Pilgrimage Walks - Saturday 23rd August 2008 DEPARTURES - ALL WALKS depart from Mt Nimmel Lodge Campground (271 Austinville Rd, Austinville. UBD Map #67 Reference A6) on Saturday morning 23rd August. See individual walks for departure times. Note that these are departure times, and that participants should assemble at the designated point at least 10 minutes before. NOMINATIONS - as for all Pilgrimages, nominations for walks can only be made at the Pilgrimage (Mt Nimmel Hall in this case), on the Friday evening (22nd August). WALKS GRADINGS - use the "Distance-Terrain-Fitness" system, where Distance is abbreviated by: S (< 10 km), M (10-15 km), L (15-20 km), XL (> 20 km) Terrain is abbreviated by: 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest) Fitness is abbreviated by: 1 (least demanding) to 6 (most demanding) A full description of the Walks Grading System will be on display at the Pilgrimage venue. "Suggested donation" is for car-pool sharing of expenses. Walks are listed below in approximate decreasing order of difficulty, within the "Off-Track" list, and within the "On-Track" list. WALKS WHICH ARE ALL OR PARTLY OFF-TRACK :- 1. East Cougal & Boyd's Butte M T6 F5 We drive to Mt. Cougal NP car park and walk up a vehicle track to the border fence near the end of hte Gardenof Eden Rd. We follow up the ridgeline on the normal route to the base of East Cougal. After enjoying the view from the top of East Peak, we walk over to, and ascend one of the peaks of Boyd's Butte, which is a short relatively easy climb, also with great views. The sub tropical plant life in this area is special. Anyone not wishing to climb the peaks could wait for the climbers to return. We continue in a NE direction and meet up with an old logging track that comes out near the old saw mill, not far from the cars. There is a patch of wait-a-while between the peaks and some lantana, so gloves and gaiters are recommended. Departure: 7.00 am Suggested donation: $7 2. Tallebudgera to Mt Gannon Circuit M T5 F4 Starting from the end of Tallebudgera Creek Rd, we walk up the historic (and rather steep) Cream Track to where it joins the ridge running off the Springbrook Plateau to the east. We then head along this trackless, often-narrow and scenic ridge. There are several small drop-off points to negotiate; one requiring a short 2 metre rope-assisted descent (grade T6 here, but not exposed). Vegetation varies greatly from open forest to wind- blown heath to rainforest, including a 45 min. section of intermittent lawyer vine (where gloves & gaiters are recommended). Lunch is at the Mt Gannon pinnacle, with great views all round. After the final ascent of Mt Gannon (630 m), we descend back to Tallebudgera Creek Rd along 4WD tracks. Departure: 7.00 am Suggested donation : $5 3. Horseshoe Falls Circumnavigation M T6 F4 Commencing on private property on Springbrook, we walk along ridges to the west of Horseshoe Falls, cross a flat-topped hill and drop down into Numinbah Valley via a rocky and at times, narrow ridgeline, which requires care in a couple of places. We then cross over Waterfall Creek and ascend back to Springbrook on the "Great Walk" track to Apple Tree Park, on our way back to the cars. About 15 km. Departure: 7.00 am Suggested donation: $4 4. Little Nerang West Circuit M T5 F5 We leave our cars at the new camping ground in Carricks Road, Springbrook and join up with an old track leading along the Gwongarella Range. This historic track, which has been rarely visited for some decades, was the original road to Springbrook used before the Little Nerang Dam was built, and runs between Little Nerang East and West Creeks. The first two hours is flat or gently downhill. Nearing the Little Nerang Dam, we head down a steepish ridge for an hour, threading our way to the mouth of Little Nerang West Creek. We then follow up this beautiful shady creek, negotiating many pools and waterfalls on the way. Considerable rock hopping in this section. Further up we get on to an old track system with some tree-falls before meeting up with the "Great Walk" track which takes us to Warringa Pool. We then follow up the Purling Brook track and connect up with the new NP track that takes us back to the camping ground. Suitable for fit persons with scrambling ability. Expect wet boots. Gloves and leg protection required. Long sleeves are also recommended Departure: 6.30 am Suggested donation: $4 5. Page's Pinnacle S T5 F4 There is a short drive to the small picnic ground near Polly's Creekside Cafe, from where we have a reasonably steep and long climb up the track that forms part of the 96 km Kokoda Challenge course. At the top of the ridge we cut across to the narrow rocky outcrop that leads to Page's Pinnacle. There is a slow scramble across some quite narrow exposed sections, but the view out across Hinze Dam is worth the effort. We can have an early leisurely lunch here. The return trip descends off the ridge, where there is rope assistance if required. We rejoin the main track, to return to the cars, and should be back at camp in time for the 3pm not-to-be-missed Damper Cooking Demo. Caution: All walkers should be comfortable with walking about 100 m along a narrow razorback ridge. Departure: 9.00 am Suggested donation: $1 6. Bally Mountain S T4 F3 Bally mountain lies on private land between the upper reaches of Bonogin Creek and Tallebudgera Valley. We will access the mountain from the north, traverse a ridge to the lower slopes of Mt Gannon, and exit to the Tallebudgera Creek Road through a local farm. The mountain provides fabulous views of the hinterland and coastal region. There is a short section of mildly exposed ridge, so reasonable scrambling ability is required. Even though the walk is only 8 km in length, the up and down terrain provides a solid workout. Overall, this walk provides great value for effort. There is a car shuffle. involved. Bring plenty of water. There will be grass seeds. Departure: 8 am Suggested donation: $4 Limit: 20 7. Springbrook to West Cliffs M T5 F3 After parking cars near the Repeater Tower, we walk 2 km down a bitumen road, then head into the forest from the NP sign. We head west to a lookout over the Numinbah Valley, where smoko is taken. We proceed south along the cliff-tops, dropping down to cross a small stream, then up a small cliff-break to the lunch spot. Then, we ascend a fairly steep ridge to arrive back at the Repeater Station and the cars. All essentials are required for this walk, and please note the following: * it is off-track, rough in places, with heavy undergrowth * there is some wait-a-while, so long sleeves and gloves are recommended * it is snake country (tiger snakes especially), so gaiters (and perhaps long trousers) are recommended. Departure: 7.00 am Suggested donation: $4 8. Springbrook Pinnacle M T4 F3 We drive about 8 km from the Pilgrimage campsite to the end of Austinville Road, then start our walk with a stiff climb up Mt Fairview. From near here, we can get a view of The Pinnacle. We next follow a ridge on an indistinct and often non-existent track, negotiating a short cliff scramble before reaching the base of the Pinnacle. It is then a short bash around the base of the Pinnacle to our lunch spot. Those who wish can climb the Pinnacle to enjoy some fantastic views. We return the way we came. You will need all the essentials, lunch, snacks and water. As the route is overgrown in places, gloves and gaiters are a good idea. Departure: 8.30 am. Suggested donation: $4 9. Nerang State Forest M T5 F4 A walk of around 15 km covering the track system; also an off-track portion to take us into the headwaters of Coombabah Creek. Following the creek, we pass through a patch of interesting rainforest vegetation which is different to the usual view of the Nerang State Forest. Many steep hills to cover, and you will arrive at the end of the walk knowing you have been out walking! Departure: 7.00 am Suggested donation: $4 10. Currumbin Falls S T3 F3 A half day off track walk in the Cougal NP. We need to car pool, as there is a drive of approx 1 hour to the small car park at the end of the Currumbin Valley. We walk past several beautiful waterfalls before arriving at an old sawmill site. Then down into the creek bed and rock hop upstream through rainforest to a small cascade. A short scramble up the side then more rock scrambles past another higher waterfall. We rock hop to the base of a high cascading waterfall, where he have morning tea. Then a very steep uphill scramble for about 10 minutes to meet an old logging track. Over and around a few tree falls on the way down hill back to the sawmill, and on to the cars. Lunch in a small park not far away, then drive back to camp to prepare for the evening's entertainment. Departure: 7.30am Suggested Donation: $7 WALKS WHICH ARE ON-TRACK (GRADED TRACKS, FIRE-TRAILS, ETC) :- 11. Mt Warning M T3-4 F3-4 Mount Warning is a spectacular 1,156 m high peak, and a remnant of one of the largest shield volcanoes in the world. After driving about 18 km south-west of Murwillumbah, there is a walk of about 4-5 hours to the summit and back. It climbs through a wide variety of vegetation, then comes the final chain-assisted climb (care required), and finally the 360 degree views on top. Ensure you bring all essentials, and have a head for heights. This trip is being led by some of the 2008 members of the Kokoda Challenge Youth Leadership Program (plus supervisors), as part of their training. They will have already done the gruelling Kokoda Challenge, which the Gold Coast Bushwalkers Club helps to put on every year, and will be looking forward to doing the Kokoda Track in PNG next month. Come along on this walk, and see how they are progressing. Departure: 7.30 am Suggested donation: $13 12. Ship's Stern Circuit L T2 F3 A 19 km circuit from Binna Burra which takes in a wide variety of landforms and vegetation. The initial descent to Nixon's Creek is gradual, followed by Hidden Valley, then a gradual climb up to Charraboomba Rock and then onto Ship's Stern. Lunch will be taken at one of the lookouts on Ship's Stern. After lunch, there are a few more lookouts and a possible detour to Macrozamia Grove, then onward past Nagarigoon Falls and onto the Border Track for the final leg back to the cars. Departure: 7.00 am Suggested donation: $7 13. Springbrook to Numinbah Valley & Return M T3 F3 Our walk commences at Apple Tree Park, which is along part of the newly opened "Great Walk" from Springbrook to O'Reilly's. Almost immediately, we commence our descent down the 900 steps which will take us past the new camping ground and onto our one and only creek crossing. For those who are still hungry after breakfast this will be our morning tea stop. Having crossed the creek, the track meanders along, sometimes on a dirt road, and sometimes through the bush. Late morning will find us at the Numinbah Progress Hall on the Nerang Murwillumbah Road. We will have lunch in the park next to the hall. After lunch we retrace our steps to Apple Tree Park, where the walk will end. Departure: 8am Suggested Donation: $4 14. Upper Ballanjui Falls & Dave's Creek L T2 F3 This is a combination walk of approximately 18 km from Binna Burra, offering a fascinating variety of forest and heath, with amazing views. We start off on the Border Track and branch off to the Falls, where we will have morning tea and you can watch the water cascading down into the valley below. We then retrace our steps back to the track and follow the Dave's Creek Circuit, with its great diversity of vegetation. Lunch will be at the Lookout or at Surprise Rock, depending on timing. Afternoon tea back at Binna Burra. Bring all essentials and warm clothing Departure: 7.30 am Suggested donation: $7 15. Coomera Circuit L T3 F3 This track branches off the Border Track after 1.9 km, then continues on a further 3.5 km to the Coomera Falls lookout. It goes gradually downhill, passing through rainforest, semi- open eucalypt forest, then into a forest of coachwood and huge brush box near Coomera Falls. Coomera Falls drop 64 m from a narrow 100 m deep crevice into the Coomera George. Nearby are Yarrabilgong Falls. The circuit track continues up the rainforested Coomera River valley, crossing the river several times and passing many waterfalls before rejoining the Border Track from Binna Burra. This walk is especially beautiful after rain. Departure: 7.00 am Suggested donation: $7 16. Mt Nimmel Lodge to Mudgeeraba M T3 F3 An interesting walk from the Pilgrimage campsite, following a series of fire trails and walking trails along various ridges and reserves, to end up in suburban Mudgeeraba. After gaining the ridgeline to the east of the campsite, we follow it along, including a couple of short but steep sections, to reach a high point which offers an unusual view of parts of the Gold Coast. Further on, open forest gives way to rainforest as we drop down a fairly steep track into the Wallaby Creek catchment. In a couple of places, we break out briefly onto bitumen roads, only to disappear back into the bush again. Finally, we reach the Hinterland Regional Park just off Hardys Road. Departure: 7.30 am Suggested Donation: $2 17. Apple Tree Park to the Settlement S T3 F3 This 9km section of the Great Walk on Springbrook has a bit of everything – 2 crossings of Little Nerang Creek, some open track and rainforest, but don't be fooled by the distance. There are many steps both up and down, as the height lost going down to the creek has to be regained, so it's not for those short of puff. There will be a car shuffle. Departure: 8.30am (or from Apple Tree Park approx 9 am) 18. Luke & Pat's Bluffs, Moran's Falls M T3 F3 An amalgamation of three walks at O'Reilly's, which includes a bit of everything - some bitumen road, sloping grassy paddocks, a minor rocky scramble, fantastic views, a waterfall, rainforest, and a small creek crossing. Not a difficult walk for those able to tackle a relaxing 12 km or so. We start from O'Reilly's car park and walk back to Luke's Farm, then onto the bluffs. We then go onto Moran's Falls, and return to O'Reilly's by way of the Red Road and the Wishing Tree. Departure: 7.30 am Suggested donation: $12 Party Limit: 20 19. Springbrook Short Walks S T2 F2 A selection of three of the best short rainforest walks on the Gold Coast, with a wonderful variety, including lovely waterfalls and fabulous lookouts. We start with the first walk at Purlingbrook, which is a well graded track, and walk down to the waterfall and onto the Warringa pool, which will be our morning tea stop. We return the same route. Then onto "Best of all Lookouts", which as the name suggests, has an amazing view. We pass Antarctic Beech trees of around 2000 years old and are rewarded at the end with the wonderful lookout. Our last walk, which is the "gem" of short walks, is "Twin Falls". You're in for a real treat with this lovely walk. We will walk through some of the prettiest rainforest around, through a high ceilinged cave and under two waterfalls. Nice easy bushwalks, with great variety, and total distance just under 10km. Departure: 8.00am Suggested Donation: $4 20. Burleigh Headland to Currumbin M T2 F2 A "Green & Gold" combination of beach and bush. We drive to Burleigh Headland where the walk starts. The walk over the headland takes in some rainforest and great coastal views, then it drops down to Echo Bay and crosses Tallebudgera Creek. Next, we walk along Tallebudgera Beach and Palm Beach, stopping enroute for morning tea and an optional ocean swim. After skirting the Currumbin Inlet (an optional calm water swim here), we follow the boardwalk through the mangroves along Currumbin Creek, to Throwers Creek Boatshed/Café. Here, we can have a picnic lunch or takeaway on the beach, or lunch in the Café. Return via the same route, but around the base of the headland. Note that there is the option of doing a short car shuffle at the start, if there are young children who don't want to walk the return trip. Departure: 9.00 am Suggested donation: $3.50 21. Burleigh to Q1 Surfers Paradise M T1 F2 An interesting walk-and-talk of around 11 km, mostly along the beach. The talks include some local demographics (we walk past the most expensive street on the Coast), history (including aboriginal occupation), and even some marine biology. The walk should finish about 12.30-12.45 pm near the Coast's tallest hi-rise. There will be time to have lunch in Surfers Paradise, before catching the bus back to Burleigh. Departure: 9.00 am Suggested donation (Campsite to Burleigh): $3.50 Plus bus fare for Surfers back to Burleigh (bus driver will appreciate coins, not large notes): approx. $3.40 MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES :- Bike Ride: Austinville Rd & Bonogin Valley The bike ride is approx.40 km and suitable for mountain bikes only. We pass through beautiful rainforest at the end of the first valley. There are a couple of steep hills on this interesting trip. Two short sections are off road. We stop for morning tea at a shop along the way. Bring your helmet and 2 litres of water. Late lunch on returning to the Pilgrimage Departure: 8.30am Hinze DamPaddle Canoe We put the canoes in at the ramp on the east side of the Dam, and paddle down to the dam wall to see how the construction is progressing (the wall height is being raised), and for morning tea. Then we head up to the top end for lunch in a lovely creek. We will probably be back at camp for afternoon tea and a rest before the bush dance. Directions for drivers after departing campsite at 9am: Drive back down to Springbrook Rd and turn right, heading north for nearly 2 km, then turn left into Little Nerang Rd (UBD Map 57 C10), then turn right into Range Rd, and follow to the Boat Ramp. Departure: 9am Suggested donation: $3 Damper Making Please nominate for this activity on Friday evening. Here is your chance to make your own Damper. You will need to bring: * Ingredients: 1 kg SR flour, 1/2 cup milk powder, big knob margarine or soft butter, salt (also, if you would like to add them to your mix, bring along sultanas, currants, herbs, garlic, beer) * Utensils: a small table, large mixing bowl, camp oven, alfoil, metal dish/plate/cake cooler to fit inside base of camp oven Note: * If there is a TOTAL FIREBAN, unfortunately, the damper making won't take place. * Some of the walks above should finish in time for attending the damper-making activity (Walk numbers 5, 10). Others may finish in time, depending on circumstances on the day (Walk numbers 16, 17, 19, 21). Meet: Saturday afternoon at 3pm near the campfire area.