this Sunday? Mt Diamond. 24.02.08

Nope I have never done this walk, but if you are curious like me, then show up to the normal place at the normal time and I'm sure you'd be in for a treat.

There is a review of this walk somewhere back in this blog... here 'tis : Mt Diamond

And it sounds like there could be a waterfall! and wet feet... Loooking forward to it!

Lea Lea. February 10th 2008.

I have been told that this weeks walk will take place in Lea Lea. I however will not be in attendance, and I am not happy about missing another walk. Lea Lea is around 40 minutes drive from Moresby out along the Motuan coastline and is a good bitumen road except for a few potholes just before the turn-off to Boera.

Lea Lea is a pretty walk with some good contrasting images for your camera, especially if the sky is clear and blue. A little tip, if you are a passenger and you want to take some snaps on the way out, try the right hand side of the car, you'll see some good savannah like country with the Owen Stanley's as your back drop. Another popular image is the mangrove board walk and also the timber bridge which starts your walk. There will be no boat ride this time!

but there wasn't a boat ride last time... I digress.

The walk is lengthy, especially if you go well inland and then back to the coast, although in the past, this has been a short walk too. If the sun is out you will need a hat. The group tends to drag along the beach on the way home so try to keep together in order to maintain your relative safety. There are reasons why we hire off-duty policeman on our walks, do not think you are safe enough to wander off alone. Also the drive to and from can be reason to maintain your heighten sense of caution, we are in Moresby still.

As with most Motuan villages, the kids are fantastic and they will enjoy your company as you walk along. Don't worry if they don't walk the entire journey, they're smart enough to know what is a reasonable distance to walk and they will meet up with you again on the return to the Village.

Remember, bring some cash for guides and off-duty coppers, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellant, heaps of water, some snacks for the kids, a good pair of boots, however you will get wet feet depending on the tides and you will get muddy, so perhaps a good pair of walking sandals??? And remember to have fun.

Bushwalk Sunday 27th January. 2008.

I'm not in Moresby this weekend and I do not know where the walk will be... sorry.

If you show up to the meeting point at the usual time, then you should find someone there with a better idea than I... sorry.

Enjoy your walk, if anyone wants to preview it or review it, then send the details to me and I'll post it here.

Cheers!

Boera Village. Sunday 13th January 2008. A Review

Well there were eleven that decided that the rain that was falling when they rose this morning wouldn’t dampen the mood for a walk. And they were right. By the time, the meeting hour came by; the wind had blown the clouds asunder and left behind a pleasant cool Moresby morning for a stroll.

And a stroll it was, and a very pleasant one at that. The drivers also got a bonus with some slippery mud in which to traverse which when the time came it caused the walking to be a greasy underfoot. Once we had parked the cars, we then sought out our guides who were buying enough buai for the duration of the walk and we then headed off straight into the strong breeze, past the school and off towards the tower. One of the local kids told me that the Government are going to build a school and a store underneath the tower.

After the tower we then checked out a couple of beach spots including the original location of the village and here we discovered that one of the walkers had taken a slight detour… When he caught back up with the group, he was followed by a large contingent of the local kids a la Pied Piper. This was okay as the senior guide was amongst them also.

From the original Village, we then trekked up the nearby hill to look at the World War 2 Gun emplacement, and nearby bunkers. And from here it was a stroll down the hill, along the muddy track and back to Boera. We checked out some of the locally made pottery and some purchases were made, and others decided to chat with the local kids as they were giving lessons in Motu.

And we all remained dry apart from some muddy boots. Good fun.

Boera Village. Sunday 13th January 2008.

This week’s walk is considered an easy walk with some spectacular views of the Motuan coastline and not far from Moresby. We will chuck in a few small steep climbs, but not everyone has to climb them, you can pick and choose, although everyone has to climb up to the World War Two Gun emplacement.

But a word of warning, this walk is harder than Lea Lea and on the last occasion we wandered around Boera, some of the newbies to the Bushwalking group found this walk tough. It is exposed to the sun, there is no shade and it is over rough and rocky terrain. The small climbs although brief are very steep and the ground underneath your feet will be loose rock. So please come prepared with solid footwear, a moderate level of fitness, plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent (the Mozzies might be out in the green grass)

Depending on the day, this can be a very social walk, especially if all the kids from Boera (pronounced Boy-Ra) Village skip Sunday school and opt to go walking with us.

2007 a reflection...

Longest Walk: The trek along the ridge to Hombrum’s Bluff and back. At 22kms it was a hard day out. Closely followed by the walk over at Roku village which was a swampy wet trek with some serious sun and heat.

Hardest Walk: The Death March that was Burn’s Peak. This walk was undertaken during the supposed cool of the dry season but Moresby put on a seriously hot day and all who completed the march were contemplating revisiting breakfast. The Imita Ridge walk was a contender only for those last few steps back up to Ower’s Corner. It was a dawdle before then.

Best Walk: I wasn’t part of it, but the first time we went to Bisianumu Falls this year has been raved about by fellow walkers since. An easy walk with a swimming waterhole and spectacular views, what more could you ask for?

Hardest Climb: Despite the nauseous climb(s) of Burn’s Peak, the toughest three individual climbs of the year would have to have been the last few steps back up to Ower’s Corner, the climb up the Pyramid and perhaps even the climb up Mt Erima a few weeks ago. It also seems that those climbs exposed to the full Moresby sun are those that caused the biggest problems.

Funniest Walk: Would have to have been the Varirata walk during the dry season when just a few hours before the walk, the skies had fallen on the track and it was wet and slippery. But the humour came in the amount of work our barefoot guides gave to those members of the group who were poorly shod for such slippery conditions. It’s funny until someone gets hurt, then it’s hilarious…

Lukim yu long 2008.

Varirata December 30th 2007. a review.

The last walk of the year and it was a great way to finish off the year. Varirata was indeed damp underfoot but everybody seemed to keep themselves upright despite the muddy conditions. Entry into the park was delayed whilst one of our pre-arranged guides attained the keys, but this gave us an ideal moment to stretch the legs before the start of our walk.

A good size group took part as we decided to walk the Varirata loop in a counter-clockwise direction. This is the first time I have traversed the track in this direction and it is noticeably easier than clockwise. We parked at the lower lookout of the three and then walked up and down the muddy track until we reached the highest lookout, with its spectacular views of Bootless Bay. And although the weather was overcast, the views from the lookouts were clear. We were lucky with the weather as the rain held off until we left.

The birds and butterflies were abundant and at one stage, a Raggiana Bird of Paradise was spotted, but only by our guide… the rest of us could hear it though. There were other bugs and grubs out with leeches finding our walking boots a handy means of transport and a wallaby was spotted just as we entered the park.

An excellent way to end the year.