell

Emailenquiry@scbwc.comifyouareunsureofwhomtocontact.Theywillforwardyourquerytotheappropriateindividual.

Pleasesendwalkreportsandphotographstotrudge@scbwc.com

Membersshouldemailmedia@scbwc.comiftheyarenotreceivinggeneralemailcommunicationsfromtheSCBWC.

IfyouareaSCBWCmember,joinourclosedFacebookgroup.

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DularchaNationalParkliesbetweenMooloolahandLandsboroughandisbisectedbytheNorthCoastrailwayline.Itcoversanareaof4.64km2.

Ourgroupof18,ledbyRussellStark,startedatthecarparkattheDorsonDriveendoftheparkatabout8:00a.m.Wewalkedthroughshadybushalongsidetherailwaylinetothetunnel.Itwasbuiltin1891andiscurvedanddarkand93.5mlong.Itprovidesaprotectedsitefortheseasonalroostingofsmallbats.Thisflatsectionofthewalkwasquitemuddyandweneededtorchesinthetunnel.Luckilysomeofthegroupbroughtthem.

Theparkishometoeucalyptforests,floodedgums,cabbagetreepalmsandrainforestplantsaswellasmuchbirdlife.AfterthetunnelweturnedontoaconnectiontracktoRosescircuit.Thetrailsaresharedwithhorsesandmountainbikesandaremostlyvehiclewidth.Weclimbedalongsteeprockysectionontoalargeflatspotwherewestoppedformorningtea.

Wethencontinuedonthecircuit,goingdownasteepgravelcoveredsectionwhichboughtusbacktotherailwaylineandthetunnel.Oneunusualfindwasatreewithfruitthatlookedlikeredappleswithagolfballsizeseedinside.

Everyoneenjoyedthemselves,copedwellandchattedeasilyinrowsof2or3alongthewidetrack.Thiswalkiseasytofindandmostlyshadybutnorealviewsthroughthethickbush.Wefinishedat11:45am,sosomewenttoacaféinMooloolahorstoppedatthelovelyparkinthetownforlunch.

FayIslip

Raincoatsoutandumbrellasup,westrolledalongthepathwayleadbyMarilynandCharnebeneaththerainforestcanopyexploringadiverseplantandanimallifethatwasadelighttoall.Plentyofbirdcallswereidentifiedandsomewereseen.

Ahighlightwasthediscoveryofthehometoseveraltrapdoorspiders,asthisparticularspecieswasonlyidentifiedin2019.Therewereplentyofnestsspottedalongthewayofthegiantearthwormhomeswhichcanbeidentifiedbytheirgatheringofleavesandatwigstickingupinthecentre.WealsospottedseveralshyPaddyMelonwallabiesforagingtherainforestfloorforfood.

Thezigzagvineprovideduswithapathfilledwithitslargeorangepeanutlikefruit.Awonderfulmorningofexploringandlearningtoppedoffwithahotcuppaatthecafé.

Highlyrecommendthiswalk.

JulieNunn

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Thanks to the lovely bushwalkers who turned up at Lady Musgrave Drive to do their bit for Clean UpAustraliaDay.

Theweatherwaskindwithabrightsunnyday,andwewerejoinedbyGlenfieldlocals,Marianandher9yearold grandson. The18of usmanaged topick up a goodpile of rubbishwhichwas very promptlywhiskedawaytothetip.

Itwasgenerallyagreedthat therewasoverall less rubbish than inpreviousyearsbutwestillmanagedtofindafewshoes,thongs,partofaguitar,amopandloungesuite.ReneefromcouncilrangtocheckallwascompletedandIpassedonthefeedbackthatthecovidsign-onwithitssurveyandadditionalquestionsaspartoftheprocesswasunnecessary.

Hopefully,nextyearallthatwillbebehindus.

Aftertherubbishwasremovedandalltheparticipantsaccountedfor,wesatintheshadeforalongchatandmorningtea.

Aspromised.Here’sarecipefortheimaginativelynamed‘QuickSlice’.

Thanksagaintoeveryonewhoturnedup.

ClareStaines

PhotobyMichelleFreeman

Mix1.5cupsofspeltflour+3tspbakingpowder(oruseS.Rflour)+1.5cupssoftbrownsugar+¼tspsalt.Add+¾cupshreddedcoconut+2.5cupsofmixeddriedfruit,nutsandseeds.Myfavouriteisamixofchoppedprunes,sultanas,sunflowerseedsandwalnuts.Melt160gofbutterandstirintothemixwith2eggs.Turnthebatterintoa23cmsquareslicetinandbakeat170°Cfor25-30minstillgoldenbrownontop.

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Michellehadscheduledthiswalkfor29thMarch,itwasoversubscribedbutshegenerouslyofferedtoleadthesamewalktwicetocaterforthewaitinglist.

MeetingatCoorooraMountainParksixmembersonevisitor(twonoshows)werebriefedbyourleaderandproceededtoenjoyafourhourseighteenminutes,13.5klmwalkwhichincludedseveralhills(totalelevation305m)whichprovedtobealittlechallengingduetotheheatandhumidity.

Severalhighlightsofthedayincludedthebirdlife,interestingeucalyptusforestwithseveraltrunkshavingscratchesandbleedingcopiousamountsofambercolouredsap,viewsofvariousaspectsofMtCoorooraandMtCooranthroughtheforest.

WewereprivilegedtoenjoyMichelle’scarefullyresearchedandprofessionallypresentedhistoryoftheareafromthegoldminersfrom1870tothedancehallsofthe1920`swhileenjoyingmorningteabesideatranquillake.

CliveBrowne

IfIhadtogivetheNoosaTrail4circuitanothername,I’dcallitthe‘Secrettrail’becauseitwouldbeveryhardtofind,fortheuntrainedortheinexperiencedhiker.LuckilyJulieNunn,ourtrailleader,haddoneagothroughthepreviousday,andthankstoherorganisedplanningandgreatsenseofdirection(andalittlehelpfromtechnology),wedidverywell.

16ofusgatheredat7.45amonthe14thofMarchattheStanToppersParkinPomona.By8am,wepiledintofourcarsthattookustothestartofTrail4–abigthankyoutothoseofyouwhovolunteeredyourcarsintheverywet,highriskofgettingdirty-situation!

Itwasjustaswellthatwetookjustfourcars,becausethe10-minutedrivetookuswasoffthebeatentrack,and‘parking’involvedsqueezingthecarsalongthesideofthedirt‘road’neartheveryinconspicuousstartofTrail4.Thetrailstartedwithaneasywalkpastamacadamiafarm,andafterabout20minutes,wecameto the gradient. Itwaswet and squelchy aswemerrilywalked by signs that said ‘do not attempt inwetweather’.

Walkingmostly inasinglefiletoavoidslippingonthewetstones,wecameacrossandlearntaboutsomeveryinterestingfloraandfauna.Itisprobablycommonplacetothemoreexperiencedbushwalker,butthisjustbeingmysecondwalk,Ibenefitedhugelyfromthecollectiveexperienceandknowledgefrommyfellowbushwalkers.

Igotintroducedto‘Waitawhile’-Calamusaustralis,alsoknownaslawyercaneorhairymarythankstoitslongwhip like tendrilswithsharphooks thatcancatchyouandgiveyousomenastycuts– themoreyoustruggle,theharderthetendrilsgripyou.Tomakeit loseitsgrip,youwaitawhile.Prettystraightforward,

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nowthatyouthinkofit!ThankyoutoRuthandLenwhogallantlyheldthetendrilsbackwiththeirwalkingsticksthe3-4timesweencounteredthesneakyplantlyinginwaitforus.AndabiggerthankyoutoJulieandmyotheralertfellowwalkers,whospottediteverytime!

Westoppedformorningteaaround10am,whereIgotinitiatedintotheworldofbushwalkingwhenaleechdecidedIwasmorningtea.Ishouldhavetakenapictureofmyfirstleech,butwentintoapanicinstead,withanapparentlyentertaining‘leechdance’.Thatis,untilCherylRyan,whohadspottedtheleech,justascalmlyplucked itoff. Ithad juststartedonme,apparently,sonoharmdone–thankyouCheryl, thebloodbanksaysthankyoutoo!!

Itwashere that I also learnt that ticks aremoredangerous than leeches– you canpick theseup in longgrassesdependingonwhereyou’rewalking;andhowyoumustbesuretotwisttheheadcompletelyout,ifyoueverfindatickhaslatcheditselfonyou.Thankyou,butI’dmuchratherstayinthecentreofthepathandavoidthemaltogether!

While Iwasbusytackling leeches,Julietoldusaboutsomeveryunusualrocksa littlefurtherdown,whichturnedouttobeavisit fromtheEasterbunny(akaJulie)!Happily loadedwithsomechocolate,wesetoffagain, climbing up and scrambling down the circuit, past beautiful tall eucalyptus trees and fascinatingstranglingfigs.

Our final encounterwasabeautiful green tree snakewhoposed forusand thenvanished.Backpast themacadamiafarm,readytobedrivenbacktoourstartingpointandheadbackhome,inexactly4hours,aspredicted.

Wasitaneasywalk?Ithaditsupsanddowns,literallyandfiguratively.

Wasitgood?Youbetitwas,withgreatconversation,easybanterandinformativechats.

WouldIdoitagain?Absolutely,justwithproperwalkingshoesnexttime.

Thankyou,Julie,forthisamazingexperience,forallyourplanningandpreparation,andforthe‘unusualrockformation’!�

SangitaGhodke

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AnearlyeditionduetoEaster,theotherMarchwalkswillbeincludednextmonth.Seeyouthen.