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The Bush Club – 85th Birthday Celebrations

By on 18 October, 2024 in Affiliated club news, Bushwalking club management resources, Bushwalking history, Events, News Updates, Walks

The Bush Club

Bush Club Birthday Celebration Walks

The Bush Club came into existence on 19th September 1939. The Club was founded by Marie Byles and Paddy Pallin. Both Marie and Paddy believed that the rigorous standards of the tests, pack walking etc., for gaining entry to bush walking clubs was too high. They believed this prevented those who simply want to walk in and appreciate the bush from joining clubs. Their belief was that a love of the bush and a willingness to protect its environment should be the main qualification criteria along with making friendships through bush walking. These core values remain the same for the Bush Club today.

Today the Club has 890 members. While the Club has grown considerably over the years it remains thru to the core values of its founders. The Club places great emphasis on celebrating the creation of the club each year. We mark certain milestones with special events.
The Bush Club celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2014 by completing club walks in 75 national parks all over the world. The walks ranged from the Blue Mountains, the Lake District in England, Horton Plains in Sri Lanka to Los Glaciares in Argentina and were completed between May 2013 and end of August 2014. See here for more information.

The Club celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2019 by completing 80 different club walks by 80 different leaders. The walks were completed between December 2018 and October 2019 from the Ophir Goldfields in NSW Central West to the Garden of Stone and as far afield as the Kerry Way in Ireland. More info.

This year we celebrated the 85th Birthday of the Bush Club. We asked our Leaders to put on 85 ‘trig’ walks / cycles to mark the occasion. As always, our Leaders responded enthusiastically and completed the 85 ‘trig’ events. The trigs were visited between October 2023 and October 2024. These walks and cycles took place throughout NSW, Interstate and the Lake Dunstan trig was claimed on a Club cycle in New Zealand.

All our special birthday events are recorded and a page created on the Bush Club Website for future members to look back on and continue the tradition into the future.

Along with the special occasions, we celebrate the Club’s birthday each year with walks to a central location within a National Park around Sydney. This year the walks finished at Commandment Rock, Lane Cove NP. There was tea, coffee and the birthday cake. We had in excess of 50 members attending the celebrations.

Light to Light Walk, Ben Boyd National Park

By on 17 September, 2021 in News Updates, Walks
Ben Boyd NP - Andrew Connor

Ben Boyd NP – Andrew ConnorLight to Light Walk, Ben Boyd National Park

Light to Light Walk, Ben Boyd National Park

In 2019 the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) exhibited a draft Light to Light Walk Strategy along with amendments to the Ben Boyd NP Plan of Management. The draft Strategy proposed a signature multi-day coastal walk, transforming the existing campground walk experience with hut to hut and lighthouse style accommodation in addition to new walk-in campgrounds. There were also proposed realignments to the existing track. As well as forcing independent walkers and others into formal campgrounds, the draft Strategy also proposed the prohibition of bush camping along the walking route.

The public exhibition attracted over 200 submissions, including from Bushwalking NSW Inc and bushwalking clubs. NPWS has now released the final Strategy and Plan of Management Amendments along with a report on submissions made and responses. These documents can be accessed here.

The final Strategy delivers much of what was proposed in the draft, although changes have been made to address some of the concerns raised during the exhibition period.

Bush camping will be allowed at Mowarry Point although it is unclear if the existing area will need expansion over time. NPWS will not co-locate independent camping with accommodation at Hegartys Bay. Independent camping will be relocated from Hegartys Bay to purpose built walk-in only sites at Bittangabee Bay. A separate group camping area will also be developed at Bittangabee Bay. Given the new facilities proposed at Mowarry Point, NPWS will no longer construct purpose built walk-in only campsites at Saltwater Creek. Two new hut accommodation sites at Mowarry Point and Hegartys Bay are proposed to cater for a maximum of 36 walkers per night. The existing accommodation at Green Cape Lightstation will be reconfigured to accommodate 36 walkers.

The Strategy confirms that the new accommodation will be managed by NPWS rather than a commercial operator.

The proposed walk has been awarded $7.9 million funding by the Regional Growth – Environment and Tourism Fund program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. Subject to approvals, work on the first stage was expected to commence in late 2021 and be completed in late 2022. Before work commenced, a Review of Environmental Factors was released for public comment.

To assist with the implementation of the Strategy, NPWS will be establishing a Light to Light Walk Stakeholder Reference Group. It is hoped that this group will include representation from the bushwalking community.

Review of Environmental Factors Released for Public Comment

NPWS has also released a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) to inform the proposed upgrades to the Light to Light Walk. The REF is open for consultation until 15 October 2021. BNSW Inc will be making a submission on the REF and affiliated clubs are encourage to do likewise. The REF and accompanying documentation can be found here.