Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Sunday arvo 16 October 2022 ! – S/E: Take a group from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Chisholm to Tuggeranong rail siding, misplaced border marker and around.

Summary

From Garmin Connect – Distance: 6.37km | Climb: 139m | Time: 1:40 moving + 0:33 of stops = 2:13 | Grading: S/E; E(5).

Photographs are available here.

gpx File

The gpx file is available here.

Track Notes

I was last in this area on 28 Mar 22.

It was great to meet Pastor Paul and members of his church. My walk briefing included prayer and acknowledgement of country, as well as an outline of where we’d go and what we’d see.

Popped up the path and under the Monaro Highway. Plenty of purple flowers – Indigofera, Nodding Blue Lily and Solanum. The Bracken Fern frost burnt, but new shoots coming.

On the rail line we alternated our walking between stepping the sleepers and using the parallel footpad. Arrived at the border signage just before the points and the Tuggeranong Siding. Tuggeranong Siding information here.

Next, along the road to entrance to the Melrose Valley property. We had a look at the misplaced ACT border marker and I shared a bit about the surveyors and border corner marking.

We were at the location of geocache GC9MKAB Border BooBoo. Its description includes:

“OK – I don’t know what is going on here! At the posted coordinates you will find one of the original ACT border markers – placed over 110 years ago! However, the ACT border does NOT pass here!!! So what happened? Did the early pioneers stuff up? Or did the ACT government stuff it up? In any case, a booboo has happened here!
GZ can be found at S35° 26.ABC’ E149° 08.DEF’ where:
A = distance from border marker to actual border is A30m.
B = number of old rusty cars next to the driveway!
C = number of Cattle grid bars ÷ 2.
D = number of cattle grid bars – 6.
E = Number of water tanks – 2.
F = Letter value of first letter on border marker + 4.“

We counted the required items and my GPS receiver took us to the final location of the geocache at some stage during the rest of the walk.

We continued along the Old Tuggeranong Road to a gate in the fence. Every method of crossing used – through, over, under and fence beside. Over to Melrose trig for arvo tea with the wonderful view.

Back to Old Tuggers Rd and through the gate. With time ticking away, a shortened route through Tuggeranong Pines and back to the rail line.

I couldn’t resist a quick snap of survey control point TG219.

Would we have gotten back to our cars if Pastor Paul had not pointed out the exit footpad as I walked past it?

Track Maps

Here’s where we went.

Party

6 walkers.

Information Bit(e)s

I’ve had a lot of assistance from walking friends recently. By way of paying a bit back, I’ll publish a few bites of information that may help someone. The third is ‘3 Which Way is North?‘