18 – 19 October, 2025
Eleven club members drove to the Triplex car park, and walked in to Triplex hut with weekend packs, firewood and Peter carrying his guitar. After lunch, Susan gave a rundown on first aid gear required by an individual to carry on a tramp, and Peter on navigation – e.g. how to orientate a map, use of left hand panel in identifying different features and use of a compass.
We all wandered around the Swamp track, increasing our botanical knowledge with Peter’s help before returning to cook our evening meal. Nic showed how to use a topo map on a mobile with the tracking device and the use of programming in way points.
In the evening, out came the guitar and we sang and sang, with Peter and Susan singing songs from the old club songbooks. Shortly after retiring for the night, there was much hilarity coming from one of the bunk rooms regarding the possible use of a barley sugar to combat low glucose levels (thanks Mike who had a suggestion of its use at a club evening talk).
It was a slow start to Sunday morning as we were waiting for Glenda and her carload to arrive at 8.30am. We set off in a north-westerly direction from the hut with the aim to bush-bash to the start of the old Staircase Track ( the top end of the Staircase track meets the Sunrise Hut a little way past the seat at the saddle). After an initial sidle, we dropped down to cross a side stream. We then wound our way up onto a plateau (some dicey bits to navigate). Once on the plateau, we found some blue tape which we followed, around windfall, crossing three streams and came to a spot which had a well-defined spur, and a well-used deer track; the bottom of the Staircase track. Here Andrea and Nic left us to climb to the top of it and return down the main track.
The rest of the group continued on for a while, then cut across to drop into the Triplex Creek. We walked down on shingle beds, with lots of small dead trees, a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, before scrambling up the bank to rejoin the Sunrise Track. After tidying up, we departed for home.
Hopefully everyone gained some knowledge over the weekend and it was a good opportunity to put it into practice.
Weekend Party: Reiny S, Jude H, Lou C, Judith M, Peter B, Selina C, Donna W, Susan L, Andrea F, Nic W.
Sunday Party: Glenda H, Christine L, Lisa, Daniel, and Matthew S.