View over Booroomba Station from photographer to photographer
Saturday 5 May: Geocaches above Blue Gum Creek – L/R. There are 3 geocaches – GC1VDD3, GC1VDD1 and GC1VDD2 – in the hill 400m above the Georges Creek FT ford of Blue Gum Creek. It will be a very long and tough day, over 20 km of walking. Mainly along track but still lots of scrub and rocks on the hill. There are also some awesome granite features on the top. Leader: Roger E.
GC1VDD2 The Back of Beyond, GC1VDD1 Beyond Blue (Gum), GC1VDD3 Hard Yakka – Blue(Gum) Singlet Time
Further Information
A redo of 23 Sep 14.
Summary
Distance: 21.3km | Climb: 1150m | Time: 7.00am – 4.30pm (9hrs 30mins), including 40 mins of breaks | Grading: L/R; VH(16)
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.
Video
Waypoint and Track Files
Download the gpx file for this trip (if your browser does not automatically download the file, it will open the gpx file in a new window and you can then save it). To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.
Track Notes
The Bible talks about dying for a good person (of course referring to Jesus Christ):
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)
I think the bushwalkers/geocachers equivalent is what Roger did today – took me and others on the walk he did on 23 Sep 14 when I carked it; logged no caches (we logged 7 or 8); led us up the most horrible scrubby hill in all of Namadgi National Park.
An early meet at 6.30am opposite my old folks home and we were walking from the Mt Tennent Fire Trail car park on Apollo Road by 7.00am. 7.3km in 1hr 40mins to the ford over Blue Gum Creek down from the northern end of Bushfold Flat, via logs of geocaches GC68VW2 05b Tennent trail – 800m and GC7KE9A Bushfold Boulders.
With a knowing shudder, Roger led us off up ‘the hill never to be walked again’. Horrendous scrub, grown thicker since 23 Sep 14. The leg to morning tea was 1.7km and took 2hrs for the 310 vertical metre climb. Martin took the lead and we enjoyed a relatively easier next leg on the south side of the feature where it was a bit damper and a fraction more open. This set the theme for the day – whenever someone else took the lead, the going was a little easier. Roger was not happy.
The going at the 940m contour at 9.31am
The going at the 1140m contour at 10.17am
We reached the first cache, GC1VDD2 The Back of Beyond, at 11.25am. A pleasing log, with views across to the Booroomba Rocks cliffs.
A 650m leg across the ground in 40mins took us via the second view point of the day, down onto the Booroomba property, to find and log GC1VDD1 Beyond Blue (Gum).
Our third major objective was close, but across a gaping gully, so we retreated to just north of morning tea and collapsed in the scrub for lunch. Just as slow, the 480m leg taking 35mins.
Invigorated (because we were heading downhill), we covered the 550m in 40mins to find and log GC1VDD3 Hard Yakka – Blue(Gum) Singlet Time. Cache aptly named! Poor Roger took the lead through the slow going.
All over bar the shouting now, except a long way home. A leg of 800m across the ground and 170m drop in 30mins to hit the fire trail.
9km in 2hrs to get back to the car, via detours for quick finds and logs of GC7KE9G Bushfold Blue and GC7KE8V Bushfold Bungalow II.
HUGE thanks Roger, you are a real friend and champion! Thanks for the company Robyn and Martin. Never, ever again!
Track Maps
Party
4 walkers – Roger E (Marmaduke Rothschild) (leader), Martin E (TikvaNZ), Robyn H (lokipagan), me (JohnnyBoyACT).