21 Aug 2010 'Show Us Your Limits' Talk and Walk - Border Markers on the N Urban Fringe - Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve
Map: Hall 1:25000
Getting There
This walk was organised and led by me as a CBC supported event for the ACT Government:
Saturday arvo 21 Aug - 'Show Us Your Limits' Talk and Walk - Border Markers on the N Urban Fringe - Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve - S/E. Following the very successful second Talk and Walk at Goorooyarroo, a third and final Talk and Walk will be conducted. Join Dr Peter Dowling from the National Trust (ACT) and me for a wander in the Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve to the ACT border. Not only is the walk to the border but we will be covering several millennia of human history in the area. All welcome. CBC members - one CBC member is required for every 6 members of the public participating, so join me in providing general shepherding and witty repartee. Or just sign on for the walk. Around 3 hours walking. Meet at 1pm at the entrance to the northern section of Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve on Mulligans Flat/Gundaroo Road at 1pm. Map: Hall. Leader: John Evans - jevans@pcug.org.au, (h) 6288 7235. Booking is essential and the limit of 40 will be reached quickly. Transport: Please drive yourself.
29 of us met at the entrance gate to North (Little) Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve. Some folk now know the difference between the main entrance at Forde and the car park on Mulligans Flat/Gundaroo Rd with entrance to the North (Little) Mulligans Flat part of the nature reserve!
Further Information
Meet at 1pm on Saturday 21 August at the entrance to the northern section of the Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve on Mulligans Flat/Gundaroo Road. The Canberra Nature Park map of the Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve is here. Note that the road turning off Horse Park Drive is first named Mulligans Flat Road (and later Gundaroo Road).
Expert commentary will be provided by Dr Peter Dowling of the National Trust of Australia (ACT). The walk is conducted by the Canberra Bushwalking Club and we take your safety seriously. Before the walk starts, each participant needs to sign an Acknowledgement of Risks and Obligations form (see here if you’d like to preview it). We ask that everyone sticks together and walks as a group – doing that we can also chat and ask Peter questions.
Don’t forget to bring your camera to snap that winning photo for the ‘Show Us Your Limits’ photographic, short film and digital media competition – you could win $500. Further details here.
A brochure is here. The Canberra 100 "show Us Your Limits' information is at http://www.canberra100.com.au/events/show_us_your_limits_walk_and_talk.php.
Photographs
Access all primary pics here. All thumbnails in the walk report are active - click for a larger picture.
Walk
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| Track N Mulligans Flat Talk and Walk |
This was the first Talk and Walk that I hadn't recce-d a couple of days prior to the event. My, how the area has changed since I was last there on 1 Jan 10 - the edge of Bonner is now at the Nature Reserve and the Mulligans Flat Road is being upgraded.
An interesting fact - survey blazes follow Matthew Higgins. He alights from the car and says "what's this?" - a lovely portion survey blaze immediately across the road from the car park. Trust it doesn't get knocked about by the roadworks. I'd not noticed it before.
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| 1 Matthew Higgins and survey blaze opposite the N Mulligans Flat car park |
We gathered and Peter briefed us on the area. Not only the border, but the indigenous site we were to visit and the geology of the Canberra area and the ridge above us. It was cool in the brisk breeze. Once we were walking and towards the lee of the ridge line, we warmed up a little. Wonderful to see so much water around.
The large party stopped walking a couple of times for further talking, with Peter inviting Matthew Higgins to say a few words. We hit the border at border marker B2, then turned W and crossed into Elm Grove. Peter had received permission from the lessee for us to walk there. We followed the border fence to marker A2, which I'd visited on 26 Sep 09. What I hadn't noticed then, which was pointed out today, was the nearly closed over survey blaze on a close tree. However, from memory, it didn't fit well with the original survey notebook entry which has the survey blaze at 173°03' and 15.53 links (= 3.12m) from the border corner. Sort this out if I ever visit again.
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| Plenty of water on the track | Talk and Walk participants with Peter Dowling and Matthew Higgins | 2 A2 possible survey blaze |
It was pleasant in the shelter out of the wind, so we strolled a couple of tens of metres to the top of the indigenous site - a quarry or stone procurement site. Here we had arvo tea (thanks to the folk who willingly shared their goodies around). Peter then gave us some more information on the site (which we did not go down and tromp on, but noticed an echidna wandering over it), which was complemented by the notes he generously provided all participants. Note that the part of this walk in the Nature Reserve will later this year be published as a National Trust of Australia (ACT) self-guided walk.
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| Peter Dowling above the indigenous site | Indigenous site above the advancing outskirts of Bonner |
From here, we headed back to the E, following the fence through recognisable border markers B2, C2, F2 and H2. A great area of stringy bark trees between the last two. I must start trying to recognise trees!
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| Grass blown against the border fence | Red stringy bark | 3 Peter Dowling addresses the Talk and Walk participants |
With threatening clouds and a fine mist of rain, we headed back and down to the cars.
Hats off to all who participated - it's great to get out and have wonderful fresh air driven down into one's lungs. This was the third and final Talk and Walk - huge thanks to the guest speakers Matthew Higgins, Alex Petrow and Peter Dowling. Huger thanks to Dan Watters of the Chief Minister's Department for pulling these and the 'Show Us Your Limits' photographic and digital media competition together. Jon Stanhope - Dan deserves a promotion!
Distance: 4.2km Climb: 150m. Time: 1.00 - 3.30pm, with lots of time for talks and eating and admiring the views.
Grading: S/E; E(5)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Little Mulligans Flat Border Talk and Walk
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This page last updated 20Aug22