a little shot of birthday Australian sparkling at 8am on Mt Namadgi 2017 | photo Lauren O

This is for me as an old(er) man in my rocking chair, but someone else might be interested.

• First walks in 2001-2003 with church friends

• Planned to begin club walking in January 2003, but the Canberra firestorm intervened

• First club walk 17 Jan 04 as a guest with FBI

• Joined CBC 2004 and completed the CBC 6 session Navigation Refresher course run by Rob and Jenny H

• Did a number of CBC, Wednesday Walks and private trips during 2004

• Did the Overland Track Tasmania 13-20 Nov 04 as guided camping

• In 2005, did a number CBC, Wednesday Walks and used Graeme Barrow’s Exploring Namadgi & Tidbinbilla: Day walks in Canberra’s high country for and Namadgi and Tidbinbilla Classics: Tough Bushwalks in Canberra’s High Country for ideas for private walks. Some combined clubs Wednesday Walks attracted a large number of walkers and I met Max S, who also desired walking in smaller groups. I did two multi-week trips to Tasmania led by Rupert B.

• Having spent a year as a CBC member and having several experienced members share their bushcraft with me, time came for me to put a little back in. Recce-d a trip to Orroral Hill with Max and led first CBC day walk on 22 Oct 05. First led overnight trip to Coronet Peak on 5-6 Nov 05.

• Trips, over a number of years, to bag all the high map marked hills in the ACT. After discovering that there’s a geocache on every one, repeat visits. Another list to tick off was the ACT trigs.

• Ideas for walks obtained by trawling through old CBC it magazines.

• Various trips, 2006-2015, walking every inch of the ACT-NSW border to locate the extant border markers, mile markers and blaze trees, accompanied by many (often skeptical) friends.

• First Tuesday Walk on 24 Oct 06.

• First birthday walk to Mt Namadgi with champagne and friends 10 Nov 07.

• Led CBC Worn Boot Bash 30 Aug 08.

• 2008 received Canberra Bushwalking Greg Buckley Award.

• An interest in Aboriginal and European sites fueled many search trips based on publications Sites of Significance in the ACT and JH Winston-Gregson’s 30 Apr 78 MA thesis. Many POIs identified.

• 2009-2018 continued hard walking. Opportunities to spruik the values of bushwalking via avenues such as ABC radio and TV, 1WAYFM, ‘Talk and Walk’ for the ACT Government, walks for the public in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Namadgi National Park, Heart Foundation walks at Floriade, ACT Heritage Week events, bushwalks for Covenant College, Tim the Yowie Man.

• First day of full retirement 30 Jun 12.

• January 2014 Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog goes from html to WordPress!

• Began geocaching (very small time compared to others) 6 Jan 14. Currently found 2563 caches

• Took up snowshoeing 14 Aug 14

• First Cbr100 Challenge with Sean and Rich 21-22 Mar 15 in 23.5hrs. Second Cbr100 Challenge 5-6 Mar 16 in 22hrs 20mins. Over $13.5K raised for Beryl Womens Shelter

• A classic north to south traverse of the Tidbinbilla Range on 17 Oct 17. The first was on 29 Mar 08

• Many paddles enjoyed in borrowed boats. Mirage 532 featherlight purchased 25 Jul 18. Many heart-in-mouth paddles – I can’t swim. It now lives in Perth

• Pack rafting the flooded Snowy River with Richard S 18-23 Oct 18

• Lost mojo in 2019. Last serious trip 19 Oct 19. Diagnosed stage 4 multiple myeloma blood cancer in Nov. Autologous stem cell transplant, ongoing treatment and daily chemotherapy. Even taking advancing years into account, walking ability never recovered

• 2020-2021 cancer recovery walks. Supported and encouraged by many wonderful friends

• Awarded Order of Australia Medal on Australia Day 2021 for services to bushwalking, and to the community

• Awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Canberra Bushwalking Club 2025

• 2022-present grumpy old man doing what he can.

• As at 30 June 2025:

  • led 555 trips for CBC
  • walked with 1091 different people on my CBC led trips
  • documented 1643 trips on Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog
  • since going to WordPress in 2014, the blog has had 500,000+ views from nearly 230,000 visitors.