Walk Leader Brian called his walk The Secret Door because the start point is a very overgrown track off Mt Agony Road, North Durras – hard to find, even if you know what you’re looking for. But Brian had no trouble locating it today and after pushing through tangles of vines, and climbing over fallen trees and branches, the Secret Door opened into a magic world. A world of deep gullies vegetated with temperate rainforest and stately blue gums, spotted gums and cabbage leaf palms. There were old tree stumps crowned with flowering snake orchids (Cymbidium suave) and a rocky outcrop tumbling down the hill, covered in moss, more orchids and with a commanding view of the surrounding rainforest.
After lunch among the rocks we went offtrack, pushing our way through rainforest vines and thickets, over a creek and up a hill to find the Discovery Trail, a short National Park circuit through some really outstanding Murramarang forest. To finish our magical mystery tour, we emerged on the shore of Durras Lake, and followed the Lake Track along the waterline for a few kilometres back to the start.
The dire weather forecast of 90% chance of 15-25mm of rain did not eventuate until we finished the walk and started our drive back to Batemans Bay. Batemans Bay Bushwalkers were first formed in 1985, and have about 200 members They are an Incorporated Association with a Constitution and a Committee to oversee administration with Personal Accident, Public Liability and Associations Liability Insurance funded by your annual subscriptions. They publish 4 Walks Programs per year, with 2 walks a week of varying grades. Visitors are welcome on walks, and pay $5 per person per walk to the Walk Leader on the day Walks are led by volunteer Walk Leaders, who carry a GPS, topographic map, and when appropriate, a safety beacon. They take safety seriously as bushwalking is a risky business, accidents do happen, injuries do result. Each walk is graded for difficulty so that you can choose walks to suit your level of ability. If you would like more information on the Batemans Bay Bushwalkers you can find it on their website Below: Leader Brian finds a shelter in case we had rain
