Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Thursday evening 5 October 2023: Black Mountain Scorpions. This short ramble will see us wander around the lower slopes of Black Mountain, searching for two species of scorpions living in Canberra. The best part? When you shine a UV/black light...

Saturday 26 November 2022: Snake Awareness and Snake Bite First Aid training for leaders. Safety and first aid presentation, including application of pressure bandage and immobilisation. Up close and personal with an eastern brown and tiger snake, under close supervision...

Thursday 31 January: Tharwa Log Jam, De Salis Cemetery and the Murrumbidgee River – S/E. Tharwa provides several ramble sites. We’ll first visit the Engineered Log Jams downstream of the Tharwa bridge, installed to help fish move through the Murrumbidgee...

River crossing training in Cotter River Sunday 18 February: River crossing training – S/R,W. An opportunity to learn safer ways to cross rivers. Particularly recommended for leaders, and anyone contemplating walking in NZ or Tasmania. The course will cover assessing...

Exploring de Salis cemetery Thursday 19 October: Southside Stroll in daylight savings – De Salis cemetery – S/E. It is a short (3km return and flat) stroll through an avenue of poplars and elms to this unique site. This cemetery...

Murrumbidgee River in the evening light Monday evening, 21 November: Kama Nature Reserve – S/E. Meet at 6:30 pm. Kama Nature Reserve is located off William Hovell Drive opposite the suburb of Hawker; about 2.5 km from Coppins Crossing turnoff...

Moon Rise Tuesday night 15 November: ‘By the light of the silvery perigee-syzygy …’ – S/E. Tonight is a super full moon when the moon is closest to the earth and appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter. It rises at...

Fire coming out of Mt Ainslie Monday evening, 14 November: Red Hill – S/E Meet at 6.30 pm at the car park near the cafe at the end of Red Hill Dr, Red Hill (map: bit.ly/RedHillCafe). We will walk along...

Chinese Tour Group to TNR Thursday 28 January: Escort a Chinese tour group on walks at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve – S/E . I drove to TNR and met a bused-in group of 11 tourists. Summary Distance: 4.7km | Climb: 180m...

Happy and chatty walking group Thursday pm 21 January: Aranda Bushland, Kiers Trig and Frost Hollow – S/E. Meet at 6.30 in the car park accessed via the road beside 61 MacKellar Circuit, Cook. We will walk in the Aranda...

Southwell graves in the Weetangera Methodist Cemetery Thursday evening 3 December: Weetangera Methodist Cemetery – S/E. Continuing a birthday theme established last year, walk from The Pinnacle via the Bicentennial National Trail across the back of Hawker to the Weetangera...

Tara Territory – Dunlop Grasslands NR; matching skirt with ‘brain fruit’ (osage-orange) | border marker 120000 Fifteen Mile points to One Tree Hill | one foot in the ACT and the other in NSW Monday 8 June: Dunlop Grasslands NR...

Cbr100Challenge course marking at the Majura Pines signage – go straight ahead, not over horse gate Thursday 19 March: Checkout the Cbr100Challenge 100km route joining the Acacia Trail – S/E. Checkout this bit of the course that has fooled me....

Murrumbidgee River at sunset Thursday 12 March: Southside Stroll – S/E. How about a stroll north from Kambah Pool along the Murrumbidgee River track? A few geocaches too. Around 8km and 480m climb. Maps: Tuggeranong, Canberra, Cotter Dam. Leader: John...

Wednesday evening 14 January: Southside Stroll – Lake Tuggeranong – S/E. Help me push my wife around. A lazy lap of Lake Tuggeranong. For extra exercise you can push Gay’s wheelchair. Prams, dogs on leash also welcome. Meet at 6.30pm...

William Farrer’s memorial | William and Nina’s graves Wednesday evening 7 January: Southside Stroll – Farrer’s Grave – S/E-M. I first met William Farrer as a young stamp collector. Come and see where this originator of the ‘Federation’ strain of...