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In this Issue
In Other News Participate in our Pole Poll This month we are conducting a poll on walking poles. Click here to answer a quick survey and next month we'll give you the results. Find out which brands people are using, whether people suggest using one pole or two, and where and why people use walking poles.
Emily Survives In August Emily successfully completed her advanced survival course in the state's far north. She had an amazing adventure living off the land and honed some useful skills including collecting bush-food and water; and advanced navigation techniques. Here is a good tip for you. If you break down in a remote location, always put your car bonnet up so that anyone passing by will know to stop.
Controlled Burns If you're heading out for a walk in the next month, make sure you check out the DEC's website for any controlled burns. There are a few planned for the Jarrahdale region as well as down south. The DEC post all of their notices to burn on their website. |
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Spring in WA is just fantastic! Blue skies, warm air and smiles everywhere. On a recent trip down to Margaret River we saw the season's first Kangaroo Paws, which are the traditional Nyoongar sign for the arrival of spring. The Nyoongar ate the tubers of these iconic flowers, but as much as I am culinarily curious, I can't bring myself to dig one up (plus it's illegal to pick wildflowers). We've had some great outings recently. The "Get Fit for Spring" series was a blast and very popular. The final hike in the Monadnocks reserve was quite challenging but we were treated to some amazing views and stunning wildflowers. Some of us were even lucky enough to see an echidna! For us, the next few months will be jam packed with walks in the south west and paddling trips guided by Pam. We hope to see you along. Simon and Emily Coming Up: Walpole to Denmark - Bibbulmun Track 
Sat 5th - Sun 13th Nov 2011 Complete this challenging but spectacular 125km section of the Bibbulmun Track this spring. Discover the rugged coastline, towering forests, beautiful wildflowers and pristine beaches that lie between Walpole and Denmark on this nine day tour with seven days of walking. This fully supported tour, staying in beautiful chalet accommodation in the midst of the forest, is $2,200 per person. It includes accommodation, transport to and from the track each day, guiding, all meals and transport to and from Perth. You'll find the tour details, including the full itinerary, on our Bibbulmun Track web page. Pam is back from her epic North American sojourn next week and she's looking forward to catching up with many of you at one of two paddles we've organised for October. There is a breakfast paddle on Sunday the 9th October (8am - 12noon, from Cannington) and a full moon paddle on Tuesday the 11th (4pm - 8.30pm, from Guildford). There is more information on our website on the Paddling page. No experience is necessary for these tours and they are a lovely way to experience the beautiful Swan and Canning Rivers in spring. 
Emily and I recently spent a couple of weekends tracing CY O'Connor's contribution to Western Australia. He really was a remarkable man and for anyone interested, you can spend a whirlwind day following his legacy or, if your like us and don't like to rush, split it up over a couple. First up, head to John Forrest National Park. The wildflowers are in full glory at the moment and there are some great walking trails to check out. Charles Yelverton O'Connor was responsible for building the train line that ran out to the park up until the late 1960's. It was apparently a great feat at the time, getting a train up the steep scarp and the remnants of this engineering marvel are still there to be seen. Next stop is the lake which bears his name. Mundaring Weir is such a beautiful place to go in spring, and Lake C.Y. O'Connor is relatively full this year. The 530km pipeline that stretches from number one pumping station was an extraordinarily bold project. It cost 2.5 million pounds which would have bought a lot back in 1896. After lunch at the Mundaring Weir Hotel, it is time to head to Fremantle. The Fremantle Cemetery is rich with history. WA's famous bush ranger Moondyne Joe's grave can be found there as well as O'Connor's and Bon Scott's. Walking through the older section, we really got a sense of the waves of migration that WA has experienced. The names change from English to Italian, Greek to eastern European as you walk back in time. Leaving the manicured gardens, head a short way south of Fremantle to C.Y O'Connor reserve and beach. It's a great spot for a picnic and a dip. There is a bronze statue of O'Connor and his horse in the water marking the spot where he took his life. It is a nice tribute to the Irishman that did so much for WA. By now you'll be getting peckish so I recommend a pizza and a beer from Little Creatures. It is a wonderful way to finish the day on the Harbour which O'Connor built. Fremantle Harbour wasn't popular with everyone though. Aboriginal people reputedly cursed O'Connor for blowing up the sandbar that blocked the salt water from entering the Swan. There is another statue of O'Connor in the harbour itself, but by this stage of the day, I recommend heading home for a cup of tea. For anyone wanting to know more about C.Y. O'Connor there is a brief but great biography of him on Australian Dictionary of Biography website. Easter Cape to Cape Track, Sat 7th - Sat 14th April Walk 'end to end' on the Cape to Cape Track over Easter 2012. Our fully supported tour, staying in fantastic Margaret River, includes all transport, guides, meals and 4 star accommodation. Full itinerary and tour details are available on our Cape to Cape web page. Albany to Denmark - Bibb Track, Sun 25th - Sat 31st March This is a popular walk for people of most fitness levels. Join us for a superb 85km section of the Bibbulmun Track. We'll walk 14 to 19 km each day, over 5 days. There will be time on some days to explore Denmark or just relax in the tranquil accommodation in the midst of the forest. See our Bibbulmun Track page for more details. Every month get a slice of home made bush philosophy from Inspiration Outdoors... This Month - Waiting for Lightening Bolts You know in the cartoons when the dim witted protagonist (usually a dog for some reason) has an epiphany and is lifted up in the air bathed in a golden light as a 1000 angels strike a chord? This about sums up my initial expectations of hiking in the bush. I was expecting some sort of lightning bolt to come down from the heavens hitting me in the top of the head blessing me with some sort of permanent wisdom. Alas, hours, days, weeks and years have since passed but any skerrick of wisdom learnt has been ground out mainly as a by-product of poor judgements. I have had some fantastic and life changing experiences walking the trails but never anything akin to the floating dog. Of all the great experiences though, there has definitely been a common element to the best of them. Curiosity can be inspired by others, it can well up from within or it can be faked. But from wherever it has come, curiosity has always accompanied my highest moments in the bush. It is the combination of intellect and awe, of left brain and right. For me it usually starts with some sort of meditation on the processes within nature. In the office or street this sort of thinking is usually dismissed as cliche, but in direct experience in the bush, it is transformative. When you think about it, it is not really surprising or ground breaking to think that experiences are more fun when you are genuinely interested. And maybe that is all it is - being fully engaged; if only for an hour, a day, a week or indeed years.
Got a comment for the bush philosopher? Leave one on our website here. |
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