Steve’s Blog
See also:
NEW
Kintail Burn, Dusky Track,Fiordland,
NZ 2012 Six Moon Designs ‘Swift’ pack @ 450 grams
WARNING to ‘snowflakes’. This is
a Conservative Blog. It will cause
upset and offence to ‘sensitive souls’. Reading it may cause dangerous thoughts
and emotions to arise in you. Read on…
15/04/2017: A Hummingbird in the Hand: I just took delivery of these fabulous new ultralight hammocks. One, (the lightest of course -147 grams) will be coming with me on my upcoming Dusky Track adventure. I would not be ‘betting my life’ on one for ten days in the wilderness unless I had every confidence they are a superior product.
These
are the cleverest and best engineered hammocks I have seen – and I’ve seen (and
made!) a lot of hammocks. They are made from reserve grade parachute
nylon and are designed, engineered and built to rigging specifications -
meaning you can be confident their weight ratings will not fail you.
Button
End.
The suspension system and button-link connectors are brilliant. The suspension system weighs just two ounces (60 grams) and is easily attached with the button-links. I know I could probably reduce the weight a fraction (maybe 20 grams) by replacing the ultra-light webbing with dyneema, but as this would harm the trees more, I hardly think it is worth it. Chris & Kathy have worked out the design and parameters of these hammocks just about perfectly. They have also ensured that everything packs down into the smallest imaginable packages for stowing in your ultralight pack.
Ultralight Whoopie Sling.
However, you know I can’t stop tinkering: I have already added dyneema gear loops to each end of mine so I can attach bits and pieces there instead of leaving them on the ground overnight – and I have added an adjustable centre line (these added 8 grams) to a see if I can achieve ‘the perfect hang’, though I am pretty sure the folks at ‘Hummingbird’ have so designed the hammock that you lie pretty flat in it, and the sides don’t press in too much – more about that later.
Ultralight Tree Strap Suspension System - 30 grams/1 oz each end!
They have three sizes of ultralight hammocks: Single 147 grams/5.2 oz - weight rated: 136 kg/300lb, Single + 210 grams/7.6oz – weight rated: 158kg/350lb, and Double 289 grams/10.2oz weight rated: 181kg/400lb. I will be using their Single ultralight hammock as emergency sleeping quarters in Fiordland (in case of flooding), and I might do some off-trail camps as well, as I usually do. It will also be excellent (along with my cuben tarp) for eating lunch on those (inevitable) wet days. Look out for a full(er) review on my return home.
Chris & Kathy also sell many hammock accessories (such as tarps eg ‘Heron’ from 243 grams/8.6oz) to complete your hammock home. All their gear is competitively priced given the high quality of their products.
'Heron' tarp.
Check out their page here: https://hummingbirdhammocks.com/
15/04/2017: 19 Gram Dyneema Camp Shoes: I just finished making this pair of ultralight camp shoes for my Dusky track walk which I start on Monday. They are made from 3.6oz/yd2 Dyneema fabric. Paired with a pair of down socks from https://goosefeetgear.com/products/down-socks/ (approx 50 grams per pair), I should have nice dry, warm feet at the end of what is usually a fairly wet slog each day. I will post the pattern and instructions when I get back (promise).
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fifteen-gram-blue-foam-flip-flop/
15/04/2017: Kim Jong-un has about a
week to live: You just don’t tangle with ‘The Don’. Watch him sort out a heap of ‘impossible’ problems left over by the
ineffectual, indeed quisling Clinton/Obama maladministration. Last week he was
showing Assad and Putin who was boss. This week
15/04/2017: Terrorists are seeking a
cost-of-living (dying?)
15/04/2017:
14/04/2017: Camper Crane: As you know we have a slide on camper for our Defender. These
usually come with detachable wind-up legs which are quite awkward to operate. I
decided to instead suspend the camper on this crane arrangement in the old
dairy for easy installation/removal. In addition, I bolted some 4”x4”s to the
floor so that the truck would be forced into exactly the right position when I
wanted to place the camper on it, then it is a quick and simple matter to bolt
it to the deck. A couple of minutes and we are off on our next trip . See you!
Camper
suspended above tray height. There is a crane (red above) at each of four
corners.
The
camper is connected to the crane with eye bolts and chain.
Detail
from above.
This is quite a simple arrangement and really makes it enormously easier to fit the camper to the truck. I recommend you do something similar. I bought these cranes from eBay for about $150 each.
14/04/2017: Discernment or
Discrimination: Back when I was a teacher, it was
easy to see where ‘bad teachers’ often went wrong: they just could not tell the
difference between ‘good students’ and ‘bad students’ and insisted on
‘punishing’ the former and being lenient to the latter. The result: chaos, lots
of discipline problems and poor learning outcomes for all. You were probably
all in such a class at some time in your school career. Mercifully, usually
such teachers usually did not stay long. Our social policies such as justice,
immigration and welfare have long suffered from the same syndrome. We punished
the legal owners of firearms with draconian laws, for example for the atrocious
misdeeds of a tiny minority of illegal firearm owners, when such upright
citizens are the very folk whose every help society needs most. This lack of
discernment by John Howard (and others) after
14/04/2017: ‘I discovered that much of what the IPCC and the media were telling us
was sheer nonsense and was not even supported by any scientific facts and
measurements.’ https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/04/12/perspective-needed-time-to-identify-variations-in-natural-climate-data-that-exceed-the-claimed-human-co2-warming-effect/
13/04/2017: My post from two years ago today: Meaningless Universe: Far too many young folks think so – but they are wrong! I woke in
the night having a philosophical dream, the result of a mis-spent youth at
Sydney Uni perhaps. Its motto, ‘Sidere Mens Eadem Mutato’ (Horace = 'the stars
change, the mind remains the same’) has a deep resonance with me still. What a
privilege it was for Della and I to attend that great institution (in its
heyday!) courtesy perhaps of our and Menzies ‘Commonwealth Scholarship’?) I yet
remember many night-time conversations (I was a
night student all my University studies) with our greatest philosopher the
(late) David Armstrong outside his rooms underneath ‘the tree in the quad’, the
tree which was planted (as was the quad - to mirror Bishop Berkeley’s tree
& Oxford Uni). The tree which remained, as it was ever perceived by God.
David was the C20th greatest Empiricist. A privilege also to have been his
student. Certainly he would not have found the universe meaningless; indeed (as
my dream concluded) such a concept is impossible. Only a hypothetical universe
without an observer would (necessarily) be; ours could not! It may even be ‘the
best of all possible worlds’ as Leibniz maintained. Certainly, despite even
this trick knee, the prospect of a week’s walking (hobbling) in the wondrous
enriching forests of Fiordland leads me to conclude, it is!
12/04/2017:
The chimney. The
blue and white "Gentlemen" sign was found in the debris on the concrete
slab and is fired enamel on steel.
The Fireplace.
Tag inside chimney.
Evidence of split
timber formwork in chimney construction. Fireplace.
Henry
Short and Robert Hoddles oil and water colour paintings of
Main fall
12/04/2017: The ABC is seriously out
of control. Their contrived ‘stories’ are too often
offensive to intelligent observers, (such as the beat-ups over Donvale or
Indonesian abattoirs) but warning jihadists that Pauline Hanson was soon to
visit Afghanistan is wantonly evil. Our politicians deserve our nation’s
protection – we can decimate them at the polls, not some lunatic in a hijab: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/abc-declared-war-on-hanson-she-now-pulls-gun/news-story/e36b740677fcf6aa7f7da89565db6370
12/04/2017: Expect the end of women’s
sport: If you’re a talented young male athlete and
you want to make absolutely certain you win track and field events, here’s a
perfect strategy http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/run-like-a-girl/news-story/e429b4e1f2fbf64693c144aedce8d369
11/04/2017: More Dusky Adventures: I start on the track on Monday for ten days. As you travel to work
on Monday, you can imagine me at the same time standing on the deck of a small
boat (Nimu) chugging across beautiful
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/insects-can-ruin-a-camping-trip/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-adventures-1/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/eddie-herrick-moose-hunting-at-dusky-sound/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-friend-i-met-on-the-dusky-track-fiordland-nz/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-south-coast-tracks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dreaming-of-the-dusky-track/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-dusky/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/moose-hunting/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-moose-2/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hunting-in-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/off-to-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/shadowland-fiordland-video/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-best-toilet-view-in-the-world/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/10-days-in-fiordland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-2009/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-nz-with-bryn/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fiordland-april-2007/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/weather-for-fiordland/
11/04/2017: Ultralight Travel Toothbrush: Not an ultralight hiking toothbrush perhaps. For that most folks cut their standard toothbrush in half, but this one is really good for travel, being very slim, compact and light and giving very nearly as good a result as a rechargeable such as the Braun or OralB, but without needing a power socket or all that extra space/weight. It is also very comfortable and non-slippery to the hand. Colgate® 360°® Optic White™ Battery-Powered Toothbrush: 36 grams inc battery, comes in Soft and Medium. I have tried a heap of battery powered toothbrushes over the years: this one is by far the best, smallest and lightest. At that weight too I have no doubt some people will take it (and some floss) hiking too. The floss can come in handy for repairs, or for fishing: http://www.colgate.com.au/en/au/oc/products/toothbrush/colgate-360-optic-white-battery-powered-toothbrush
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/self-threading-needles/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fishing-with-floss/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/four-gram-fishing-handlines/
11/04/2017: ‘Any means-tested welfare
payment provides an incentive to be poor’. Nick
Cater. Just repeat this over and over to yourself until you get it:. Our
Governments waste most of our money. Mostly they waste it on bludgers whom we
would not give the time of day to, let alone a helping hand. A helping boot up
the arse, maybe! And they throw the money at these wastrels without expecting a
sou in return! Wickedly poor investment strategy. Disastrous moral policy.
Government should be about ensuring that people
become their best selves, not reinforce folks in being their worst selves. If
you keep on rewarding bad behaviour, which is what almost all ‘welfare’ is, you
will be repaid with plenty more of it. Apart from our money being thrown away
on welfare per se (35% of the Budget!), most of the remainder also goes to ‘service’
these same folks; other big ticket items include: Public transport (2%),
Justice (?%), Education (8%), Health (16%), the Public Service (6%), public
Media ($2 billion!), Recreation (seriously, 1%) Housing 2% Interest 5% (and
rising!) Some of these items are even more (mis) represented in State
Government Budgets (particularly, Justice, Education, Public Transport. Less
than 5% is spent on Defence or other worthwhile projects. Over two thirds is
spent on welfare with no meaningful return, not even gratitude. This is charity
gone mad! We need to decrease spending and taxes! Here’s a graphic indicating
totals and percentages from the 2013 Budget: http://www.abc.net.au/…/interactive-budget-2013-whe…/4682404
11/04/2017: How Mad is the Left?
10/04/2017: You may want to get a pet raccoon after this: https://laughingsquid.com/two-raccoons-hilariously-playing-with-soap-bubbles/
10/04/2017: Guy Builds Water Cooled, 72,000 Lumen LED
Flashlight and Takes it for a Nighttime Stroll: http://twistedsifter.com/videos/water-cooled-72000-lumen-led-flashlight/
10/04/2017: Oh Wow: The Difference Between Sex Change Operations and Severing Spinal Cords: http://moonbattery.com/?p=82894
10/04/2017: This is what happens as a consequence of letting folks flood into your country and ultimately taking it over, as happened in SA – there were no Bantu there when Europeans arrived and for 300 years thereafter, only Bushman and Hottentots who are not responsible for these awful crimes. The Bantu were C19th invaders (Remember ‘Zulu’ – who were one such tribe?) We will face the same sort of horror here in time (apart from losing our country) if we continue with our current indiscriminate immigration policies: http://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/bury-them-alive-white-south-africans-fear-for-their-future-as-horrific-farm-attacks-escalate/news-story/3a63389a1b0066b6b0b77522c06d6476
09/04/2017: Super Simple Trail Meal: Take one packet of Ainsley Harriot's Spice Sensation Cous Cous (100 grams) 1492 kj (352 calories) plus ½ packet (65 grams) Craisins Fruit & Nut Trail Mix 1389 kj(332 calories) Totals (165 grams) 2881 kj (684 calories) = 4.14 calories per gram. Just boil 2/3 of a cup of water (approx 6 mls meths) and add to the couscous, stir and wait a couple of minutes for it to fluff up, toss through the trail mix. Eat. Delicious!
09/04/2017: Extraordinary: Falling Sea
Level: The Critical Factor in 2016
09/04/2017: ‘One Ring to Bind Them’. The odious oppression of
the ‘elites’: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/a-ring-to-bind-them-to-their-masters-will/news-story/6a710e43b48faea4d49b601cb160cdf2
08/04/2017: The Thylacine Returns: Here’s hoping that ‘Tassie’ follows the Night Parrot and other such
‘beasties’ back from extinction. We once tried to hunt ‘The Inverloch Tiger’
with hounds, but the hounds just would not give chase, and only behaved very
strangely. Perhaps this was because it really was something different (from the
foxes and deer they were used to trailing) - as I understand hounds have to be
specially trained eg to hunt big cats such as mountain lions in the
08/04/2017: This is a great idea: Before you climb onto the ‘support’ bandwagon for some (new) Government initiative, ask yourself whether the ‘poor taxpayer’, ‘the woman in the street’ really wants her money thrown away on this latest boondoggle: https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/the-poor-taxpayer-test/
08/04/2017: A letter to Malcolm: Thanks for the blackouts to come: http://joannenova.com.au/2017/04/turnbull-andrews-achievements-1000-unemployed-prices-up-blackouts-coming/
07/04/2017: Turnbullus Pachdermus: The Liberal Party seems to have found every reason for last year’s election debacle except the two obvious ones: the absence of Tony Abbott and the presence of Malcolm. Conservative voters loathe Turnbull (just as most everyone loathes Shorten). Please, hurry up and give us a proper PM!
07/04/2017: ‘Nihil ex nihilo’ (‘Nothing from nothing’) used to be a popular saying, mostly
followed by ‘ergo Deum’ (‘Therefore God’). For long this approach: the attempt
to understand and explain the ‘Universe’ by reason (once, alone) was supplanted
gradually by ‘the scientific method’ (or ‘epistemology’ in philosophical terms,
ie that which ‘we’ can apprehend with the senses). Of course the former
reasoning was shown (reductio ad absurdum) to be fallacious in that, if used as
a ‘proof’ of the necessity of a ‘God’ it also
required the existence of prior ‘things’ to create ‘God’ and so on ad
infinitum. The religious mentality resiled at the idea of the ‘Big Bang’ ie the
‘universe’ coming into existence out of ‘nothing’, but there IS definitive
scientific proof of ‘things’ coming into existence out of ‘’nothing’ (as
required by Quantum Theory). In ‘reality’ the exact amount of matter/energy
appearing ‘out of (discrete ‘quantities’) of nothing’ has been measured and
quantified by physicists today (and may even one day provide all our energy
needs!) Only so much can be learned by reason; even then you have to be very
careful of the truth of ‘axioms’ , first principles, premises – and also of the
validity of the argument…
07/04/2017: The concept of natural 'balance' or 'harmony' was always a silly, unsupported quasi-religious concept - I always preferred Shakespeare's 'nature red in tooth and claw' personally. But it is encouraging to see this study showing that without intervention natural systems decline - much like the paucity we see in 'old growth' forests as compared with the profligacy we observe in secondary regrowth: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/balance-of-nature.aspx
06/04/2017: Catching Your Breath - Walking Uphill: I am often gob-smacked by just how bright Willis Eschenbach is, but THIS observation was astonishing. Could breathing OUT more combat the breathlessness you get by strenuous walking uphill. I tried this out on my recent hunting trip, and it’s TRUE. I was able to walk in one go to the top of hills I normally have to pause several times to ascend and arrive completely NOT out of breath. Try it yourself: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/09/23/catching-my-breath/
The 'Road' to Lobuche.
'He said “You’re
not breathing out enough.”
He explained that particularly when we’re
swimming, but also with any exercise, people usually end up panting, taking
very rapid, shallow breaths. We focus on breathing in, on forcing more air into
our lungs. He said that the way to break that habit was simple—when you start
running short of air, don’t mess with the in-breath, just breathe out for one count
longer.
He pointed out that when we swim or run, we
usually fall into a pattern. With me, when I swam I breathed out and then took
an in-breath with every alternate stroke of my arms. He said when I ran short
of air, there was no need to mess with the in-breath—what I had to do was just
add one more beat to the out-breath. So for example, if I was running, I was in
the habit of breathing in for two steps and out for two steps. When I started
running out of breath, I needed to lengthen my out-breath to three steps … and
then if that wasn’t enough, lengthen the out-breath to four steps, and so on.
And that was it. There’s no need to make any
alteration to the in-breath, we’re all really good at that part. Filling up the
lungs isn’t the problem, it’s emptying the lungs.'
Another useful breathing technique: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/breathing-trick-that-puts-you-to-sleep-in-seconds/
First Published
on: Sep 29, 2013
06/04/2017: Breathes There The
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
'This is my own, my native land!'
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned,
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonoured, and unsung.
06/04/2017: The recent
06/04/2017: Gillian Triggs. What a monster! More horror from the woman who left her child to
die: “Sadly you can
say what you like around the kitchen table at home,”
If only she could do something to stop it, she would! Our hero! She has a plan:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/first-cartoons-next-your-kitchen/news-story/880bf98cb923a34127a1feca9dec36a4
& http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/triggs-would-turn-your-kids-into-informers/news-story/293d514f077fc12c9a39a61b46f22d22
& http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/numbers-details-concealed/news-story/cf980c9cef9329f6f50dcd05776d9253
05/04/2017: Breathing Trick That Puts You to Sleep in Seconds: I always go straight to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, but I know some people toss and turn, especially in the wilds. Here's how to go out to it just like flicking a switch:
1. Before you begin, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just above your teeth and keep it there throughout the exercise.
2. Exhale completely through your mouth quite forcefully so you make a "whoosh" sound.
3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly and softly through your nose for a mental count of four.
4. Hold your breath and count to seven.
5. Next, exhale completely through your mouth, making another whoosh sound for eight seconds in one large breath.
6. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three times for a total of four breaths.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a15524/sleep-breathing-technique/
A good pillow is a big help. here's one I use:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/exped-ultralight-pillow/
Another useful breathing technique: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/catching-your-breath-walking-uphill/
04/04/2017: A Snowflake apogee: The dreadful oppression of transgender women by pussy hats: http://www.dailywire.com/news/14932/transgender-women-are-oppressed-because-pussy-hats-joseph-curl
04/04/2017: Terrible. Another disaster for free speech. When will we stop
putting up with this tyranny? ‘Internationally renowned author and anti-Islam campaigner Ayaan Hirsi Ali has
cancelled her upcoming tour of
04/04/2017: Not long before his sudden and premature death, Australian Energy Market Operator chief Matt Zema spoke candidly at a private conference of power-industry executives. The enormous subsidies heaped on renewables, he said, mean one thing and only one thing: "The system must collapse": https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2017/04/dead-man-warns-dying-grid/ First day post Hazelwood – Tassie Hydro props up Eastern electricity grid: http://www.warwickhughes.com/blog/?p=5055
03/04/2017: An early morning
reflection:
03/04/2017: The more things change: ‘Two blokes and a cocker spaniel don’t make a family,’ Paul Keating. John Slater, ‘I hate to break it to the rainbow fascists, but the cause of diversity is poorly served by quashing dissent and publicly humiliating anyone who dares to stand in your way. Two plus two does not equal five, freedom is not slavery and launching a corporate jihad against those whose views differ to your own does not make you tolerant.’ https://spectator.com.au/2017/03/enough-to-drive-you-to-drink/
03/04/2017: Cursive, phonics, times
tables…when will we return to education as the
primary goal in
03/04/2017: Paul is right Pauline: You can end Halal Certification Now: http://pickeringpost.com/story/a-letter-to-pauline-hanson/7037
02/04/2017: Quote of the day: 'Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys'. P J O'Rourke.
02/04/2017: This guy is right: a ‘lone wolf’ who uses encrypted message service
‘WhatsApp’ minutes before his terrorism is not acting alone. The self-identified
02/04/2017: Gender expression is basically a fashion choice ‘...enshrining certain sorts of pseudo-scientific presuppositions into law.’ Man Self-Identifies as a Hen: https://www.yahoo.com/news/french-human-hen-artist-crack-hatching-eggs-115513513.html & http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/29722-Gender-expression-is-basically-a-fashion-choice.html
02/04/2017: God, save us from Al Gore!
02/04/2017: This chap can wear his feet backwards. Should come in handy sometime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOmElcLQR38
02/04/2017: Merkel. The woman is mad or evil or both: http://www.wnd.com/2017/03/merkels-secret-migrant-deal-with-turkey/
02/04/2017: Saw my first waterspout today! It was
only a small one, about a metre high, and it appeared suddenly while we were
gazing at the
01/04/2017: The guy is just wrong. Doesn’t matter what kids read – as long as they read. If you can get them reading comics, magazines or horror stories, just do it: https://pjmedia.com/parenting/2017/03/28/principal-bans-bad-books-that-kids-actually-want-to-read/
01/04/2017: Weird people: ‘Leftists Attack V.P. Mike Pence For Being Loyal to
His Wife!’ I mean no-one surely goes out on ‘dates’
after they are married – else what is marriage about? http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/03/disgusting-leftists-attack-v-p-mike-pence-loyal-wife/
01/04/2017:
Spot is mesmerised by it too.
Pelican at
Gulls scour the surface watching for minnows rising.
Then drop and pounce.
A family of divers on their morning swim.
A gull combs the surface: So many birds.
31/03/2017: More Gippsland Secrets: Here are another half dozen beautiful Gippsland places that I love
Macailster
Gorge: You will have to canoe down the Macalister from Basin Flat to
Snowy Bluff: Again this is a walk into one of our fabled
'wilderness areas'. The Mt Darling-Snowy Bluff Wilderness was set aside by Joan
Kirner back in the 1980s. Few people visit. You walk in from Dimmock's Lookout
on the
Wingan Inlet: Little Cormorants make their home right at
the inlet's mouth. You access this trip (on good gravel roads) from
Combienbar: In
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gippslands-hidden-secrets/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-great-gippsland-circuit/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gippsland-pack-rafting-routes/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/beautiful-east-gippsland/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-thomson-river-gippsland-victoria/
30/03/2017: Cooking for men? Or you could try Steve's Nepali Dahl Soup. Now with Della’s ‘seal of approval’!
30/03/2017: Expect more of this as the blackouts hit and increase. No doubt Hazelwood could have been (could still be) saved by just such a similar paltry injection of cash. Meanwhile this morning is likely the last day you could have viewed the eerie mists above the Hazelwood Pondage which were such a feature of the farm we owned for years right across the road from it – such that we called it ‘Brigadoon’. No doubt the Barramundi are already beginning to suffer, and will soon die: http://joannenova.com.au/2017/03/sa-premier-turned-down-a-30m-coal-deal-that-could-have-saved-a-billion-dollars/
30/03/2017: So, not all of the Government waste is down to Labour. Turnbull could find some savings by cutting this little piggie from the public teat: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/why-should-taxpayers-fund-a-turnbull-cheer-squad/news-story/09e4425a0748c06c7288ac74986ab7cf
29/03/2017: Hazelwood’s final day. The AEMO’s final report now blames renewables for the SA blackout.
Many more to come on account of this absolutely mad energy policy - and right
to the last, Hazelwood produced more power constantly and reliably than all the
useless wind generators in
29/03/2017: From Shirt To Puffy: Imagine a light shirt that automatically puffs out into a jacket when the temperatures drop. A textile lab is working on a fabric to do just that. This is a step upwards from the inflatable clothing I have written about before. I think it still has a way to go before it replaces wonderful down garmens such as Montbell’s, but it sure is an interesting development: https://gearjunkie.com/watch-fabric-transform-t-shirt-puffy
Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-shuegwsrI
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/unbearable-lightness-of-being/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/inflatable-insulated-clothing/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/montbell/
29/03/2017: Some good news: Brownie The Town Dog's Grave.
Owned by no one but beloved by all, Brownie was a good dog: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/brownie-the-town-dog-grave
29/03/2017: Erdogan, the Turkish dictator is a serious concern; He said, ‘If
29/03/2017: Perhaps you can leave it
all to the cat: I thought this had all gone out of
the window long ago (under Whitlam) and that Andrews’ new ‘marriage’ rules had
been the final nail in its coffin, but maybe not so. I won’t be changing my
will, but you might think of consulting a solicitor if you think ‘Tiddles’
needs more; http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/your-will-your-way-thank-the-judge-who-agrees/news-story/e6f9b9b8baf256c180661759414b2e19
28/03/2017: New Ultralight Survival Shelter: Terra Nova Superlite Bothy Bags. There are occasions when you just may not survive unless you have a roof, even when you are planning to arrive at a hut or paid accommodation (See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/) If you are not carrying a tent (or even an umbrella See eg http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-in-the-rain/ or http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-umbrella-redesigned/) you should think about one off these. This new model from Terra Nova weighs only 253 grams, shaving 100 grams off the one I own. I carried this one: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/survival-shelter/ on my Everest Base Camp walk (see eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/i-saw-below-me-that-golden-valley/)
It weighed 350 grams which may seem a lot to haul 5 ½ kilometers into the sky when I didn’t need it! Then again, I haven’t needed a funeral plan yet either, and I’m not complaining! http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tarps-bivis-bothies/all-bothies-bothy-bags/superlite-bothy-2/
Available at Massdrop right now for US$79.99: Superlite Bothy Bag
Superlite Bothy 2
For 2 people
Fabric: 70gsm polyester with PU coating
Silicone-coated fabrics
Dimensions, packed: 5.1 x 4.3 in (13 x 11 cm)
Weight: 8.9 oz (253 g)
If you were sitting on your Neoair Xlite Women's in there on your CycloneChair you should survive the night in warm clothes even if it gets down well below freezing, and the rain is pouring down - otherwise you would die!
Superlite Bothy 4
For 4 people
Dimensions, packed: 7.9 x 4.7 in (20 x 12 cm)
Weight: 14.1 oz (400 g)
28/03/2017: Snow Goose is Good food: Absolutely. I’m sure there are many interesting ‘bush meats’ might be added to that cornucopia too here in Oz. Throw for koala, echidna, platypus…on the barbie: http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/29657-A-Snow-Goose-is-good-food.html Includes recipes!
28/03/2017: Malcolm’s Snowy ‘Thought Bubble’ starts to unravel – not that he will get it through the Senate when the Greens realize there will be less water for the environment and that the three spotted newt may suffer mental disfunction as a result! The $2 billion would be far better spent rescuing Hazelwood and replacing/refurbishing it with up-to-date ‘clean coal’ technology. The first two generators were turned off yesterday. Generator 6 had been running constantly for over 49 years! Three more cease today, another three tomorrow. Last night we had blackouts in Morwell and Traralgon to ‘celebrate’. Many more to come. I am investigating the DIY Junkyard Battery: http://newatlas.com/junkyard-battery-scrap-metals/46273/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
Ron Pike, retired irrigation farmer and water consultant writes: ‘As a retired executive officer, strategic engineering, from the Snowy Mountains Authority, Max Talbot, told the ABC last week: “This appears to be no more than a thought bubble about something we rejected as too expensive over 20 years ago.”
Talbot explained: “Pumped storage hydro requires about 20 per cent more energy to pump the water than is returned to the system when that water is used to generate electricity...
“Therefore it is only commercial when the differential between peak and off-peak prices (is) far greater than 20 per cent.”....
As Talbot pointed out, this scheme was considered and dismissed in the 1980s...
To generate the additional 2000MW of power the PM claims this scheme could produce would require pumping at least 1000 megalitres of water every day back up to Tantangara Dam from Talbingo Dam, a lift of more than 600m. The power required to do this in the hours of off-peak load is almost 15 per cent of the total NSW baseload production.’ Sack Turnbull Today!
28/03/2017: Safe nuclear waste
disposal: This series on the secrets of nuclear
energy have been just great: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/03/26/fear-of-nuclear-part-3/
28/03/2017: ‘It appears that at least one person has perjured himself over this and that one person is FBI Director Comey. There’s no way to square his testimony with these new revelations. The best he can do is split hairs and claim he was not part of the spying effort. Of course, there’s no way to touch him as he runs the FBI. In fact, there’s no way to investigate any of the intelligence organizations. This is the point where many of the robot historians of the future will say the American political class murdered itself.’ The death throes of American democracy... http://thezman.com/wordpress/?p=9899
27/03/2017: Astronaut who walked on
the moon: ‘why I know aliens haven’t visited Earth’. I thought it was a great headline too. I really liked his argument.
But there is much more to
27/03/2017: Ultralight Keyboard Warriors: I took a
side-trip to Reddit to re-post some of my ideas/adventures thinking ‘like
minded’ people there might be interested, people at such sub-reddits as
Bushcraft, Ultralight, Wilderness Backpacking, Camping and Hiking for example.
You would think so, wouldn’t you? There was considerable interest from the
readership, as you might imagine.
Unfortunately, like much
of the media, these ‘sub-reddits’ are controlled by a small clique of
control-freaks and extremists – by and large very rude people as well! Even
though I sought (and gained) prior approval to share these posts from their
‘moderators’, nonetheless they were universally condemned and/or removed by the
moderators and their extremist allies even though clearly the great majority of
Reddit readers (ie 19 out of every 20) just came over for a look and most
stayed for a much longer visit –and I thank them for it! The clique staged a massed campaign of ‘down-voting’ as well as
frivolous, rude and contemptuous commenting – this from folk who have not a
shadow of our bush experience - and much of it carried on in secret (from the
'community') in that it occurred after my posts were taken down in
contravention of an expressed promise otherwise. I should mention that neither
the moderator at MYOG or Trail Meals acted like this, indeed quite the contrary
(and thank you) - but there are many negative commentators nonetheless who
serve only to alienate people like me from engaging with Reddit.
If such social media is to
persist, the 95% need to wrest control from the 5%, else it will ultimately
fail, or society itself will fail. This extremist ‘cell’ revolutionary method
has ever been the means by which democracy has been overthrown by fascists,
communists and other enemies of society. Evidently much the same behaviour
applies also at Twitter. Facebook (with its emphasis on ‘liking’) seems much
friendlier. Pinterest and Instagram even moreso.
Needless to say, I will be
abandoning Reddit. It is (at least as presently constituted) a quite
anti-social ‘social medium’, and I suggest you also avoid it, as it is likely
only to upset you, as it has me. I will concentrate on improving the
acessability of my site.
I noticed, whilst this was
going on, that for some mysterious reason Word Press has shrunk nearly all my
photos (some so that they are almost impossible to make out). It is a
mysterious vehicle. Apparently you can click on them to see a larger version,
but I’m sure people would like a larger, clearer image at the outset – so, I
will work my way gradually through the nearly 900 posts and enlarge all the
photos, many thousands of them. This may take some time, and naturally posting
will be a bit lighter while I get this done.
I also noticed that the
meta tags (at the bottom of each post - which is what helps the search engine
find the post when you do a search for a particular topic) are missing on most
of my posts. A search engine therefore might not find some of my ‘camp
shoe’ or ‘
Oh, and thank you for your
continuing support (including many messages of such) here at ‘The Ultralight
Hiker’. So far I have only ever had one slightly negative comment which was
down to poor wording rather than malice – which is nice. As I’m sure you
understand, this blog is ‘a labour of love’. Such support is appreciated.
Meanwhile, my wonderful
new NBN interent connection is playing up again (as always) and is just so
slow. I need to see if I can negotiate with the ISP/NBN to get this improved.
The ‘information super highway’ is just crawling along here…No doubt others
have the same problem.
27/03/2017: Turnbull is still 10 points
behind in the latest Ipsos Poll. He is dead meat. He
must be replaced by Tony Abbott this week so Hazelwood (and our power supplies)
can be saved. Ring a pollie today.
27/03/2017: Control, censor, ban or
kill. That is the first recourse of tyrants of the Left and their Moslem ‘allies’, not debate or dialogue You will remember
how they successfully banned Geert Wilders’ visit (representing the largest
bloc in the Dutch Parliament). Now they seek to ban this lady too who has
suffered so much already from Islam, not the least being mutilation. She need
to be celebrated, not crucified. Of course she already has a fatwah against
her, and must have 24 hour protection: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/against-ayaan/news-story/0da954e3981afca7012038d06b394dc8
26/03/2017: Too true: 'With all the many problems facing the biosphere (man being its
parasite in chief), the arrival in the Dutch parliament of the Party for the
Animals is a small step forward—but it is not enough. Everyone knows (or ought
to know) that man could not live for a day, for a second, without bacteria. I
therefore hope and expect before the end of my life to see the emergence of a
Bacterial Liberation Front, to save bacteria from the ravages of antibiotics.' http://takimag.com/article/worms_have_rights_too_theodore_dalrymple#axzz4cL99Dcz7
26/03/2017: Environmentalists Aren’t Just Wrong. They’re Loathsome And Evil Too: I have to agree with Delingpole: Folks who are already responsible for 100 million unnecessary deaths (from malaria) on account of their hyped DDT ban, and who would like to see one third of humanity starve to death or all the remaining wilderness in the world destroyed (which would be the consequence of returning to 'organic' agriculture) are just not nice. http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/25/delingpole-environmentalists-arent-just-wrong-theyre-loathsome-and-evil-too/
26/03/2017: I think folks who vote for
Labor & the Greens should have to pay a larger proportion of their income
in tax to help pay for their spendthrift ideas. So
long as I am being forced to pay, I want none of their policies - or their
debts! Problem is, most of the Lefties don't pay any tax, do they? It’s so easy
spending other people’s money.
25/03/2017: A judge in the
25/03/2017: Lone (or lobo) wolf
attacks. Nothing can be done?
25/03/2017: How do you turn corn into cars? ‘If capitalism – which is to say, human ingenuity set free to follow its own natural course – is a kind of social machine, then politicians are something like children who take apart complex machines without understanding what they do or how to put them back together. (At their worst, they are simply saboteurs.) When they rail against capitalism, automation, trade, and the like, they resemble nothing so much as those hominids at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey, shrieking hysterically at something that is simply beyond their comprehension.’ This is a truly great essay: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/445938/jobs-prosperity-capitalism-should-focus-latter
24/03/2017: Trump chose well with Rick Perry: From a 2016 interview:
‘Kimmel: "You once shot a coyote while jogging."
Texas Gov. Rick Perry: "True."
Kimmel: "You jog with a gun?"
Perry: "I do interviews with a gun."’
24/03/2017: Trump vindicated: Further to Comey’s ‘inadvertent’ admission (22/3) I also notice one
of the
24/03/2017: Save Hazelwood, bring back Abbott: I see this morning Tony backing my idea of the Federal Government taking over our beautiful power station in order to protect us from the many blackouts we are certain to have next summer and in the future generally, maybe even this winter if it is a bad one. Ring a pollie today!
24/03/2017: Heaven knows I don’t much like Malcolm Turnbull, but the piece of scum who is being offered up to us by the Labor Party as his alternative is much more than beneath contempt. A thief, a liar and a rapist – these all figure largely in his CV! See, eg: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2017/03/afp-not-keen-to-release-details-on-bill-shortens-apparent-perjury-to-the-giles-royal-commission.html & http://pickeringpost.com/topic/shorten/13
24/03/2017: And then there is there piece of scum the Greens have put up, Mr $3.75/hr: Entirely beneath contempt (and laughable to boot): http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2017/03/eric-abetz-fires-up-on-loony-greens-after-di-natales-press-club-speech-today.html
23/03/2017: Breakfast this morning: Growlers on the
The river is just outside the window:
View upstream:
View downstream:
23/03/2017: Ultralight Glasses Case: 12 grams: If you have got to my age (or had other bad luck) you no doubt need glasses. I now wear progressive frameless titanium glasses (14 grams) all the time, but I also need a spare pair in case I lose or break them. The quite lightweight case they came in from Zenni weighs 47 grams (blue below). I knew I could do better. Like this:
As you can see I have also managed to fit in a pair of clip on sunglasses, Weight 4.5 grams eg to prevent snow blindness!
This is 350 ml (12 oz) PET drink bottle I cut down with a craft knife (I should have left a tiny bit more of the neck) and some bubble wrap = 12 grams, a saving over over an ounce ie more than the weight of a muesli bar on the trail, or more than enough weight of fuel (metho) to cook a meal. Every little bit of weight saved helps lighten the load and means you can go a little bit further, easier. I could have even cut down on the (used) bubble wrap a little more.
Here it is compared with my old glasses case.
Indeed switching to these frameless glasses (two pairs) also saved me over an ounce (28.5 grams)! I have simply rolled the glasses up in the bubble wrap and squeezed them through the neck. These flexible titanium frames are quite difficult to break anyway: you can just about stand on them, so they will be fine in the ‘possibles’ bag in my pack.
This ultralight glasses case has been safely stowed (without any due care) in my pack now for over a year and maybe a thousand miles. All its contents came out perfectly for a photo this morning.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-spare-glasses/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/zenni-the-hearing-company/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/securing-hearing-aids/
otions.23/03/2017: The blackouts to come: Understand this: the myth of renewable energy is what is getting us into this mess, but renewables cannot produce energy reliably, cheaply or even with as small an environmental impact as fossil fuel or nuclear. (Think of the pollution and misery involved in the Niobium industry, the millions of dead birds and bats, etc) https://wattsupwiththat.com/…/by-the-numbers-lifetime-perf…/ Meanwhile Hazelwood continues to churn out more electricity per day than all Australia’s wind farms combined, but only for three more days http://joannenova.com.au/…/hazelwood-countdown-53-years-ol…/ unless the Federal Government acts now. Ring a pollie today!
22/03/2017: O’Shanessy Aquaduct Trail:
It starts/ends at the
original weir built in 1914 just below the current large dam which is probably
20 times the original size. Then continues for about 40 km until it meets up
with the aqueduct from Badger weir Healesville. You can now walk along the
decommissioned section. There is an internet page about the story. http://oshannassyaqueduct.weebly.com/
‘The trail runs in parallel with the Warburton Rail Trail, however,
the O’Shannassy Trail is set into the mountain ranges, and therefore provides a
different perspective to the environment. Surrounded by tall trees, and ferns,
the trail follows the historic open channelled O’Shannassy Aqueduct, and allows
for spectacular views of the
Warburton is in the middle
of the trail. The trail is on the north side of the Yarra. About 700 metres
from the Yarra to the aqueduct on a well marked path. It's a good alternative
to the rail trail and you can also access the weir from the Warburton -
If you finished the Upper
Yarra Track at Big Pats Creek, you could walk into Warburton, then cross the
Yarra and go up hill on
If you are exiting the Upper Yarra Track from Big Pat's Creek Road you could instead of walking towards Warburton turn right and head upriver for a couple of kilometres to Cement Creek road and that takes you to the aqueduct via a place called Redwood Forest that has become really popular and has a huge cleared area for camping plus the clear cement creek. Map available here: http://www.visitwarburton.com.au/activity/oshannassy-aqueduct-trail ’
22/03/2017: Suppose the Federal
Government were to compulsorily acquire Hazelwood next
week using the Emergency Reserve powers of the constitution…the lights would
stay on, the economy wouldn’t falter, unemployment wouldn’t increase, the
government would go up in the polls, the Left would be rightly seen as the
wreckers and extremists they are – after all, practically no-one seriously
believes that (through CO2) humanity is doing any serious harm to the planet.
No AGW has yet been detected. All the evidence so far is that the planet
benefits from an increase in CO2, (the 20% increase in greening is pretty much
all the evidence you would need) whether it is caused by people or not (which
is still a moot point), as we continue to exit the ‘Little Ice Age’ and
increasing temperatures liberate huge amounts of CO2 from the oceans where it
has been trapped by cold for centuries (just like the fizz in your soda
bottle!). We can pull back from this catastrophic brink at the 11th hour. Let’s
re-nationalise Hazelwood. It would cost practically nothing, as its present
value is entirely negative to the current owners – they currently have a bill
of billions to decommission it and restore the open cut. So, at no cost to the
government something can be done which will be of immense benefit to the
Australian community. What a ‘win-win’ that is.
22/03/2017: Turnbull seems to have
found his mojo the last few days: the attempt to
rework 18c, his defence of the plebiscite and the ‘omnibus’ Bill are cases in
point. It is difficult to see what sort of morality the Labor party can have in
opposing them – particularly as only days ago we buried free speech martyr,
Bill Leak. His son certainly agrees with me: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/hey-bill-tell-johannes-why-your-law-drove-his-dad-to-his-grave/news-story/2af2bdf7ec92b6857243bb81925c4861
22/03/2017: Clearly Trump is right. Obama had him bugged. Comey couldn’t lie straight in bed: When asked in today’s House Intelligence Committee meeting about President Trump’s tweets that the Obama Administration had put Candidate Trump and his campaign under surveillance, FBI Director James Comey said:
“I have no information that supports those tweets and we have looked carefully inside the FBI. The Department of Justice has asked me to share with you that the answer is the same for the Department of Justice and all its components. The department has no information that supports those tweets.”
But also:
“I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts. As with any counterintelligence investigation, this will also include an assessment of whether any crimes were committed.
Because it is an open ongoing investigation and is classified, I cannot say more about what we are doing and whose conduct we are examining.”
And
the clincher:
It’s hard to say because I don’t how much longer it
will take. But we’ve been doing this — this
investigation began in late July, so for counterintelligence investigation
that’s a fairly short period of time.
So, they have been investigating since July. It’s classified. They conduct an investigation without any surveillance…
22/03/2017: The World’s Great Religions: You must have heard this phrase. As if there was anything great about any religion! What’s so great about delusion, self-deception, the diversion of immense assets and effort to fantastic goals, the subjugation of billions to falsity and hatred? ‘Good manners should deter us from insulting other people over their faiths on most occasions…But these are not normal times. And the one occasion when good manners should not determine our actions is when others threaten us with death or maiming if our speech offends their faith. We are then under an obligation to defend free speech, if not by blaspheming ourselves, then at least by protecting the right to blaspheme expressed in the speech of fellow citizens. Not only does the right to free speech include the right to offend, moreover; it is largely meaningless without that right. Speech that offends no one requires no protection. Indeed… the right to be offended is also an important right because, even if we are reluctant to admit the fact, it frees us from the prison of unconsidered opinion and the prejudices of our own religious-cum-ideological community’: http://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2015/03/pieties-perils/
20/03/2017: The Ultralight Trail Baker: You can make a baking stand (‘the Flashbaker’) out of aluminium flashing. You just need to cut a circle a little smaller than your pot and leave three approx 1 ½” ‘legs’ on the outside of the disc which you fold down to support whatever you are cooking. (OK, this one has four legs!) This works well with a thick dough. I have often made ‘damper’ in my cook pot with such an arrangement. My original flashing ‘baker’ weighs 13.5 grams.
L to R: Snowpeak 1400 ml Titanium Cook pot Frypan Lid, Brasslite Turbo 1D Stove, Brasslite Traillbaker, ‘Flashbaker’, Evernew Titanium Sierra Cup, Snowpeak 1400 ml Titanium Cook Pot
Or you can also buy Brasslite’s excellent ‘Trailbaker’ here: http://brasslite.com/products/brasslite-trailbaker/ which weighs 50.5 grams. It would be possible to make a suspension system for an Evernew Titanium Sierra Cup (Weight 63.5 grams) which does the same thing – and doubles as a cup (Remember the ‘Hot Lips’ though: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hot-lips/). Some titanium windscreen material (if it had enough holes in it) or lightweight weldmesh rolled into a cylinder ends joined with a paper clip would probably ‘do the trick’ or a circle of thin wire with three attached hooks for suspension from the top of the billy.
I gave up cooking 'bread' on the trail maybe ten years ago - just got so many other recipes happening I guess, and was finding it a bit tedious, especially due to advancing arthritis. I find these good for: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/lunch-on-the-trail/ Of course another alternative is 'Johnny Cakes' or 'fried scones' - a great colonial Australian favourite, and a favourite with me for many years too!
The ‘Flashbaker’ just goes in your normal cook pot. This is all you need (except for a simmer stove. I use these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/alcohol-simmer-stoves/) You don't need two pots at all, one inside the other. Of course this only worked with a stiff dough which sits on the baking disc or stand. If you want to bake a cake, or something with a runny dough, you will need something like the Trailbaker or Sierra Cup (above)
PS: Use a wad punch to make the baking disc even lighter. I figure you could take off at least 1/3 of its weight to bring it down to say 8 grams! Or you could make the baking disc (The Meshbaker') out of 1 cm stainless steel weld mesh. The holes would distribute the heat better too when baking bread.
I only ever baked bread (or 'damper' usually) usually to use for my lunch the next day, along with eg a sachet of tuna or some peanut butter. It is actually just as easy (and quicker) to make 'Johnny Cakes' or ‘Bannock’, maybe in the traditional way: on a stick! More about them, later…and my damper recipe!
20/03/2017: You can stop Google
tracking your every move: http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/how-to-stop-google-tracking-your-every-move/news-story/6abd14e4746da56b10ee4d58d785df80
20/03/2017: How Trump is dumber than
Bernie Sanders: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/03/oops-msnbc-reveals-trump-paid-25-tax-rate-socialist-bernie-sanders-paid-13-tax-rate/
20/03/2017: ‘Textualism is a formalist theory that primarily interprets the law based on the ordinary meaning of the legal text… and not considering non-textual sources such as intention of the law when passed, the problem it was intended to remedy, or significant questions of the justice and rectitude of the law.’ Wow! I think we need more of the plain speaking I spoke about on 16/03/2017: ‘On the ineffable virtues of monosyllables and portmanteau words’: https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/16/i-yam-what-i-yam/
19/03/2017: 2WD Folding Motorbike: Here’s just the
thing to cut up those bush tracks even more – or you could think about walking,
and saving both your money and the bush! http://www.moto2x2.com/en/ & http://newatlas.com/taurus-2x2-2wd-fat-wheel-motorcycle/44616/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
See also; http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rokon-scout-a-2wd-motorbike/
19/03/2017: The Kiwis have a new sport
which might soon go viral: wallaby tossing – what could be more fun: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/wa/2017/03/18/nz-man-charged-with-quokka-cruelty.html
19/03/2017: Once again
18/03/2017: Steve’s Nepali Dahl Soup: I made this dahl entirely with dried ingredients so I could make it on the trail. It made over a litre. I had trouble eating half. Very filling, tasty and nutritious. Do try it at home first. I would put the lentils in one small snap-lock bag and all the other dried ingredients in another. This soup will make a welcome change from whatever you are eating now and is very light and cheap to make.
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
3 ½ cups water
20 grams Hormel dried bacon pieces
1 table milk powder
2 teaas powdered/dried onion
½ packet Tomato cupasoup
½ teas turmeric
1 teas ground gunger
½ teas hot paprika
½ teas garam masala
½ teas coriander
Pinch groundblack papper
2 teas dried chives
1 teas garlic powder
1 teas cumin
Instructions:
Soak lentils 10 + minutes
Add ingredients
Bring to boil, then simmer 20 minutes.
Salt/pepper &/or curry powder (not needed) to taste
Thicken continental deb mash (not needed)
Comment: Delicious!
18/03/2017: First the fake news (Wilders lost), then the real news from
18/03/2017: The great (Polish!)
novelist Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) had such a turn
of phrase and depth of perception (and all this genius in his third language
makes me feel tongue-tied!) eg, From the description of Donkin as he boards the
Narcissus: ‘Is there a spot on earth where such a man is unknown, an
ominous survival testifying to the eternal fitness of lies and impudence? . . .
He was the man that cannot steer, that cannot splice, that dodges the work on
dark nights; that, aloft, holds on frantically with both arms and legs, and swears at the wind, the sleet, the
darkness; the man who curses the sea while others work. The man who is the last
out and the first in when all hands are called. The man who can’t do most
things and won’t do the rest. The pet of philanthropists and self-seeking
landlubbers. The sympathetic and deserving creature that knows all about his
rights, but knows nothing of courage, of endurance, and of the unexpressed
faith, of the unspoken loyalty that knits together a ship’s company. The
independent offspring of the ignoble freedom of the slums full of disdain and
hate for the austere servitude of the sea.’ A wonderful review here: https://www.city-journal.org/html/noble-conrad-13625.html
18/03/2017: I remember when I was ‘working class’ and that meant I worked in a factory, as a shop assistant, cleaner, farm labourer, fruit picker, taxi driver, etc. Now that phrase means ‘welfare class’. Immigrants eagerly flock here to take up that sort of work, but many ‘native born’ and ‘natives’ too often disdain it – or anything else that means work. The raw data shrieks at us that we cannot continue on this course: ‘40 per cent of children from jobless households are on welfare by age 20; 39 per cent of children follow their parents’ footsteps and live off the taxpayer; 12 per cent of children under 14 are growing up in jobless families’. Amongst those identifying as ‘aborigines’ the figures are even worse! Here is an instructive tale of two families, one which works and one which will not: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/a-tale-of-two-families-sydneys-work-and-welfare-divide/news-story/6f0d329c7879a1321beb3ebcd0ee323c
17/03/2017: Hoons: Recently we were up near Toorongo trying to
work out a hiking route from Noojee to Tanjil Bren &/or to Mt Horsefall.
(More about that soon!) We walked along this ‘closed’ road from the Toorongo No
3 Bridge to ‘Rabbit Flat’ (an interesting part of the world). The road had been
ruined by dozens of these huge bog holes caused jointly by folks not owning a
shovel (with which to drain them), no maintenance by the DOC, and sub-human 4WD
‘hoons’ entertaining themselves with plowing the road. The puddles were so deep
poor Tiny had to swim them.
This kind of madness has to end. So does the policy of the DOC closing
roads rather than maintaining them – a situation caused by their employing an
army of university ‘educated’ bludgers who want to spend all day in offices
having meetings or playing at computer screens or driving round in Hiluxes.
Instead they should employ folks who actually want to do (physical) work (the
only kind really) such as driving 4WD tractors and actually fixing the roads
and/or creating and maintaining firebreaks (we have an out of control fire near
Caringal this morning in an area where the tracks have also become impassable)
also spraying noxious weeds and eradicating pest animals.
Neither the ‘hoons’ behaviour, nor the DOC’s strikes me as ‘conservation’
– if the greenies have not made that a dirty word for you too!
There was also some
17/03/2017: ‘How often we’ve seen the
kind of mad superstitions that have our politicians this week struggling to
keep on our lights and gas. They aren’t really new,
these taboos on coal and fracking. We’ve seen such things before — irrational
taboos on everything from fish and pigs to uranium and genetically modified
crops. The Nuer people of
17/03/2017:
17/03/2017: Unbelievable: Turnbull’s ‘thought bubbles’ come crashing down: his ‘pumped hydro’scheme will consume 20% more power than it produces – as well as denying the rivers the water that farmers and ‘the environment’ need. Now there’s a ‘win-win’ idea! Unfortunately, such nonsense is Turnbull all over: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/turnbulls-plan-costs-more-power-than-it-adds/news-story/9e39d6913799a80a13f3a3ebe982695a
17/03/2017: Cause and Effect are wonderful: The eruption of the Indonesian island of Tambora in 1816 plunged the world into ‘darkness’ for around a year, causing massive crop failures, the year without a summer, and widespread starvation in Europe for example. It also brought us blood-red sunsets and ‘blue moons’ on account of all the red dust in the sky. Also surprisingly it brought us the wonderful novel ‘Frankenstein’ on account of Mary Wolstencraft (Shelley) having to stay indoors all summer due to the colder than normal weather - and needing something to do
17/03/2017: Meliorism: Some of you may not be familiar with the ‘philosophical’ term
Meliorism (Think: ‘ameliorate’); the meliorist insists that something ought to
be done (often whilst the rest of us run around in circles crying, ‘The sky is
falling!’); the meliorists’ solutions are infrequently any better than ‘Chicken
Little’s’! The Left is particularly fraught with meliorists, (hence the ‘nanny
state’), but the disease has infected Conservative ranks too – (as you can see
from Malcolm’s two bizarre ‘renewable energy thought bubbles this week!). So
pressing has the problem of meliorists become, that I am bound to say that
something must be done about them!
16/03/2017: Weird and wonderful: the Strandbeest, a new life form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbWSx_FW9E & www.strandbeest.com
16/03/2017: Being born is no great
achievement – whatever glory it might represent for
your father and mother! You should have no sense of ‘entitlement’ – how I hate
that word - on account of such an apogee of creativity. May I digress?
(‘Entitlement’ ie that which goes with the ‘title’ eg such as a peerage, land
title, patent, etc or something owned and probably earned and purchased – we
seem instead to want to mean by it today a ‘gratuity’ ie something you get ‘for
free’) But, to continue: nothing much should come as a gratuity for just being
born – certainly not citizenship for example, which should be earned – along
with all its responsibilities and any rights which may fall your way. People
might value it somewhat more if they had perforce to earn it. A pension for example,
might rather devolve to you as a result of a lifetime of contributing to the
enhancement and upkeep of your society, (in other words as an emolument) not on
account only of having been born on a certain day – though it would be better
still (for themselves and their society) if folks endeavoured vigorously and
paid their own way! Instead of that we have a culture where every second person
at least sincerely
16/03/2017: On the ineffable virtues
of monosyllables and portmanteau words. A risky way
to begin this digression…Whitehead had something much like this to critique
Wittgenstein with – and rightly so, in my opinion. If something was worth
saying, it can be said with simple enough terms for the educated layman to
clearly understand – if not, it is probably nonsense, as Wittgenstein mayhap
was! I have wondered about an injuction to make such a form of communication
compulsory: to limit the English language to nothing more than a few hundred
simple Anglo-Saxon roots and portmanteaus constructed from them, so that anyone
could immediately
16/03/2017: A revamped Snowy will probably do little to provide more energy (especially if the rains don’t fall) or if its construction is drowned out by the shrieking of snowflakes, greens etc – but we will need electricity now (in April) , as soon as Hazelwood closes, and for a good many years yet until such a project is completed. What is needed is a new base load coal-fired power station gradually replacing Hazelwood - as one is commissioned, the other is de-commisioned! A boon for fisherfolk too, as the barramundi would survive!
15/03/2017:
15/03/2017: ‘
The sea is calm to-night.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.
Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.
The
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
Some comments &
discussion:
Sophocles was
maybe alluding to the limits of reason. Reason is all fine and good but it
comes down to values, context, wisdom/choice etc. All abstract terms that are
the base line of meaning. Materialism has its limit in that it has no meaning.
Love the last stanza too. Especially ‘has neither
joy, nor love, nor love.’
Need a decent red.
Ole'. 'Another and another cup to drown the memory of this impertinence'! Or more (or less) 'love'!
Yes, I agree, too much love. I take full responsibility for the typos. Over come by love. I'm sorry it wasn't joy. Maybe next time.
"Yea!
In the sea of life en'isled
With echoing straits between us thrown
Dotting the boundless watery wild
We mortal millions live alone"...
Eleanore Rigby picks up the rice in the church where her wedding has been; lives in a dream. Welcome to existential loneliness. We all die alone. No one can do it for us.
Unless we fly
Malaysian Airlines - then it becomes quite a social affair. Dying alone sounds
nicely private; I don't enjoy vomiting in company, so I expect dying with
others would be similarly uncomfortable. Living, on the other hand, always
seems jollier with a few friends on the side.
😊
Dying with 400
or 40 or on the Titanic, I do not think it matters. Life is infinitely better
than any of the other alternatives. Pour me another red. In vino veritas. Life
is uncertainty. Go interdependency. Go the courage to be your own person. To be
a wise, kind, caring, and as possible a moral person. I go for Kant and
And some more
We were apart; yet, day by day,
I bade my heart more constant be.
I bade it keep the world away,
And grow a home for only thee;
Nor fear'd but thy love likewise grew,
Like mine, each day, more tried, more true.
The fault was grave! I might have known,
What far too soon, alas! I learn'd—
The heart can bind itself alone,
And faith may oft be unreturn'd.
Self-sway'd our feelings ebb and swell—
Thou lov'st no more;—Farewell! Farewell!
Farewell!—and thou, thou lonely heart,
Which never yet without remorse
Even for a moment didst depart
From thy remote and spher{e}d course
To haunt the place where passions reign—
Back to thy solitude again!
Back! with the conscious thrill of shame
Which Luna felt, that summer-night,
Flash through her pure immortal frame,
When she forsook the starry height
To hang over Endymion's sleep
Upon the pine-grown Latmian steep.
Yet she, chaste queen, had never proved
How vain a thing is mortal love,
Wandering in Heaven, far removed.
But thou hast long had place to prove
This truth—to prove, and make thine own:
"Thou hast been, shalt be, art, alone."
Or, if not quite alone, yet they
Which touch thee are unmating things—
Ocean and clouds and night and day;
Lorn autumns and triumphant springs;
And life, and others' joy and pain,
And love, if love, of happier men.
Of happier men—for they, at least,
Have dream'd two human hearts might blend
In one, and were through faith released
From isolation without end
Prolong'd; nor knew, although not less
Alone than thou, their loneliness.
To Marguerite: Continued
YES! in the sea of life enisl’d,
With echoing straits between us thrown,
Dotting the shoreless watery wild,
We mortal millions live alone.
The islands feel the enclasping flow,
And then their endless bounds they know.
But when the moon their hollows lights,
And they are swept by balms of spring,
And in their glens, on starry nights,
The nightingales divinely sing;
And lovely notes, from shore to shore,
Across the sounds and channels pour —
Oh! then a longing like despair
Is to their farthest caverns sent;
For surely once, they feel, we were
Parts of a single continent!
Now round us spreads the watery plain —
Oh might our marges meet again!
Who order’d, that their longing’s fire
Should be, as soon as kindled, cool’d?
Who renders vain their deep desire?—
A God, a God their severance rul’d!
And bade betwixt their shores to be
The unplumb’d, salt, estranging sea.
'I came like water, and like wind I go'
Yes... and the words "willy nilly" come to mind, liberally sprinkled about that line somewhere.
Omar
Khayyám:
‘Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out by the same door where in I went.
With them the seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with mine own hand wrought to make it grow;
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd —
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go"
With them the seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with mine own hand wrought to make it grow;
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd —
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go".
Into this Universe, and Why not knowing
Nor Whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing;
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not Whither, willy-nilly blowing.’
15/03/2017: All is not lost: I see Pauline won nearly the same percentage of the vote in WA as the Greens (7.74%/7.86%) – pretty good really starting from nothing a few weeks ago, with a disastrous campaign - and being fatally tainted by an alliance with the Libs: https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/elections/state/sgelection#/sg2017/LCResultsByParty Also some interesting points here: https://spectator.com.au/2017/03/hanson-wot-won/ One thing is clear: Australian politics needs a really big shake up!
15/03/2017: Fantasies of our times:
‘Greens claim batteries will back up wind power.
But the one promised by Elon Musk would keep
14/03/2017: Upper Yarra Track Map: Here is a map showing the whole of the (Extended) Upper Yarra Track
from Lilydale all the way to Moe, approximately 250 km and 8-10 days:
14/03/2017: Canoe/ Motorbike Trailer: I modified our ancient 6’ x 4’ ‘box’ trailer to carry our two Old
Town Pack Angler canoes and my 225 cc Yamaha Serow motorcycle. I achieved this
with three simple ‘drop-in’ welded steel sections which come out/in in a minute
when you need the trailer for something else -
such as transporting sheep. It may not be apparent that I have welded
four pieces of box section to the corners of the trailer so that the two end
steel pieces simply slide in (and hold down the motorcycle track). It is a
simple and effective arrangement.
I can tie the second canoe right side up on top of the first one (shown). This arrangement proved perfectly sound even on rough 4WD tracks such as we often frequent. It gives us single car access to sections of river which we want to canoe together. I realise some aspects of it could be done much better (and the whole arrangement could be finished (and painted), but I don’t need to ‘get a life’. I already have one!
It was all done somewhat hastily so we could complete our Wonnangatta canoe trip – whilst there was water. See eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
14/03/2017: ‘Welcome darkness my good
friend
it’s good to meet you once again
Because the power grids are stressing,
that’s the reason for load shedding…’
– Shrish Viyas Hargoon
14/03/2017: As usual Willis Eschenbach has it all worked out so lucidly. What is wrong with Islam and what should be done about it. Three brilliant essays. Do read them:
https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/the-problem-with-islam/
https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/the-forever-wars/
https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/orthodox-hate-speech/
13/03/2017: If
there is a God, why does s/he allow evil in the world? The book of Job may have the answers (some truly great writing there
anyway). A thrilling essay, even for an atheist (like me): http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/16/misery-3
13/03/2017: Killer Bees: Yesterday afternoon we took a drive to Yanakie just doing some research for an idea of mind which I will call ‘The Great Gippsland Circuit’, a hiking trail which ‘circumnavigates Gippsland.
We drove down Red Bluffs Road to the beginning of the Marine & Coastal Park, took the track to the right, parked the car at a turning circle about 100 metres in.and got out. We were instantly attacked by these vicious black bees which we at first mistook for March flies. They just wanted to sting and sting for no reason at all. We desperately leapt back into the car. If we had been on foot I hate to think what would have happened – we probably wouldn’t be here to tell the tale!
Not a pretty sight (at best)!
My parents were apiarists, so I have had a lot to do with bees, but I have never encountered anything like this before. They just attacked and attacked – even though we were nowhere near their hive. At least it was not in clear sight of the car. It was just like when you knock a paper wasps’ nest down accidentally and they all go for you – but these were not wasps. They were bees. They left black stings in the bites. I did not notice any gold colour to them at all.
I will report this tomorrow to Parks Victoria. If this is some new type of bee, they need to be curtailed before they spread more widely.
Our bee attack wasn’t quite as bad as this one though: Dangerous Swarms - 'Africanized Bees Attack and Kill Man': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkkUYvn0VPs&spfreload=10
13/03/2017: The Great Gippsland Circuit: A hiking trail which ‘circumnavigates Gippsland. This is an idea I have been turning over in my mind for some time. Much of it is already in place, but someone (me?) needs to ‘join the dots’, work out connection water and resupply points, camping spots, track instructions, times and a map. It will take some time – and may be revised a number of times.
Gippsland is unquestionable the most beautiful area in
The Alpine Walking Track (Kosciosko to Mt Whitelaw) and
Upper Yarra Track (Mt Whitelaw to lilydale) constitute one long leg of the
trail. Other ‘bits’ in place include the Bundian Way (Bega to Kosciosko),
the Wilderness Coast Walk (Bemm River to Eden), the Bruthen to Orbost
Rail Trail, the Traralgon to Maffra Rail trail, The Grand Strzelecki Track, The
Great Southern and Tarra Rail Trail (eg Fish Creek to Yarram), the Old Port
Walking Track (Port Albert), various hiking circuits in Wilsons Prom (eg Tidal
River to Sealers Cove, Sealers Cove to Five Mile Beach? Five Mile Beach to
Johnny Souey to Tin Mine Cove, etc), existing beach walks (eg
Clearly the walk will be over 1,000 km long and will take
2-3 months. There will be many resupply points and many (public transport)
connection points, so that shorter sections of the track can obviously be
undertaken. There will be many places you can find paid accommodation,
restaurants etc as well as camping spots. It will take some time to work this
all out but you will survive and enjoy even if you just begin tomorrow and
carry on following your nose (and a map of
13/03/2017: Astonishing, Ruckelshaus, a name which should live in infamy as the greatest mass murderer in history with 100 million+ deaths to his ‘credit’ advises Trump to move to the left. More appropriately Ruckelshaus should be tried and convicted for his crimes against humanity as a warning to like folk who have proliferated like a plague for far too long: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/10/delingpole-mass-murdering-bureaucrat-tells-trump-run-epa/
12/03/2017: Hazelwood makes more power than all the wind farms taken together. It makes it cheaper, more reliably, and without killing a single bird. Without Hazelwood there will be electricity rationing or blackouts for years until a decision is made to replace it with new base load power stations. The decision to close it is economic and social madness. Why don’t we have a single political leader with the sense and courage to undo this monstrous wrong before we are doomed to such misery? The Greens and the Left of the Labor party will take us down the road to ruin: https://papundits.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/hazelwood-power-plant-closure/
12/03/2017: One problem proponents of the Welfare State have is they do not believe in the benefits of suffering, but just as it is salutary to have to work hard all day in the hot sun to remind folks where their food comes from (the normal lot of farmers such as I have been these over thirty years anyway!) it is also necessary to remind ‘entitlement’ folks every so often that someone else (who has to do the hard yard for them) is paying their way. Just as Pavlov showed long ago, a little goad now and then can aid learning a whole lot more than continuing to reward bad conduct ever will. The Welfare State was intended as a (small) safety net for those whose suffering could not be condoned (the very elderly, infirm, handicapped, etc). Over the years it has been extended and extended again till it includes over a third of the population (utterly improbable) and is long since totally unaffordable.
There is no way the nation’s finances can afford another generation’s extension of this absurd largesse. It has to be curtailed post haste before it consumes us quite, reverting to its primary role as a safety net for the few – whilst the overwhelming majority support themselves by meaningful work. It should remain a means of averting suffering, not a lifestyle choice: it is obscene and absurd to house welfare recipients (free) in accommodation which a large proportion of the workforce could not afford themselves from their strenuous endeavors – at least partly due to the onerous burden of taxation imposed on them to support the indigent – and like absurd socialist schemes.
Some
replies to the above:
Well said! Unfortunately there are now multiple generations who have received such handouts; and will expect them as normal. In systems such as yours and mine those people have a vote. So they will continue to vote for the right to reach into others pockets and take what they feel is their 'right' to take. And we are deemed evil if we complain about such things!
It seems now we have generational welfare recipients, and it seems we are ok with this. Hard work these days is obviously a choice, we have a choice to do whatever. Funny , years ago if you were offered an apprenticeship, you were pushed into it , security and all that , you had no choice, now you are asked" is this something you could find yourself doing?".... sheesh
Government intervention is unsustainable in the long term and it will eventually end in tears. I'm not advocating anarchy. However, money is being frittered away. If there is a problem, then throw money at it. The lack of thought and imagination is not a panacea for finding better sustainable solutions. Money just leads to dependence, and like other addictions in a consumer society leads to soft moral choices, and decline and fall.
Yes X, you are right: it will end in tears, like many similar social experiments. We will end up having been 'cruel to be kind' as for example, when we finally run out of 'other people's money' the 'poor will no longer be with us'; they will needs must simply die. It would be kinder by far to require their active participation in our society (supporting themselves - with all the dignity that brings, no matter how small their means).
12/03/2017: The
thing I find astonishing is the ATO's admission
that they have been supplying Centrelink with this data for over 20 years yet
no attempt was ever made to recover these huge overpayments. This measure
recovered $300 million in only the last half year. That's $12 billion of
overpayment over the last 20.
11/03/2017: Might as well sack the BOM & CSIRO if they are just political activists who invent data as they go along, as seems to be the case. Of course, as they are in complete charge of the data, they will be unlikely to be caught out (as they have in the past, as above or in the famous Ruthergen Temps case) in the future, which is why we have been having (what the BOM reported as) ‘the angry summer’ whilst anyone living though it would just have observed it as a pretty ordinary summer, perhaps a little cooler and wetter than usual, in fact. Our grass held on right throughout summer this year, what used to be pretty normal for Gippsland prior to the (not quite finished) ‘millennial drought’: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/03/10/australian-bureau-of-meterology-evidence-of-revision-of-solar-exposure-data-for-2013/
09/03/2017:
09/03/2017: First it was eco-friendly:
now it is eco-evil. Make up your minds Greenies: http://joannenova.com.au/2017/03/vw-eco-scam-official-corruption-is-killing-diesel/
09/03/2017: Another Andrews Disaster: Today he announced he will legislate to ban fracking. Yesterday he decided he would penalty tax folk with empty houses. The day before he was closing Hazelwood, cancelling East-West link and throwing away a billion doing it, throwing cash at his union mates, destroying the CFA…no wonder his government is crashing.
08/03/2017: Does Turnbull’s visit to
and adoration of Indo strike anyone else as a fatal echo of Neville
Cahmberlain’s visit to
08/03/2017: Hiking With Dogs #1: I am heading up the bush for a week soon with the two JRs, Spot and Tiny. Tiny is now 17, has slowed down a fair bit and has failing eyesight and hearing, so that she gets left behind a bit. She still has a good nose, so she is not going to get lost permanently. As she cannot hear me call, she can be a bit hard to find, so I decided I would buy one (actually three – for US$59!) of these: https://buy.thetrackr.com/ to help me find her.
They work off Bluetooth and are connected
via an App to your phone, so that you can make them sound a beep when you are
looking for them &/or your phone can also
At the moment they only have a range of
30-50 metres, but that is better than nothing (especially when I am deaf too!)
Soon there will be a new
Of course the dogs have their own Tyvek raincoats (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-jack-russell-rain-coat-13-grams/), down beds, groundsheets, ultra light bowls, dehydrated mince, Smackos & etc, etc. So far they have not been called upon to carry any of this gear (They are busy pointing out the deer!), but I could construct little packs for them I suppose. These ;little guys are so small I have to portage them across rivers as they would be swept away. I carry Tiny in an ultralight day pack worn pack to front (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/osprey-ultralight-stuff-pack/), Spot has mastered a trick of riding on my shoulders, like this:
08/03/2017:
08/03/2017: 11 Excuses to eat More bacon: http://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/bacon-recipes-dinner-gallery?mbid=nl_03042017_Daily_CTN_PM%20(1)&CNDID=12844525&spMailingID=10525526&spUserID=MTI5MTM2MDkwMjU1S0&spJobID=1120348227&spReportId=MTEyMDM0ODIyNwS2
07/03/2017: Side Insulation: Gossamer Gear’s Sitlight Pads are just great for this if you cut them in half lengthwise. They can be still used in your pack’s pad sleeve but when it comes time to make your bed, either on the ground or in your hammock, these little fellows will keep your elbows and shoulders toasty warm.
You lay them egg-crate side down to get maximum insulation. The egg-carton shape makes them effectively 2 cm or nearly an inch of foam, and all those little hills and hollows makes them ‘stick’ to your groundsheet or hammock so they don’t move around.
There are three sizes available now. Mine don’t seem to be any of those. Mine are 9 ¾ x 18 ¾ ( 25 x 48 cm) and weigh 34.5 grams. This is a pretty small weight penalty for the comfort they bring – and they still do double duty as a pack frame and a trail seat! Mine are also used as my dog’s mattresses, but you pretty much need to have a JR(as you should) if this is going to work for you.
See also:
http://gossamergear.com/sitlight-sit-pad-group.html
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/womens-are-great-in-bed/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/does-spot-like-to-hunt-deer/
07/03/2017: Nothing better to spend our money on, but I hope you are grateful that this awesome inequality will soon be addressed – mind you I would like to see lights which don’t discriminate against other sentient beings: sheep, dogs, camels… http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/equal-opportunity-stop-lights-for-melbourne/news-story/1bb7181aa7ee7f97c065e2a1cf6f0253
07/03/2017: Welfarism in the
06/03/2017: Donald J.
TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump :
‘Since November 8th, Election
Day, the Stock Market has posted $3.2 trillion in GAINS and consumer confidence
is at a 15 year high. Jobs!’ Amen to that!
06/03/2017: Interesting observation: “From the point of view of physics, it is a miracle that 7 million New Yorkers are fed each day without any control mechanism other than sheer capitalism.” John Holland, scientist, Santa Fe Institute.
06/03/2017: Article 19 from the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." The UN clearly had not heard of 18C!
05/03/2017: Womens Are Great in Bed: You have probably noticed before how much I have extolled the virtues of Thermarest’s wonderful sleeping pads. I particularly adore this one (the Noeair XLite Womens) as it as light as a feather (340 grams), ‘fits’ me perfectly at 20” x 66” (51 x 168 cm) and is superbly comfortable (moreso I think than my own bed) at 2.5” thick (6.3 cm) and warm enough to sleep on a block of ice (I have) with an R-rating of 3.9! https://www.thermarest.com/mattresses/womens-neoair-xlite
You will probably have glimpsed this little piece of yellow in many of my hiking photos, often folded up into a chair, eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-last-of-the-mountain-men/
I am about 5’8” so my heels just hang over the edge, and the rest of my body fits its mummy shape just about perfectly – which is what you want to make an inflatable pad super-comfy. I also think the horizontal tubes have an edge comfort wise over longitudinal ones but this may well be a subjective thing.
The first point is the most important one anyway: If you have surplus mat at the ends, sides or corners your weight will drive the air there and you will sink further into the mat. This means that the mat has to be inflated more to support your weight from sinking to the ground (usually your buttocks or hips) at the heaviest point.
To me a tightly inflated mat is less comfortable than one that is less so. I prefer a softer bed. I realise this may not be so for everyone, just most people, but if you are like me you will want to chose a mummy shaped pad and cut it to just 2” shorter than your actual height (as I explain how to do here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/modifyingshortening-hiking-mats/) so that it is both exquisitely comfortable and the minimum weight!
From Thermarest’s page:
‘Product Details
The women’s NeoAir XLite mattress delivers more warmth and comfort per ounce than any other three-season air mattress available. Cold sleepers will appreciate our Women’s version, featuring an added layer of our reflective ThermaCapture™ technology for added warmth. New softer fabrics bring better next-to-skin comfort and boost in durability with no added weight. For the discerning alpinist, thru-hiker or backcountry minimalist who’s counting every ounce, there is simply no better choice to assure the kind of rest you need to get done what you’ve got planned for tomorrow. Stuff sack and repair kit included.
Ultralight: Advanced fabrics and a tapered design make this the lightest 3-season backpacking air mattresses available, with no peer in its warmth-to-weight ratio.
Warm: Multiple ThermaCapture™ layers trap extra radiant heat for cold sleepers, without the bulk, weight or durability issues of down and synthetic fills.
Comfortable: 2.5” (6 cm)-thickness, soft-touch fabrics and baffled Triangular Core Matrix™ structure provide unrivaled stability and support.
Ultra-Packable: Low-bulk materials make the XLite mattress the most compact NeoAir mattress ever – as packable as a water bottle.’
PS: Repairs: Though they are quite tough you will inevitably manage to puncture your pad. Mine was punctured within a day of my having bought it by a certain puppy (you will have met Spot if you have been here before) grabbing it in his needle teeth and dragging it backwards out the dog door onto the front lawn where he engaged in a full-blown mock battle with it until I intervened. I have found that nothing beats cuben tape (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cuben-tape/) for patching holes in them, The cure is instantaneous, efficacious and has not had to be repeated (Spot is now four years old). This tape is also excellent for a wide range of other repairs (raincoats, tents etc) and should always be carried!
PPS: Thermarest also have a chair which will do this but I own the Big Agnes Cyclone Chair ( I think slightly lighter) which has served me as furniture for many years in many wild places: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/cyclone-chair/
PPPS: Another feature of inflatable mats is that you can get yourself and your pack (dry) across swollen rivers relatively safely with them by using them as a kick board. I have had to do this numerous times. Usually it is winter, so it’s not much fun, but if you need to cross...I usually take all my clothes and my shoes off first and put them inside my pack liner.
PPPPS:The RRP for this pad is US$159.95 if you buy it from the States and use (eg) Shipito (https://www.shipito.com/en/?id_affiliate=5249&countrycode=AU) to get it to Oz (Recommended).
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-soft-pillow-and-a-warm-bed-under-the-stars/
05/03/2017: Greenpeace is (arguably) the most evil,
disreputable organisation on the planet: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/03/03/dr-patrick-moore-was-right-greenpeace-is-full-of-shit/
05/03/2017: I know I probably
shouldn’t like this, but I do: William Wordsworth:
‘The World Is Too Much With Us’
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
05/03/2017: So Trump was right – there really was a lot
of vote rigging: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/us-virginia-voter-rolls-illegal-immigrants/2017/03/02/id/776576/
05/03/2017: The
05/03/2017: Fire Tent:
Further to my post about being able to light a fire in the rain, (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/) I have also long toyed with the idea of carrying/constructing a fire rain hat or raincoat so that heavy rain doesn’t put out your fire.
The two occasions when it is really important to be able to light a fire are when it is very wet and cold and when there is a bushfire approaching (so that you can create burned ground as a refuge!) On such occasions if you don’t have a lighter, or can’t light a fire you’re a dead duck. Smokers clearly have an advantage here over more sanctimonious folk, and even though I gave up smoking more than a generation ago (! – there is an interesting method of measuring time) I still always carry a ‘Mini-Bic’).
Above: Steve Hutcheson and myself Wonnangatta-Moroka Winter 2012
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-on-the-snow/
We always camp in a shelter which allows a fire outside. A tent is a cold, creeping thing to have to retreat to when you can sit/stand in a warm open shelter, drink rum, play games, read etc in front of a cheery fire – and with a warm back! If you pitch any rectangular tarp high you can have a (small) fire at one end (though the wind tends to catch the tarp if it isn’t pegged to the ground on at least 2/3 sides).
I think it should be possible to suspend over the fire (eg a 1 metre square) diamond of eg ‘Tyvek’ @ 1.75 ounces /square yard and a melting point of 800C. You need to be careful that the fire can’t ignite its ‘roof’ or use it as a wick to ignite your tent, but this shouldn’t be much of a problem in the rain. Set-up obviously needs to be when furled (a couple of rubber bands should achieve this) so you can pitch it over the fire when it is already lit. Weight should be able to be kept to less than 3 ounces (90 grams) including stakes and guys. Tyvek, with its 800C melting point should make a good material for this ‘rain hat’. It might be better to use the material that fire blankets are made from for this purpose.
A ‘Standard’ Australian Fire Blanket (cost approx A$20 such as has lived in our kitchen for 20+ years) appears to be made of woven fibreglass and measures exactly 1 metre by one metre and weighs 427 grams, so it will (pitched diagonally - like the tyvek shelter in the photo) make an excellent small waterproof shelter for a fire. The fact that it will reflect otherwise wasted heat straight back into your tent will also mean you use much less fuel and can have a much smaller, safer fire. I would use a stainless steel fishing ‘leader’ as the guy on that side of the tent (with a ring at an appropriate point on it to secure the top corner of the blanket) and pitch the fire tent over it and pegged to th ground on the other three sides.
I see now that someone is selling just such an idea, the Fire Defender (They even have an 'ultralight' version):
http://theupscout.com/gear/campfire-defender/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4RRYM5?m=A2CWO6R96322MU&ref_=v_sp_widget_detail_page
Above, their 'ultralight' version
You might be interested in buying some flame resistant fabric to make your own. You could look eg here; http://www.auburnmfg.com/product-category/mro/heat-resistant-cloth/
Tyvek Fire Tent’: We always camp in an open shelter
(something like the one above in he photo) with an open fire out the front. So
warm and cozy even on cold,wet days. This shelter is very easy to make. It
consists of a
I have a more compact model (shorter wings) made out of .48oz/yd2 cuben fibre which weighs 200 grams (as seen here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/)! This is my ‘always’ emergency tent which goes with me everywhere – even on day walks: so often these can turn into an overnight trip
I have spent a night sitting (on a piece of thick bark) in front of a fire in the open on frozen ground, in a light snowstorm wrapped only in one of those mylar ‘space blankets which fit inside your breast pocket (Never be without one!). It wasn’t very comfortable, and I didn’t get a lot of sleep – but I am still here to tell the tale. Expect things like this to happen to you, and be prepared!
Two of those ‘blankets’ can make quite a serviceable tent and a sleeping bag. You will need some dental floss or similar to make tie-outs: simply lasso (& capture with the material) a rolled up ball of earth or a gum nut etc with the floss and you can tie out to trees, rocks or sticks driven into the ground. I always carry some dental floss/Dyneema fishing line in my first aid kit (and a self-threading needle – old eyes, you see) for making repairs to my clothes, (hounds sometimes!) – or myself! See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pitching-the-poncho-warning-this-may-save-your-life/
05/03/2017: I think Dick the Butcher had it about right: From Henry VI, part 2,
Act 4, Scene 2:
‘CADE
Be brave, then; for your captain is brave, and vows
reformation. There shall be in
halfpenny loaves sold for a penny: the three-hooped
pot; shall have ten hoops and I will make it felony
to drink small beer: all the realm shall be in
common; and in
grass: and when I am king, as king I will be,--
ALL
God save your majesty!
CADE
I thank you, good people: there shall be no money;
all shall eat and drink on my score; and I will
apparel them all in one livery, that they may agree
like brothers and worship me their lord.
DICK
The first thing we do, let's kill all
the lawyers.
CADE
Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable
thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should
be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled
o'er, should undo a man? Some say the bee stings:
but I say, 'tis the bee's wax; for I did but seal
once to a thing, and I was never mine own man
since. How now! who's there?’
05/03/2017: Andrew
Hastie continues his defence of our freedoms in Parliament – a future Prime
Minister there, and the sooner the better: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/andrew-hastie-shames-the-free-speech-quislings/news-story/1f81333ae068f76e98ca8b311effcc1d
04/03/2017: A really
fascinating conjecture: Could a Single
Marine Unit Destroy the
04/03/2017: Watkin Tench on the First Fleet.
Compelling reading. It is one thing to write or invent history and quite
another to live it: http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ozlit/pdf/p00044.pdf
04/03/2017: Hard to believe this is a CNN poll: Two thirds of Americans believe this and 78% are positive about him. He really will be a great President: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/03/boom-speech-69-americans-say-trumps-policies-will-move-america-forward/
03/03/2017: Backcountry Radio: Most radios on offer will
just not cut it at all once you get a few miles from the broadcast tower. This
little gem has amazing sensitivity and will pull in stations from all over the
world. I have owned this little guy for over 10 years (and it looks like it).
It has been everywhere with me, provided me with countless hours of listening
pleasure (I’m not sure whether I have ever changed the two Duracell batteries)
and kept me in touch with world affairs, weather & etc. it is the Grundig
Mini 300 World band Receiver at 127 grams bare and takes two AA batteries.
It has now been replaced by the 400 mini weighing 91 grams using two AAA
batteries, a significant weight saving. Here is its Amazon listing: Pricey at
US$129.99 but it works, is durable, so it is worth it. https://www.amazon.com/Grundig-Compact-Shortwave-Digital-Display/dp/B001QTXKFG
Grundig Mini GM400 Super Compact
AM/FM Shortwave Radio with Digital Display (NGM400B)
- More details: AM/FM-stereo and shortwave bands
- Analog tuner, with digital display
- Digital display shows frequency, time, and alarm activation
- Clock and alarm function
Product Description
The ETON Mini GM400 Super Compact AM/FM shortwave radio features AM/FM-stereo and shortwave bands and an analog tuner with digital display. The digital display shows frequency, time, and alarm activation.Clock and alarm functions are also included. It runs on two AAA batteries (not included). Other features include: 3.5 mm headphone output; telescopic antenna for FM and SW reception; internal ferrite bar antenna for AM reception; DC input (5V). Includes: owner’s manual, warranty card, carrying case, and earphones. Dimensions: 2.75 inches x 4.3 inches x .472 inches.
From the Manufacturer
Grundig Super Compact AM/FM Shortwave Radio with Digital Display M400
A powerful shortwave radio with awesome features!
Super compact and light weight, the Mini 400 features AM/FM and shortwave radio frequencies. The analog tuner and easy-to-read digital display completes the simplicity of enjoying shortwave listening. Extend the telescopic antenna for better FM and SW reception and plug in a pair of headphones (included) to get a personal experience. It even has a clock and alarm function.
It's portable and versatile
The Mini 400 is a super compact radio that is perfect for all your adventures. Small enough to slip into a shirt pocket or backpack you can take it on your world travels or your daily hike. It keeps you informed and entertained with Shortwave as well as AM/FM and includes a sleep timer with alarm so you can wake to your favorite radio station. Digital display shows frequency, time and alarm activation. It even includes a telescopic antenna for FM and SW reception.
Anywhere is your playground with the MINI 400
It has an internal ferrite bar antenna for crisp and clear AM reception, anytime, anywhere. It has dual power sources: 2 AAA batteries (not included) and included DC input (5V). So the MINI 400 is the perfect companion for wild adventures or simple use at home.
Features:
- AM/FM-stereo and shortwave bands
- Analog tuner, with digital display
- Digital display shows frequency, time, and alarm activation
- Clock and alarm function
- 3.5 mm headphone output
- Telescopic antenna for FM and SW reception
- Internal ferrite bar antenna for AM reception
- Power source: 2 AAA batteries (not included)
- DC input (5V)
- Includes: owner's manual, warranty card, carrying case, earphones
- Another offering: https://countycomm.com/collections/radio/products/countycomm-gp-5-ssb-general-purpose-radio
85 grams plus 3 AA batteries.
03/03/2017: What Menzies believed: These are the values, as enunciated by Sir Robert Menzies in 1954 when founding the Liberal Party. Though we might express these ideals somewhat differently today, I misdoubt many Australians would take issue with any of them:
We believe in the crown as the enduring embodiment of our national unity and as the symbol of that other unity which exists between all the nations of the Commonwealth.
We believe in
We believe in the individual. We stand positively for the free man, his initiative, his individuality and acceptance of responsibility.
We believe in the rule of LAW Under it, there is freedom for the nation and for all men and women, Democracy depends upon self-discipline, obedience to the law, the honest administration of the law.
We believe in the spirit of the volunteer, This does not mean that we reject compulsion in matters in which a uniform obedience is needed by the community. But it does mean that the greatest community efforts can be made only when voluntary co-operation and self-sacrifice come in aid of, and lend character to the performance of legal duties.
We believe that rights connote DUTIES and that sectional and selfish policies are destructive of good citizenship.
We believe that it is the supreme function of government to assist in the development of personality, that today’s dogma may turn out to be tomorrow’s error and that, in consequence, the interests of all legitimate minorities much be protected.
We believe in liberty, not anarchy, but an individual and social liberty based upon, and limited by a civilised conception of social justice.
We believe the real conflict of our time is between the iron discipline of autocracy – whether communist or fascist – and the self imposed discipline of the free man. The spirit of man must prevail.
We believe that liberalism means flexibility and progress. Its principles and its spiritual and intellectual approach enable it to meet and deal with new and changing social and economic circumstances. By elevating the individual, it meets and defeats the terrible doctrine of the all-powerful State: a doctrine at once destructive, reactionary and negative.
We believe that improved living standards depend upon high productivity and efficient SERVICE and that these vital elements can be achieved only by free and competitive enterprise.
We believe that national financial and economic power and policy are to be designed to create a climate in which people may be enabled to work out their own solution in their own way and not to control other people’s lives.
We believe in the great human freedoms: to worship, to think, to speak, to choose, to be ambitious, to be independent, to be industrious, to acquire skill, to seek and earn reward.
We believe in social justice in encouraging the strong and protecting the weak, in widening opportunities for education, in the preservation of family life, in good homes owned by those who live in them.
We believe in religious and racial tolerance among our citizens.
We believe that all forms of industry, primary or secondary of otherwise, depend one upon the other and that their community of interest will be the guarantee of the nation’s growth.
We believe that under the blessing of divine providence,
and given the good-will, mutual tolerance and understanding, energy and an
individual sense of purpose, there is no task which
03/03/2017: The Child Abuse Royal
Commission has not found a single case against the three largest abusing
ethnicities: eg Aboriginal, Moslem, Indian…where it
is well-known to be endemic. The children deserve much better protection from
those in authority: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/02/child-abuse-royal-commission-ignores-abused-little-girls-if-theyre-muslim.html
02/03/2017: My Top Five Knives
1.
Gerber: 'LST Ultralight'
2. Outdoor Edge: 'Razor Blaze'
3. Deejo: '27g Minimalist 3in'
4. Leatherman: 'Micra'
5. Spyderco 'Honeybee'
I've
purchased and tested numerous pocket knives over the years. This is my current
top five that I use day to day (as you can see from the photo these aren't
brand new and have been used a countless number of times). Each has it's own
advantages depending on your need. You can read more about each of these knives
on my blog by following the links below. All are modesty priced workaday tools
which have served me very well...
1. Gerber: 'LST Ultralight'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gerber-knives-light-cheap/
2. Outdoor Edge: 'Razor Blaze'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/never-have-to-sharpen-yo…/
3. Deejo: '27g Minimalist 3in'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/deejo-minimalist-3in-fol…/
4. Leatherman: 'Micra'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/leatherman-micra-multito…/
5. Spyderco 'Honeybee'
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-perfect-keychain-kni…/
02/03/2017: Not
Fake News: Ask yourself why this is not on the front page in
02/03/2017: Halal
Scam Busted: Kirralee has a big win, and about time too. When do we start deporting these folk: http://pickeringpost.com/story/liar-liar-prayer-mat-on-fire/6949
02/03/2017: Donald is the best thing since sliced bread: From Maggies Farm today: ‘Is February 28, 2017, 'The Night the Democratic Party Died'?
I'm no longer a Democrat (it's been many years now), and though on the rarest of occasions I worried I'd made a mistake, Tuesday night watching the shell-shocked faces of the Democrats on the floor of Congress while Donald Trump delivered his magnificent speech, I knew I had made no error. I even wondered what was going on in my head in those isolated moments I doubted myself.
The Democratic Party members watching that speech looked like a party of the living dead. They didn't know how to react. They didn't know if they were Americans. They didn't know who they were.
In Congress speech, Trump stood to unify while Democrats sat to divide:
...despite delivering an unquestionably positive message, Democratic members like Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi glared, shaking their heads and scowling in apparent anger. Notable were moments when Trump proposed bipartisan positions like extending treatment opportunities for Americans addicted to drugs. Despite the uncontroversial nature of these policies, Democrats sat in defiance.
But Trump’s message of one
Democrats Refuse To Applaud America Putting Its Own Citizens First’
02/03/2017: Well Done Donald! Our crypto fascists in Councils, Catchment Management Authorities, EPA, water authorities & etc have been up to the same hi-jinks here stealing farmers’ water from their streams, rooftops and dams and forbidding them from digging even the shallowest of wells (no more than 10’ folks) on their land. They have even decreed (via the infamous ‘Drainage Act’ that you have to fence off and (natively) revegetate every drainage line on your property no matter how minor (we are not talking ‘rivers’ here) until you have no land at all left even to put your house – this has actually happened to a friend of mine! This has to stop. http://joannenova.com.au/2017/03/trump-takes-away-epa-right-to-control-every-puddle-in-usa-wotus-order/
02/03/2017: Toss another polie on the bbq: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/01/delingpole-polar-bears-are-a-pest-time-to-end-their-threatened-status/
02/03/2017: Note to Labor: This is the inevitable consequence of your excessive, obsessive wage demands: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-27/minimum-wage-massacre-wendys-unleashes-1000-robots-counter-higher-labor-costs
02/03/2017: Deejo Minimalist 3in Folder 27grams
This is the Deejo Minimalist 3 inch Folder weighing 27 grams (as configured). You could probably shave 3-5 grams off that by deleting the pocket clip, but you might also just ruin the knife, so don't. The pocket clip comes in handy anyway as it allows the knife to be worn on the outside of your clothing or pack where it is always ready for immediate use.
There is a bit of a story behind this particular knife. When Della and I traveled to NZ to walk the South Coast Track back in April 2016 (see: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-walk-in-fiordland/ and etc: Oh, Wow, It was so good!) when I went through the scanner I had forgotten that I had a credit card knife in my wallet, (one of these: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/small-thin-pocket-knives/ and they picked up on it - something which had not happened the last 2-3 times I had flown!
I always carry a knife - i have been a farmer for 40 years). It is just such a normal part of my life, of course I forget that I am carrying it. I just automatically put it on with my trousers every morning. I probably use a knife over ten times a day! When this has happened to me before (twice) they just let me check in my carry on luggage. This time I encountered the Gestapo. The airport police were called and they decided I had a concealed and prohibited weapon and were going to charge me. They kept me stressed out and on tenterhooks for three months over it despite my pointing out to them that they had mistaken a nearly 70 year old retired farmer for someone else entirely: a young thug or a potential terrorist perhaps. I suspect they are afraid to challenge these types and that I was an easy target.
Anyway, I found myself in NZ in the market for an ultralight knife to replace the wonderful Clive Sinclair Cardsharp (recommended, but maybe not legal!) so I just happened to buy the Deejo, and it has been in my pocket ever since. Its only disadvantage is that it is so small and light I sometimes have trouble finding it, but it works really well, and holds an edge brilliantly. Get one.
See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/my-top-five-knives/
Some more details:
'Light as a feather with the strength of a pocket sword, the Deejo is wildly efficient in action, in weight, in use and in portability. It's the pleasure of a perfect fit and performance in the service of utility. Select one to suit your specific needs, taste or personality.
The Deejo Naked is the famous ultra-light design in its purest form. Three exclusive weights, 15g, 27g and 37g, in mirror-finished steel or in tinted shades of matte titanium, in three ranges of varying materials. The Deejo Wood comes in 3 species of precious wood with beautiful grain designs. From the deep black of the grenadilla to russet hues of rosewood and the curves of juniper wood, subtly peppery in scent. The Deejo Colors comes in 8 eye-catching hues, one for every style or occasion. Dress the Deejo in bright color and sharp flashes, get it in its minimalist version with the Naked, or it's most luxurious with the Wood.
Ultra-light, ultra-flat, with a 420 stainless steel blade with titanium finish. It has a comfortable Polycarbonate handle, secure liner lock system, belt clip, and ample sized chisel ground blade. Polycarbonate is a thermal-resistant plastic with excellent mechanical properties and able to withstand temperatures of -135° to 135°C. It has a high degree of transparency which filters light better than glass for deep, vibrant colors. Safely slips into any bag or pocket with ease.
Specifications
- Blade Length: 3.0" (7.6 cm)
- Closed Length: 3.5" (8.9 cm)
- Blade Steel: 420 Stainless
- Overall Length: 6.5" (16.5 cm)
- Handle Material: 420 Stainless Steel and Black Polycarbonate
- Weight: 0.95 oz. (27 g)'
- Available: https://www.knifecenter.com/item/DEE9AP001/deejo-knives-color-white-polycarbonate-27g-folding-knife-satin-plain-blade-minimalist-design
01/03/2017:
01/03/2017:
01/03/2017: ‘We have reached a point of diminishing returns in our public life. Hardly anything actually needs doing. We may in fact be past that point; not only does nothing much need doing, but we'd benefit if much of what has been done were to be undone.’ John Derbyshire
01/03/2017: So long ago already: the Soviet union ended on
28/02/2017: Greenies burn more fossil fuel than everyone else! Doesn’t surprise me really. Folks who actively advocate murdering
one third of humanity are unlikely to have any good habits: http://joannenova.com.au/2017/02/solar-homes-use-more-grid-electricity-than-non-solar-homes/
28/02/2017: Our energy and economic policies are turning us into
another
28/02/2017: Don’t doubt there is just as much crookedness happening in our own immigration programmes: http://www.weaselzippers.us/323931-secretary-of-state-whistleblower-i-have-seen-first-hand-the-abuse-and-fraud-in-the-u-s-refugee-program/
27/02/2017: Adventure Unlimited: https://gearjunkie.com/mike-horne-pole2pole-expediton
27/02/2017: THIS
guy was great: Henry Louis Mencken
(1880-1956): "I believe that liberty is the only genuinely valuable
thing that men have invented, at least in the field of government, in a
thousand years. I believe that it is better to be free than to be not free,
even when the former is dangerous and the latter safe. I believe that the
finest qualities of man can flourish only in free air – that progress made
under the shadow of the policeman's club is false progress, and of no permanent
value. I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping
is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in
however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave." Also see: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/H._L._Mencken
27/02/2017: Turnbull is costing $3 million to live in his harbourside mansion. Remember when Tony Abbott bunked in with the troops to save us money? Bring back Tony: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/security-costs-of-malcolm-turnbulls-kirribilli-snub-put-at-3m/news-story/40eaf7fb074d66719c40913a2cb2dae5
26/02/2017: Inflatable Bathtub Groundsheet: The lack of a bathtub floor is one of the chiefest comparative drawbacks of tarp camping vs tenting. I have been toying with this idea for some time. I used to usually collect some suitably lengthed dead branches and drape the edges of the tarp over them on the appropriate uphill side if rain threatened to inundate the ground.
I played with various means of suspending the edges of the tarp with mitten hooks attached to the tarp. This works but is awkward and slow with my arthritic fingers, then I thought, what if I made an inflatable tube which circumnavigates the tarp? I thought this was a genius idea till I Googled it and found someone else had already been there before me. https://www.esvocampingshop.com/en/air-barrier-tent-ground-sheet-inflatable/ Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I did come up with the idea independently though. Theirs is quite heavy and only really suited to car camping not hiking.
Before I ever looked to see if there was such a thing I was thinking mylar or silnylon (both possibilities still – further experimentation needed), then I hit on the DIY packraft site I posted about here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-diy-pack-raft/ and realised they could supply the materials for the tube and valve and that I could simply sew this to the edge of my 1.3 oz/yd2 silnylon tarp then seam seal the join.
Unfortunately the lightest heat sealable material (eg from http://www.seattlefabrics.com/nylons.html) is (I believe) 3 oz/yd2. I would need a tube 22’ long to circle double (7’ x4’) groundsheet. If I wanted the tube to be 2” in diameter, this would mean the tube would be in excess of 11ft2 or 1.3yds x 3 = 4 oz plus the 1.3 oz/yd2 silnylon 3yds x 1.3 = 3.9 Total 7.9oz or approx 240 grams. Good, but too heavy. If I can make the whole thing out of silnylon the first figure will become (1.3 x 1.3) 1.69 oz giving a total of 5.6 oz – or approx 160 grams. Much better.
A silnylon dry bag seems to hold air quite well though it is not designed to, so I suspect that if I glue up a tube of silnylon it will serve quite well, even if I have to add additional silicon as in this post: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/waterproofing-tent-floors-and-ground-sheets/
Why not try it yourself, and get back to me?
PS: This groundsheet will go very well with this tarp:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/poly-tent-by-the-ultralight-hiker-on-the-cheap/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/make-your-own-tarp-or-hammock/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/henrys-original-tarptent-tarptent-for-2/
I realise this inflatable tube could be added to my Holeless poncho to make it into a better groundsheet: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hole-less-ponchoshelter/ eg for my http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-deer-hunters-tent/
PS: As with my other design ideas, feel free to make one yourself but if you want to manufacture them I would appreciate some credit.
26/02/2017: Waterproofing Tent Floors and Ground Sheets: I have mentioned this brilliant idea before but apparently I had not done a post about it. Jim Woods has this great treatment which dramatically increases the waterproofness of silnylon (or other) tent floors or groundsheets. It simply involves mixing some (tube) silicon with odourless turpentine (ratio approx 1:3), painting it on and waiting for it to dry. I have done this myself and it works well. Simple, but highly effective. More details here: A Treatment for Silnylon Floors: http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html as mentioned here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/trapped-by-flood-waters/
26/02/2017: The Silverback: This is the new Gossamer Gear 58 litre pack. Total weight (Medium) 1060 grams with removable options, ie bare = 595 grams (ie without lid, hipbelt pad and frame).
This new pack is the ‘Big Daddy’ of the Gossamer Gear Gorilla (48 litre total) pack which I reviewed some time ago eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-bush/ I also pointed out here http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pimping-a-gorilla/ that you could leave the aluminium pack frame at home and attach a much simpler hip belt and switch in the Air Beam pad for the Sitlight pad to reduce the weight to 644 grams, a very acceptable weight for a 48 litre pack.
If you performed the same mod on the Silverback you would have a 58 litre pack (and left the lid at home which weighed 651 grams, meaning the extra approx ten litres has cost you just 10 grams, not very much for all that space! If the Silverback lives up to the wonderful standards of past Gossamer gear packs – I started many years ago with their redoubtable G4 – and I’m sure it will, you will have an outstandingly robust and comfortable ultralight pack at a very reasonable price (from US$215) http://gossamergear.com/silverback.html
If you add some tie outs to this pack (as I did with my Gorilla: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/attaching-tie-downs-to-your-pack/) and you utilise some compression bags ( http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-tardis-folding-space/) this pack will suit you for the longest expedition. I would be able to carry all my gear and supplies for an unsupported month with this pack.
More good news: Gossamer Gear have listened to my suggestion (above) about lowering the weight of the hipbelt and now offer a much lighter, simpler hipbelt with pockets http://gossamergear.com/fast-belt.html at 82 grams and US$21. It looks something like this:
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-hiking-gear/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/dusky-track-canoeing-the-seaforth/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hip-belts/
PS: If you find some discrepancy between Gossamer Gear’s stated volumes for this pack and mine, note that GG do not state the volume any of its packs above the extension collar ( approx 8 litres) or in some cases the volumes of the pockets (my estimate: 13 litres).
25/02/2017: Ultralight Hiking USB cables, etc: This is my tiny bag of cables and other electronic goodies. The cable (17 grams) is only 6″ (15 cm) long and comes with interchangeable tips (5 grams each). Shown USB, micro USB (x2) and Sat Phone charger plug (comes with, so total = 27 grams) – this will get all my hiking devices charged on the trail: phone, camera, torches http://www.theultralighthiker.com/11-gram-rechargeable-head-torch/, sat phone, sat messenger, or etc). Also see below it a 5 gram white USB/Micro USB SD (& micro SD) card reader – great for sharing files on the trail (eg someone else’s photos. Also a couple of spare micro SD cards and adapter/s and a 3 gram case for extra photo etc storage – just in case I get the opportunity to make a movie about Fiordland moose! Note to self: I can save 4 grams here! The solar set-up below can recharge a couple of AA/AAA batteries and all these devices as I walk along.
NB: Solar charging http://www.theultralighthiker.com/powerfilm-usb-aa-solar-charger/ (well charging in general) did not work at all well at high altitude (as on my Everest Base Camp trip), though it works fine at home in the Victorian mountains (never above 2,000 metres), and usually much less – there will be a future post about this, but to cut a long story short; everyone’s batteries discharged (even when not in use) at at least twice the normal rate in Nepal, eg: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/i-saw-below-me-that-golden-valley/
Weights:
Cable inc sat phone tip 17 grams
2 x micro USB tips 5 grams ea
USB/Micro USB reader 5 grams
3 micros SD cards, adapter, case 5 grams
Cuben stuff sack 2 grams
Total 39 grams.
Solar pack setup. See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/attaching-tie-downs-to-your-pack/
I bought the cable and adapter tips from these folk: http://www.tekkeon.com/products.html
Some other Tekkeon tips: Adapter Tips: http://www.tekkeon.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=15
They also sell this interesting AA charger: http://www.tekkeon.com/products-tekcharge1580.html
125 grams Uses AA alkaline or rechargeable batteries TekCharge MP1580
doubles as a battery charger, so you can charge your rechargeable NiMH or
lithium batteries as needed.
They also have a number of power banks such as this one: http://www.tekkeon.com/products-tekcharge1820-specs.html
125 grams for 4800 mAh
This is a reasonable weight for a power bank (I will also have a later post about them), but my spare battery for my Samsung Galaxy S4 camera weighs 35 grams for 2900 mAh, so about 15 grams per each amp hour. At that rate of conversion a 4800 mAh power bank should weigh less than 90 grams! I need to walk around the city sometime with an electonic scales in my posket weighing these ubiquitous little guys. I have done very poorly searching eg for ‘lightest power bank’ on the net. Good luck with that! But, if you have better information, please let me know.
I figure you need a minimum of approx. twice the capacity of your phone, so likely over 6000mAh. This would need to weigh (much) less than the above solar setup or this lighter version, the Bushnell Solarwrap Mini: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/charging/ which can be cut down by about 7 grams and still attach to your pack (as above) so will weigh < 80 grams for 1,000 mAh, plus whatever the sun delivers!
25/02/2017:
25/02/2017: Don’t doubt there is just as much crookedness happening in our own immigration programmes: http://www.weaselzippers.us/323931-secretary-of-state-whistleblower-i-have-seen-first-hand-the-abuse-and-fraud-in-the-u-s-refugee-program/
25/02/2017: Frackers have done more than the Sierra Club ever did: https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/257593/
24/02/2017: The 'Addled Parliament' of 1614 (in the reign of James 1) was so named by him because it would not vote to pass some of his more exorbitant financial measures...MORE 'addled Parliaments', please!
24/02/2017: Fun with condoms: https://twitter.com/ziyatong/status/830222109477584896
24/02/2017: More fun from Joan Rivers: ‘I caused my husband's heart attack. In the middle of lovemaking I took the paper bag off my head. He dropped the Polaroid and keeled over, and so did the hooker. It would have taken me half an hour to untie myself and call 911, but fortunately the Great Dane could dial.’
24/02/2017: So much (still) to learn from Kipling (and from Willis);
‘It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say: --
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."
And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.’ https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/23/paying-the-dane-geld/
23/02/2017: The ‘dangers’ of radiation exposure: There have been a number of indications low level does of radiation might well be good for you, here is one: ‘during this 20-year period there would have been an expected 232 cancer deaths from natural causes in this group of 10,000, plus a further 70 deaths from radiation induced cancer, for a total of 302 deaths. The observed number of cancer deaths in this group over this period was 7, or 2.3% of the expected death rate. Similarly, in this population group over 20 years there would have been an expected 46 cases of children born with some form of congenital malformation, such as Down’s syndrome or cerebral palsy. The observed number was 3, or about 6.5% of the expected rate.
While a reduction in the expected cancer death rate of, say, five or ten percent is within the range of normal statistical variation, a reduction of nearly 98% verges on the improbable. Similar considerations apply to the 93.5% reduction in birth defects. Almost certainly something intervened in this group to cause these startling reductions, and while one cannot definitively state that it was due to the elevated radiation background, it is difficult to see what else it could have been.
The
23/02/2017: Don’t try this at home: http://heatst.com/life/the-latest-sex-trend-spraying-vaporized-liquid-nitrogen-on-your-genitals/
23/02/2017: Why haven’t all the bees disappeared? It turns out the neonics ban is just another ‘Silent Spring’ scam, this time‘only’ costing a few billion dollars (and some environmental damage) & not the 100 million or so lives lost as a result of the wicked DDT ban: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/neonicotinoids-and-bees/
22/02/2017: You know I’m sure that I consider Larry Pickering a National Treasure and was quite sad when I learned months ago that he had (terminal) lung cancer. I am even more delighted this morning tomearn that he has self-cured it! This is not the sort of stuff I normally believe, so I will just pass it on without comment: http://pickeringpost.com/story/what-works-/6928
22/02/2017: It certainly is questionable giving Indonesia billions which they spend on acquiring submarines and fighter jets – but how much are those subs costing them if they get more than one for $1 billion? Our own submarine programme looks pretty lame beside that: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2017/02/australia-gives-indonesia-365m-this-year-while-indonesia-is-buying-russian-fighter-jets-why.html http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2017/02/australia-gives-indonesia-365m-this-year-while-indonesia-is-buying-russian-fighter-jets-why.html
22/02/2017: I agree with Miranda, ‘Something is seriously awry when the guy who is horrified about the gang rape of women is portrayed by the mainstream media as unhinged and is mocked for his concern by a political class that has failed to protect those women.’ I suspect most people will. The left wing media and elites have brought us this ‘refugee problem’ and the majority of the population wants to be rid of it: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/trump-was-right-about-sweden-so-ignore-the-predictable-ridicule/news-story/c05e16875de9bf7ebaff75b64f96b4f2
21/02/2017: All you need to know about oil: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/02/18/oil-where-did-it-come-from/
21/02/2017: The NBN is turning out to be complete economic folly, a loss (of capital) to taxpayers of at least $20 billion for zero gain. The submarines at $50 billion and rising are even worse, yet we could not afford the much more modest cost of an automotive industry or new coal fired power stations – and so much of this debacle is down to that ‘genius’ Turnbull. He has to go: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/nbn-losses-could-hit-20-billion/news-story/b8db5ae76b535bc96400d4ebb108ee79
21/02/2017: An excellent paper by Prof Parkinson in support of
marriage, (such a good idea) noting that the
alternative (such as we have now) is economically and socially unsustainable
and that eg 'Action therefore needs to be taken...to support the goal of
promoting safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and adults
and to eliminate perverse incentives to choose family forms that may not be
optimal as a context for raising children' and noting that 'The costs of family instability are not just borne by individuals. They are
to a very significant extent borne by taxpayers, who provide income support for
many parents and their children, pay substantial administrative costs in
ensuring income transfers through the child support system, and bear more of
the costs of caring for the elderly than would be necessary if a greater number
of marital and quasi-marital relationships remained intact' That last point is
so often overlooked; I also like the use of the adjective, 'perverse'. Quite
so: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1992740
20/02/2017: Hip Belts: On packs can often weigh more than the pack I usually carry (a Zpacks Zero in Dyneema with pad sleeves, tent, bottle and back pocket at 300 grams + various other mods such as gear attachment straps, internal pockets, etc) so you need to think carefully about whether you need them, what type you need and how much they weigh.
The first important point: if you are somewhat overweight (as I have been much of my life) you will probably be better off with a reasonably simple thin (say 1” – 25mm) webbing belt which will add maybe 30 grams to your pack weight, such as I added to my Gossamer gear Gorilla. If you are thinner, a wider belt will probably suit you best (whilst a wider belt will slip down and not transfer load at all if you are overweight). Indeed if you try to cinch it in tight enough to do any meaningful load transfer, it will restrict your movement tremendously. Be warned!
Ray Jardine advises having no hipbelt at all on an ultralight pack as they restrict your natural gait and rhythm - and why would you need any load transfer at such weights anyway! For an overnight or weekend pack I'm sure he is quite right!
Here is my Zero with lots of added features all ready for my Everest trip:
You need to think carefully about whether you need pockets in the hipbelt (there are only so many things you need to reach on the trail, surely?) and how much the pockets weigh. If you are a tad overweight it might be quite awkward to access such pockets anyway so that their extra weight will be quite surplus if you can't use them.
The padding and material hipbelts are constructed from also add a lot to their weight. As I said at the start a wider padded hipbelt can easily add 300 grams to your pack weight (or most of a day’s food!) so you need to give this some serious thought. My wife Della is slim as a whip, so she likes a wider padded belt.
We fitted this one from Zpacks Zero options to her pack for a weight gain of around 50 grams. You will note that their belt pouches need add only 21 grams per pouch, so if your padded belt with pockets is adding more than 90 grams, it is just too darned heavy!
Zpacks Ultralight belt pouch:
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/powerfilm-usb-aa-solar-charger/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/to-the-roof-of-the-world/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pimping-a-gorilla/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/backpacking-gear-advice/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/attaching-tie-downs-to-your-pack/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-pack/
20/02/2017: ‘The child is a sort of vicious, innately cruel dwarf.’ Michel Houellebecq. I’m glad my kids weren’t like that: http://althouse.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/the-child-is-sort-of-vicious-innately.html
20/02/2017: Interesting facts about whales: ‘There are bowhead whales still alive in arctic that were born long before Moby Dick was written in 1851…Thirty four years ago, scientists counted 1,200 (bowhead) whales. Today there are about 14,000 of the mammals out there.’ http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-are-whales-alive-today-who-were-born-before-moby-dick-was-written-660944/#.UwFWUVflt8s.twitter
19/02/2017: The Umbrella Redesigned:
Blunt umbrellas may not be the cheapest umbrellas but they may well be the sturdiest. They have been wind tunnel tested to not fail in Force 9 winds and have a two year warranty. If you are seeking a hiking umbrella which will not fail you in the wilds, this may be the choice. It may be heavier than some of the other choices (eg http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hiking-in-the-rain/), but if it never lets you down, the extra weight will be worth it!
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-importance-of-a-roof/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/vapor-barrier/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/rain-skirt/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tyvek-jack-russell-rain-coat-13-grams/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultra-cheap-ultralight-rain-gear/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/new-cuban-fibre-raincoat/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-avoid-being-wet-cold-while-camping/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/why-you-should-get-your-feet-wet-when-hiking/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wet-weather-pull-on-boots/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/interesting-wet-weather-fire-starter/
‘A
Stronger, Safer Umbrella
Frustrated by the number of umbrellas that end up in landfills, the folks behind New Zealand-based Blunt set out on a mission: to make an umbrella that actually works—one that won’t break in a storm, when you need it most. The result? The Metro, the company’s flagship travel model, made to stand up to wild weather in the city or the great outdoors. It measures 14 inches long when closed and opens to a 37-inch diameter, offering 900 square inches of coverage from rain or sun. Every umbrella is wind-tunnel tested in 55-mile-per-hour (or Force 9) winds. And because you probably won’t carry yours through a wind tunnel, Blunt performs real-world testing, too.
Built-to-Last
Construction
All Blunt umbrellas feature a unique Radial Tensioning System that redirects,transfers, and distributes the effort used in opening the umbrella throughout the entire canopy surface. This robust, aerodynamic structure prevents the wind from throwing your canopy in all directions, and the company’s patented safety tips ensure you’ll never accidentally jab a passerby again. Following a rigorous 38-point quality check, the umbrellas show—as Wired puts it—an “architectural integrity as unbroken as the dome of St. Peter’s.”
Specs
- Blunt
- Material, canopy: Quick-dry polyester, UVR classified
- Material, shaft: Anodized aluminum
- Material, handle: TPR (rubber)
- Diameter: 37 in (94 cm)
- Coverage: 900 sq in (5,806 sq cm)
- Length when closed: 14 in (36 cm)
- Weight: 12.8 oz (363 g)
- Two year Warranty’
Available here: https://www.bluntumbrellas.com/au/xsmetro
On Massdrop at the moment for US$34.99: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/blunt-metro?referer=EJ89BQ
Reviews:
https://www.wired.com/2010/02/pr_blunt_umbrella/
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Umbrella-Reviews/Blunt-XS-Metro
19/02/2017: More and more polies. Polies everywhere: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/fake-warming-scare-polar-bears-actually-increasing/news-story/6444b6031c0eda3129c0fbe616f7228c
19/02/2017: Thomas Sowell on personal responsibility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFpY24ldQmU&feature=youtu.be
18/02/2017: Found Space: Underneath our caravan sink was a mess of plumbing. As you can see a large fitting and poorly routed hose stole most of our already limited storage space. I purchased the much shorter and more compact fitting online and installed it myself (rerouting the drain hose in the process) and now have space for another storage box.
Before:
A comparison of the two fittings. The white one is nearly 120 mm tall and the one on the right is 35 mm.
Lots more space now:
The plumbing which remains still leaves much to be desired but it would be lots of work now for little gain (save neatness) but when the caravan was being manufactured it would have been (relatively) easy to install the plumbing in a workmanlike and tidy fashion and to have the caravan delivered with storage containers which actually fitted the space. Every caravan whose cupboards I have opened seems to have just the same issues – yet many folk paid tens of thousands of dollars (more) for their vans than we have.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/girard-tankless-water-heater/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/staircase-for-camper/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tray-top-camper/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/tray-back-campers-and-other-heavy-loads/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/twin-shock-absorbers/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/second-air-bead-locks/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mobile-phone-antennae/
18/02/2017: Libs may yet save Hazelwood: Be Quick! http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/government-now-wants-to-make-the-coalfired-power-it-ruined/news-story/d3f77703971e59f76d4e3c5d14be79ac
18/02/2017: Use by dates are nuts: We often open and use cream which is weeks, even months out of date. For UHT, dehydrated and canned food, I can’t imagine what folks think could go wrong. Apparently the appearance, smell, taste test is just too dangerous and all this perfectly good food should just be trashed. Something needs to change, that’s for sure: https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2017/02/15/use-by-on-your-milk-may-start-to-actually-mean-something-soon/
18/02/2017: Before you decide that paedophiles should all be killed, meet Zachary who faces 350 years in prison because he was sent five photos of an underage girl in her underwear: http://reason.com/blog/2017/02/14/teen-girl-sends-teen-boy-5-pix-of-self-i
17/02/2017: Vargo Titanium Knives: Vargo now have
a 2.7” (68mm) fixed blade knife which weighs 28 grams (inc sheath) and a 2 ¼”
(57mm) folder at 30 grams. https://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-wharn-clip-knife.html
& https://www.vargooutdoors.com/ti-carbon-folding-knife.html The RRP on
these beauties is US$59.95 (though they are available on Massdrop for
US$44.99). These knives would be hard to beat for the ultralight hiker.
PS: I always carry a fixed blade knife for its ability to split wet wood
for emergency fire lighting. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/how-to-light-a-fire-in-the-wet/
& http://www.theultralighthiker.com/fire-on-the-snow/
Some more specs:
Fixed Blade:
- Material, blade: Japanese titanium alloy
- Single-bevel grind
- Wharncliffe point
- Integrated carrying clip
- Hardness: Rockwell C 50
- Sheath: Kydex
- Blade length: 2.7 in (69 mm)
- Blade thickness: 0.1 in (3 mm)
- Overall length:: 5.4 in (138 mm)
- Knife weight: 0.7 oz (20 g)
- Overall weight: 1 oz (28 g)
Folder:
- Material, blade: Japanese titanium alloy
- Material, handle: Carbon fiber
- Wharncliffe point
- Double-bevel grind
- Liner lock
- Lanyard hole
- Hardness: Rockwell C 50
- Blade length: 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
- Blade thickness: 0.1 in (0.25 cm)
- Total length, opened: 5.5 in (14 cm)
- Total length, closed: 3.3 in (8.4 cm)
- Weight: 1
oz (30 g)
17/02/2017:
17/02/2017: The End of Democracy: James
Burnham saw how this would work out back in 1941. It sounds awfully familiar
today: ‘The many nations that are in fact being absolved will remain
existent in name; they can function as administrative subdivisions, but have no
sovereignty.’ https://gatestone.eu/the-end-of-european-democracy/
16/02/2017: Henry Shires’ Tarptent: This is one of the best and cheapest DIY tents around. With Henry’s permission I am reprinting his full instructions here: ‘The following document has appeared in print since 1999 and details plans for making your own tarptent. While neither is as easy to set up, nor is as storm and wind resistant as the next generation Tarptents, these tents are excellent do-it-yourself projects for even the first-time sewer. We will be happy to offer tips and suggestions should you decide to make one.
The Tarptent sleeps 1+ (me, gear, +) and weighs 18 ounces complete with poles, stakes, tie lines etc. The Tarptent-for-2 sleeps 2 (or huge for one), weighs 24 ounces complete including generous beak, and has some additional room for gear. Both tents are floor-less, completely screened with zipper opening door and made from 1.1 oz silicone-coated nylon. Here's everything you need to know to make your own.https://www.tarptent.com/tarpdesign.html
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IntroductionA goal of every ultralight backpacker is to carry a comfortable shelter that offers maximum protection from wet weather and bugs, while minimizing weight, difficulty of setup, and cost. The Tarptent is my solution to the problem.
Shelter ComparisonThere are three traditional shelter types. Here is a summary of their relative performance. My rankings are subjective.
Each shelter type excels in certain categories. The tarp is at or near the top in all categories except bugs. My goal was to create a modified tarp that eliminated the bugs while maintaining excellence in all other categories. The Tarptent weighs about 18 ounces, sleeps one person plus gear, and costs about $60 to make. The Tarptent-for-2 costs costs a few dolllars more. Disclaimer: Snowy, winter conditions create additional shelter needs. The Tarptent will be fine in light snowstorms but is NOT intended for winter use. All in the FabricWhile researching tents for myPacific Crest Trail thru-hike, I found and subsequently purchased a tent from Stephenson (603-293-7016), a producer of very light, high quality, but expensive tents. This bug-tight, 4-season tent weighs just over 3 pounds (less if you don't get the extra window screening), sleeps 2 very comfortably, and offers easy setup. It would rate a "4" in nearly all categories except cost. At 1.5 lbs/person, it's hard to beat, except if you're hiking solo. What really got me thinking about making my own tent was the Stephenson tent material. Stephenson tents are able to achieve their remarkable lightness because they use 1.4 oz./sq. yd. silicone coated ripstop nylon. Urethane coated nylons weigh well over 2 oz./sq. yd, some approaching 3 oz/sq. yd. While this may not sound like much of a savings, it really starts to add up when your tent contains 10+ sq. yds of material. The Stephenson catalog offers the 1.4 oz. fabric for sale. It also references the material that was used in previous model years but discontinued because of an apparent problem with the supplier's ability to meet demand. This material is 1.1-ounce silicone-coated nylon (silnylon). Silnylon is available now from several mail order suppliers, and it is the material I used to make my Tarptent. It is very strong, extremely lightweight and must, of course, be protected from abrasion to withstand extended use. Update 9/5/01: "1.1-ounce" refers to the fabric weight before the coating is applied. Actual fabric weight is variable, depending on manufacturer, and can range from 1.3 to 1.5 ounces/ sq. yd. This variability will impact the final Tarptent weight by up to 1 ounce. Recently I have begun using a silicone-coated, "zero-porosity, high performance rip stop nylon fabric" from Aerodyne Research Corp that is used for parachutes. It's called Zero Porosity Fabric (ZPF) and the company claims that it weighs 1.3 ounces/ sq. yd. On my scale it weighed 1.5 ounces/sq yd. My last batch of "1.1-ounce" silnylon from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics also weighed 1.5 ounces/sq yd. so either my scale is off or the variability is just to be expected. What's great about the ZPF fabric is that it has a smooth, rather than slippery, finish and is MUCH easier to sew than standard 1.1-ounce silnylon. Sort of like the difference between matte and glossy photographic paper. This fabric is extremely strong--you wouldn't want your parachute to be weak--but seems to have a bit more elasticity than standard silnylon. The 3-point rear pullout on the Tarptent-for-2 is designed to eliminate the small amount of extra sag caused by the increased elasticity. Your mileage will vary. Anatomy of a DesignWhen I started working on this design, I began with an Integral Designs 8'x5' 1.1-ounce silicone coated tarp. It weighed about 6 oz, cost $50, and came with all the guyline pullouts already installed. I created a simple a-frame design, using 26" straight poles (I-poles) in the front and back. I sealed the triangular open ends with coated nylon doors, bounded at the apex by small mosquito netting vents for ventilation. I sewed one door edge to the tarp and used Velcro to attach the other edge for easy opening and closing . A groundcloth formed the floor of the enclosure. I attached guylines to the front and back and staked all 4 corners to the ground. There was just enough room to wriggle in and out of the tent and it kept the bugs out. Serviceable, cheap, lightweight, no view and no fun. It also suffered from condensation and showered on me when I brushed the material while exiting the tent. Next I decided to raise one long side of the tent and add mosquito netting along the entire length. This increased ventilation and provided a bit of a view. It also dramatically increased floor space while extending the drip line away from the interior. Original Design Raised Side Modification
I modified the door and added guylines along the edge of the raised side at the corners and in the middle. While testing this tent I discovered that the netting actually blocks most of the driven rain. Small spray that gets through the netting will not reach more than a foot or so into the interior so as long as you keep the groundcloth/sleeping bag away from the netting you will stay dry. Subsequently I changed the front and back doors to all netting to increase ventilation and views with minimal increase to rain exposure. The original 8' x 5' tarp was then transformed into something like this:
I field tested this tent on a '98 JMT hike and it performed quite well. I still got a few drips of condensation when exiting the tent and I couldn't sit up to move around, eat, or put on a shirt. I yearned for more freedom of movement. This time I needed my calculator and a little help from simple trigonometry. I wanted to maintain the floor space but increase the headroom without adding much to the overall weight. By raising the front and lowering the rear I added less than 7 sq. ft. (less than 1 ounce) but increased headroom by 1 foot. I'm 5'11" and can just sit up in the Tarptent. So without further ado, here's how to make your very own 18-ounce Tarptent™.
Materials
A good place to order materials is Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics (1-800-693-7467). Poles can be assembled from sections available at REI and other sources. My local REI did not have the grommet tips when I inquired so I had my poles custom made by TA Enterprises (1-800-266-9527) for about $10. Pole Notes: Adjustable Trekking poles can also be used. If you turn the poles over you should be able to insert the pole tips into the existing grommets. Adjust the poles to match the specs for the front and rear heights (though most trekking poles will not collapse down to 20" and you'll have to get creative to use one for the rear). For those using Glen
Van Peski's G4 pack, the 18" or 20" The PlansThe following designs are intended for 1 person and gear (Tarptent) or 2 people and some gear (Tarptent-for-2). The Tarptent can sleep two in a pinch but the Tarptent-for-2 is intended for extended 2-person use or as a more luxurious shelter for one.
Fabric Dimensions: Cut 2 identical pieces of silnylon. Click here for printable pattern.
Cut 4 pieces of no-see-um netting. Click here for printable pattern. Left Side (raised side)
Right Side (low side)
Front Door
Rear Door
Cut 8 identical pieces of nylon tape or webbing for pullouts.
Cut 1 piece of Velcro tape (both sides) for netting tie or 2 pieces if you're adding a beak.
Some Assembly RequiredPlace the two identical pieces of silicone-coated nylon together and stitch along the long horizontal side. Use a 0.5" inch seam allowance. The Tarptent should now look like this:
Now fold over each edge 3/4" and stitch to form a border. The Tarptent should now look like this:
The PulloutsPullouts are used to attach the Tarptent to the ground, via a stake or guyline.
The areas around the pullouts will be subject to stress and it is imperative that these areas be reinforced to spread the load. Cut scrap nylon and reinforce as shown :
You will need to cut scrap nylon to fit each corner and the midway point of each parallel side (the ridgeline pullouts). You can also add reinforcing patches along the midway point of each long side though those points do not experience much stress. Make each piece several inches wide/long and stitch along the direction of stress.
Front and Rear PulloutsThe front and pullouts are grommeted to support the Tarptent poles. Adjustable Trekking poles can also be used but be sure the grommet and associated webbing is large enough or just affix the trekking pole to the webbing loop and leave out the grommet.
Make two identical grommet loops as follows: Fold a piece of nylon tape in half. Insert a #1 grommet near the end of the loop, through both pieces of tape, and spread the free ends as shown:
Repeat with a second piece of tape. Now, attach the grommet loops to the middle of the front and rear parallel sides. Be sure to spread out the tape so that there is more surface area to sew.
Side pulloutsNow attach the remaining webbing strips to the 4 corners and the two remaining midpoints. Fold each piece in half, turn it so it faces you edge on and then open it like a book to form a loop that looks like this:
Attach the loops to the remaining areas in the same manner as the grommet loops. Your Tarptent should now look like this:
Out, Damned MosquitoesBlessed be the ones inside the netting for they shall remain sane... Before you attach the netting you should determine which long side of your Tarptent you want to raise up. If you sleep on your left side as I do you will want to raise up the left side (as viewed from the front) of the Tarptent so you can see out the side of the tent while lying down. Reverse the instructions for a "right-sided" design. A Velcro closure is nice so that you can prop open the door when the bugs are low. Peel apart the two halves of the Velcro and stick them together again so that they form one long piece with about 1/2" overlap.
Sew the overlap area to the edge of the tarp, about 1/3 of the way up the fabric, so that it forms a right angle to the tarp. Be sure to attach the Velcro to the left side of the Tarptent before you sew the netting. When the netting is held open by the Velcro it will look like this:
Now, sew each of the long pieces of netting to the edges of the Tarptent roof as shown below. Be sure to center each piece of netting so that there is enough material on both ends to overlap with the adjoining netting. For now, do not sew past the center of each corner.
Tip: The netting/nylon interface is slippery. You will want to use a short stitch length to prevent seam puckering. Practice with scrap before you proceed or you will have to rip out your first attempts. I also recommend cutting each long side netting in half and sewing each half separately. Once the tent is set up, pin and re-sew the break in the vertical wall. This will help eliminate the stretch in the netting. You are now ready to set up the Tarptent and adjust the netting for good fit and finish. Be sure the Tarptent is taut before proceeding. Walk to the back of the Tarptent and pull the back window netting flap across until it's taut.
Pin the netting to the edge of the roof Specificationsline. Now go the front of the Tarptent and repeat the sequence with the front door flap but leave a little slack to compensate for the zipper. Draw a line along the netting corresponding to the pins. This is the zipper line and you will need to trim the netting back to this line. Take down the Tarptent and sew the zipper to the right side of the Tarptent You will need to sew one side to the right edge of the roof and the other side to the edge of the netting.
Be sure to block the top of the zipper to prevent complete separation by sewing an extra piece of nylon tape across the zipper. Stitch over the area a few times. Do the same thing to the bottom of the zipper by separately taping each bottom edge and stitch to prevent unraveling. Finish sewing the rear window along the pin line. Set up the tent again and pin the corners of the netting so that they hang straight and slightly inward. Each corner should form a pocket (for placing rocks/shoes/etc. to hold the netting) and the netting should fold to the inside. There should be about 7 inches of netting to the inside of the tent. Trim the netting as desired. In the field, place objects along the netting border, as needed, to complete the bug seal. When you have finished pinning the material, take the Tarptent down and sew the netting along the pin lines. Options (Why? Because we got 'em.)Sorry no moon roofs or 4-speaker stereos. But if it's beaks or floors you want, you came to the right place. Adding a Beak
A beak is an awning that partially covers the front of the tent. I have made it a standard part of the Tarptent-for-2 and consider it optional for the original Tarptent. It adds about 1 ounce to the overall weight of the finished product. In either case, it will not be needed except when the tent front is aimed into the blowing rain. A beak will, however, allow the front netting to be left open during most storms--a benefit for increasing airflow in wet weather--and allow you to scootch up toward the front. Like the door netting, the beak is designed to be rolled up and stored with velcro when not needed. Click here for printable pattern
Adding a FloorThe Tarptent is designed to have an open floor with netting border. Typically a groundcloth forms the interior. I always carry a groundcloth made of Tyvek Housewrap--a very tough and highly water resistant fabric used in building construction--and center it inside the Tarptent. My groundcloth measures 3 x 6 1/2 feet and weighs about 5 ounces.
Another option is to fill the space with a full netting, Tyvek, Silnylon, or combination floor.
A removable floor is the best of all worlds because it gives you flexibility to sleep out or in without having to carry an extra groundcloth. Here's how to make one. Determine the dimensions of your groundcloth. Now cut or piece together a netting floor insert to match the interior dimensions of the "hole" in the Tarptent or Tarptent-for-2 (see above) and create a another hole in the middle of the netting insert that is an inch or two smaller than your groundcloth. Sew velcro to the corners and middle of the long sides as shown.
Sew corresponding velcro patches to your groundcloth as shown.
Sew the netting insert to the netting flaps on the tarptent (except the front door) and press the groundcloth velcro patches onto the netting insert. Your completed floor should now look like this,
A combination netting/removable floor should add 1-1.5 ounces to the overall Tarptent weight (not including the weight of the groundcloth). A full netting floor would add about 4 ounces. Finishing TouchesSet up the Tarptent again and seam seal the main ridge seam and, if you wish, the seams around the pullouts. You may also wish to sew small loops at the front of ridgeline and about 1 foot toward the rear for use as a small clothesline or flashlight holder. An additional benefit of these two loops is that they double as a ridgeline tightener. Click here for additional Tarptent-for-2 finishing touches. But Do I Really Want to Make One...Since I first published this document, many people have asked me if I have any original Tarptents to sell. The answer is no because the new, next generation Tarptents are so much better. If you'd still like an original Tarptent, I've authorized Moonbowgear to produce them. Five Months on the PCT
I put the Tarptent through an extensive field test during my hike. For nearly 5 months on the trail, the Tarptent was truly my home. Overall, it performed like a champ and I stayed exceptionally dry and warm during my walk. I do, however, have a few comments and suggestions for future Tarptent users.
The Tarptent will be forever linked with the most incredible journey of my life. That's it! I hope you enjoy your original Tarptent or Tarptent-for-2 and please feel free to contact me with comments or suggestions.
Henry Shires info@tarptent.comTarptent is a trademark of Henry Shires. I assume no responsibility with regard to the Tarptent's performance or use. © 1999-2016 by Henry Shires. All rights reserved. |
16/02/2017: Seems like Bernardi might be on the right track. Polling 14%: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/bright-start-for-bernardi/news-story/54c985ec9ea41c62d7c3e9bc42ea816d
16/02/2017: Damn! The Greens are really evil: Sure, ‘don't bother knockin' if the van's rockin’ is risqué, but so what? http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2017/02/the-greens-want-to-ban-camper-van-slogans-but-ok-with-behead-those-who-insult-prophet-.html
16/02/2017: ‘It is easy to forget
that the memoirs of a little girl who watched Native Americans on horseback and
saw herds of buffalo on the plains happened within living memory of my elders
when I was born’.
15/02/2017:
15/02/2017: This is
not only false, but wicked: Bill Shorten on Aboriginal disadvantage: ‘We distributed blankets infected with
diseases we knew would kill’. Nothing more is needed to fuel this vile
15/02/2017: Another great idea from Angela. At least most folks
will be able to get on board this one: http://hotair.com/archives/2017/02/12/its-come-to-this-merkel-now-offering-cash-for-migrants-to-leave-the-country/
14/02/2017: An Excursion to the
‘After bathing in the Thompson, which we found about up to our waists, and very cold, we had breakfast, and made another start. We crossed the bridge and ascended the opposite hill. The track was good, and after a time we got among the green saplings and wattles. They were about 9 inches at the butt and about 30 feet high. They grew thickly on each side of the track, and were often fallen across it. So we continued for about 2 miles, apparently keeping near the ridge of a spur. At this point the track turned a little off the ridge to the right, crossing the head of a valley, which ran south, to join the Thompson.
Just as we got across this valley we came to a pile of huge granite holders, and from this spot we got a fine view down the valley, and up the Thompson, with Mount Baw Baw in the back ground. Just beyond there was a heavy fall of dead, timber, which we got past with some difficulty. The track was again clear for a little. It then crossed the ridge, and we got on to a sideling sloping to our left. Here we came to another heavy fall of dead timber. Some logs 100 feet long and several feet through at the butt had fallen across the track, bringing down with them great quantities of the sap-lings and wattles. The track was blocked in this way for 100 yards or more. We had to endeavor to carry our packs over the obstacle, and then find places where the horse would jump the logs, or they were sufficiently broken to enable him to scramble over them, and move the saplings for him to get there.
We loaded again, and proceeded a few hundred yards. Here we
came to a worse block, and extending a long way ahead. It had taken us two
hours hard work to traverse the eighth of a mile. We were then 12 miles from
On our return to the granite knoll we admired the view at greater leisure. The undulating ridge of the plateau, covered with foliage of diverse tints; the red of the gum saplings contrasting with the deep green of the wattles and the huge black and white trunks that at intervals towered above it. In the back ground were Mt. Baw Baw appearing as an isolated group of rounded pyramids or conical domes rising to a great height above the plateau on the south-east, and that notwithstanding that the granite knoll was 2600 feet above M'Mahon's, or between 3000 and 1000 feet above the sea, and the ground between us and Baw Baw was rising. We returned to the Thompson, and camped a second time upon the same spot.
The next day we left our camp standing and walked to the
Yarra to have another cooler at the falls. We had a pleasant walk through the
beech forest, the dark shade of which was set off by the straggling gleams of
bright sunlight which found their way between the trees. We had lunch under a
small fall. A little above this was a great fall, which was shaded by the
ferns, and very pretty. We then began to descend the great fall from the top,
keeping near the edge of the creek, and saw a fine series of cascades. Still,
we could see but a small por-tion at once. After getting over 100 or 200 feet,
we came to a high rock, jutting out on the left bank of the stream. To the top
of this we climbed, and were rewarded with a magnificent view. The face of the
fall was visible for 300 or 400 feet, the upper and lower portion gleaming
through a pale green veil of ti-tree. Looking outwards, we could see far down
the
The next day we struck our camp on the Thompson, and for
the two succeeding days we proceeded without difficulty till we got to
At tbe foot of
We were not a little glad when we again made the Excelsior shaft. After this the travelling was easy. On reaching the place where the old track turned off to Alderman's Creek, we thought we would follow it and camp there. But finding the descent would be very great, we turned back and camped on the ridge, which the supply of water in the hut enabled us to do.
The next day we set out for Reefton. Not withstanding the rain which had taken place, the little water holes were quite dry. Going down the thick spur we had a fine view of a nameless mountain mass on the opposite side of the Yarra, whose steep and rugged sides were seamed with an irregular network of foliage. We descended the deep spur, and arrived at Reefton. We had eaten up all our provisions, our boots were nearly worn off our feet, our garments were ragged, but we were in good spirits, for we had seen the falls.
Here we met Mr. Lewis, and were hospitably entertained by
him and his wife, which we thoroughly appreciated, and next day left for the
metropolis. On reaching
When I arrived at the river, I saw cattle tracks along the bank and knew there must be somebody living not far off. After following it down for about three miles, I suddenly came upon a selector's bark mansion. To my surprise there were some girls outside, more surprised than I was, not only as to my state of dress, but as to where I had come from, as there had not been anybody through this part for about five years. After regaling myself with a delicious glass of gooseberry wine, I passed on to the next crossing, where a miner lives, who kindly gave me a good tea and put me on the track to Mount Lookout a distance of two miles, uphill all the way (by the clock), where I arrived at eleven o'clock at night, and was refused a bed till I convinced the proprietor that I was not a sun-downer on the wallaby track.
... It would have taken at least a week to do the four miles after I left you with the pack horse." We saw lyre birds at intervals all the way along the South Dividing Range of the Yarra, and thence as far as we went, and we also saw trace of wombats, and we killed a snake on Mount Horsefall, bnt we neither saw nor heard any other animals, whether birds or beasts. This absence of life made the part we passed through particularly silent, except for the sound of the wind among the trees, or of falling water when we were near the Yarra, Different members of the party drew com-parisons between the Yarra Falls and other waterfalls they had seen— the Stevenson, the Erskine, the Watts, the Eurobbin, the Wentworth, the Wannon.
In general character the
I saw none of these slides on the Yarra, the fall being broken by short slopes only. While the Yarra falls over the edge of a precipitous and wooded declivity, the Watts rushes down the bottom of a vast and steep gorge between Mount Juliet and Mount Strickland, the wooded sides of which descend to the water's edge in steep unbroken slopes of, I should say, at least 2000 feet. As compared with the Eurobbin Falls in Victoria and the Wentworth in New South Wales, the Yarra Falls were considered to contain more water, but do not present the feature of an unbroken fall of vast height which distinguishes the former. As compared with the Loutit Bay Falls, I do not think I saw on the Yarra any one cascade unbroken by steps as high as the Splitter's Falls, or even as the falls of the Erskine. But both these latter falls are seen from valleys where the view is much shut in, and where consequently, the actual height is not liable to be dwarfed by comparison with greater heights or depths.
A further question that may arise is how far the
There is a certain pleasure to be derived from encountering
and surmounting difficulties. The mind is completely taken out of its
accustomed train by the immediate necessity of devoting the whole attention to
the passing incidents of the journey. The extent to which this is the case few
people will conceive who have never taken a trip of the kind. One appears to
forget, for the time, everyday life, as if he had been all his life a wanderer
in the wilderness. To those who look at things in this light I would recommend
a trip to the
At the present time settlement is prevented by the inaccessible nature of the country, but this would not be a permanent obstacle ; a little engineering skill would no doubt carry a dray road on to the plateau, after which there would bo no further difficulty, except from vegetation. Some years hence, therefore, there may be a movement to take up this country. Since my return I have been questioned as to the character of the soil; I said it was good, but of course no grass would grow under the timber, "That," the answer was, "is a small matter. If the soil is good it is easy to ring the trees."
It is a matter, therefore, for consideration what ought to be done in anticipation of such a movement. It would add to the colony some square miles of summer pastures and perhaps of cornfields, but it would have other effects of a different character. The snow no longer shaded by the dark foliage of the beech trees would, melt more rapidly. The ground exposed to the summer sun would harden and absorb less water, and there would be a probable diminution of the rainfall, The result would be disastrous floods in the spring when the snow melted, followed by a quickly diminished pe-manent flow of the stream during the summer. It would seem well, therefore, that some steps should be taken permanently to preserve these forests in their present state. How far this is now done incidentally by reason of tbe country being included in auriferous reserves I do not know.’
Turns out there is still more to find out about the
‘State Party Marooned. Trafalgar and Yarragon Times Friday 8th February 1918.
Tourist Hut Gives
Shelter.
Under the above heading the Herald on Monday last says:-
When the storm broke on Saturday a Parliamentary and departmental party led by Mr. Barnes, M.L.A., which was returning on horseback from a trip to the head of the Yarra to inspect the district timber resources took shelter in the tourist hut near Yarra Falls.
"The rain fell in bucketsfull", said one member of the party today in describing his experience.
"Men and horse soon looked as if they had been wading through a stream. Our boots were full of water. When we reached the tourist hut we had to strip off our clothes and dry them at a fire. While our clothes dried we had to be content with less raiment than is ordinarily worn in the busy haunts. We had a Railway Department photographer with us but he refrained from snapshoting us as we wore rags and other coverings, which are stored at the hut. We stayed all Saturday night at the hut, and left on Sunday morning."
The party, in addition to Mr. Barnes consisted of Mr. M. Hannah, M.L.A. vice-chairman, and members of the New Industries Institute.’
Once again I am grateful to Thomas Osburg for finding and sharing these historic treasures.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-trip-to-the-upper-yarra-in-1907-camping-near-mcveighs/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-shelter-house/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/from-1925-the-baw-baw-track-notes-of-a-recent-visit/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/secrets-of-the-yarra-walshs-creek-yarra-falls/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/yarra-falls-3/
14/02/2017: Science keeps bringing us new wonders: Cheap plastic film cools whatever it touches up to 10°C. This stuff is so improbable, but it is real. Its very existence calls the whole ‘Greenhouse Effect’ religion into question. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/cheap-plastic-film-cools-whatever-it-touches-10-c & https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/02/13/a-reverse-greenhouse-effect/
14/02/2017: Marine Le Pen may well win with this excellent campaign ad. How different the world will be with Trump, May, Wilders, Le Pen & ? at the helm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYWnuQc5mYA
13/02/2017: What could possibly go wrong: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/freedom-for-the-manitoba-muncher/news-story/bdca0401c9753abe58e8b12e064d40d4
13/02/2017: The eyes have it: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603289/the-tiny-robots-revolutionizing-eye-surgery/
13/02/2017: In
13/02/2017: Don’t like Google’s intrusiveness? You can get most Apps here without a Google account: http://en.uptodown.com/android If you go to their site you will see that each App has already been checked by perhaps 50 Anti Virus programmes to be safe – no doubt you can also run it past your own. This may be the next best thing to outright ‘jailbreaking’ your phone, which you might alos consider if yout are obsessed by privacy issues.
For example you can download the old version of ‘Pdf Maps’ which allows you to open an infinite number of maps. You have to uncheck 'Update' to continue its functionality. This is really good for opening GPS enabled Vicmaps on your mobile phone.
12/02/2017:
I would estimate it to take at least three hours from Webbs
Track to
You can also put in at the intermediate point Burns Track (just a km above the junction). This would be a good place to check the canoeability of the East branch before you try it from Webbs all the way down. Keep an eye on the river heights gauge http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDV60154.html to see if there is enough water. A decent summer shower should provide you with some fun!
View downstream.
View upstream.
A PS: I had not thought about canoeing the section of the
Tanjil downstream from Blue Rock but apparently they let out 'Environmental
Flows' from time to time which makes this possible. I will post when I know
more.
12/02/2017: What a great poem!
Especially the last stanza, and the last line:
Ulysses - Tennyson
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy’d
Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour’d of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’
Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and thro’ soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
Of common duties, decent not to fail
In offices of tenderness, and pay
Meet adoration to my household gods,
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil’d, and wrought, and thought with me—
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
’Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
12/02/2017: Galaxy Poll this morning: One Nation at 23% in Qld, and reputedly ahead of Labor! Interesting times! http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/one-nation-support-soars-to-23-per-cent/news-story/feaa506e5f5e4fe3979814b58826790e
12/02/2017: Should will we build a fence around the
11/02/2017: Strange Stone Circles: I am sick to death of seeing these
ubiquitous idiotic ‘structures’. They do nothing to contain the campfire –
indeed they are likely to harbour smouldering embers which wind will later
re-ignite into conflagrations. They are a tripping hazard responsible for many
burns injuries. They are visual squalor. They are almost always in the wrong
place. They are impossible to see once the grass has regrown. I hate to think
how many times I have srubbed my toes on them or come close to damaging my
vehicle with them. They make it almost impossible to slash the grass in summer
to prevent bushfires and are annually responsible for thousands of dollars of
damage to equipment. It is almost always better not to have the fire in the
same place all the time. Individual small campfires cause interesting regrowth
responsible for the propagation and preservation of many rare species,
particularly orchids. Permanent campfires just sterilize that spot and create
no renewal opportunities. In any case, they are almost always symptomatic of
summer campers who should have no campfire at all given the likely enhanced
wildfire danger, and that it is not cold enough to require a fire. You almost
never see these structures erected by winter campers such as deer hunters.
Let’s stamp them out, please!
11/02/2017: NB:
Fritz Goers frying egg on pavement,
Barossa, 1950s.
11/02/2017: It’s a strange world. When Larry
Pickering said that while "I
can't stand Muslims ... they are not all bad [because] they do chuck
pillow-biters off buildings", Andrew Bolt condemned him for it. Thank
goodness we still have sacriligeous scallywags like
10/02/2017: Escaping the Heat: Who needs an air
conditioner? Go up a thousand metres and you lose approx 8C. The Baw Baw
Plateau this week has been beautiful with maximums in the low twenties whilst
folks below in the
There are lots of spots you can camp all along eg the Forty
Mile Break Rd (North of Noojee) which is mown to a width of nearly two chains
all around the magnificent mountain ash which form a broad avenue along it.
Certainly one of the five most beautiful (2WD) roads in
Here we are set up in a sheltered shady spot atop Mt Horsefall – with even a mobile and internet connection!
The view out our front door.
Spot takes a closer look at that magnificent view over the
Of course we were even able to cool off on the way with a
quick trip to the beautiful
Map: See Rooftop’s ‘
10/02/2017: So, closing Hazelwood is a good idea? http://www.smh.com.au/business/energy/warning-of-nsw-power-shortages-after-soaring-temperatures-stoke-demand-20170208-gu8rv5
10/02/2017: So, Trump was clearly right and Clinton nearly won the Presidency on a wave of fraudulent votes: http://www.americanthinker.com/…/illegal_aliens_really_do_v… In Australia ‘You can use your driver's licence, Australian passport number or have someone who is enrolled confirm your identity.’ http://www.aec.gov.au/enrol/ So I wonder how big voter fraud is here? It has clearly been the case for a long time that the Labor Party seeks to import as many new ‘client’ voters as they can to rely on the taxpayer’s largesse.
10/02/2017: And now for a Dutch Trump (Will Le Pen
be next?): https://pjmedia.com/trending/2017/02/03/shock-poll-in-the-netherlands-geert-wilders-party-smashes-rivals/
08/02/2017: Hammock Pad Extender: Ed Speer hit on this lightweight way to ensure that you stay warm in your hammock many years ago. You could make this yourself in a lightweight nylon (eg .7 oz/yd2, such as this: http://www.tiergear.com.au/11/online-shop/argon-67) I don’t need the insulation for my knees as I always sleep on my bnack in a hammock, so mine would weigh half of the one shown in the photo ie less than a square yard of fabric plus two pieces of evazote 1 ½’ x 6”, so less tha 2 ounces anyway.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060115191541/http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm
08/02/2017: The secret of true happiness: Study,
Majority Of Humans Happiest When Rest Of Family Still Asleep: http://www.theonion.com/article/study-majority-humans-happiest-when-rest-family-st-55243
08/02/2017: A Trump Progress Report: In two weeks, he has accomplished 27 things he promised to do. Like it or not, I doubt any previous president can claim as much. If only we had a Prime Minister like this! Perhaps soon we will.
1. ‘Trump erased all mentions on the White
House web site of “climate change.” He did that within ONE HOUR of taking
the oath of office.
2. Trump issued an Executive order to “ease the burden of
Obamacare”
3. Trump returned the bust of Winston Churchill to the oval office
4. Trump withdrew
5. Trump erased all Spanish language from the White House web site.
It is now “English Only.”
6. Trump issued an Executive order starting the construction of
“THE WALL.”
7. Trump issued an Executive order banning funding to foreign
pro-abortion groups
8. Trump's new Secretary of Defense, James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, took
the fight to
9. Trump announced temporary ban on refugees from
10. Trump imposed a media blackout at
the Environmental Protection Agency and barred staff from awarding new
contracts or grants
11. Trump announced a ban on visas
from dangerous Muslim-majority countries with inadequate screening
12. Trump announced the end of
“Sanctuary cities” and the defunding of federal funds for any city that chooses
to continue breaking the law
13. Trump announced the hiring of
10,000 new border agents
14. Trump signed an Executive order
demanding the Secretary of Homeland Security publish a weekly list of violent
crimes committed by illegal aliens
15. Trump signed an Executive order
freezing the hiring of non-essential federal employees
16. Trump said out loud the words
“radical Islamic terrorism.”
17. Trump stopped payment on Obama’s
final hour giveaway of $220 million to the Palestinian Authority
18. Trump used Executive orders to
give the go-ahead to the long-stalled Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines
19. Trump got the State Department’s
entire senior management team to resign in frustration.
20. Trump announced his intention to
withdraw From Climate & Environmental Accords Along With UN Funding Cuts of
40%
21. Trump tweeted “Ungrateful TRAITOR
Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now
calling President Obama a weak leader. Terrible!”
22. Trump announced he’ll begin a
major investigation into voter fraud in the 2016 election
23. Trump got the chief of the Border
Patrol to leave the agency in frustration at having to actually do his job!
24. State Dept. Arms Control chief
fired while on airplane; Trump, told to turn around and fly back!
25. Miami-Dade mayor orders jails to
comply with Trump crackdown on ‘sanctuary’ counties
26. Trump White House abruptly halts
Obamacare ads.
27. Trump appoints Neil Gorsuch to U.S. Supreme Court, a Justice in
the mold of Antonin Scalia.’
28: Saves hundreds of millions on purchase of new planes: https://www.dodbuzz.com/2017/02/03/lockheed-credits-trump-price-per-jet-falls-latest-f-35-batch/
And so on it goes…
07/02/2017: So the evidence used to produce the ‘
07/02/2017: DIY
Netless hammock: Over the years we have made lots
of hammocks, but we would have made a better job of we had followed some expert
instructions. The following instructions and photos were kindly provided by
Simon McGuire at Tier Gear,
Tier Gear: http://www.tiergear.com.au/
Above: the Goshawk hammock. This is what your completed hammock should look like (minus the insect netting).
‘Part 1 - Sewing the hammock body
Tools required:
a. Sharp scissors or rotary cutter
b. Fabric marking pencil or similar
c. Measuring tape or ruler
d. Long straight edge
e. Sewing machine
Materials used:
- A good quality polyester or nylon fabric. In this instance I used Argon 1.6 which is a ripstop nylon designed specifically for hammocks.
- Good quality sewing thread. Gutermann's Mara 70 would be a popular choice for the DIYer as would Rasant 75.
Procedure
- Cut your fabric to the length you require, taking into account the end channels and some loss of length when you gather the hammock. For a 3.3metres length hammock I start with 3.6 metres of fabric, as my end channels take up 100mm at each end and there is also some loss when the hammock is gathered. Fabric width is usually around 1500mm.
- Sew a
rolled hem along both long sides. Start by folding the edge over once, and
then over again. My hems are usually around 10mm in width but you can go
bigger or smaller. Start by sewing along the inside edge of your hem. A
single line of stitching is adequate but a second line of stitching adds a
professional touch, and some extra reinforcement to your hem. The second
line of stitching should be just inside the outside edge of the fabric.
- Repeat
Step 2 on the other side of your fabric. Once finished the hem on both
sides it's time for the end channels to be sewn on the short sides of the
fabric.4. There are a number of ways to sew the end channels. I measure
down 100mm from the end of the fabric and mark a line across the width of
the fabric. I then take the end of the fabric and fold it over so that it
is a couple of mm before the marked line. Now I fold the end of the fabric
over again to just past the raw edge and this time right on the marked
line. This hides the raw edge inside the channel, and gives you four
layers of fabric making up your channel at a width of about 25mm. If you
are going to use the end channels to run your suspension directly through
then this end channel may be made larger if required.5. Now you are going
to sew the end channel down. Depending on how you are going to gather the
hammock you will need to sew at least 2 lines of stitching, though 1 would
be adequate, or 3 if you are going to run the suspension through the
channel and hence making the stitching on the end channel weight bearing.
I do not run the suspension through the end channel so I only sew 2 lines
of stitching.6. Sew the first line of stitching along the inside edge of
the end channel, and then the second line of stitching 4-5mm inside of the
this. This second line of stitching ensure you capture the raw edge of the
fabric inside the end channel.
- Repeat steps 4-6 at the other end of the fabric.8. Congratulations that is your hammock body sewn. Basically I could have broken it down to: sew a rolled hem on both long sides, then sew a bigger rolled hem along the short sides and then gather - job done! It really is that simple.
Part 2: Gathering the hammock, and attaching the suspension
Once your hammock is sewn the next step is gathering the ends. There are numerous ways to do this, including methods which don't require the sewing of end channels in your fabric but I will leave those methods to people who have experience with them. These methods require the sewing of an end channel as detailed in part 1 of making a net-less camping hammock.
Essentially when gathering the ends of your hammock, you are simply inserting something through the channel and tightening it in order to essentially a ball of fabric.
Method 1:
The first method involves running your suspension directly through the channel e.g. your whoopie sling or continuous loop, and cinching tight. This produces a clean looking finish, and is the method probably most commonly used by camping hammock manufacturers. This method places stress on the end channel stitching so you want to ensure you lay down some solid stitches, and have at least 3 parallel rows using quality sewing thread. It is not recommended for lightweight fabrics, where failures have been known to occur. It also produces a consistent gather of the hammock without much fuss.
If attaching a whoopie sling insert the fixed loop through the end channel
Run the adjustable loop of the whoopie through the fixed loop
Cinch tight and you are done. (Note: in the photo below there is only 2 rows of stitches, 3 are recommended for this method)
Method 2:
This method involves running a cord, or some people use a cable (zip) tie, to gather the ends. Your suspension, e.g. whoopie sling or fixed loop, is then girth hitched over the hammock fabric below the gather you have just created. The gather prevents the suspension from slipping off the end of the hammock. This method does not place any stress on your end channel stitching, and is fine to use on lightweight fabrics as well as heavier fabrics. There is some minor fiddling required when attaching your suspension to ensure a consistent gather of the fabric. If you like being able to change out your suspension quickly or play with different setups this is the method for you.
Insert cord through end channel. In this instance I am using 2mm VB cord.
Next you can tie a knot as per Knotty's method on Hammock Forums, insert a cable (zip) tie, or use a small cord lock as I have done below.
The cord lock method leaves a length of cord, depending on how long you cut it, I use around 600-650mm, which you can attach a mitten hook to the end and this gives you an attachement point for a peak bag, pillow of whatever you want at the ends of the hammock.
Next you need to attach your suspension by girth hitching to the fabric below
the gather. If using a whoopie sling you simply run the adjustable loop of the
whoopie sling through the fixed loop of the whoopie, and cinch tight. You may
need to move the fabric around a little to ensure the fabric is gathered
consistently.
You can run the suspension over the top of the gather as per below,
or run your suspension through the middle of the gather as per the photo below
Rather than attach the whoopie sling directly to the hammock, another option is use a continuous loop which allows you to disconnect your whoopie sling from the hammock, or allows you to easily change between whoopie slings or webbing based suspensions. Another advantage is if the distance between your two anchor points is too close then the loops can be attached directly to your tree straps through the use of a marlin spike hitch.
Whoopie hook spliced onto whoopie sling adjustable bury and attached to
continuous loop.
There are many options when making hammocks, and those options listed above are but a few.
Happy hanging.’
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-netless-hammock/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/make-your-own-tarp-or-hammock/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/
07/02/2017: ‘I am the baby’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0POXCQp_vA
07/02/2017: I do so enjoy Willis. His tips on writing are something I must take
to heart myself: https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/04/on-writing/
06/02/2017: If Bernardi does quit tomorrow, will there be a spill?
06/02/2017: Time Travellers? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moberly%E2%80%93Jourdain_incident
06/02/2017: Support for ‘others’ now at 29%. Turnbull is definitely on his way
out. The only question is who/what will replace him: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/02/06/one-nation-on-the-rise-as-coalition-slips.html
06/02/2017: 100% Of US Warming Is Due To NOAA Data Tampering: http://realclimatescience.com/2016/12/100-of-us-warming-is-due-to-noaa-data-tampering/
06/02/2017: Meanwhile, in
05/02/2017: Winners and Losers: a $41,000 bill for winning is too much! Abolish 18C: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/under-18c-even-winners-are-losers/news-story/5f82c43da69c648dcca8a4465eec35f5
05/02/2017:
05/02/2017: I just love the wild places, and have long ago discovered Teddy’s various books about hunting
too; I think I started with a book about hound hunting mountain lions in what
is now
The most memorable photo in the book was of a treed ‘lion’ maybe 100’ up a pinon pine with a huge hound baying at him from about 6’ below: "The encouragement of a proper hunting spirit, a proper love of sport, instead of being incompatible with a love of nature and wild things, offers the best guaranty of their preservation." Theodore Roosevelt. Yes! You might begin your ‘love affair’ with Teddy perhaps with this book, ‘The Wilderness Hunter’ https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Hunter-Classic-Reprint/dp/1332803369
05/02/2017: Why
‘Our political system won't allow such a
revolutionary - which means it's either too safe or too immune to reform. You
decide.
We know many who voted for Trump neither
liked nor admired him... Trump won not because it was him, but because he was
up against Hillary, the most obscenely establishment politician to ever have
run for President. At its simplest, Trump is the manifestation of the rejection
by a lot of clear thinking, common sense people of ‘politics as usual’. And
Hillary was the embodiment of ‘politics as usual’.
Why are the people (but not so much the
establishment) rejecting politics as usual? Is it the spin, the broken
promises, the talking points and slogans, the leaking, the annual entitlements
scandals, the designer gear, the white cars? ...
But it’s worse. It is worse because the
behaviour is worse. On both sides. The lack of respect for the office of prime
minister - 5 in seven years...; the appalling treatment of Prime Ministers
while in office; the now accepted idea that we are in perpetual campaign mode;
the obsession with polls and polling; the abject lack of authenticity and of
courage; the obscene increase in the numbers of advisors and their influence;
the increasingly pervasive impact of vested interests. No one likes any of
this, but ordinary people hate it more. Because this does not accord with the
way they live their lives.
Add to this the values problem. Identity,
outrage and victim politics has been embraced by Labor and progressive Liberals
in a pretty big way. Many ordinary Australians think it is inappropriate (to
say the least) that we are teaching kids in schools that it is perfectly normal
to think that you might be a boy if you are a girl and vice versa, or that it’s
perfectly standard to be sexually active with multiple partners in your early
teens; they shake their heads when students who make a silly, bolshie remark on
facebook or a political cartoonist is taken to court for being racist... These
things are nuts and totally at odds with the common-sense values of middle
Possibly the most defining difference
between insiders and outsiders here and around the world is their attitudes
towards their country. In the suburbs and regions in Australia people are proud
to be Australian; they love Australia day and ANZAC day; they think it is
important to vet all immigrants, they don’t like immigrants coming here to go
on to welfare; they think it is 100% fair for immigrants to integrate – after
all, that’s what many of them have done and that’s what made modern Australia.
These are the views of the mainstream right throughout the western world.
Yet big swathes of those who inhabit and
control our institutions; journalists, CEOs, lawyers, academics and politicians
in both major parties think that these attitudes are base and embarrassing...
They have no problem at all (when it suits them) curtailing the freedoms that
our founders assumed (freedom of speech, of the press, fair trial, property
rights, religious freedom) in favour of their values.
The singular characteristic that propelled
Trump was his willingness to take this on in a way that was unprecedented...
The big question for us is: can someone
outside the mainstream parties emerge as a new knight in shining armour?....
Our innate conservatism, compulsory
preferential voting and the monumental physical and human campaign
infrastructure required in every [House of Representatives] seat leads me to
the conclusion that it’s unlikely, at least in the short term. We’ll get some
serious One Nation disruption in conservative states but it wont change things
overnight. We will get more Clives, more Shooters and Fishers, and we might get
a Cory. Absent the majors coming to their senses, we will get more minority governments
and gridlock in the Senate.
And from within the major parties? We
would do well to remember that the Donald launched himself from within the
Republican party. He was a transplant, a seriously foreign body that nearly got
rejected. But he survived, and emerged victorious from within a mainstream
party. The prospect of one of the major parties in
There’s another huge impediment, and that
is
‘Responsible
government’ is a serious bulwark against populism. The requirement that the
head of state (be it a monarch or not) by convention exercises no political
power; that the head of the government is a member of parliament; that he or
she leads the executive council which is entirely comprised of those who sit in
the parliament and is merely the ‘first among equals’; that the executive has
both individual and collective responsibilities to the parliament and to the
cabinet.
All these things
evolved over centuries quite deliberately so that
It is very hard
therefore, both in theory and in practice for populism to flourish in an
Australian context.
However, the
little bit of
05/02/2017: ‘The half-life of
medical knowledge is approximated at seven years. That means that half of
what you think you know about health, illness, and medical practice today will
be obsolete in seven years. It will be replaced by new better science of which,
in turn, half will be obsolete seven years later. That's how it works.
Skepticism about current knowledge is always appropriate. The cholesterol panic
is just the most recent, dramatic example. Big mistake. Not all docs have got
the memo yet. "Never mind." Eat those eggs and bacon and sausages
like you always wanted to, and skip the darn oatmeal unless it's all you can
afford. And imagine that, in seven years, Mr. Science will tell you to eat
candy and Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.’ Dr Joy Bliss
04/02/2017: How to fall and not break your bones: ‘The other thing to avoid…is
“foosh,” an acronym for “falling onto outstretched hands.” If you do that, all
the force of impact will be concentrated there, raising the risk of breaking
your wrist. You similarly don’t want to come crashing down on your knee so you
break your kneecap or do that manoeuvre where you kind of pedal with your feet
to catch yourself, which can lead to broken bones in your foot and ankle.
Instead, if you feel yourself falling, experts said you should bend your elbows
and knees and try to take the hit on the fleshiest parts of your body, like the
side of your thigh, buttocks and shoulder. “Aim for the meat, not bone,” said
Kevin Inouye, a stuntman and assistant professor of acting, movement and stage
combat at the
04/02/2017: Wonderful News: SpaceX has launched its first Falcon 9 rocket & successfully delivered 10 satellites into orbit for Iridium
Communications Inc. About 10 minutes after Saturday's launch, the first stage
of the rocket, which had separated from the rest of craft, successfully touched
down on a platform in the
04/02/2017: Resilient Coral: Several vast new coral reefs have been found
where no coral ‘should’ grow – someone should tell it! Others have been found
in incredibly acid environments – or unbelievably hot ones. I have observed
them growing happily in the frigid water s of
03/02/2017: The Ethical Hunter: I really appreciate feedback such as this - and what a stunning photograph:
‘I recently read your
sambar stalking articles and really appreciated your old school view point.
I have been a hunter/bushy for most of my life, but what I
haven’t taught myself I learnt from my old man, who is very much and old school
bushy. I've mostly traveled the bush on my own (in a 4x4) all through the Vic
high country.
Although new to sambar
stalking as such, ever since I was a kid, I used to try and stalk rabbits, read
their body language, anticipate their next move, practice moving slowly,
quietly, etc. I still need to pull my finger out and get a decent deer gun, and
my game license, but I had a bit of a stalk while away over the Xmas break, and
managed to get this photo of a doe and fawn.
I don’t have the best
camera gear yet so the longest focal length lens I have is 135mm. I stalked
these two up to about 30 yards, got this one photo, and they bolted (I swear it
was the sound of the shutter that set them off!) Had I had a 270 rather than a
camera, I'd probably be butchering now rather than talking to you.
That said, its always
been about the hunt for me, not the kill. I've taken 50 odd rabbits in a night,
and not had the same feeling of accomplishment as I did after stalking these
two deer. I couldn't agree more with the points you make (camo clothes, trail
cameras, 500 yard shots, scopes, pretty much all of the points you make). I've always loved the elusive sambar stag, I
guess I kind of relate to them, to their solidarity, the way everybody is
gunning for them, the untamed country they call home, reminds me a lot of
myself a bit.
Anyway, I wanted to
thank you for your articles. I have bookmarked your website, and I will no
doubt refer to it many times in the future. I really appreciated your view,
tips, tricks etc. Especially the iron sights, and no camo. Thank you very much for putting it out there,
very much appreciated from a not so young bloke that’s just getting into
sambar, but trying to do it the right way, the respectful, ethical way...
Thank you. Thanks heaps mate.
I've spent way more time than I should have reading your articles the past day or so. For me at least, its great to read the ethical hunter point of view, and without firing a shot, I’ve learnt more from reading your website than I have from years of listening to others talk crap about the latest and greatest camo gear, or trail cameras. I genuinely do appreciate the info you have put out for us all. Any ethical, respectful (of the animal) hunter would be well advised to take the advise of blokes like you. Thank you,’ Matt Elder. (And thank you, Matt Elder).
03/02/2017: Amazing Earth: a lava ‘waterfall’ in
03/02/2017:
03/02/2017: Trump and May really do represent a bold new dawn which will
hopefully presage a better world than that envisaged by the socialists and
bureaucrats. Long live the Anglosphere: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/29/delingpole-trump-may-and-the-return-of-the-anglosphere-will-make-the-world-a-better-place/
03/02/2017: Did Trump hang up on Turnbull? You’d
better believe it! Trump’s own words: ‘Do you believe it? The Obama
Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from
03/02/2017: This is the Left’s response to the reality of Free Speech: Violence. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/university-in-lockdown-amid-protests/news-story/dcbd6d286caec9e887c5917f3696662b There really is little diference between today’s left and Hitler’s brownshirts. Another Kristallnacht is coming https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht
02/02/2017: Poly Tent by The Ultralight Hiker on the Cheap: As part of a series on economy backpacking, I bring you my new poly tent made from a ‘standard 8’ x 10’ poly tarp bought from the local Churchill $2 shop. This one cost me A$7.99 and took only minutes to make. Mark out the tie-out positions as shown. Use Tarp clips or polystyrene balls as tie outs - so actual tie out position will be about 2” inside the fabric edge. Tie Apex to an extended hiking pole (4’ height) as shown. Peg out Rear point, then two End points approx 6” forward. Then loosely toe out two Front points (as shown) then two Side points. Cut slit. Attach tie downs to Flaps for closure. Place ground sheet (and dog) inside. Enjoy.
As you can see, Spot is now an uncle.
Fully open.
Interior: inside 6’ x 4’ poly tarp ground sheet.
Fully open.
Storm mode.
Rear.
Made in minutes from one of these.
Plan.
See also:
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-egg-ring-ultralight-wood-burner-stove/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-side-burner-metho-stove/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/super-cat-metho-stove/
02/02/2017: ‘This world, which is the same for all, no one of gods or men has
made. But it always was and will be: an ever-living
fire, with measures of it kindling, and measures going out’ (Heraclitus of
‘Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light…’
https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/o/omar_khayyam/o54r/
02/02/2017: Is
01/02/2017: Introducing Telstra’s new 1 gigabyte mobile network: Sounds like
the NBN wasn’t such a good idea – unless you just want to waste money: http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/telstra-tests-incredibly-fast-gigabit-lte-mobile-network/news-story/bf03e77489e2990f0fcf180462804319
01/02/2017:
See:
http://finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm
Early Trips to
Upper Yarra Falls: To the Editor of the Argus: Sir, Mr. Panton's letter on the discovery of Mount Donna Buang,
that appeared in "the Argus" of the lst inst, brought back to me
recollections of the time-half a century ago when I was one of the many hardy
prospectors who penetrated the dense scrubs and steep mountain ranges of the
Upper Yarra, in search of gold. I have still a vivid recollection of the night
-a most uncomfortable one-I passed with Mr. Panton on Queen's Birthday Creek,
on May 24, 1866; but I think that gentleman makes an error when he alludes to
me as the discoverer of the falls near the head of the river.
I am under the impression
that they were visited by a party of surveyors in the year 1845. I certainly
re-discovered them in 1867, and named the waterfall (there are several) after
Mr. Panton. It would be a graceful act to abandon the present name (
Yarra Falls 1888. This is the middle
part of a 3 part article. Leader (Melbourne, Vic. 1862 - 1918), Saturday 22
November 1884, page 16 The Contributor: An
Excursion to the
We struck camp next
morning at half-past nine. Just after starting we noticed a tree marked W. From
this we understood that we had been encamped on the two mile water. This made
our march of the previous day a little over 8 miIes, The height of our camp
measured by the barometer was 1700 feet above McMahon's, We proceeded along the
south watershed of the Yarra in a general easterly direction. The prevailing
character of the country was the same as on the evening before, The track was
often perceptible as a sort of avenue through the scrub, though in the clearest
places knee deep in ferns and wire grass and obstructed by logs.
We passed through several
saddles separated by small rills. At about twelve o'clock we could see a great
spur coming in to join the ridge we were following from the north - that is on
our left, This could be nothing else than the right watershed of Alderman's
Creek. We were, therefore, making good progress, and might hope to reach the
Yarra that night. So we went on for another half hour, when our horse, in
getting over a log, slipped and fell. He could not rise again with the pack and
we had to unload him, but he was none the worse.
As we began to ascend the
hill we found the sides and top of it covered with huge logs hundreds of foot
long, as if it had been cleared by a survey party, The interstices between them
were filled with tall bracken and scrub with white flowers, and the track
seemed altogether obliterated. We made our way very slowly round and over the
logs, and presently the horse got another fall, and we had to unload and reload
again.
There was a good look out
from many places down the
At about four o'clock we
began to descend a little, and get into a forest, in which the beech tree was
the prevailing timber, though largely mixed with tall gums and messmates. But
little vegetation grows under a beech tree; what there was was the blue gum
fern with the crimped frond I have noticed before. Moreover, the beech tree is
seldom uprooted. It slowly decays as it stands and falls piecemeal, The ground
in a beech forest is therefore encumbered by but little fallen timber.
As soon as we got under
the beech trees the track improved very much. They were mingled, however, with
very tall messmates, from which large quantities of dry bark in strips 4 or 5
inches across and 30 or 40 feet long or more had fallen to the ground, and lay
in large coils. These continually tangled our feet, and it was difficult to get
free of them, One would continually find one was dragging a tail behind many
feet long. On getting under the beech trees the prevailing tints again changed.
The black earth was bare, and varied shades of brown or dark green met the eye
in every direction.
Towards the south and east
the slope was so steep that we got a look out over Gippsland as far as the
ranges in the neighbourhood of Baw Baw. The earth seemed everywhere moist; in
places one could hear the water under one's feet. The track continued slowly to
descend, and our view became shut in on all sides. About six o’clock we found
ourselves in a saddle. This we identified upon our tracing as about 6 miles
from our camp of the night before And 4 miles from the Yarra. It seemed a
likely place to find water. There were a few beech trees and messmates on the
saddle, and a forest of white gums, tall, slender poles like the mast of a
ship, 300 feet high at the least, with a tuft of foliage at the top. There was
a fern tree gully coming up to the saddle on each side. The earth was black and
moist, and for the most part bare.
R. found a good stream of
water a little way down on the south side of the saddle, so we determined to
camp. We pitched the tent under two beech trees, whose thick foliage would
protect us from any sticks that might be blown off from the gums, and made our
bed of fronds cut from the ferns. When we got up the next morning a strong
north wind was blowing, shaking the tall, white ferns like corn stalks, bending
them as if to break with a great roaring noise. We did not make a start until
about half-past ten, when we at once began to ascend out of the saddle, and
soon came out into the sunshine on to a hill covered with fallen timber and
sword grass, and from which there was a good view of the opposite ranges. The
logs had rotted and broken into fragments, and were therefore not the obstacle
they had been on
After a little we again
descended into a beech forest. Here the track was clearer than we had yet found
it. It was obstructed by little else than small sticks. There was a little of
the usual green fern, but except for that the ground was clear of undergrowth
on all sides. The dark foliage of the beech trees overhead shut out the sky. In
order to keep the track it was necessary to keep a sharp look out for blazes.
After about a couple of
miles gum trees again appeared mixed with the beech trees, and we were again
troubled by fallen timber. About the same time we found growing in the track
tall solitary stalks of grass like oats which shot up with a stem as thick as
one's finger, seven or eight feet high. Finding the horse would eat the two
gathered bundles of it, as we went along. A little after twelve o'clock the
horse got another fall getting over a log. We had to unload, and determined to
have lunch.
When we again made a start
we found it had been raining heavily, and that the scrub was very wet. In a
little while we got out of the beech forest, and began to ascend a hill covered
with tall standing gums and thick bracken up to our shoulders. Through this we
pushed our way, getting drenched through. When we gained the top of the hill we
found our track appeared to leave the ridge, and turn down the sideling to the
north-east. After turning down on the sideling we were soon again in a beech
forest, and out of the high wet bracken.
In about half a mlle we
came to tho creek, which was broad and shallow, scarcely covering the ground.
It crossed the track from left to right- not from right to left, as marked in
our tracing. The descent from the ridge to this creek was not more than 200 or
300 feet, and not at all steep, considering it was on a sideling. We crossed
the creek and ascended to tho ridge on the opposite side. Crossing it we
descended on a sideling to the Yarra, which we at once passed over. It was a
much smaller stream than that we have left at McMahon’s, being about 30 feet
wide and about up to our ankles, with, however, a good current.
The scene was a peculiar
one. It was still raining hard. Heavy clouds rested on the tops of the beech
trees from 50 to 70 feet above us, which lined the river banks and covered the
slopes, and hung in festoons between them, but below it was clear. We had no
time to stand and watch it, however, being wet through. We had to get to work
and camp at once. In about twenty minutes we had a fire big enough to roast an
ox. Having pitched our tent we looked about for something to make a bed of, and
the best thing we could find was a heap of bark at the foot of a neighbouring
messmate. This we dragged in front of the fire and dried, after which we had
our evening meal round the fire. We stood up round it for some time drying
clothes, while the horse stood warming his nose on the opposite side of the
fire. Finally we turned in.
We were up at six the next
morning. There was still a slight rain, We had breakfast, and at half-past
eight we started in search of the falls. Our camp was shown by the barometer to
be 2100 foot above McMahon’s or only 500 feet lower than the top of
We accordingly started
down stream, crossing a considerable tributary on the right bank just below our
camp, Tho river ran through a beech forest, and as nothing will grow under the
beech trees, its banks were without that fringe of peculiar vegetation which is
usually such a marked feature in an Australian river or creek. After a little
we went over to the left bank, and crossed a small creek which joined the river
on that bank, we then came upon a series of small hills, perhaps altogether
fifty or sixty, There was, however, a good indication of something better. We
could see a light through the trees ahead as from a largo clearing. This
appearance could only be occasioned by the edge of an abrupt declivity.
We pushed on and soon
began to get glimpses of a valley a long way below us, and to hear tho roar of
a great fall. The beech forest ceased with the edge of that declivity, and the
slopes below, when not too steep and bare for anything either to grow or stand
on, were covered with undergrowth, mostly ti-tree. To see the fall we must get
below it. We accordingly descended as rapidly as a regard for our necks would
permit several hundred feet, and made our way on to a ledge down to the water.
From this point we could see the water falling above and below us over a face
of dark rocks in a series of steps. The fall was shaded by ti-tree, with
occasional tree ferns on the ledges. The spray fell like rain. We were too
close to the face of the fall, and tho ledge we were on would not permit us
getting further out.
We were not the first
persons who had viewed the Yarra falls from this spot, for we saw a tree with a
blaze on it, on which was a name, partly overgrown with bark, which we mado out
to be A. Burns. We then crossed over, scrambled along the face of the cliff and
made our way down another hundred feet or two, and got another view of the
falls, with, however, the disadvantage that we were too close to see far up or
down. This point was by the barometer 550 feet below the top of tho fall. We
could see the fall for about 50 feet below it. It was a continuous fall all the
way, interrupted only by small ledges. There is, however, no reason to suppose
that the lowest point to which we could see was anywhere near the bottom of the
fall. Judging from the appearance of the valley it was far from being so. The
total height of the fall therefore, can scarcely be less than 700 feet or 900
feet; it is probably 1000 feet.
We had not seen by any
means as much of the falls as we should have liked, but we were compelled to
return. It was Tuesday, and R. had to be In a distant part of
In returning we got a view
of a great cascade, forming the top-most rip on the fall, which we had not seen
going down. By half-past one we had regained our camp. We then bathed in the
Yarra, had lunch, struck our camp, and started for the Thompson, where we hoped
to camp that night. It was shown by our tracing to be 4 miles distant. The
track in the first instance followed the ridge of the very low spur between the
main arm of the Yarra and tho tributary that joined it just below our camp.
After a little the track forked; we took, the left fork, which took us down to
the tributary at a point where two creeks united to form it; beyond this the
track was not apparent.
After a little we found a
place where a tent had been pitched, with a rude platform of round timber to
raise it off the ground. We had evidently come upon an old surveyor's camp.
That explained how it was that the track ran out. We accordingly returned and
took tho right hand fork of the track. After we had gone about three quarters
of a mile the track turned down to and crossed the creek on our left, and
shortly afterwards began to ascend a ridge on a sideling. The top of this ridge
was not. more than 100 feet or so above our camp. On it we found white gum
timber. The ridge was narrow, and the track immediately descended on a sideling
on the other side, about 300 feet into a narrow valley containing a fine stream
of water. The sides of the valley were lined with beech trees, with a few tree
ferns. This creek must form the right fork of the Yarra as laid down on the
maps; and as its level appeared lower than the top of the falls, must join, the
left fork below them.
Crossing the creek we
ascended on a steep sideling on the other side to a height somewhat greater
than that from which we had descended, and found ourselves in a forest of white
gums mixed with beech trees, with a good deal of undergrowth. The creek,
however, continued tolerably clear. We were now upon the crest of the dividing
range, between the waters of the Yarra and the Thompson, marked on the maps as
Wright's Range. A little before seven o'clock the track began to descend
gently, and we reached a fine stream of water crossing the track from north to
south, spanned by a good log bridge. This stream, which was much larger than
either fork of the Yarra, or, I should say, than both of them together, we made
out to be the Thompson. Here we determined to camp.
A little way up from the
river, to the right of the track we had come by we found an open glade carpeted
with good grass. On this were the remains of an old survey camp, consisting of
log platforms, similar to that we had noticed on the Yarra. There appeared to
be a succession of rich glades along the river, divided only by low scrub, tall
timber not being found till some little way up the slopes on either side. There
was, therefore, a clear view up and down tho river for some way over the top of
the scrub. We could see the sky, too, overhead and in front of us. All this was
a change after the dense grass through which we had been travelling for the
last four days, The edge of the other valley was lined with large white gums,
say 100 foot high, with straight, thick limbs tapering to the top, and wide
spreading arms a little more than half way up. The slopes behind were covered
with a mass of plants of different kinds. Every here and there above this rose
to a great height huge logs, white with age and black with fire, without limbs,
broken at the top.
Though generally impressed
by the view, there was a feeling of solitude connected with this camp not
experienced elsewhere in the course of this trip. The height of this camp was
2300 feet above McMahon’s, or only 100 feet lower than our camp on the Yarra.
We were still, however, above a high plateau, as high or higher than the top of
01/02/2017: This is truly astonishing: Images of giant planets orbiting a star 129
light years away. I do so love progress: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/a-four-planet-system-in-orbit-directly-imaged-and-remarkable/
01/02/2017: The overpowering and overbearing nature of the leftist orthodoxy is
definitively underlined by this excellent recent movie Alone in Berlin (which I wholeheartedly recommend) based on the
lives of two very ordinary Germans who stood up to Hitler and his thugs – and
were beheaded for their pains; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_and_Elise_Hampel
Janet Albrechtsen is a similar brave
woman. She puts on a Donald Trump hat and walks the streets of
In fact, three for three in my favour
tells its own crazy story. The second comment is a quick “I’m with you” from a
bloke walking towards me. Later, at the annual Winter Antiques Fair at the Park
Avenue Armory, I’m finishing off lunch at the cafe when two well-dressed
upper-middle-class New Yorkers sit near me. The man asks politely whether my
tomato soup is good. Yes, I say, and he tells me about his vegetarian chilli
soup. After a few more sips of his soup, he motions to the Trump hat. “You’re
brave to wear that hat,” he says quietly. “But I’m with you,” he adds, echoing
my two previous interlocutors. Quietly, his wife says she is with me too.’
So
long as you are a feminist, nothing else matters: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/it-was-a-march-against-women/news-story/78cf214b3835e33fc9a8a5c1d4bcfce4
31/01/2017: Why we should retain
31/01/2017: Say’s Law: ‘The European economies, and
31/01/2017: Extreme kayaking: Watch Kayakers Take a Beating In 90-Foot Falls: https://gearjunkie.com/kayakers-take-beating-tomata-two
PS: This is not for me and
If you liked this you might also enjoy reading this book:
Hell or High Water, Surviving Tibet’s
31/01/2017: Why we should retain
31/01/2017: Say’s Law: ‘The European economies, and
30/01/2017: Restore Pdf Maps Functionality: I recommended this App back in Nov ’14: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/gps-phone-apps-25k-vicmaps/ Many folks have probably noticed that their Pdf Maps App has updated to Avenza and that now they are only able to open three maps for free instead of an unlimited number of maps, and that Avenza would like them to pay over $30 per year to restore the functionality they had before!
As I understand it, Pdf Maps (version 1.7.3) is free
software –
This Youtube (and others) tells you how to uninstall Avenza and put Pdf Maps in its place. You have to be sure to cancel the ‘Update’ function so this doesn’t happen to you again. Once again you will be able to open an unlimited number of Pdf maps for free - such as can be bought from: http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/imf/search/Topo30Front.jsp some of which you may need to walk The Upper Yarra Track, for example: http://finnsheep.com/THE%20UPPER%20YARRA%20WALKING%20TRACK.htm
Happy mapping!
30/01/2017: Oxfam once again reveals what most of us already knew about do-gooders
such as doomsayers, Greens, charities, world savers and their ilk, ie that they
are pretty much all just unreconstructed communists once you get their gear off
them: Actually ‘You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich,’ else who
would there be left to make us all richer, as the barons of industry have been
doing for quite some time now, two
hundred years at the very least? Thanks for that chaps! Dalrymple puts
the lie so neatly to this pernicious Oxfam pap: http://takimag.com/article/the_wealth_gap_theodore_dalrymple/print#axzz4WugI2FiF
That homily incidentally was written by
the Rev William John Henry Boetcker (1873–1962) and not Abraham Lincoln:
- ‘You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
- You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
- You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
- You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
- You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
- You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
- You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
- You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
- You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
- And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.’
Boetcker also spoke of the ‘Seven National Crimes’
- ‘I don’t think.
- I don’t know.
- I don’t care.
- I am too busy.
- I leave well enough alone.
- I have no time to read and find out.
- I am not interested.’
Well said! Sound advice!
30/01/2017: When the raw data has been altered so fantastically, we are entitled to cry, ‘Fake!’ When so-called climate scientists are doing this all over the world, it is hard to believe anything they say: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/01/28/homogenization-of-temperature-data-makes-capetown-south-africa-have-a-warmer-climate-record/ These charts too are worth a look: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/01/28/four-key-charts-for-a-climate-change-skeptic/
30/01/2017: Strangely, when Obama banned ‘Moslem’ immigrants, the left said nothing! http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/muslim-ban-hypocrisy-left-said-nothing-when-obama-also-halted-visas/news-story/17c901096824ecd0a2e3a4d1e5ded377
29/01/2017: Wonnangatta:
The strange circle of foam...
And then, the dawn:
We just could not stop snapping away at it.
Della of course took the best photo with her new birthday Galaxy S7.
Then I looked upstream to try to understand where the foam had come from. There was a weird gyre at the head of the pool.
Here it is in detail.
Della also took this photo of Spot and me examining the gyre. The river was so reflective in the early morning light.
Then a small black diver swirled through the mist.
Upstream the pool had become a magic mirror.
Whilst downstream it was a dream of silver...
Then to check out the first rapid. Churning away in a tumult. I opined I could shoot it with each boat in turn as I had the last but one grade 2 rapid (we had portaged the last). Della urged caution as we were far from help. We checked out an old pack track on the true right bank and decided we could carry the boats the 100 metres around it. So we did.
Then we came to the second 'Surprise rapid. A somewhat shorter portage over mostly flattish rocks. This one would definitely have you out. One rock would hurl you one way whilst instantly another would hurl you the other. Paradoxically it might be better with more water. We portaged three times in all, then after a tricky Grade 2 rapid with a sharp right turn in it we were mostly safe on placid waters. We should have portaged it as well as it gave Della quite a fright.
The calm after the storm.
And so it (mostly) went on.
Past these beautiful, interesting trees - the greenest,
shadiest most luxuriant native tree I have ever seen in
And these pretty sweet smelling yellow flowers - perhaps a reader can help me out. I would plant some.
Still half a dozen small rapids before Angusvale. Like this one...
And this.
A bee-eater (one of many we saw) atop this dead bush.
Della was still going strong even though she had quite a shock on the tricky Grade 2 rapid (which we ought have portaged)!
The dogs still showed a lot of interest in our progress...
These bushes are what we used to call 'native willow' They will not do such a good job of retaining the riverbanks though!
The second last rapid.
The last small drop (and Angusvale) are just around the bend. What a delightful three days' adventure. The Wonnangatta is certainly a river to dream of...
You can check the river heights here: http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDV67202/IDV67202.084118.tbl.shtml
Check suggested river heights below. If you are unsure whether there is sufficient water, you can canoe the short (half-hour) section from Meyers Flat to the Cobbanah Creek confluence to check it out.
Appropriate Vicmaps: Cobannah North T8322-4-N and Tabberabbera North T8322-1-N available here: http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/imf/search/Topo30Front.jsp Use Avenza App.
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/dawn-surprise-rapid-wonnangatta-river-australia-day-2017/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-one/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-two/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-waterford-to-angusvale-day-three/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/videos/canoe-wonnangatta-the-movie/
29/01/2017: Meanwhile Trump does what he said he will do (what a refreshing change
from conventional politics!) For example, this morning Moslems intending to
fly to the
29/01/2017: The Secret Holocaust: Given the resurgence of anti-Semitism
(particularly amongst the Left) in the world today, accompanied by the complete
disappearance of Jews from many countries - particularly in the
29/01/2017: Enjoy life! A whole heap of ‘food myths’ busted here: http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/26929-A-few-persistent-nutrition-myths,-re-posted.html
28/01/2017: Wonnangatta: Waterford to Angusvale Day Two: The second day we ventured as far as the 'Surprise Rapid' which took us five hours (this is including brief halts for lunch, snacks, etc - and at retiree speeds), but mostly speed is related to water flow, and we are canoeing the Wonnangatta this summer with very low flows because of the effects of the bushfires years ago.
We had camped the first night just before the complete end of private property on the right bank. In most cases there is a public margin where you can camp even though there is private property along the river. It was not long before I spied an enormous stag (without antlers) running with two wild cows and calves which I thought an amazing thing. He was too quick for a photo though! Not long afterwards though our passage was blocked by a party of wild bulls which we waited to disburse - as they were not behaving in the most friendly manner! I judged all of these stock to be wild as they were running on public land/National park and had no eartags and they were clearly all sorts of crossbreeds.
They do look daunting, don't they. I was pretty keen to stop Spot barking and antagonising them!
There were a few more interesting rapids in this section.
And we finally came to the end of the dread willow blight! The riverbanks resumed their beauty.
Some of these rapids would disappear at a greater river height - or become more difficult!
Della is hiding behind that island before she comes down this one:
With a very professional style!
Spot and Tiny look back towards her, most impressed.
After an hour or two a break for a snack.
And then onwards again!
The various herbivores are keeping this national park well mown. There is much more grass on various private properties across the river.
A wedge-tailed eagle combs the cloudy sky.
Another pleasant rapid.
The remains of an old swing bridge I guess.
And Spot investigates a bathtub which may come in handy in case we lose our canoes!
There are some fearsome predators as in these waters (river monsters perhaps - well there are giant carp anyway, nearly a metre long). No carp chewed open this freshwater mussel though.
Paddling on.
You can see the damage the absence of willows creates!
The river has become wider.
Towards the end of the trip there were a couple of Grade 2 rapids, which we checked out before we committed ourselves. This one was OK, but another we portaged. there is no sense in getting yourself injured so far from help - and we are here for a good time.
After five hours we came to the (first of) the Surprise rapids. There are several in quick succession. I reckoned I could get down this one safely. Della demurred, so next day we portaged all of them (there is an old pack track) on the right bank.
Thre is a long languorous deep pool upstream the 'Surprise', a pleasant harbour and a shady spot to rest. We pitched our tent on a little flat about three metres just behind me to my right.
The residents began to come to check us out. Here is a wood duck. Then a giant carp began to repeatedly broach in the deep pool. I tried for an hour to snap a photo of him but to no avail.
You can see how close our tent was to the water. It was a lovely camp. The water was warm enough for a bath (as on the first night). The ground was soft and flat. We enjoyed a pleasant night's rest in the wild.
I went for a little walk back along the river for a couple of kilometres (there are substantial clearings all along it). I saw two does and a stag - again they departed too quickly to get a photo. Della utilised part of one of their relatives to make a 'Clan of the Cave Bear Mask'. Here, she is one of the 'People of the Deer'. Well, she is a dear person anyway to come with me on these wild adventures!
28/01/2017: We have an epidemic of husband beating again today, but no-one calls for action; http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/an-epidemic-of-husband-beating/news-story/2644c63eef26365ee45b811c833f1177
28/01/2017: ‘The face that must have lunched on a thousand chips…how can we waste our compassion on someone who is responsible for her own misfortune? Are there not enough people in the world who are victims of misfortune, injustice and cruelty for us not to bother with those whose misery is self-inflicted?’ https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2017/01-02/dissonance-emotional-cognitive/
27/01/2017: Wonnangatta:
This is our rig. We spent the first night in the camper. I have arranged a simple drop-in frame which carries the motorbike on one side of our 6 x 4 trailer and the two canoes on the other. I will perfect this and do a separate post about it
. 
We begin the journey.
Many beautiful European trees in this first third.
The first two days were all just pebble races or Grade 1+ rapids. Really enjoyable. We never had to get out of the boats.
A heron watches us pass. The birdlife on the river is rich and varied. Unfortunately it is not possible to get very good photographs with a waterproof pocket camera.
Castleburn Creek confluence about half an hour in. It would be easy to put in here. there is also a lovely car camping spot. The dogs enjoy playing in the sand.
Leaving the Castleburn Creek confluence.
Just cruising.
A splendid long race.
Lots of fun Grade 1 rapids.
These wood ducks were playing 'hide the duckling'.
Some willows needed here.
Spot keeps a close check on Della's progress. Tiny is just' grocking'!
These relict brachychitons (kurrajongs) are a feature of the river (as are bee-eaters!)
Spot wondering whether Della is going to ever make it down this easy race. Here she comes.
The
Della powers along.
Spot surveys with distaste the kilometres of dead willows and wonders, 'Why?'
We usually approached complex rapids (eg this one with its many rocks) carefully, even getting out to check whether it was safe if necessary. This one is fine.
A pair of blue cranes sombrely watch us pass.
A dead tree kangaroo. Possibly a victim of the willow spray!
Just so many beautiful, easy sections of river. You could go to sleep. But don't!
This old-timer had a delightful garden. A good crop of prickly pears there. For the first 5-6 hours there are occasional patches of private land interspersed with bush on either side of the river.
Lichen has taken a lot of trouble to paint these cliffs. The deer are keeping the grass well mown.
I had stopped to look at something when Tiny (faintly) saw Della go past. Thinking she had been abandoned our 17 year old heroine Jack Russell (centre) swam clear across this mighty river to 'save' Della. Six hours in. Time to make camp, perhaps.
And what a delightful river bank camp it is. This is my 'Honey I Shrank' tent (http://www.theultralighthiker.com/honey-i-shrank-the-tent/). Della enjoys a well-deserved cuppa. Spot keeps her company. Tiny hits her bed. I quite agree with Ratty, 'There is simply nothing quite like messing about in boats'!
Right behind our camp (<20 yards away) there was this monstrous wallow, so you can be sure we were serenaded by sambar by moonlight! No cast antlers found unfortunately!
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
27/01/2017: You thought ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was pure fantasy: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/01/24/a-woman-flew-through-a-tornado-in-a-bathtub-and-survived/?utm_term=.5ab57bfb232d
27/01/2017: Dawn, Surprise Rapid,
27/01/2017: One of the most striking
features of these photos is the pride the
homesteaders show: http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/american_studies/my_little_old_sod_shanty.php
Christman Sisters, Sod Shanty on the
Plains.
27/01/2017: Trump really can pick smart women: https://rosebyanyothernameblog.wordpress.com/
27/01/2017: The end of Malcolm’s refugee deal with Obama. (Trump will get
things done!): https://ca.news.yahoo.com/exclusive-trump-expected-sign-executive-orders-immigration-001530555.html
27/01/2017: A trip to the
‘On the morning of the 9th inst. a party of seven, consisting of a councillor (hereafter called " The General"), his two sons (" The Farrier" and "The Baker"), a local chemist (" Dr. Pills") and* his son (" Norme"), a contractor known as "The Champion" (tea drinker), and the son of one of Kew's oldest councillors (known as "Captain Moonlight"), left Kew at 8 P.m. with a caravan drawn by two small horses, and two bicycles, en route to the falls at the source of the Yarra River.
Brushy Creek (16 miles) was reached, and a halt was made for lunch, thence through Lilydale to Worri Yallock (32 miles), where the camp was pitched for the night. Fishing was indulged in at night and shooting in the morning.
January 10 -A start was made at 8.30, but at Oak Hill (a few miles further on) the hames broke, and a .new pair had to be purchased. Another start was proposed, but one of the horses objected; consequently, the services of a draught horse were called into requisition, and the whole caravan was safely towed up to the top of this steep hill. Launching Place was reached at 11.30, where the midday meal was disposed of. One thirty to 2 p.m. was occupied in covering the distance to Yarra Junction, where a halt was made until 4 30 p.m. There negotiations were made for the hire of a pair of heavier horses, which were secured at the exorbitant (save the mark !) fee of 10s per day for two horses, a driver, and the keep of the horses. The party then pushed on to the Little Yarra and camped for the night, and were joined at 9 p.m. by "The Measurer."
January 11 -We were met by the driver with the two hired
horses, and a start was made at 7.40 a.m., and we passed through Old Warburton,
the new
Here and there bridges have been thrown across the river to connect the settlers on the far side of the river with civilisation on this. The whole scene is picturesque. The timber trade with this railway station is enormous - timber trains are sprung upon you at nearly every turn of the road, and the cartage from outlying districts by bullock wagons has cut the roads up terribly. For the past two years (so we were informed, and we could readily believe it) no attempt at repairs has been made. The consequence is that from this point onwards you have to keep your eyes open continuously for large holes and deep ruts. The balance of the roadway is covered inches deep in dust.
Having laid in a further supply of provisions, we pushed on to Sunnydale (3 miles), where we camped for dinner. This spot is as pleasant a one as the eye could rest upon. The river is almost horse-shoe shape, the soil is of a chocolate volcanic origin, planted with English grasses, and the cattle grazing thereon were in prime condition. The beautiful green tinge of the grass, contrasted very strongly with the brown, sunburnt, natural grasses hitherto met with. Having refreshed the inner man and consoled ourselves with a game of crib, we set out for Starvation Creek, where we purposed camping for the night.
Some three miles short of our destination we were overtaken by two young men on rather flash horses, from whom we made enquiries as to the distance yet to be covered. They were as deficient in knowledge of the locality (if not more so) as we were ourselves. At the conclusion of our inquiries our "corner man"- mounted on his white charger, wearing blue dungarees and leggings, minus a coat, shirt-sleeves rolled up, and hat well drawn down over his eyes - asked, in sonorous tones, " Have you got any money?" The elder youth laughed, but the younger lad's face blanched, and he edged his horse away quick and lively. Thereafter our corner man was known as "Captain Moonlight."
Starvation Creek was reached about 6 p.m., and immediately on passing over the bridge your eyes were drawn to a signboard affixed to a tree, bearing the name, "Starvation Creek" Fastened on to the sign-board was the dry thigh-bone of a bullock, indicative of miners' results in fossicking for gold at that place. We pitched our camp on the flat, and, after tea, went fishing.
At 10 30, when the last of us were retiring for the night, we were attracted by the sound of bullock teams approaching, and, shortly afterwards, two wagons, loaded with 1500 palings each, and drawn by 16 and 14 bullocks respectively, hove in sight. Here, also, the drivers camped for the night, the bullocks being let loose (each with a bell round its neck) to forage as best they may. The bullock drivers had been at work since 5 a.m. They made their bed on some dozen bags of chaff, under a tarpaulin covering, which had been left there by Mr Buller, of the store at McMahon's Creek, three miles further on. Mr Buller is accustomed to leaving half his load at this point on account of the steep hill between Starvation Creek and McMahon's Creek, and so great is the code of honesty in this part that he has never been known to lose a bag.
January 12 -Up at 5.30 a m., our usual hour, and after
bathing, breakfast, and repairing punctured bicycle tyres, the two cyclists
covered the three miles to McMahon's Creek in 25 minutes, notwithstanding the
hills and dust. The peculiarity of this dust, viz., powdered schist rock was
that no matter, what its depth you could always ride through it. A similar
depth of dust around
By 12.30 we reached the old mining town of
McVeigh's hotel, at Walsh's Creek, was reached at 5 p.m., and our camp was pitched about a quarter of a mile beyond his house, at the junction of the Wood's Point and Clear Creek roads. Owing to the kindness of Mr McVeigh, five of our number (now increased to 11) were able to sleep in a tent he has had permanently erected on the roadside on a wooden floor, and under a bark roof instead of a fly. Here we met Jimmy Clark, the man who cut the track to the Falls, and received full instructions as to the route to be taken.
Here two curious incidents were noted. The whole of this
portion of the country has been permanently reserved for future water supply
purposes for
January 13 -After an early breakfast we started to pack our four horses in a peculiarly up-to-date style of our own, and just before starting, at 10.55, a photo was taken of the turnout. It will be interesting to see how they develop. From this point to the Falls Creek (16 miles) a pack track is followed, which for the most part skirts the Yarra. It is good solid plugging following this track up hill and down dale. At first the four horses were led, but "The General" soon became full of "Captain Moonlight's" charger, and practised his 'prentice hand at bullock driving, and was successful in soon reducing his steed to a worthy pack-horse.
At 2.10 (7 miles) we reached Contention Camp (Bromley's Reef Goldmine), but of this you shall hear more later on. After dinner we caught a few fish, and then pushed on with the intention of camping at Fall's Creek, but at Poverty Bend (3 miles short) we were blocked by fallen timber and had to camp for the night on the track. Bed was sought at 9 p.m. About 11.30 p m. one of our number was awakened by a crashing sound, and on investigation it was found that one of the horses had got loose and had fallen off the track. All hands turned out, and until 2 am axes and tomahawks were used in cutting away timber to free the poor brute, who was jammed between two saplings, with his feet hanging over the creek.
After two and a-half hours' solid graft we were able to pull the horse clear and roll him into the creek, about 2ft. deep. Then "The General" and "The Champion," with lantern and axe, proceeded to lead the horse along the bed of the creek to the crossing, about 200 yards up, but being blocked by fallen timber, tethered him on the further bank for the night, and repaired to the camp-fire to dry their boots and socks. A billy of tea was soon brewed, and bed once more sought.
January 14 -A stir was made at 5.15 a.m., and a reconnoitre being made, it was found necessary to cut a zig-zag track up which to lead the horse. The barometer gave the fall of 47ft. down a 1 in 1 slope. At 9.30 a start was made, the horses being left behind with the driver, as the track was blocked. Falls Creek was reached at 10.30, after passing through a forest of beautiful beech trees, the timber previously being black butt and stringy bark. Here we found the brand of Mr A. J. Campbell, of the Mines Department, on a sassafras tree.
Mr Campbell gave the height of the Falls Creek as 1760ft. above sea level. Our barometer gave only 1550ft. From this point there is a steady climb of two miles and a-half up the spur, rising over 1000ft. in that distance. Turning to the right we reached the top of the falls at midday, where we had lunch. Four different photos of the falls were taken. Owing to want of time and shortness of provisions we were unable to climb from the top to the bottom - a distance of 700ft in less than half-a-mile.
The sight was one of exceeding grandeur, double falls, single falls, and cascades following one another in quick succession. The country itself was disappointing-trees there certainly were in plenty, but small plant life was rare. Snow lies on these mountains (2800ft. above sea level) for about eight months of the year. The water which soaks into the schist rock, of which the whole of these mountains are composed, freezes, and, expanding, splits the surface stones along their cleavage planes, thus rendering it exceedingly dangerous when climbing in parties. Once a stone is loosened from its bedding, it thunders down the hill and over the precipices (many of them from 50 to 100ft.), and never ceases until the foot of the falls is reached. One should never die of thirst in this country, but animal and bird life are practically an unknown quantity. At 2.10 p.m. we set out on our return picked up our horses at Poverty Bend at 4.15, had afternoon tea, and pushed on to Bromley's Reef and pitched camp at 7.15.
January 15 - After breakfast, Mr Victor, the manager of the mine, which is the first opened up in this country, very kindly showed us all that there was to be seen. Two reefs have been discovered. No. 1 gave 4580z. from 130 tons; No. 2, about 150ft. west, 17oz from 15 tons. No. 2 is being worked at present. From the side of the hill a tunnel runs 160ft. west, and then the drive turns up north and south along the reef 130ft., which outcrops on the surface 60ft. above. The stone is run out on the trucks, and then sledged down to the 4-head battery worked by waterpower. The cost from first to last works out at 16s. per ton. From the battery a tunnel is being driven on a grade of 4ft. in 100ft. to intercept the No. 1 reef, which outcrops on the surface 670ft south, and has been opened out to a depth of 130ft, showing a reef 2ft. in thickness, carrying good gold the whole way. This tunnel has already been opened out 490ft., and it is expected that in nine weeks the shaft will be reached. Steel rails are being laid for the tram track in this tunnel, and it is the intention to tunnel across to No. reef, which will mean a considerable reduction in working expenses. The mine has been floated into a company of 30,000 shares at 5s. each, half paid up, and today are quoted on the market at 6s. 2d. The Hon. E. Miller is chairman of directors. I believe there is a big future before this district as regards mining. Our camp at McVeigh's was reached at 1.50 pm, and the rest of the day was devoted to fishing.
January 16 - At 10 a.m. a start on the return home was made.
We camped for the night at Big Pat's Creek, and reached Little Yarra at 1 pm.
on the 17th. There half the party returned by the night train, the remainder
visited the
23/01/2017: Immigration minister Peter Dutton suggests a new citizenship test for Australian arrivals. At the Daily Telegraph, Rowan Dean is happy to assist.: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/take-the-test/news-story/83551b0e4ce58282cabdba1abbdf22af
23/01/2017: Gun permit holders are only 1/20th as likely to commit an offence as the general population. Why doesn't this surprise me? http://reason.com/blog/2011/12/27/scare-story-about-carry-permit-holders-s
23/01/2017: It’s nice that
22/01/2017: Death Cults: The trouble with cults is they attract adherents and imitators. The Melbourne Mall terrorist self-identified as Islamic. We will have more and more of this horrific violence until we cry, ‘Enough’ and choose to do something about it. A phased, civilised forced emigration of all Moslems out of the country is the best way forward. The other way forward is simply to do nothing, allow their numbers to increase to the point where we have what will be in effect a full-scale civil war on our hands (perhaps in as little as twenty years from now) which will continue until they are eliminated and tens of thousands of people lose their lives. There is no benefit to the second course – and there is no alternative. These leopards will not change their spots! http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/01/20/driver-in-melbourne-car-attack-named-as-greek-islamic-kurd-with-mental-health-issues/
22/01/2017: If you have ever wondered whether you have a twin somewhere…can
two snowflakes be identical: http://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/01/14/ask-ethan-could-you-have-two-perfectly-identical-snowflakes/#4791143e5d0e
22/01/2017:
22/01/2017: From 1925: The Baw Baw Track: Notes of a Recent Visit By R. H. Croll: This is the track on which so many novices metaphorically lay their bones. For some reason it has caught the popular fancy, with the result that the budding walker, in all the discomfort of improper equipment, frequently makes it his first, and last, essay with the swag. He brings back a tale of trying tracks, of steep gradients, and bleak uplands, often in curious contrast with the accounts of more seasoned trampers.
Freemans Flat between Mts Baw Baw & St Phillack
The truth is that few of the 50 miles between Walsh's Creek (McVeigh's) on the Upper Yarra and the railhead at Walhalla-the 50 miles which constitute the so-called "Baw Baw Track" are easy miles, but they are well within the compass of any pedestrian who is capable of' carrying a 30 pound pack up a fairly graded hill, or has the means to hire a packhorse to do it for him. In other words, the way is open to all who are young, and to any whose maturity has really benefited by experience of such outings. It is time indeed that someone spoke plainly regarding the nonsense so commonly printed that the swag is a destroyer of all pleasure on a country tour.
I bear fardels as unwillingly as the next man, and I recognise the obvious fact that it ii easier and more enjoyable to walk free than loaded, but I protest that the pain of carrying one's bed and board are a very small charge (in this world where everything has its price) for the perfect liberty so gained, and that no one need divorce himself from pleasure in doing so.
The Baw Baw track is so named because at its most picturesque stage it traverses the Baw Baw Plateau and gives cosy access, by it side walk of about a mile and a quarter, to the 5,130ft. summit of Mount Baw Baw itself. Three natural divisions mark the route, the first being the stage up the Yarra Valley - a long, slow rise, the next the irregular, but relatively level going of the uplands, the third the rapid descent into Walhalla.
With the commencement of the bridle track at McVeigh's the way is truly the walkers. For nearly 10 miles it is a sidling pad winding just above and always within sight, or at least sound, of the Yarra, here a bubbling stream running at the foot of a steadily deepening valley. Higher and higher grow the hills, well clothed, particularly on the right bank, with tall timber and luxuriant shrubs. The slopes above the river look primeval and untrodden. But the trail is an old one, as old as the early mining rushes, and doubtless those resolute pioneers, the diggers, left little even of this hilly country unexplored in their search for gold. A reminder of the period is the unusual blaze on the timber a T, to signify the Tanjil track.
Just before the 15-mile post, shown in red on a tree two huts come into the picture. Each is of iron, and each is well constructed to meet the needs of tourists, it being understood that these bring their own food and bedding. The newer structure has a cement chimney and cement floor, a couple of large windows, a table, a form, and some boxes for seats, half a dozen billies, a frying-pan, a bucket, an axe, a broom, four stretchers, with spring mattresses (and there are as many more in the neighbouring hut) and about a dozen mugs and plates. There are two rooms available for visitors, the space, over all, being about 50ft. by 11ft. The old hut is much smaller, but is weatherproof, and at least a shelter in rough weather.
On Falls Creek, which, joins the main stream at this point, six picturesque waterfalls occur within a mile and a half of the camping-ground, They are readily accessible, the track to the main fall (the first) being in good order and of on easy grade. The other five take a little more climbing to see. The second stage of the onward journey opens badly with a determined zigzag which joins on to the lower end of a mile-long spur.
As you climb, the Yarra valley recedes on your left flank; below, on the right, are glimpses of the Falls Creek. The timber is large mountain ash in the main mingled with fine samples of silvertop, and later, woollybutt. In the season long lanes of Christmas bush are flowering here. Some groves of beech through which the track winds suggest a stage setting of fairy land in their still beauty. The variety is endless, now a group of giant gums, now beech or wattle groves, now a young forest, here a marshy spot, there a sparkling stream with its sands aglitter with "new chum gold ' always and ever something to attract and hold the attention.
Fourteen miles of this including the first crossing of the
The fact that the next hut, that on the Talbot Peak of
Mount Erica, is only eight miles away should be appreciated for two reasons.
The negative one is that there is much morass to cross, which means slow
progress; the positive and important one is that there is so much to see. A day
is all too short in which to do justice to this section and the surroundings of
The charm of interesting detail gives place to the appeal of great mountains spread as far as sight will carry. That is what one gains from the windows of Talbot hut, for this last and smallest of all the shelter houses is perched on the edge of a great declivity which drops swiftly some four thousand feet. Across the gulf rise endless mountain chains, their scoring valleys clearly indicated in the evening light. Hours may be spent picking out Feathertop and Welington, Ben Cruachan and other giants and speculating over those more difficult of identification, while all the time there sinks into the consciousness the wonderful blues of the high places, the play of light and shadow over unending miles of broken country, the grandeur of lofty peaks and the amazing deeps below them. Speaking as one who has looked from many of the high hills of the State I find this view very difficult to excel.
Now comes the drop to lower levels. The famous descent to Avernus is not swifter than the first three miles when the track begins to dip, which it does directly the point of Erica is passed. In that one league there is a fall of 3,000ft. and in wet weather that can be a true and continuous test of balance. Remarkable rocks are seen, a mill is heard screaming in the forest at the foot of the slide and a bush track leads one by pleasant ways over the 11 1/2 miles into Walhalla, a place well worth visiting in itself, and apparently soon to he numbered with the departed townships. Unless the present ventures revive the gold mining Walhalla in five years may be no more than a blackberry wilderness. Throughout there is no difficulty in following the tracks. They are clearly marked and kept wonderfully free of fallen timber. The department in whose charge they are certainly does its work well.
Thanks to Thomas Osburg, who found this account.
21/01/2017: Trump to cut federal spending 10%, slash federal workers 20%: This
is the sort of action we need here to fix our Budget, besides do we need
all/any of these pesky overlords: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/boom-trump-eyes-10-spending-cuts-20-slash-of-federal-workers/article/2612037#!
21/01/2017: In reply to the ‘Hottest Year Ever’ ‘news’: On 27th Dec 1790 (measured at a location just stones-throw from
Observatory Hill) the mercury hit 108.5 F (42.5 C) before peaking at 109 F
(42.8 C) . This was BEFORE the Urban Heat Effect (UHI) so go figure how much
HOTTER THAT was than today! See (http://wattsupwiththat.com/…/global-warming-it-was-warmer-…/)
AND (http://wattsupwiththat.com/…/a-follow-up-on-the-it-was-wa…/…)
You will also notice that our own
21/01/2017: Ringling Bros. circus to close after 146 years: This is awful
news, even more awful as it indicates the Left is winning: https://www.yahoo.com/news/apnewsbreak-ringling-bros-circus-close-031022225.html
20/01/2017: A
20/01/2017: Secrets of the Yarra: Walsh’s
And this was McVeigh’s Hotel at the junction of the Yarra
& Walsh’s Creek, a transit stop on the way to the famous
And this was what the (now forbidden)
Here is a more recent photo of the bottom fall:
This may even be an 1845 painting by Hodddle of the
They certaoinly are spectacular waterfalls, deserving to
once again become one of
And this is an interesting shield of a cycling tour of the Yarra Track in bygone days:
20/01/2017: Quote of the day: Henry Hazlitt’s ‘Marxism in One Minute’: ‘The whole gospel of Karl Marx can be summed up in a single
sentence: Hate the man who is better off than you are. Never under any
circumstances admit that his success may be due to his own efforts, to the
productive contribution he has made to the whole community. Always attribute
his success to the exploitation, the cheating, the more or less open robbery of
others. [MP: Or according to our Marxist-in-Chief: "If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else
made that happen."] Never under any circumstances admit that your own
failure may be owing to your own weakness, or that the failure of anyone else
may be due to his own defects — his laziness, incompetence, improvidence or
stupidity. Never believe in the honesty or disinterestedness of anyone who
disagrees with you. This basic hatred is the heart of Marxism. This is its
animating force. You can throw away the dialectical materialism, the Hegelian
framework, the technical jargon, the “scientific” analysis, and millions of
pretentious words, and you still have the core: the implacable hatred and envy
that are the raison d’etre for all the rest.’
20/01/2017: So, why aren’t we talking about replacing Hazelwood with this –
instead of shooting ourselves in the feet? https://www.worldcoal.com/power/18012017/new-coal-technology-could-reduce-emissions/
19/01/2017: Wonnangatta: Hut Creek to
The section begins with a long, deep race down to the
Scorpion Track crossing. Until closed, there used to be a couple of kilometers
of lovely car camping on grassy flats on both East and the West bank of the
river here. Alas, our masters have decreed, 'no more' - and no more fire
access, or pest animal management access, etc either. Canoe camping though is a
different matter!
Outstanding swimming beaches.
Delicious long, placid pools.
Lovely pebble races.
Ducks. Well: birds, lots of birds. This section is a bird watcher's paradise. There were literally flocks of dozens of bee-eaters for example - and enough bell miners to almost deafen one!
And the water is as clear as crystal!
The Rock of Gibraltar looms overhead.
Lots of great Grade 1+ rapids.
A cool shady place to stop for lunch on a hot day.
Look at this wonderful long deep pool.
And this beach!
And this one: what a majestic gum!
And another vast deep pool. There were giant fish along this section; carp which must have been nearly a metre long!
Spot caused me to sweep under a branch and the boat filled up with long-legged spiders - which had built webs in two minutes!
So that I had to get out on this delightful bar and foist them out.
One of the fords (Scrubby Creek Track) is in the background as Della negotiates this interesting rapid.
Then comes this enchanting labyrinth.
The westering sun is brilliantly glistening off this pebble race.
Suddenly you break out into Guys.
This appeared to be a sandpiper - a long way from the sea.
These spur-winged plovers just took off as I pressed the shutter.
Guys' giant walnuts were loaded with fruit nearly the size of tennis balls!
They, and the weeping willows transform the river into a European landscape.
The blue hills behind Della make a delightful backdrop.
She finishes the very last rapid in a halo of sunlight!
You can drag your boats out on the North-East side of the bridge - or you can go two kilometres downstream (another half an hour) and get them out more easily at Meyers Flat.
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
19/01/2017: Things you may not know: Bishop handed over a huge slice of Australian
territory last week without a fight, caving in to east
19/01/2017: This too is really bad news: ‘The Associated Press cites a study
based on Federal Reserve data showing that "millennials earn 20 percent less than boomers did at the same stage of
life, despite being better educated".
They are on track to be poorer than their parents despite all that
progress.’ And, it is for the same reason, ie Leftist economics: https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2017/01/13/the-second-wall/
18/01/2017: Wonnangatta: Black Snake to Hut Creek:
This is the second section downstream from the
Straightaway you are into a long right-curving chute which goes on for nearly a kilometre. Delightful.
With a couple of pebble races thrown in just for fun. Like this one:
And this:
About a kilometre in there is a splendid swimming hole with a beach on one side and a deep pool complete with diving rock on the other.
Another Grade 1 rapid.
A long deep section.
Spot is on lookout. What a great swimming hole this is on a
right hand bend. The long flat on the true right bank below it has many
possible grassy campsites if you are planning a lazy, multi-day canoe odyssey
from
The river is so clean and clear.
Some of these interesting trees have spring up here and there. I suspect they are weeds and are inedible - at least the birds have been ignoring them. Can anyone identify them? They are not loquats: the fruit have hundreds of tiny seeds like tomatoes.
Here is what the flowers looked like some months ago.
Maguires Flat is on the true left bank here. Scorpion Creek is on the right.
The last straight. At the end of Maguires Flat there is a pebble race (you go down the left hand side). Hut Creek is straight ahead of you on the left bank. It is easy to be swept past, particularly at high water (ie over 1.8 metres) so you should have checked this out before you started at Black Snake Creek when you were leaving your vehicle here. You have to drag your boats about fifty yards back along the bank of the creek to your car, but it is easy. Someone else could clear some of the fallen branches - after all what is the 'Dept of Many Names' for? Well, I wonder...
See Also:
Section 1: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-kingwell-bridge-to-black-snake-creek/
Section 2: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-black-snake-to-hut-creek/
Section 3: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/wonnangatta-hut-creek-to-waterford-bridge/
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoe-wonnangatta/
For
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnangatta-mitchell/
18/01/2017: Absolutely, children should know their place – which is secondary: https://pjmedia.com/parenting/2017/01/10/love-your-spouse-more-than-your-kids-make-sure-the-kids-know-it//?singlepage=true
18/01/2017: The Fifth Column has/had infiltrated the highest offices in the land. CIA
Director Brennan (like Obama) was/is a Moslem. Is it any wonder that Brennan
wants to identify
17/01/2017: Wonnangatta: Kingwell Bridge
This section and the next (to Hut Creek) are the best
family canoeing opportunities on the river. When our kids were little (just a
quarter century ago) we must have canoed them a hundred times. In the morning
you can drop in at the
The photos that follow are of this first section. (I will post about the second section later). The photos are in sequence so I hope give some indication of what you will encounter (many delights) along the way. Both sections are just pebble races or Grade 1+ rapids. Of course you can fall out. Your kids should be wearing life jackets but I confess that once ours could swim we found it just about impossible to keep them on them.
Every now and then you might encounter something (a tree
down perhaps, or a log sitting in a dangerous position) where you want to get
out and walk the boats around. Della does not see as well as she used to, so
reverts to this strategy more than I do. Also, sometimes she misses the deepest
channel and has to get out – but she has only 38% vision, so if she can still
canoe this river, I’m sure you can! You need about 1.70 metres at the
Setting out just above the
There was some heavy roan traffic on the bridge that day!
Some majestic gums line the river.
Mostly, as you see, it is fun pebble races.
And pleasant deep sections just right for a swim. We could never go far before the kids wanted a dip!
A great little rapid.
And another deep section where you can ‘raft up’.
Hawkhurst’s sheep slumbering under their ancient poplars didn’t like the look of us – or our dogs!
What a lovely deep lead!
The gums and European trees get on together just fine.
Some wood ducks enjoying the river.
Della missed the channel here below the willows and poplars.
This gum tree though seems to be trying to avoid these poplars! Neighbours!
A great swimming hole.
And a lovely beach opposite.
Della always loves to have a fossick.
This time she has turned up a treasure!
She wanted to avoid this little rapid though she has canoed it scores of times before.
The dogs Tiny and Spot are all attention.
Some interesting cliffs for climbing.
And around the bend we go!
Another beautiful deep lead.
Looking back at the last little drop, the light catches the water splendidly.
As it does here.
Always some beautiful flowers to see.
This swing bridge is just above the Black Snake Creek. Time to start looking for the small landing beach (left) where the creek joins the river.
What a delightful trip! Hope you enjoy it too.
Nowadays there is a free camping ground (with fire pits, toilet, etc) at Black Snake Creek (which was a town with a PO etc during the Depression). The remaining hut is the home of its last inhabitant, Harry Gee who stayed on here alone for many years. His house used to have a huge walnut tree on the Downstream side and a vast loquat on the upstream side. There was a bridge spike in the walnut tree about 8′ up where he used to hang the carcass of a sheep, etc he was to eat.
The mine which was the purpose of the town lies further up the valley. There is a walking path. We used to park the camper under the deep shade of his walnut tree where the Gang Gangs and Major Mitchells rained down green walnuts on us! Before the kids could swim they would make a wading pool in the creek just behind his house. We had many lovely holidays there – I hope you do too!
17/01/2017: End the Misery of Insect Bites: After a trip to NZ’s Fiordland all
my exposed skin used to resemble a very angry surface of the moon for weeks
afterwards, but one application of this wonderful cream on any troublesome bite
makes it go away completely (also works on leech bites). For some bizarre reason
antihistamine cream to treat insect bites is banned in
17/01/2017: This decision is so right, vegans are annoying: ‘The resident’s committee argued that if she does not accept Swiss traditions and the Swiss way of life, she should not be able to become an official national.’ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/pass-the-dutchy/news-story/ac6fdda21b672c035806379842e3e95e
17/01/2017:
17/01/2017: Rental Property: At one time we toyed with the idea of putting our self-funded superannuation money into some rental property, but after studying the likely returns (less than bank interest at best) we decided against it. We were also warned off by the potential for such an investment to go totally pear-shaped, as happened to this lady with her simply awful tenant. Be warned: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/12/berkeley-sarah-lawrence-professor-house-rental-saga
16/01/2017: Ten delightful hours so far canoeing the beautiful Wonnangatta River from Kingwell Bridge to Waterford Bridge, as ‘we catch the wave’ http://www.theultralighthiker.com/canoeing-the-wonnangatta…/ (See also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/pack-rafting-the-wonnang…/) In this section the river journeys for many hours through the most serene and beautiful forest you can imagine – and full of beautiful camping spots! More photos to follow. Here is a foretaste. PS: Delightfully we have found a campsite here where our mobile phones and internet both work!
16/01/2017: Eschew Philosophy:
16/01/2017: As we get ready to ‘celebrate’ communism’s centenerary, we should never forget the one million plus people murdered by this creed every year of its existence – yet on the left of politics we have many yet who have not recognised this salient fact: admirers of Castro’s Cuba or Mao’s China…or those who are still thinking ending the Vietnam war was good, and forget that with it came the 8 million murdered after the fall of Saigon: http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/communisms-centenary/
14/01/2017: The Trump Effect: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-to-create-more-than-100000-full-time-jobs-in-the-next-18-months-2017-01-12
14/01/2017: Never too Late: ‘Now a spry 105,
Marchand is still active today…Over the two years before setting the hour
record in January 2014, Marchand cycled around 10,000 kilometers (roughly 13.7
per day). During that time, he increased his VO2 Max, a measure of aerobic
fitness, by 13 percent. His peak power output also increased by 25 percent.
Both results demonstrate that the human body is still capable of adapting and
strengthening past 100’ http://www.realclearscience.com/quick_and_clear_science/2017/01/03/scientists_examine_105-year-old_super_athlete.html
14/01/2017: A Socratic approach on climate change. Great work Jo. Socrates
would have been proud of you: http://joannenova.com.au/2017/01/socrates-speaks-about-climate-change/
13/01/2017: Over-acting is completely out of control. Are folks just so saturated by sit-coms that they can no longer tell
the difference between ‘normal’ or ‘genuine’ expression and the faux, glitzy
simulacra which counterfeits them everywhere we look – such as in the indecent
adoration for Hilary and Meryl Streep, for example. Look I enjoyed the movie,
‘The River Wild’ but Meryl really did not play anywhere near as convincing a
part as ‘baddy actor’ Kevin Bacon in it. And, please remember this: it was only
acting, make believe. Often real people are well-nigh expressionless in the
face of similar real experiences, yet they are able to perform with admirable
heroism. You could check out the expressions on the two people attacked by a
mad trannie with an axe in
13/01/2017: They have to go: ‘Four Anzac Day marches
in NSW were cancelled yesterday because nobody could agree on who should pay to
protect crowds from Islamic terrorists…Just arm the diggers. Problem solved.’ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/australia-in-2017/news-story/0eacf432f7dd72adf0ed0739d22dae85
13/01/2017: Frankly I am very annoyed about MLA’s trendy political ads. Having been sheep farmers for 40 years we are required to pay levies to these folks for all manner of things we don’t want, or support – the last three costly ear tagging rule changes, for example. My belief is that 99% of sheep and lamb producers proudly celebrate Australia Day: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/the-day-that-dare-not-speak-its-name/news-story/bd9ab7e95593f00ae2f8720a55874f0a
13/01/2017: The return of feudalism: This is what the awesome tyranny implicit
in ‘basic income’ is ultimately about. Read on: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-11/what-does-future-hold-average-joes-spoiler-alert-feudalism
13/01/2017: Well, this is really good news: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201101/attention-ladies-semen-is-antidepressant
12/01/2017: Canoeing the Wonnangatta, Catching the Wave: Rainfall at Mt Hotham
is a pretty good analogue for river flow on the Wonnangatta-Mitchell. The river
flows at approx 4km/hr. Use that fact to time the canoeability of sections.
On Monday (9 Jan) it rained steadily all
afternoon and there was 63 mm of rainfall at Mt Hotham by the time it stopped
around 9pm. The whole valley got a good
soaking. You can check this is happening by comparing eg rainfall at Dargo. You
can see that it is raining by checking the radar.
By 2.52am on the 10th the river
had started rising at
It rose to 1.84 metres at 21:17pm on the
10th, stayed there until 8: 52am on the 11th and then
began falling. By 19:17 on the 11th the river had returned to 1.80
at
Since the bushfires summer flows have been
deplorably low and will likely remain that way for many years. You have to catch the wave! If you
started out from
If you anticipated the wave you would be
able to start at
Saturday and Sunday the river should be
canoeable anywhere from Eaglevale down and the weather should be fine and about
26C. This should be a good weekend on the Wonnangatta. Enjoy! I know I will!
|
Station Date/Time |
Water Level |
|
07/01/2017 02:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 05:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 08:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 11:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 14:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 17:53 |
1.75 |
|
07/01/2017 18:23 |
1.74 |
|
07/01/2017 20:53 |
1.74 |
|
07/01/2017 23:52 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 02:18 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 02:52 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 05:52 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 08:52 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 09:32 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 09:37 |
1.75 |
|
08/01/2017 10:22 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 11:52 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 14:52 |
1.74 |
|
08/01/2017 16:52 |
1.73 |
|
08/01/2017 17:52 |
1.73 |
|
08/01/2017 20:52 |
1.73 |
|
08/01/2017 23:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 02:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 05:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 08:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 11:52 |
1.73 |
|
09/01/2017 13:27 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 14:52 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 17:52 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 20:52 |
1.72 |
|
09/01/2017 23:52 |
1.72 |
|
10/01/2017 02:52 |
1.72 |
|
10/01/2017 03:22 |
1.73 |
|
10/01/2017 05:52 |
1.73 |
|
10/01/2017 07:47 |
1.74 |
|
10/01/2017 08:52 |
1.74 |
|
10/01/2017 09:57 |
1.75 |
|
10/01/2017 11:42 |
1.76 |
|
10/01/2017 11:52 |
1.76 |
|
10/01/2017 12:52 |
1.77 |
|
10/01/2017 13:32 |
1.78 |
|
10/01/2017 14:02 |
1.79 |
|
10/01/2017 14:22 |
1.80 |
|
10/01/2017 14:47 |
1.81 |
|
10/01/2017 14:52 |
1.81 |
|
10/01/2017 15:02 |
1.82 |
|
10/01/2017 15:47 |
1.83 |
|
10/01/2017 17:52 |
1.83 |
|
10/01/2017 20:52 |
1.83 |
|
10/01/2017 21:17 |
1.84 |
|
10/01/2017 23:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 02:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 05:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 08:52 |
1.84 |
|
11/01/2017 10:47 |
1.83 |
|
11/01/2017 11:52 |
1.83 |
|
11/01/2017 13:22 |
1.82 |
|
11/01/2017 14:52 |
1.82 |
|
11/01/2017 16:07 |
1.81 |
|
11/01/2017 17:52 |
1.81 |
|
11/01/2017 19:17 |
1.80 |
|
11/01/2017 20:52 |
1.80 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tue 00:00 EDT |
N |
31 |
41 |
12.3 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 23:50 EDT |
N |
31 |
35 |
12.2 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:40 EDT |
N |
31 |
35 |
12.2 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:30 EDT |
N |
35 |
43 |
12.4 |
- |
9.4 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 23:20 EDT |
N |
33 |
37 |
12.4 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
62.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:10 EDT |
N |
39 |
44 |
12.4 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 23:00 EDT |
N |
35 |
44 |
12.4 |
- |
9.4 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 22:50 EDT |
N |
33 |
37 |
12.4 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:40 EDT |
N |
39 |
44 |
12.4 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
62.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:30 EDT |
N |
35 |
46 |
12.3 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 22:20 EDT |
N |
28 |
31 |
12.2 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:10 EDT |
N |
33 |
41 |
12.1 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 22:00 EDT |
N |
28 |
39 |
12.1 |
- |
9.4 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 21:50 EDT |
N |
37 |
43 |
11.9 |
- |
8.7 |
- |
- |
62.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:40 EDT |
- |
33 |
35 |
12.0 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:30 EDT |
NNW |
31 |
39 |
12.0 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 21:24 EDT |
N |
31 |
50 |
12.1 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 21:20 EDT |
N |
28 |
30 |
12.0 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:10 EDT |
N |
37 |
41 |
12.0 |
- |
8.8 |
- |
- |
62.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 21:00 EDT |
N |
30 |
37 |
12.1 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 20:50 EDT |
N |
20 |
30 |
12.1 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:40 EDT |
NNE |
33 |
39 |
12.0 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:30 EDT |
NNW |
26 |
37 |
12.1 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 20:20 EDT |
N |
31 |
41 |
12.0 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
61.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:10 EDT |
N |
35 |
39 |
12.0 |
- |
8.9 |
- |
- |
61.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 20:00 EDT |
N |
28 |
33 |
11.9 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
61.4 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 19:50 EDT |
N |
22 |
26 |
11.9 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
61.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:40 EDT |
NNW |
17 |
22 |
11.6 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
61.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:30 EDT |
N |
24 |
30 |
11.8 |
- |
9.3 |
- |
- |
61.0 |
0.2 |
- |
|
Mon 19:20 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
24 |
11.8 |
- |
9.5 |
- |
- |
60.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:10 EDT |
N |
26 |
30 |
11.8 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
60.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 19:00 EDT |
NNW |
24 |
33 |
11.7 |
- |
9.2 |
- |
- |
60.0 |
0.6 |
- |
|
Mon 18:50 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
28 |
11.4 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
59.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:40 EDT |
NW |
24 |
28 |
11.0 |
- |
8.3 |
- |
- |
59.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:30 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
35 |
11.1 |
- |
8.6 |
- |
- |
58.8 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 18:20 EDT |
NW |
22 |
24 |
11.4 |
- |
9.0 |
- |
- |
58.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:10 EDT |
NW |
28 |
31 |
11.6 |
- |
8.8 |
- |
- |
57.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 18:00 EDT |
NW |
26 |
33 |
11.7 |
- |
9.1 |
- |
- |
56.8 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 17:50 EDT |
W |
28 |
33 |
11.4 |
- |
8.5 |
- |
- |
56.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:40 EDT |
W |
30 |
35 |
11.0 |
- |
7.9 |
- |
- |
55.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:30 EDT |
W |
28 |
41 |
10.7 |
- |
7.6 |
- |
- |
54.8 |
1.6 |
- |
|
Mon 17:20 EDT |
W |
35 |
39 |
10.4 |
- |
6.8 |
- |
- |
53.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:10 EDT |
W |
39 |
44 |
11.1 |
- |
7.5 |
- |
- |
50.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 17:00 EDT |
NNW |
22 |
31 |
12.0 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
46.2 |
2.6 |
- |
|
Mon 16:50 EDT |
N |
22 |
28 |
12.2 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
44.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:40 EDT |
N |
28 |
35 |
12.4 |
- |
9.8 |
- |
- |
43.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:30 EDT |
NNW |
28 |
39 |
12.7 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
42.6 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 16:20 EDT |
NW |
31 |
35 |
12.6 |
- |
9.8 |
- |
- |
42.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:10 EDT |
NW |
26 |
30 |
12.8 |
- |
10.5 |
- |
- |
41.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 16:00 EDT |
NW |
28 |
43 |
12.6 |
- |
10.1 |
- |
- |
41.4 |
0.6 |
- |
|
Mon 15:50 EDT |
NW |
28 |
35 |
12.7 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
40.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:40 EDT |
NNW |
24 |
28 |
12.6 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
40.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:30 EDT |
NW |
26 |
39 |
12.4 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
39.6 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 15:20 EDT |
WSW |
17 |
20 |
12.9 |
- |
11.3 |
- |
- |
39.2 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:10 EDT |
NNW |
20 |
24 |
12.9 |
- |
11.0 |
- |
- |
38.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 15:00 EDT |
NW |
28 |
44 |
12.8 |
- |
10.4 |
- |
- |
37.6 |
0.2 |
- |
|
Mon 14:50 EDT |
NNW |
20 |
28 |
12.8 |
- |
10.9 |
- |
- |
37.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:40 EDT |
NNW |
30 |
35 |
12.9 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
36.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:30 EDT |
NW |
31 |
43 |
12.9 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
34.8 |
0.4 |
- |
|
Mon 14:20 EDT |
NW |
28 |
41 |
12.9 |
- |
10.5 |
- |
- |
34.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:10 EDT |
NW |
35 |
43 |
12.9 |
- |
10.1 |
- |
- |
31.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 14:00 EDT |
NW |
33 |
44 |
13.0 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
29.0 |
3.8 |
- |
|
Mon 13:50 EDT |
NW |
33 |
41 |
13.0 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
25.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:40 EDT |
N |
35 |
44 |
13.1 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
22.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:30 EDT |
N |
39 |
61 |
13.1 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
20.0 |
1.4 |
- |
|
Mon 13:25 EDT |
N |
35 |
56 |
13.0 |
- |
10.2 |
- |
- |
19.2 |
1.8 |
- |
|
Mon 13:20 EDT |
NNW |
37 |
46 |
13.0 |
- |
10.1 |
- |
- |
18.8 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:10 EDT |
N |
19 |
24 |
13.0 |
- |
11.2 |
- |
- |
16.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 13:00 EDT |
N |
39 |
50 |
13.0 |
- |
10.0 |
- |
- |
12.4 |
1.8 |
- |
|
Mon 12:47 EDT |
NNE |
39 |
44 |
12.9 |
- |
9.9 |
- |
- |
10.6 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 12:37 EDT |
N |
43 |
63 |
12.8 |
- |
9.6 |
- |
- |
6.4 |
1.6 |
- |
|
Mon 12:30 EDT |
N |
37 |
50 |
12.7 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
5.4 |
2.6 |
- |
|
Mon 12:20 EDT |
NNW |
35 |
41 |
12.6 |
- |
9.7 |
- |
- |
3.4 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 12:00 EDT |
N |
31 |
43 |
12.9 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
0.2 |
0.2 |
- |
|
Mon 11:50 EDT |
N |
33 |
39 |
13.0 |
- |
10.3 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 11:30 EDT |
N |
26 |
33 |
13.3 |
- |
11.1 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 11:20 EDT |
- |
26 |
31 |
13.5 |
- |
11.4 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 11:10 EDT |
N |
37 |
41 |
13.7 |
- |
11.0 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 11:00 EDT |
N |
39 |
48 |
13.9 |
- |
11.2 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 10:50 EDT |
N |
39 |
43 |
13.7 |
- |
11.0 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:40 EDT |
N |
37 |
43 |
13.6 |
- |
10.9 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:34 EDT |
N |
33 |
52 |
13.7 |
- |
11.2 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 10:30 EDT |
N |
39 |
52 |
13.8 |
- |
11.1 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 10:20 EDT |
NNW |
35 |
48 |
14.9 |
- |
12.7 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:10 EDT |
N |
39 |
44 |
15.5 |
- |
15.5 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 10:00 EDT |
N |
33 |
44 |
15.3 |
- |
15.3 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 09:50 EDT |
N |
30 |
35 |
15.7 |
- |
15.7 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 09:36 EDT |
N |
33 |
52 |
16.0 |
- |
16.0 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 09:30 EDT |
N |
35 |
44 |
16.4 |
- |
16.4 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
|
Mon 09:20 EDT |
N |
33 |
39 |
16.4 |
- |
16.4 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 09:10 EDT |
N |
30 |
37 |
16.5 |
- |
16.5 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
|
Mon 09:00 EDT |
N |
33 |
44 |
16.1 |
- |
16.1 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
0.0 |
- |
12/01/2017: Oh Dear: ‘Remember, friendly fire is as deadly as the other kind…[T]he
emission spectrum of [LEDs] is enriched in blue radiations, known to be
potentially dangerous to the retina. Recent studies showed that light exposure
contributes to the onset of early stages of age-related macular degeneration
(AMD)…The data suggest that the blue component of the white-LED may cause retinal
toxicity at occupational domestic illuminance’: http://www.the-american-interest.com/2017/01/06/blinded-by-green-mania/
12/01/2017: Wow! Bad News! You will hate this! Some day we might not need dentists:
https://www.statnews.com/2017/01/09/stem-cells-tooth-damage/
12/01/2017: Klymit Hammock Pad:
This new pad from Klymit is definitely worth a look if you are planning on some hammock camping, hunting or fishing: https://www.klymit.com/hammock-v-1.html. Its design tackles the single biggest issue of hammock camping head on, ie how to keep your back, shoulders, elbows, arms & knees comfy and warm.
I find any insulated rectangular pad big enough to keep me warm, but if you are any wider than me, you might want a wider pad (as I have mentioned in earlier posts) or some ‘wings’ to warm up your arms etc where the sleeping bag’s insulation will be compressed against the hammock. Mind you at an R rating of 1.6 this pad would only keep you warm enough in summerish weather - though your sleeping bag insulation would drape into its valleys and add somewhat to its insulative ability.
Speer Hammocks used to make a Segmented Pad Extender which kept your arms and shoulder nice and warm. We made one of these too and it worked well. Here’s a link to making one yourself: http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearSPE.html
I recently posted a number of other hammock items you might also find of interest: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-camping-double-bunking/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/make-your-own-tarp-or-hammock/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/hammock-hunting-till-dark/
11/01/2017: Self-Balancing – The New Way Forward (This is neat!): http://newatlas.com/honda-self-balancing-motorcycle/47257/
& http://newatlas.com/honda-new-uni-cub-personal-mobility-device/29771/
& http://newatlas.com/honda-u3-x-experimental-vehicle/13008/
11/01/2017: When
Labour’s William Beveridge ‘invented’ ‘The Welfare State’ in 1942 ‘his goal was ‘the abolition of want’. Labor has succeeded beyond
his wildest dreams: Want has all but been abolished: fewer and fewer want to
work, want to marry, want to raise children, want to lead a life of any purpose
or dignity’ (Steyn)
11/01/2017: ‘The welfare state is the oldest con game in the world. First you
take people’s money away quietly then you give some of it back to them
flamboyantly,’ Thomas Sowell.
11/01/2017: I can’t believe these people survived this vicious attack in
10/01/2017: Why is School Compulsory? An interesting question, one that is particularly important when so many schools are failing their students, or their students are failing to learn: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/why-school-compulsory
10/01/2017: Good character. Something Malcolm horribly lacks: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/tony-tested/news-story/8566cc4686f756d33239f0f8a68f82d7
10/01/2017: And good character is certainly something ‘Sussan Ley’ doesn’t have either: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/blogs/tim-blair/todays-daily-telegraph-editorial/news-story/31a2bbbf47f5d71bfb1b92684ef9c6b1
09/01/2017: Super AAA Torch 145 Lumens:
Maratac have upgraded the Cree emitter in their latest AAA flashlights so they now output a massive 145 lumens. This is one mighty little torch. Available from US$41.25 Special deals regularly on Massdrop: https://countycomm.com/collections/aaa-flashlights/products/aluminium-anodized-aaa-flashlight-by-maratac-rev-3 Also available in Titanium: https://countycomm.com/collections/aaa-flashlights/products/polished-titanium-maratac-aaa-flashlight-rev-4 You can also rig it as a head torch http://www.theultralighthiker.com/mini-super-torch-a-weeks-light-weighs-50-grams/ & http://www.theultralighthiker.com/diy-head-torches/ The white rubber light diffuser (see photo) turns it into a superb tent lantern. The pocket clip weighs almost nothing and makes carrying and accessing it a breeze.
09/01/2017: How
terrible the ‘human condition’ can be is dramatically highlighted by this
precious ‘new’ history of the siege of
09/01/2017:
09/01/2017:
08/01/2017: A Mini Rechargeable Aqualung: At under 2 kg with enough air for 6-8 minutes to a recommended depth of 3 metres and rechargeable with a hand pump or car compressor this device is rather cute: https://www.minidive.com/minidive-pro/
08/01/2017: ‘Coral survived the Cretaceous /
Paleogene extinction event which wiped out the dinosaurs, when a 6 mile
wide Asteroid crashed into the
08/01/2017: The war on Christianity in the Arab world continues: ‘A
07/01/2017: Making Small Things Smaller to save Weight and Space:
Diane Sioni has some fine advice here. http://gossamergear.com/wp/making-small-things-smaller-to-save-weight-and-space It pays to go through your gear again and again. It is always a game of ‘putting and taking’ (one of the first games we learn and still lots of fun at nearly 70!) What you take and what you leave is matter both of individual choice and dependent on the trip you are doing. Eg; How long. How long between resupply. Likely conditions…
Some time ago I posted about making containers out of straws. If you have tried this, you probably hate yourself, but lots of folks are still reposting it on Pinterest, so I guess it’s cute. My advice: try getting some really small snaplock bags from eBay instead. eBay is also an excellent source for small bottles, test tubes, atomisers, etc. A small plastic test tube can have some Dyneema fishing line wound on it (glue one end, snap the other with the lid). It can contain your needle (a self threader I think, Diane), a few fish hooks and sinkers and still weigh just a few grams. Some polystyrene balls for floats will double as spare tarp clips: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/worlds-lightest-tarp-clip/.A fish for tea one night will generously repay carrying that little extra weight - as will being able to repair gear, or yourself – and not stabbing yourself with that needle!
I did a little ‘show and tell’ a little while back of some of my gear here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/a-gorilla-in-the-hand/ Some things surprise: eg I would not have thought of taking a musical instrument – but then being deaf, I hate music. Then again, not being a woman I would not have considered a DIY ‘Lady J’, but I have also had my bottom attacked pretty ferociously eg by sandflies in Fiordland. The article is a good starting point for a review of your gear. You can always save a little – but do not jeopardise your safety!
Above: ‘Possibles’ bag contents: on green cuben bag: ulralight fishing kit, 2 handlines containing hooks, sinkers, bait, self threading needle (repairs), two springers, 4 polystyrene balls, alum foil for cooking fish; on green S to S bag, Iridium Sat Phone; on white cuben bag: spare glasses in plastic case, Kabar knife, Adventure Medical Kits space blanket bag (emergency day pack & ground sheet); snaploc with glasses cleaner; Bushnell mini solarwrap charger; on white cuben bag: cuben bag with charging connectors AAA to AA battery converters, in blue bag spare batteries = 6 Eneloop AAA, 2 camera, 2 phone, 2 Photon, 2 hearing aid; USB AA/AAA battery charger; first aid kit: Antisan (bites) ointment, Mylanta (indigestion), earbuds in snaploc, Leucotape on cuben bag containing variety of plasters and blister pads, triangular bandage (sling) below: elastic bandage, cuben bag with variety of tablets eg pain, inflammation, diarrhoea, allergy etc; Toiletries on white cuben bag: wet tissues, 2 pocket Kleenex (enough for a week!); below on small green cuben bag S to S ultralight head net (mozzies – sleep) and microdripper of insect repellent (Deet); magnifier on mirror; square of silnylon for repairs with 2 stickon tie outs on top; spare trekking pole basket; clip on glasses cleaner; bottom row: on snaplocc bag length Dyneema, glasses repair kit, various bits and pieces: 2 safety pins, 3 line locs, 2 tarp tie outs, I carabiner, I mitten hook, 1 cord loc, 1 spare mini compass; on cuben bag, cuben tape (repairs) rubber band, spare bottle cap; on white cuben bag: 2 lightload towels, comb, Aloksack (for camera); on blue cuben bag: microdripper bottles containing: handcream, suncream, deodorant, iodine, wash, anti fungal cream, tube anti inflammatory cream, tub toothpaste, tub heel balm; anti allergy cream.
Some of these things I have cut down substantially since then (eg for my Everest hike see eg here: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/thatendlessskyway/ For example I have made an ultralight glasses case: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-glasses-case/ I have substituted these http://www.theultralighthiker.com/11-gram-rechargeable-head-torch/ for the Photons and reduced the number of batteries needed, and so on. The quest to be 'ultralight' goes ever on and on...
07/01/2017: Renewables are such a great idea, I don’t think! ‘ExxonMobil released its 2017 Outlook for Energy, A View to 2040 in mid-December…the report reveals wind and solar will supply a whopping 4% of global energy by 2040…that wind and solar capacity will grow, but we will only be able to utilize 30% of the wind capacity and 20% of the solar capacity due to their intermittent nature…It is also clear that we are not going to run out of coal, oil and natural gas. These are abundant today and they will still be abundant in 2040. Given the very high quality of available modern emissions control equipment for true pollutants, like sulfur dioxide and mercury, and recent low estimates of equilibrium climate sensitivity to a doubling of carbon dioxide (ECS) there is little evidence that fossil fuels are a problem today or in the foreseeable future.’ https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/01/05/energy-and-society-from-now-until-2040/
07/01.2017: Meanwhile
in
06/01/2017: Robber
Baron (?): John D. Rockefeller: Standard Oil began in 1870, when kerosene
cost 30 cents a gallon. By 1897, Rockefeller's scientists and managers had
driven the price to under 6 cents per gallon, and many of his less-efficient
competitors were out of business-including companies whose inferior grades of
kerosene were prone to explosion and whose dangerous wares had depressed the
demand for the product. Standard Oil did the same for petroleum: In a single
decade, from 1880 to 1890, Rockefeller's
consolidations helped drive petroleum prices down 61 percent while increasing
output 393 percent. Greenpeace should have a picture of John D. Rockefeller on
the wall of every office. Rockefeller, by driving down the cost of Kerosene as
an illuminant, did more than any other person in their history to save the
whales. By making Kerosene cheap, people were willing to give up whale oil,
dealing a mortal blow to the whaling industry (perhaps just in time for the
Sperm Whale).
06/01/2017: Give
Herod’s temple to the Moslems? Why not give
06/01.2017: ‘Chinese
commandos in a lightning raid have seized the vast, under-populated,
resource-rich lands of
05/01.2017: Pack Rafting the Wonnagatta-Mitchell:
We took a day off today, it being 30C and there being enough water, to revisit one of our favourite spots when our kids were little over 20 years ago…Hot summers then (they were hotter) and there was plenty of water (before the ‘noughty’ fires) we used to camp at one particular spot and either spend the day drifting down to our camp, swimming and playing, or else start off from camp and drift down to another exit point way downriver.
Now most of the campsites are gone – locked off. Our public lands are progressively being stolen from us. Those that remain are crowded, and they now have toilets and ‘designated campsites – both represent the end of freedom! Yet there is no-one on the river. It is just as idyllic as ever…And you can still put in where we used to and get out nearly where we used to – there are tiny snippets of (hidden) public access. You have to look carefully for them, and there may be a little bush-bashing, but not much.
You can canoe this wonderful river all the way from the
Humffray confluence way inside the Alpine National Park just below the Station,
all the way to
Here we are, ready to set off.
As you can see we are one car plus one motorbike.
Della is away first, keen to start.
These two snaps are for the kids: remember this old abandoned orchard and its apricot tree where we used to feast those Xmases past
?
And this swimming hole where you wiled away so much long summertime…
Away we go! Just here the river is like a mirror!
Della prefers to follow because of her eyesight – she has less than 40% vision – and you think you have problems? Nonetheless even in just this last year she has followed me to many places those with two good eyes have seen; the South Coast Track & Westies Hut, NZ for example: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/westies-hut/
And remember this deep, cool swimming hole too?
Nonetheless, she is a champ!
Just to prove I was there too.
This, believe it or not, is a deer path on public land! This would be a good place to be at dusk with a .308 – if you were hungry!
Huck Finn, eat your heart out!