BushwalkBushwalk
Mt CordeauxNRBC
Retirement: a new phase of my life. Interacting with the friendly members of the Northern Rivers Bushwalkers Club and going on many wide-ranging club activities is now a rewarding part of my life.
Northern Rivers Bushwalkers Club My first year experienceJulian Dimbleby
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Yes, I made it! Retired at last.
Will I miss the crowded commute to the CBD? I don’t think so.
Will I miss the “stimulating” regular office meetings? I don’t think so.
Will I miss the big smoke? I don’t think so.
I can’t wait to get back to the Northern Rivers – the place we call home.
The Northern Rivers Bushwalkers Club runs a variety of bushwalking and other activities each week in national parks, state forests and coastal areas of the NSW North Coast Region. The Club has been operating since 1976, is based in Lismore and is affiliated with Bushwalking NSW.
Only thirty more shopping days to Christmas 2014, but more importantly only ten more days until retirement. I’ve submitted my application to become a member of the Northern Rivers Bushwalkers Club (NRBC). And I’ve checked the Event Programme on their website. Good news – our furniture will be delivered to our new home just a few days before the NRBC Christmas Party, held at Crams Farm, Clarrie Hall Dam. And what a wonderful day it was. The first priority was to join the flotilla of kayaks paddling through water lilies in full flower with a stunning backdrop of Mt Warning (Wollumbin) directly ahead of us. At noon we joined a gathering of over 60 friendly people to enjoy a real Christmas feast of festive fare brought by all to share. Wearing his Gandalf look-alike hat, the club President brought the gathering to order and entertained us with his welcoming speech. He summarised the activities of the club throughout the year and acknowledged the contributions of many involved with organising and leading these events.
Well, that introduction to the club certainly provided the motivation and set the scene for the year ahead. Wednesday mornings very quickly became diarised for a bike ride somewhere in the local region. Still in the heat of summer, the first rides were
called “short” being under 25 kilometres. But as the cooler autumn weather arrived the rides grew ever longer. My personal best would have been the 72 kilometre ride from Coolangatta heading north along the coast, but the most challenging ride would be a climb of 960 metres over 67 kilometres from Murwillumbah heading north over the border into Queensland then down to Currumbin and return. For someone who previously rode up to 20 kilometres, I feel like I’ve come a long way, in more ways than one. My bike maintenance skills also got a kick-start when I quickly became adept at repairing punctures, practising my skills on two successive rides. But without a doubt, the highlight of each trip would be the very carefully selected venue for coffee.
With cycling now a regular part of my life, I next turned my attention to walking. Years ago, I was envious of my son joining a group from his school to climb Mt Warning. A quick check on the club website showed that in March the club would climb this mountain. At only 8.8 kilometres I thought this would be a breeze, but I seriously underestimated the climb. While scrambling up the last stage using the chain handrail was a great challenge, the 360-degree view at the top made it all worthwhile.
As well as having walks at different grades scheduled every week in the local national parks, state forests and coastal areas, the club also organises many walks of longer duration throughout the year. This might be for four days, one week or more to locations in Australia and overseas. My first experience
Jerusalem CreekNRBC
“... join the flotilla of kayaks paddling through water lilies in full flower with a stunning backdrop of Mt Warning ...
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of an extended walk was a visit to Lake Moogerah, 1.5 hour’s drive south-west of Brisbane. Over 30 were in the group and stayed in a range of accommodation. All the different walks and evening activities were very well organised. I can’t wait to head south in just a few days for one week of walking in the Tasman National Park, Tasmania. When first advertised, this walk proved to be so popular, that a repeat week of walking was organised for another group of 24 club members.
My kayak had been stored high in the garage gathering cobwebs for a long time, but since joining the NRBC, that is definitely no longer the case. Living in the Northern Rivers we are spoilt by having so many different waterways nearby to paddle and explore. Regular paddles are organised and advertised online and by email. Like the bushwalking activities, these events also include extended visits further afield and are often combined with club walks. Typical destinations include Wooli Wooli River near Grafton, and the Upper Noosa River in Queensland where, as a leader put it, “reflections of the banks and trees in the water are of such clarity that you don’t know whether you are the right way up or upside down”.
I have not yet gathered the courage to join an abseiling activity, but I can get the adrenalin flowing simply by watching any one of the many abseiling videos posted on the club website.
Did I mention social activities? Perhaps you may be interested in wine tasting, barefoot bowls, poker, slide nights showing travels to distant exotic locations, or musical soirées on a river bank. This club certainly has something to satisfy all tastes.
Upper Noosa RiverNRBC
Upper Noosa RiverNRBC
40 | BWA April 2016
Julian is a retired IT academic. He derives great satisfaction from writing computer program code that cannot possibly go wrong ... cannot possibly go wrong ... cannot possibly go wrong! Actually, he is a firm believer that a well-designed spreadsheet can go a long way to help solve many of the challenges in life.
And if I should happen to get snowed under with household or gardening responsibilities, then I can still enjoy the club activities by reading the monthly Newsletters and viewing regularly posted photos and videos to both the club website and Facebook page.
In February 2016 I went to Tasmania with NRBC. The walks in Tasman National Park were fantastic. I’ve never before climbed up and down so many steps as on the day I did the walk to Cape Hauy. After five days of walking, our treat on the last day was to step aboard a yellow boat and fasten our seat belts for an action-packed wilderness cruise
from Eaglehawk Neck to Port Arthur. It was wonderful. You are welcome to check out the Tasman Island Cruise video and photos on the NRBC websites.
Would I miss being a member of the Northern Rivers Bushwalkers Club? I definitely think so.
Linksnorthernriversbushwalkersclub.org.aufacebook.com/northernriversbushwalkingclub
Clarrie Hall DamNRBC
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