Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Saturday 16 December 2023 * – L/E-M. Let’s visit some historical sites in the northern part of Bushfold Flats. The sites were dwellings around 1884 to 1957. We’ll puff up the Tennent track to the T-intersection on the N flank of the hill, then follow the Australian Alps Walking Track down to Bushfold Flats. An option would be to wander down to Blue Gum Creek for a refreshing splash. Return the same way. There are plenty of other options, like visiting ‘Mt Evans’ or Mt Tennent, but the trip as advertised is 20km and 750vm. That’s more than enough for a hot day. 6.30am early start.

Summary

From Garmin Connect (MAP66i) – Distance: 19.12km | Climb: 850vm (Elev Corrections Enabled) | Time: 5:18 moving + 1:45 of stops = 7:03 | Grading: L/E-M; M(11).

Photographs

View photographs here.

gpx file

Download the gpx file here.

Track Map

Here’s where we went.

Trip Report

I was last in this area on 31 Aug 19.

Another nostalgic trip for an old codger, but some pleasant exercise. Country is looking good at the moment, Bushfold Flats is lovely and green. Temperature not too bad either and a gentle breeze at times.

We met opposite my old folks home at 6.30am. People in Christmas attire in the NVC outer car park. Love that style!

Our walking positions soon shook out after the initial flat. Sandra powering ahead, the Robert, then me puffing along in the rear. A stop at Cypress Pine Lookout. A couple of years ago I couldn’t even make it to there. A few flowers about at the stone staircase. The open view from a bit further up.

1:35 for me to do the 4.5km to the new Mt Tennent Track where the others were waiting.

Out next leg was on the AAWT down to the northern end of Bushfold Flats.

We visited N Bushfold Shearing shed site – Read’s 1 stand shed, burnt in 2003. If you want a bit of the history, check out the links for each of the sites. I’m no historian, but I’ve lifted some quotes from a 1995 NPA ACT article by Matthew Higgins.

A chat with a lady on her last few kilometers of the AAWT from Walhalla.

Next was Duncan McKeahnie’s 1884 Hut site. Not too thrilling for my companions, but we did appreciate the tough lives these pioneer folk must have had. All that remains of most of these sites is vestigial hearth stones.

We then trotted down to the Blue Gum Creek ford for smoko.

A delightfully peaceful time.

Back up to Bushfold Flats, we visited Russell and Muriel Read’s 1957 Hut site (now a pile of corrugated  iron).

A bottle from about the time I started drinking beer.

The fridge mentioned in Matthew’s report is still there!

The final site in this area is Martin McMahons post 1902 hut site.

All that remained was to head north for a kilometer or so, initially on old vehicle track which deteriorated into animal pads. But pretty easy walking. Here were the remains of Dunns’ hut c1910 site at Dunns Flat. Again, not much left.

So it was all over bar the shouting, except that we had to walk back. Here’s an idea of the pads used.

We cut the corner a bit to regain the AAWT and puffed up the track to lunch. Stopped for a chat with a blog user – nice to hear that posts such as this are useful to others. I was about to set on a stump and noticed it was occupied.

Back down the hill, the return trip taking 1:27, so only a few minutes quicker than the up. One gets a bit tired in the arvo and going steeply down requires more care than up.

We called by the Mouat Tree display.

A drink/ice cream and a chat with the lovely Ranger at NVC.

Thanks friends, trust you enjoyed the trip.

Party

7 were booked and the texts started around 5.30am. We’ll have to do it again for those who were crook.

3 walkers – Sandra T, Robert W-E, me.

AllTrails

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

Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog FaceBook Page

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