This was the fourth phase of the Canberra Bushwalking Club navigation course.  The first phase was an evening of map reading and compass theory, the second phase a night walk with short legs near Kambah and McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve, the third phase a day walk from Kambah to the Murrumbidgee River.  It was conducted by Rob and Jenny H.  10 of us participated.  We were given a sheet containing bounds and legs, grid references and distances.  We students took turns navigating and all learnt from our leaders.

We drove through Tharwa, along the Naas, then Boboyan Roads to the junction with the Old Boboyan Road.  Turn right here and drive a further 1 kilometre to the locked gate and style.  The walk included number 16 in Graeme Barrow's Exploring Namadgi & Tidbinbilla: Day walks in Canberra's high country.

We walked along the Old Boboyan Road, stopping at the Boboyan Homestead ruins.  We continued along the road, then left onto Grassy Creek Fire Trail for a couple of hundred metres, then right onto Sams Creek Fire Trail.  700 metres along here, we turned up to Lutons Crutching Shed and made camp in the light timber behind it.

Our navigation practise then took us in bounds up to spot height 1282, then to spot height 1319, then to spot height 1577, then to spot height 1564 (lunch) and finally to spot height 1727 and the 1700 metre knoll near the border.  It was a thrill for me to find snow drifts on the higher south-east slopes.  An impressive view from the top.

We backtracked and spent some time unsuccessfully searching for a lost pedometer.  With darkness closing in, we headed north-east down the closest spur and just beat darkness to reach the open country.  A 2 km walk got us back to our camp site and a small fire (and sip of port) made for a pleasant end to the day after tea was cooked and consumed.

Day 2

We breakfasted and broke camp, then headed south through the lightly wooded area to join the Grassy Creek Fire Trail.  Easy walking past the Lone Pine Homestead ruin, for around 4.5 km, till we reached Grassy Creek.  Here we headed generally ESE down the creek to the hut at GR763292 (GDA94), which made a convenient spot for lunch.  Then on compass bearing legs to the saddle between Boboyan Hill and Pheasant Hill, to spot height 1371 and, finally, back to the cars.

Distance: 26.9km.