2 February 2013 Border Markers in Dunlop Grasslands NR Walk Description This walk was organised and led by me a private walk: Saturday 2 February: Border Markers in Dunlop Grasslands NR - S/E,ptX. Hunt border markers on the straight line from Dunlop Grasslands Nature Reserve. Just me - I wouldn't ruin friendships by inviting anyone on this ramble! I came in from the western end of Gininderra Drive and parked just off the corner of James Harrison St and Waterworth St in (new) Dunlop. Photographs Click here to access all walk photographs.Google Earth Track Notes It would be nice to finish the ACT border in 2013, so I'll take every opportunity to do so. This little 2 hour ramble, limited by private property at each extent, yielded a number of markers: 6 markers/pairs of markers - 108000 Gas Pipe/108010, 114230.71, 115238.12, 116000 Gas Pipe covered by Mound/116010, 118773.3 Gas Pipe covered by Mound and 120000 Fifteen Mile CB/120010. 3 markers not on the ACTPLA list (the original field notebook for this area is not extant) - Unknown lockspit 1 at UTM 55H 684602-6105131 (MGA94), Unknown lockspit 2 at UTM 55H 684610-6105134 (MGA94) and Unknown lockspit 3 at UTM 55H 684773-6105246 (GDA94). 2 markers/pairs of markers possibly identified - 112000 Fourteen Mile CB/112010 and 122226.7 Cut on Bdy (Por 123 and Por 122). The Gooroomon Ponds traverse markers (2 pairs) could not be identified - 109870.95 CB/109880.95 and 110166.9 Gooroomon Ponds traverse/110154.85. The area has changed a lot since my last visit on 27 Mar 11. More houses close to the Nature Reserve. I parked and wandered W-ish over to the border, to be greeted by signage about the border straight line. Turned SW onto the border which here is the Bicentennial National Trail. A clear view (along the straight line!) over towards the Brindabellas (Mt Coree). Down to Gooroomon Ponds which is a bit of a mess after flooding, with bits of the concrete ford displaced. So no sign of the Gooroomon Ponds traverse markers (2 pairs) - 109870.95 CB/109880.95 and 110166.9 Gooroomon Ponds traverse/110154.85. (I'll consider the pairs as one site, as they are 109880.95 - 109870.95 = 10.0 links = 2.01 metres and 110166.9 - 110154.85 = 12.05 links = 2.42 metres apart.) Further on I came to the 108000 Gas Pipe/108010 pair. Popping over the (3) fences, I'll claim the site. Granite rocks by the NSW property fence line, none others in the area. I continued on a couple of hundred metres to the road into 'Jarramlee', but didn't want to go further as it was private property. Turning around, I saw the Border Walk 3km return signage. I retraced my steps to the border straight line signage and continued to the NE. I'll claim a possible for the 112000 Fourteen Mile CB/112010 pair, as there was a scatter of granite rocks near the new fence. A little detour away from the exact straight line of the border, to get around the damp outflow from the West Belconnen ponds. Back down on the line, 114230.71 was a yes - the only few granite rocks anywhere near the fence line. It certainly is a 'grasslands' NR - NSW farms on one side and Canberra suburbs over the grass to the other. 115238.12 was a similar yes - granite rocks nestled by the border fence once the long grass was cleared away. The pair 116000 Gas Pipe covered by Mound/116010 was again a similar marker - the fence had left me here. Yet another pile of similar rocks for 118773.3 Gas Pipe covered by Mound. (These are the original descriptions - in this area taken from ACTPLA data, as the original field notebook is not available.) The pair 120000 Fifteen Mile CB/120010 site was quite spectacular (used as the theme photo for this walk report). Next, near the bend in the 132kV power lines, came 3 obvious, straight lockspits that I had no GPS data for. As I've said, Percy Sheaffe's original field notebooks are not available for this area and I was working from ACTPLA surveying data. Must ask Alex P about them. Finally, a possible for 122226.7 Cut on Bdy (Por 123 and Por 122) - obviously a possible identification of a resurveyed marker. I continued on for a while, across a drainage line and a fence, but I know I was on private property and my conscience got the better of me. Returned through the NR and around the ponds. This is a nice area - I could even live here. Summary Distance: 7.5km Climb: 50m. Time: 12.05 - 2.15pm (2hrs 10 mins), with no breaks. Back to Walks Index This page last updated 1Sep22 |