By Margaret Mitchell, friend and fellow bushwalker.
Jean Blackman passed away on 8 March 2023. We thank Margaret for sharing these memories of Jean with us. Margaret walked with Jean on NPA bushwalks for 30 years. Margaret thanks the staff of the Summit Care Nursing home in Randwick for their care for Jean and their kindness.
Jean gave such happiness to us walkers over many decades.
Dr Graeme L. Worboys AM was a ranger with NSW NPWS (at Kosciuszko and Blue Mountains) & Bruce Gall was also a ranger with NSW NPWS (at Kosciuszko, Ku-ring-gai Chase and Sturt) and with ANPWS (at Kakadu).
This article is the fourth in an 8-part series discussing our nature’s gifts.
I was very interested in the article in “Nature NSW” Spring Edition 2016 by Barry Tomkinson which promotes the concept of “Walking Tourism”. The concept is not new and it is not without a number of concerns. There is today a clear push from Government to expand tourism into our reserves and national parks estate wherever possible. The National Parks and Wildlife Act was established for the protection of nature. With the objective to make the reserve system “commercially” self-sufficient the value of nature protection has the potential to be downgraded, if not forgotten.
For a few years, the NPA has been offering a Sydney based Walk of the Month program in conjunction with Wildwalks.com. The walks are advertised to the public through the internet and this magazine. Illawarra Branch have been keen to replicate this program in our region with the view to promoting bushwalking, enjoyment and knowledge of the Illawarra bushland.
The branch has been watching with interest the success of a new local initiative called Bushwalk the ‘Gong which was established in 2016 and has enjoyed good local media coverage. Recently an opportunity arose for us to join forces with Bushwalk the ‘Gong to offer a Walk of the Month style program in the Illawarra. We expect this will widen the participation and reach of the branch.
Read More “NPA Illawarra Teams Up With Bushwalking The ‘Gong”
“An urban adventure following the footsteps of my Grandfather up to the cascades and waterfall,” says Jenae Johnston from Bushwalk the ‘Gong.
“When I recently hiked this trail I was the fourth generation to retrace the steps (fifth if I could’ve convinced the kids to come!) of my Great Grandfather Mr. Percy Kennedy. A keen amateur geologist and an active citizen of Wollongong, Percy was convinced of evidence of an extinct volcano under Mt Robertson as he explored the beautiful Byarong Creek and its cascades in the early 1930’s. Today I set out to do a reconnoitre with my Dad in town, with some vague directions recalled from the 1950-60’s from his own personal adventures as a kid.”
Brian Everingham, President Southern Sydney Branch, National Parks Association of NSW
You will find Yarriabini National Park a short distance south of Macksville or, if travelling from further south, roughly 45 km from Kempsey. Turn into Albert Drive at Warrell Creek and follow the signs for ‘Yarrahapinni Mountain’ or ‘Yarriabini National Park’. This is the beloved backyard of one of the great members of NPA, James Tedder, now deceased. This patch of land lies to the east of his home at Grassy Head and it is him and other local conservationists that we can thank for the protection, gazettal and effective management of this land. Mind you, Jim would also add that the park is not yet complete. We know he wished for the lands north of The Pines picnic area and along Way Way Creek Road to be added to the park and, perhaps, one day we shall see his wish fulfilled.
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