Dalmeny Narooma Bushwalkers members make their way around Lake Curalo, Eden – part of their magical South Coast. Photos: Dalmeny Narooma Bushwalkers.
Ever feel like you’re missing something driving down the south coast? Exploring the road less travelled. That half-hidden beach track, the curvy mountain trail into the clouds or historic mines you’ve only heard about third hand.
You pass them by at 100 km/h, zooming to your destination and promising yourself, next time!
There’s always an excuse – the car, the conditions, too many options, too little information. And who’s to say you’re allowed there, and what nasty surprises lurk around the next corner?
Here’s an idea: walk it with some new friends who know!
Meet Jan Thomas, president of Dalmeny Narooma Bushwalkers Inc – a group with almost 100 members worth getting to know if you’re keen to see the sights and learn about the region’s rich history.
The club, too, has its own proud past dating back to 17 May 1986, when 26 friends gathered in Dalmeny to form the group, before 14 participants set off the following day on the first walk.
To mark the 40-year milestone, members past and present recently revisited the inaugural walk along the Bell Ridge fire trail in Bodalla State Forest, then enjoyed lunch and reflected on four decades of South Coast adventures.
Celebrating success: Past and present Dalmeny Narooma Bushwalkers members stand still for a minute outside Dalmeny Community Hall to mark the club’s 40 years of activity.
So why join them on their adventures?
“You miss so much when you drive,” Jan says. “We get to find those amazing spots just around the corner.
“I’ve been with the club since 2002, and I’m still finding places I didn’t know were there.
“Friendship, socialising and stepping into nature together – that’s what it’s all about.”
So too is one of the coast’s often overlooked drawcards.
“That’s the history,” she says.
“Our members learn a lot about the area through its past and get to share it.”
Whether it’s the stagecoach road at Reedy Creek, the horse-drawn cheese tramway from Bodalla to Narooma, or Aboriginal land at Nadjanuga (Little Dromedary), walkers have vast stories at their feet.
They also have options beyond lacing up their boots for walks up and down the coast – from Pigeon House in the north to Lake Curalo in Eden in the south.
Outdoor activities including kayaking and cycling, mini camps within a few hours’ drive (the most recent to Ulladulla), and tours further afield to Smiggin Holes and Capertee (and the Garden of Stones) help quench the adventuring spirit. There’s even an April 2027 camp planned for Lord Howe Island!
“There are so many other pursuits available,” Jan says of the club’s need to diversify and keep up its record of attracting 20 new walkers a year.
“Forests, national parks, the ocean and waterways … We have so much around here to get out and explore.”
The club, affiliated with Bushwalking NSW, carries safety and first-aid information on its website and requires members and visitors to sign an acknowledgement of risks and obligations form.
“We have everything in place,” Jan says. “We’re a social group that uses common sense and care.
“We look after our members. We walk to the slowest person and never leave anybody alone in the bush.
“Our 15 or 20 walk leaders and walk organisers meet prior to any program going out.”
That program categorises walks into easy, medium or hard and follows the Australian Walking Track Grading System (AWTGS).
Walks in its current winter program include:
Easy: Bellbrook farm track, Central Tilba; Dalmeny lake (eastern shore and beach); Eurobodalla Botanical Gardens.
Medium: Brou Lake/Mummaga Lake; Bunga Beach to dam in Hidden Valley, Mimosa Rocks National Park; Kelly’s Mine, Bimbimbie.
Hard: Gulaga National Park (up the east and south sides to the summit – 12 km return with an elevation change of about 700 metres).
Jan’s looking forward to 2 July for the quartz areas of Gulph Creek near Nerrigundah (Medium, AWTGS grade 3, 13 km, set down for five hours) and Congo, where the club hasn’t trekked since 2018.
“I love that area of Gulph Creek, and I’m still recceing Congo [planned for later this year] because there are pockets of national park we’re trying to work out to ensure we’re not trespassing on some of the land.”
It’s just another reminder of how much effort the committee puts in to making each walk worth taking.
Visit Dalmeny Narooma Bushwalkers to learn more about the club and its activities.
Original Article published by Paul Roberts on Region Canberra.
