19 December 2012 Tim the Yowie Man’s Majura Stone Walls

THERE IS A REPEAT OF THIS WALK WITH TYM ON WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY 2013
IF ANYONE CAN HOLD OFF TILL THEN, LET ME KNOW

Stone boundary wall on Mt Majura

Map: Hall 1:25000

Getting There

This walk was organised and led by me as a CBC evening ramble:

Wednesday evening 19 December - Tim the Yowie Man’s Majura Stone Walls – S/E,X. Tim the Yowie Man, Canberra’s very own cryptonaturalist and environmentalist, reported on stone walls on the flanks of Mt Majura in his Canberra Times feature on 17 November. Have you seen them? Let’s take a peak, accompanied by TYM to provide the patter. We will also visit Canberra’s secret tree house hidden amongst the Kurrajongs near the top of the wall - and the horse course. Around 3km and 170m climb. Map: Hall. Leader: John Evans - john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: Drive yourself to park at the gate into the Mt Majura Nature Reserve on the northern end of Antill St Watson, opposite the caravan park, by 6pm.

22 of us met at the appointed time and place.

Further Information

Welcome to all the Tim the Yowie Man friends. Hopefully there'll be a few CBC walkers as well.

Don't forget to wear closed-toed shoes, bring a little water, perhaps a snack (all in a small back pack to leave your hands free) and wear appropriate clothing (probably a hat and sunscreen - check the weather forecast closer to the day). Snakes are about, so watch where you put your feet. Parts of the walk are a little slippery/rocky.

Meet at 6pm. All over by 8pm at the latest.

All walkers need to sign an acknowledgment of Risks and Obligations form at the meeting point, prior to the start of the walk. If you'd like to, you can preview it here.

Walk - Track Notes

Not wishing to be positionally embarrassed, I went out early and did a quick lap. Went in the foot track, past the old earth and timber horse jump, yards site and 'Great wall of Watson' - horse jump. Then S and SW along the Majura Horse Trail to the track junction and directly up near the dry gully to hit the stone boundary wall near its south end. A fairly steep approach. Returned down the wall to its north end, then via a clearing and through a lose-wired fence to the horse trail. W and S to the track junction and W along the straight fire trail back to the car. A longer exit than insert, but the gradient a lot more manageable. A pleasant hour reading a book.

Most of us parked on the S side of Antill St. We crossed the road and did our circle of introduction and a few words at the Nature Park entrance. With Anne C kindly exercising a watchful eye at the trail, TYM led us off up the garden (well, woodland) path. We stopped at the old earth and timber horse jump for an explanation of the short life of the horse jumping circuit. One of the party left, but Santa joined the rest of the walk. On past the yards site and another stop at the 'Great wall of Watson'. N and E along the fire trail. Waltraud showed us a blazed tree just off the side of our track. So to the N end of the stone boundary wall, then up along it to the S end. It's about 250m long. More interesting background material from TYM - its an old block boundary. Then SE up ~100m to a substantial tree house near the top of the knoll. Returned the same.

Huge thanks to Tim the Yowie Man as our host. And thanks to other special guests who provided interesting information - Waltraud P from FoMM (Friends of Mt Majura), Graham S from KHA (Kosciuszko Huts Association) and Klaus H (author and living legend). And thanks so much to those who came out on a hot arvo - Anne C, Stewart and Moya H, Phillip I, Allison J, Dylan J and Lawrence W, Josephine L, James M, David and Annmaree N, Jillian P, Jim P, Paul and Erneste P, Phillip S, Pat W. A little different to most CBC evening rambles. Hope you enjoyed it.

Check out Tim the Yowie Man's blog at http://www.canberratimes.com.au/travel/blogs/yowie-man/the-great-wall-of-watson-20121116-29h6l.html.

Distance: 4.0km Climb: 200m. Time: 6.10 - 8.10pm (2 hrs), with a few talk and drink breaks.
Grading: S/E-M,X; E(5)

Still with a swag of bookings, we'll repeat this walk on Wednesday evening 9 Jan 13.

PS. 15 months later, TYM sleuths the good oil on the tree house. See http://www.canberratimes.com.au/travel/blogs/yowie-man/mysterious-majura-20140328-35ne2.html and here is a snip of it.