The last 3 weeks has not seen the Batemans Bay Bushwalkers idle. They have been taking full advantage of the fine crisp winter days and been out in force on their two walks a week, says BBBW publicity officer, Peter Thompson.
In early June, as The Beagle previously reported, the Bay bushwalkers had been trekking through some remote parts of Monga National Park checking on how the rainforest areas had fared after the fires. And they are planning to return to Monga in the coming week - this time on a much easier 7 km walk between Monga Lane and McRae’s Rd.
They have also been active much closer to home, enjoying particularly the Bingi Dreaming Track, with an easy 6 km Bingi to Mullimburra Point circuit walk on 12 June, and a slightly harder 8 km Mullimburra Point to Congo return walk on 23 June.
On both hikes the bushwalkers had bright clear skies to enjoy the stunning ocean views that the Bingi Dreaming Track is, of course, famous for. A group also went ‘off the beaten track’ on 26 June, with an 8 km trek exploring Congo Creek and the swamp areas behind Pedro Point just south of Moruya Heads. There, the group was surprised to see a very clear and tranquil Congo Creek despite the extensive rainy weather of the last few months.
The previous weekend, on 18 June, the Bay bushwalkers had tackled a somewhat more adventurous 16 km trek into the Yadboro State Forest crossing the Bimberamala River to follow an old (but apparently still well used 4WD track) to the site of the old Bimberamala Gold Mine . That mine was in full operation in the late 1800s but abandoned in 1915.
The Bay bushwalkers had not been up to that area since 2017 but were still able to locate the old mine entrance and the ruins of the old stamper. They are planning to head back soon for further exploration. The Bimberamala Gold Mine holds great historical significance to the area - during its 25 years of operation it yielded something in the order $8m worth of gold in today’s value.
The Batemans Bay Bushwalkers will be announcing their next quarter’s programme of walks at their AGM on Saturday 2 July, says Peter. There are presently 19 walks on offer, he says, with a good mix of easy, easy/medium, medium and medium/hard walks. Peter says he is optimistic that with a few more club members volunteering to lead walks that this 19 number will increase further.
The Batemans Bay Bushwalkers has been part of the Eurobodalla community for the last 37 years with a membership base of about 150 members. For more information about becoming a member of the Batemans Bay Bushwalkers, or to just come along as a visitor on one of their walks, see the BBBW website for all the information -- http://baybushwalkers.org.au
