The Philippine Adventure Begins

PART 1.0 – SAMAR ISLAND, RP – 23 – 25 September 2023
It seems like years ago that Jim put forward the idea of a return trip to the Philippines to do some more caving.  He had a good response from MSS members, but over the following months, the numbers dropped significantly, until there were just the four of us. Ah, well, you get that when you organise a trip. Continue reading →

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Another Bang for Bucks Trip

DHARUG NP – 16-17 September 2023
This trip was one of those trips that were on my wish list, then off, then on again.  Trish and I had often walked past this creek and thought of going downstream to see if there was a grassy meadow that would make a good campsite for a bludge walk.  The next time I walked past it, it didn’t look that enticing so I took it off the wish list. Then, I had one of those serendipitous moments, and the creek was back on the list of “must do trips”. Continue reading →

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Messing about on a rope

CENTRAL COAST – 7 September 2023
When abseiling, I can’t help but think of Water Rat’s words in The Wind in the Willows “There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about” on a rope. Up or down, “it doesn’t matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that’s the charm of it.”  “Whether you never get anywhere at all,” abseiling down stunning rock formations is “simply good enough“. Continue reading →

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An adventure with Shane

BRISBANE WATER NP – 5 August 2023
It has to be at least 15 years since I first heard of “the biggest overhang” on the Central Coast.  That’s how it was described in NPWS Discovery Walk to Mooney Cave. But it was one of those walks that I wouldn’t usually do … local and only a half day walk.  And you all know that I wouldn’t usually get out of bed for a half day walk (lol), let alone waste a Saturday or Sunday on one! So, I put it on the back burner for when I was too old to do a hard walk! Continue reading →

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This is what happens when I don’t take my compass!

HAYSTACK RIDGE – 23 July 2023
I’d used this ridge when we accessed the lower part of South Bowen Creek and John G had told me that there was a great geographical feature further along the ridge.  So. it went on the Wish List for a day when I was in the Mountains with nothing to do.  So, after abseiling Malaita Point on Saturday, Jim C, Cheryl W and I decided we’d “tick this off the list”. Continue reading →

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