Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Monday 28 November 2022: Mt Rob Roy and geocaching ! – M/E-M,ptX. Afternoon stroll to Mt Rob Roy, Big Monks and a geocache near the Black and White Mine.

Tuesday 29 November 2022: Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve – S/E. An evening walk, beginning about 6pm. From Isaacs, we follow the Centenary Trail, crossing Long Gully Rd and heading south to MacArthur. (The walk has irksome traffic noise for about 20 minutes.) At MacArthur we climb into forest, follow a pleasant ridge to Mt Wanniassa where we stop for the views, then return to the cars.

Wednesday 30 November 2022: Mt Domain and beyond ! – M/M. A dawdle to Mt Domain, then a bit further north. Around 14km and 750vm.

Monday 28 November 2022 Rob Roy NR

Summary

From Garmin Connect – Distance: 10.35km | Climb: 621m | Time: 2:47 moving + 0:14 of stops = 3:01 | Grading: M/E-M,ptX; M(9).

Photographs Photographs are available here.

gpx File The gpx file is available here.

Track Notes

I was last at Mt Rob Roy on 23 Nov 22.

Today was just an amble whilst my dear wife had some company. Pleasing to be able to walk up the Banks Steep Track and on to Mt Rob Roy without stopping. Passed through the tank junction …

… the rock piles at the drop off point/Rob Roy ecce …

… and up the footpad.

A U-turn at the top, just stopping to snap the trig.

Back to the drop off point and into the bush. A pleasant leg, on a footpad a couple of times.

Crossed the fence where the top barbed-wire strand has been cut and down to the bottom fire trail. NW along it and up to Big Monks.

Across to ‘Little Monks’. The thistles are coming on well around Big Monks, and the grass getting longer around ‘Little Monks’.

If I have one photo of the Black and White Mine signage, I have several. So I was able to solve the simple clues for the final GZ of geocache GC9WAP0 Black & White Mine before I left. Somewhere on the leg from ‘Little Monks’ down to the SE corner of Banks, I found the cache and logged it. Of course, the final GZ and the few minutes of stop have been removed from the gpx file and the map segment.

Walked back along the edge of the suburb.

Track Map

Here’s where I went. On TopoView 2006 map © DEPARTMENT OF LANDS PANORAMA AVENUE BATHURST 2795 www.lands.nsw.gov.au Used with permission.

The AllTrails map is here, where you can pan and zoom.

Route Card

From	To	Distance (km)	Climb (m)	Time (h:mm)	Going
Orange Thorn Cres, Banks	Mt Rob Roy	4.4	427	1:15	Steep fire trail, footpad
Mt Rob Roy	Join bottom FT	1.3	-220	0:30	Fire trail, woodland
Join bottom fire trail	Big Monks	2.0	60	0:25	Fire trail
Big Monks	SE corner of Banks	1.1	-229	0:33	Steep decent through grassland
SE corner of Banks	Orange Thorn Cres	1.4	35	0:17	Fire trail

(Metrics from OziExplorer Σ)

Party

Just moi.

Information Bit(e)s

I’ve had a lot of assistance from walking friends recently. By way of paying a bit back, I’ll publish a few bites of information that may help someone. Today’s is ‘13 Hints learned about walking in the bush‘.

Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog FaceBook Page

I’ve started up a FaceBook page. Each trip report posts to it. So it’s another way to get some info to get out and breathe a bit of fresh air. Why not pop over and give it a Like.

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Tuesday 29 November Wanniassa Hills NR

Summary

From Garmin Connect – Distance: 8.74km | Climb: 259m | Time: 2:01 moving + 0:14 of stops = 2:15 | Grading: S/E; E(5).

Photographs Photographs are available here.

gpx File The gpx file is available here.

Track Notes

I was last in the Wanniassa Hills NR on 29 Oct 22 and at Mt Wanniassa on 19 Jun 22.

This evening was a lovely stroll put together by Jeff. The ladies showed the gentlemen a clean pair of heels.

We followed the Canberra Centenary Trail out from Isaacs Pines, under Long Gully Road and south to the Rose Cottage Horse Paddocks. Here we took a CCT detour up to near the big bend in Jackie Howe Crescent and across the reservoir above MacArthur. We joined the Karralika Track and walked the crest obove the eastern edge of Fadden.

Took the path to Mt Wanniassa and its trig.

Nice views.

We waited a while to see the western sunset under the clouds, but it was cool in the breeze.

Back to the north, across Long Gully Road and so back to the start.

Excellent company and leadership.

Track Map

Here’s where we went. On Topoview2006 Tuggeranong 1:25000 map © DEPARTMENT OF LANDS
PANORAMA AVENUE BATHURST 2795 www.lands.nsw.gov.au . Used with permission.

Party

6 walkers – Jeff B (leader), Peter C, Andrea C, Quentin M, Sandra T, me.

Information Bit(e)s

I’ve had a lot of assistance from walking friends recently. By way of paying a bit back, I’ll publish a few bites of information that may help someone. Today’s is ‘14 Really, truly technobabble‘.

Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog FaceBook Page

I’ve started up a FaceBook page. Each trip report posts to it. So it’s another way to get some info to get out and breathe a bit of fresh air. Why not pop over and give it a Like.

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Wednesday 30 November Mt Domain and a bit beyond

Summary

From Garmin Connect – Distance: 13.92km | Climb: 836m | Time: 3:46 moving + 2:10 of stops = 5:56 | Grading: L/E-M; M(11).

Photographs Photographs are available here.

gpx File The gpx file is available here.

Track Notes

I was last on Mt Domain on 9 Nov 22.

The object of today’s trip was to see how many times I had to stop whilst getting to the top, so I know how foolish I will look on 10 Dec 22. Fishing Gap Road, 2 times. First climb towards Mt Domain, 7 times. Final climb to Mt Domain, 1 time. Plus many excuses to take photos. So I will look very foolish.

The second object was to go a little north of Mt Domain so I know the start of the Mt Domain to Snowy Corner leg on 17 Dec 22. I will have to smarten up, with an estimate for that leg of 3 hours. I did 570m in 30mins.

Always one to be chronically early, we turned off the main road towards the entrance to TNR at about 7.10am. Thankfully, the car in front of us was the early Ranger, so we were in and walking from the Fishing Gap car park by 7.25am.

It was mizzling on the way out and, although not continuing, it must have rained at TNR and up on the Range last night. The bush was very wet.

Up to Fishing Gap, with my 7 stops, 3.7km in 55mins, climbing 295vm. No pause.

The next leg passes through the bracken fern area to the start of the serious climb at around 1190m contour, then up to the leveling off ridge containing SH1402.

7 stops to gasp, 1.1km in 50 minutes, climbing 270m. No point in stopping at the lookout area as the footpad levels, as cloud engulfed the view.

A quicker leg along the ridge, 840m in 24 minutes, climbing just 23vm. We were a bit wet, hauling on each sapling sending a shower of water down from the canopy.

The final leg to the cairn was 340m in 17 minutes, climbing 100vm.

As usual, we continued on a few tens of metres to the more open area (still no views) for morning tea #1.

Mike pulled out a book and I trotted off north, setting myself 30 minutes out and 30 minutes back.

A very vague footpad route wends along the crest. It was wet, my boots sloshing water and slow going.

But very pretty, even in the cloud.

I passed through my favourite spot on the Tidbinbilla ridge.

30 minutes passed and I’d covered 570m, climbing 40vm.

Some joy on the way back, as the sun and views appeared.

We regrouped and walked back down.

A slow descent, the footpad slippery. However, I have no idea why I needed to stop 7 times going up. the footpad is so easy to descend!

Mt Domain down to Fishing Gap was 2.3km in 1:15.

A stop for morning tea #2.

From Fishing Gap back down to the car was 3.7km in 45 minutes.

Thanks for your company Mike and for humouring me (and waiting for me).

Relive the Trip

Track Map

Here’s where we went. Track on Topoview 2006 Tidbinbilla 1:25000 map © DEPARTMENT OF LANDS
PANORAMA AVENUE BATHURST 2795 www.lands.nsw.gov.au. Used with permission. Detail on Tidbinbilla 1:25000 map © BKK Enterprises Pty Ltd, Mona Vale NSW 2103 www.gpsoz.com.au Used with permission.

Party

2 walkers – Mike B, me.

Information Bit(e)s

I’ve had a lot of assistance from walking friends recently. By way of paying a bit back, I’ll publish a few bites of information that may help someone. Today’s is ‘15 Printing correct scale NSW SIX e-topo maps‘.

Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog FaceBook Page

I’ve started up a FaceBook page. Each trip report posts to it. So it’s another way to get some info to get out and breathe a bit of fresh air. Why not pop over and give it a Like.