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QUEENSLAND

BUSHWALKERS

CLUB Inc.

PO Box 2199

Sunnybank Hills

QLD 4109

Email qldbwc@yahoo.com

Phone No (07) 3345 9543

http://sites.google.com/site/qldbwc/

Newsletter July 2012

Mt Edwards Walkers

ClubNewsNotice Of Annual General Meeting

The Club's Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday the7th August 2012. It will immediately follow the usual monthlyClub Meeting which starts at 7:30 pm. The AGM will be held atthe Little Kings Hall, on the corner of Carl and O'Keefe Streets,Buranda.

The nine management committee positions which will be up forelection are:

President Vice President SecretaryMembership Officer Treasurer Training Officer Social Secretary Outings Secretary Editor

If you would like to nominate yourself or another person for aposition, please fill the Nomination Form below and send to theSecretary to the postal address of the Club.

If you wish to vote at the Annual General Meeting you must be afinancial member of the Club and attend the meeting.

The other important positions to be filled but which do not havea vote on the Management Committee are: Supper Convenor,Equipment Officer and two Delegates for BushwalkingQueensland Inc. No nominations are necessary for thesepositions.

Nomination Form For Committee PositionI wish to nominate .

For the position of .

Nominator .

Seconder .

Membership Now Due

Membership is now due for the 2012-2013 financial year.

All members will receive a notice by email or by postal mail.

Membership is still only $30.00 and is valid to 30/6/2013.

A Membership Form can be downloaded from the Club websiteat http://sites.google.com/site/qldbwc/membership

The Membership Form and fee may be handed to a committeemember at a Club meeting or to a walk leader on a walk.

Otherwise post the form and fee to the Club address above.

Members have until the end of August to renew their

membership or risk having their membership cancelled.For members receiving the Newsletter by postal mail, this will bethe final Newsletter unless they renew their membership.

Walks Planning Day Sunday 15 July 2012

The walk planning day will be held at Dave Kenricks's placestarting at 12 midday.

Address is 16 Ramita Street, Holland Park West.

All leaders and members who would like to lead a walk areinvited.

First Aid Course Saturday 14 July 2012

A reminder that the First Aid Course is coming up.All members are encouraged to have a current First AidCertificate. QBW will reimburse 50% of the cost of a First AidCourse for members and 100% for leaders who lead 5 or morewalks in a Club year.

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General InformationMeeting Place

Club meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month starting at7.30pm. There is no Club meeting in January.

Meeting are held at the Little King's Hall on the corner of Carland O'Keefe Streets, Buranda. Entry is via the gate on Carl St.

There is parking within the grounds and in Carl Street.

Tea/Coffee and cake/biscuits are provided after the meeting. Acoin donation would be appreciated.

MembershipProbationary Membership

A non-member automatically becomes a Probationary Memberon his/her first walk after signing the waiver form. There is nofee payable to become a Probationary Member.

However a Probationary Member must become an OrdinaryMember on his/her second walk by filling out a MembershipForm and paying the membership fee.

Ordinary Membership

A person may become an Ordinary Member by filling out andsigning a Membership Form, having a proposer sign the formand handing the form with the membership fee to a committeemember or walk leader.

The proposer may be a friend (who is a member of the Club) ofthe applicant, the leader of the walk that the applicant is on, theMembership Officer at a Club meeting or if the MembershipOfficer is not available, one of the committee members.

An Ordinary Member has the right to vote at an AGM or beelected to a committee position. A Probationary Member hasneither of these rights.

Members of Another Bushwalking Club

Members of another bushwalking club which is affiliated withBushwalking Queensland Inc. (or an interstate Federation) andwho are covered by the same Insurance do not need to becomea member of our Club to go on our walks. However Clubmembers will have priority if there is a limit on numbers.

Reciprocal Walks with Other ClubsRedlands Bushwalking Club

Only stipulation is that Redlands club members have priorityover visitors. Calendar is available at:

http://www.redlandbushwalkers.org.au/static/calendar.html

Bushwalkers of Southern Queensland (BOSQ)

BOSQ allows financial members from other bushwalking clubsaffiliated with Bushwalking Queensland to join in BOSQactivities without having to become members of BOSQ or payvisitor fees. This will be with the agreement of the activity leader.Members of BOSQ will have priority for nominations.

Calendar is available athttp://www.bosq.bwq.org.au/

YHA Bushwalkers

Members of other BWQ affiliated clubs can join up to threewalks per calendar year.

Calendar is available at:

http://sites.google.com/site/yhabushies/outings

Family Bushwalkers

There is a $5 temporary membership fee per adult.Phone: (07) 3878 3293

Gold Coast Bushwalkers

Gold Coast Bushwalkers may admit as honorary membersfinancial members of bushwalking clubs which are affiliated withBWQ, or recognised overseas club of like nature when visitingthe Gold Coast for the duration of their visit. This dispensationwill be at the discretion of the Management Committee.

The Management CommitteePresident Gil Gunthorpe 0408 980 694

Vice President vacant

Secretary Marion Laban 0405 536 718

Treasurer John Hinton 3343 3724(H)

Outings Officer John BrunottDavid Kenrick

0448 761 0973349 8238(H)

Membership Officer Geraldine Burton 3376 9454(H)

Editor Richard Kolarski 3345 9543(H)

Social Secretary Lynn Nicol 3219 6228(H)

Training Officer David Haliczer 0432 901 030

Other Voluntary Positions

Equipment Officer Richard Kolarski 3345 9543(H)

Supper Convenor Maggie Samootin 0419 739 500

Librarian Noelene McCay 3889 0264(H)

BWQ Rep Gil Gunthorpe 0408 980 694

BWQ Rep Richard Kolarski 3345 9543(H)

Campsite Monitors

John Brunott Ballows, Paddys KnobKerry de Clauzel Throakban, Barney Gorge and

Lower PortalsAnn Kemp Spicers Peak (east & west)Richard Kolarski Running Creek FallsJohn Shera Panorama PointJohn & Julie Shera Mt Superbus & Rabbit Fence Jct

Lower Panorama

Club EquipmentCompasses Topo Maps

UHF Radios Emergency Lights

Steripen First Aid KitsThe above are for free use by members.

Garmin GPS. QBW has 4 GPSs which have a 20 metre contourtopo map of the whole of Australia included. Some of these areon permanent loan to members.

PLBs with inbuilt GPS The Club has 5 PLBs with inbuilt GPS.The PLBs will be made available at each Club meeting and willneed to be returned at the following Club meeting.

Back Pack for Hire $5.00 charge

Bivy Bags For Sale $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00.

These bivy bags are 2 metres by 0.9 metres and are brightorange in colour. Use as a pack liner or emergency bivy bag.

Space Blankets For Sale $2.50 each.Lightweight and take up no room at all. A must for all walkers!

Contact Richard on 3345 9543 for any of the above.

For SaleGarmin GPSMap 60CSX $300

This GPS has an altimeter and compass. Plus a high sensitivityreceiver so it will pick up a signal in rainforest. It comes with awritten manual, topo maps covering all of Australia (20mcontour) and USB cable. Pre-loved but still working well.

Ph. Richard on 3345 9543

Down Sleeping Bag $100

Mountain Designs Travelite 500 Ph. Richard on 3345 9543Uniden uh036 twin pack $15

Walkie-talkies are still in the original box. Ultra-compact designwith range up to 3 km. Ph. Richard on 3345 9543

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Special Coming Events

Jatbula Track - Katherine to Edith Falls, NorthernTerritory

I have a booking for 1-2 people to join me to do this 6 day trekfrom 18th July. This 58 km trek traverses the escarpment withlots of cascades and swimming holes all the way, with wonderfulcampsites to enjoy the waterways.

If youre interested in the trip, please contact me and I canperhaps assist with accommodation and transfers in Darwin.

The cost of the bus from Darwin to Katherine return, campingcharges for the trek, transfer from end of trek approx. $230.

Check out this website http://en.travelnt.com/advice/itinerary-ideas/jatbula-trail.aspx

Please emaildee4diesel@gmail.com or phone 0407 716122home 5528 5952 if you have any questions.

Dee Mitchell from the Gold Coast Bushwalkers

Annual Shepherds Walk Saturday 21st July 2012

Sponsored by Beaudesert Historical Society Inc. Intendingwalkers must register their names by 18th July with the Society.

Walkers must assemble at the Historical Society Complex,located at the corner of Brisbane St and McKee St Beaudesertby 8.00am on the morning of the walk to check in, pay and signthe Disclaimer Form.

Buses will leave the Society Complex at 8.30am and travel toChristmas Creek to view the Monument erected in memory ofthe Chinese shepherds killed in the skirmish. A short addresswill be given here on the Historical significance of the day.

The walk will start in Christmas Creek and walkers will walk overthe Jinbroken Range and down to the Washpool on the AlbertRiver in the Kerry Valley. Walkers must check their name withthe society representative stationed at the river crossing.

On the grounds adjacent to the crossing, Society members andmembers of the Restored Auto Club will have everything readyfor walkers and non-walkers to enjoy a real Aussie BBQ

sausage sizzle, with toast, tea, coffee, cordial and freshlycooked damper and syrup. Marquees and huge shady gumtrees will provide lots of shade.

Buses will return to Historical Complex at about 2.30pm .

2012 Pilgrimage 7-9 September 2012

A chance to walk & meet with other clubs. Hosted by RedlandsBushwalking Club

At Canungra Showgrounds (Showgrounds Road, Canungra)

On 7th 9th September 2012

Cost Early Bird Until 31/7/2012 - $36

After 31/7/2012 - $42

We are also offering a Tasty Spit Roast Dinner on Saturdaynight for $18.50 (BYO drinks).

The cost for the weekend includes:

Camping, Hot Showers, Friday Night Soup, Tea, Coffee &Nibbles all weekend, Bushwalks from Hard to Easy, Bush bandStone the Crows, and Sunday Morning 'Sausage Sizzle'.

For more info and booking see our webhttp://pilgrimage2012.weebly.com/index.htmlsite

There are details on how to book and pay.

Pay by direct credit, cheque or cash.

The itinerary for the weekend is now available.

There are 25 walks listed, ranging from easy to hard, track and

off-track walks.

Contacts Hilary Riley 0415 526 910 &

Betty Murray 0408 129 241

Bibbulmum Track Sept -Oct 2012

Women only bush walking experience on the Bibbulmun Trackin Western Australia this September by the Adventurous Womentravel company.

Dates: September 29th, 2012 October 7th, 2012

Cost: AU$2,400.00

This challenging but spectacular 125km section of theBibbulmun Track is possibly the best seven consecutive days onthe whole track! There are some steep sections and somesandy dune walking..However, you will be rewarded for your

efforts with fantastic coastal scenery, brilliant wildflowers and thewonderful tingle forest.

Walking distances range from 13 to 21km per day. By carryingonly a daypack, people with a moderate level of fitness shouldbe able to complete the walk. Excellent food, comfortableaccommodation and knowledgeable guides from InspirationOutdoors will complement your trip.

For more information go to theAdventurous Womenwebsite.

Nepal Trip October 2012

I have made enquiries with regard to a 17 day fully supportedtrek through Langtang region in Nepal with Saran Saba.

Departs October 2012 17 days

14 day moderate trek, fully supported tea house or campingoption plus 3 nights Tibet Hotel Kathmandu

Cost $1645 US or AUS (all land content included)

For details phone Steve Pritchett 0431 599317 orspritchett@optusnet.com.au

QBW Christmas Party 30 Nov 2 Dec 2012

This years party will be held at Camp Laurence at MoogerahDam. Details are still to be finalised.

More info next month.

The Otago Youth Adventure Trust/Rotary Club ofMilton Tramping Club Inc

We are a non commercial group of unpaid volunteers, whohave, over the past 26 seasons taken almost 16,000 people(mostly middle aged), on some of our most famous tracks andactivities in the southern part of NZ.

We often find that members of Bush Walking Clubs aregenerally well suited to our trips, as most have done somebackpacking and tramping. And we love Aussies !!

Our trips are not the "up Market" excellent guided trips, run byCommercial operators on some of our tracks,. We undertake the"Freedom Walks", where we use the very adequate Departmentof Conservation Huts, carry all our own gear & food (we supplyfood), and do our own cooking etc. We are a Tramping Club,

and as such, as we operate on Public Lands, are required (bylaw) to run our trips at "cost recovery'' only, and hence can offerthese adventures at very moderate cost.

We do ask that participants become members of our TrampingClub, for the season of their trip(s) ($50), and also suggest anoptional donation to our funds, so we are able to support the 2Charitable organisations, that are the parent bodies of our Cub.We organize all Leaders, Transport, (Dunedin or whereapplicable Queenstown return) bookings, food.,boats, etc.

Trips include the Milford Track, Hump Ridge Track, KeplerTrack, Borland Lodge Cycle, The Otago Central Rail Trail,Routeburn/Greenstone Track, Catlins-Tautuku Lodge, Mt

Aspiring Lodge, Huxley Lodge, Sutton Camp.

Full information about us, and the trips, contacts,,costs and

dates, etc, is on our Website www.otagorotarytrusttramps.org.nz

Peter Vollweiler for the Otago Youth Adventure Trust/RotaryClub of Milton Tramping Club Inc.

PO Box 15014 , Waihola 4923, South Otago, New Zealand.

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http://en.travelnt.com/advice/itinerary-ideas/jatbula-trail.aspxhttp://en.travelnt.com/advice/itinerary-ideas/jatbula-trail.aspxmailto:dee4diesel@gmail.commailto:dee4diesel@gmail.comhttp://pilgrimage2012.weebly.com/index.htmlhttp://www.adventurouswomen.com.au/adventure/travel%20australia/adventurous%20women's%20walk:%20walpole%20to%20denmark%20on%20the%20bibbulmun%20track%20%20western%20australia%20-152-11.phphttp://www.adventurouswomen.com.au/adventure/travel%20australia/adventurous%20women's%20walk:%20walpole%20to%20denmark%20on%20the%20bibbulmun%20track%20%20western%20australia%20-152-11.phphttp://www.adventurouswomen.com.au/adventure/travel%20australia/adventurous%20women's%20walk:%20walpole%20to%20denmark%20on%20the%20bibbulmun%20track%20%20western%20australia%20-152-11.phpmailto:spritchett@optusnet.com.auhttp://www.otagorotarytrusttramps.org.nz/http://en.travelnt.com/advice/itinerary-ideas/jatbula-trail.aspxhttp://en.travelnt.com/advice/itinerary-ideas/jatbula-trail.aspxmailto:dee4diesel@gmail.comhttp://pilgrimage2012.weebly.com/index.htmlhttp://www.adventurouswomen.com.au/adventure/travel%20australia/adventurous%20women's%20walk:%20walpole%20to%20denmark%20on%20the%20bibbulmun%20track%20%20western%20australia%20-152-11.phpmailto:spritchett@optusnet.com.auhttp://www.otagorotarytrusttramps.org.nz/

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Past WalksNeurum Creek 16 May 2012

Neurum Creek is in the Mt Mee section of D'Aguilar NationalPark. It is not a creek that the Club has walked in the past andon finding out that a walk was possible along one of itstributaries, it was time to check it out.

There were four of us to check out this walk, Gerry, Bob, Tonyand myself. We had a map of the area with some notes plus aGPS. In fact all four of us had a GPS each. Gerry had recentlybought one for herself, Tony had his own, Bob was trying out a

Club GPS plus of course I had one. There was no way we weregoing to get lost!

We met up in Samford and drove up to Mt Mee to the Gantry.After a short break there we drove up to the day use area nearArcher camp site. It was a clear brisk day, a great day for awalk.

We started the walk along a a well worn track to the large pool inNeurum Creek. It looked like a popular swim place but it was thewrong time of the year to think of a swim, much too cold.

Neurum Creek Tributary

From the pool we walked upstream. The recent heavy rains had

bent the trees and bushes to almost horizontal and madewalking upstream slow and difficult. After about an hour wecame to a small tributary on the right. This was our mainobjective, to explore this side creek.

The walking was easy going as the rains had washed out anythick foliage and left bare rock in the creek bed. Soon we cameto a waterfall and then another one and another one. It wasquite picturesque but unfortunately Gerry's attempt to takephotos with the camera in the GPS were somewhat hamperedby a strap which partly covered the lens.

We made steady progress up the creek and the waterfalls wereeasy to negotiate round. We did get the occasional wet boot butit looked like a great walk to do on a hot summer's day.

Eventually the side creek took us to Loveday Road and we

walked back along this dirt road to the day use area. It was onlylunch time so we had our lunch there. People had brought alongtheir thermoses so we were all able to have a hot drink.

Many thanks to my walking companions for doing thisexploratory. It will need to be done in the warmer months so thatwe could also enjoy a swim. Richard

Mt Edwards 20 May 2012

Twelve walkers, including several who had never been therebefore, set off up Mt Edwards on a typically beautiful autumnday that we are so fortunate to have in Queensland.

Lake Moogerah, in stark contrast to its low levels during thedrought, was filled to capacity with waters gushing through the

spillway . With Mt Greville in the background, it was pictureperfect.

As we continued up the mountain, it was feeling more like asummers day than autumn, so that there were several waterstops along the way to catch our breath & cool down.

After reaching the top, we had a longer than usual morningbreak to enjoy the company & the view.

Then it was a quicker trip down the mountain, and lunch at there-opened Lake Moogerah Caf.

Thanks Aileen, Noelene, Margaret, John, Lynn, Norm, Julie &Jim, Karina & David, & David S. for your company on the day.

Gerry

Glasshouse Mountains 23 May 2012

Mt Miketeebumulgrai, Mt Elimbah and Mt Beerburrum are threeof the minor peaks in the Glasshouse Mountains. They were notwalks that the Club had done and It was time to redress thisshortcoming.

It was the same four as the previous week, Gerry, Bob, Tonyand myself to check out these three peaks.

After meeting up again in Samford we drove up to theGlasshouse Mountains area. As none of us had ever been to MtMiketeebumulgrai, the first challenge was to find the start of thewalk up it. Fortunately it turned out to be easier than topronounce the name of the mountain!

Along King Road at Wamuran, there was a large National Parksign at the base of the mountain. We initially followed a faint ofroad which led us to an quarry. Above the quarry we found a

path up the mountain marked by tape.After climbing only a 150 metres we were at the summit whichwas marked by a small rock cairn. Even though the mountainwasn't high, it did give us good views of the other Glasshousemountains to the north.

Back down at the car we drove a short distance to Mt Elimbah,also known as the Saddleback. There was a small parking lot atthe start of the walk and we followed a forestry road for a shortdistance towards the mountain.

When we were close enough to Mt Elimbah, we left the road andwent off track looking for a way up the mountain. There weresome cliffs that we skirted round a short distance and thenscrambled up to get to a gradual slope that took us to thesummit. It was only a total climb of about 125 metres

We took a different route back down to explore this mountainand finally got to the forestry road which took us back to the car.

On the Fire Tower on Beerburrum

Mt Beerburrum was the final mountain to tackle and we drove to

the much larger parking area at the start of this walk. There wasa steep concrete pathway all the way up to the summit wherethere was a fire tower. The climb was about 175 metres vertical.From here we had great views of all the Glasshouse mountainsand we stayed a while to have lunch.

Many thanks to my fellow walkers. Richard

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Wilsons Peak 27 May 2012

This walk was a traverse of Wilsons Peak, starting from thewestern end near Teviot Gap and finishing on the eastern end atthe Boonah border gate.

As it involved a lengthy car shuttle, there had to be carefulplanning to have sufficient cars to ferry everyone round. Luckilythe task was made easy as eight people nominated, meaningthat we needed four cars, as we would leave two cars at the endof the walk and the other two cars would take the walkers to thestart.

We all met up in Boonah and drove down to the Boonah bordergate. Leaving two cars there with each person's clean clothes,we then drove round the southern side of Wilsons Peak to get tothe start of the walk near Teviot Gap.

We began the walk along the border fence on a dirt road.However as the terrain became steeper the road gave way to awalking track. It was quite steep in places and people had beenwarned to bring gloves in case they needed to hold onto thefence to keep their balance.

Eventually we came to the large cliff face just below the summit.Contouring round this cliff line we came to a small gap whichallowed us to scramble up and then walk to the top. Afteradmiring the views it was time to go back and scramble downagain to the base of the cliff line.

We now walked eastwards along the cliff line and finally gotback to the border fence which would take us to the Boonahborder gate. It was slow going at first as it was quite steep butthen as it became less so, there was a dirt road to walk on.

Wilson Peak Walkers

We had lunch in a sunny grassy area about halfway down and itwas a relief to sit down and rest our aching legs. From there itwas just a walk along the dirt road to get to the waiting cars.

Back at the cars we changed into clean clothes and while somedrove directly to Boonah for afternoon tea, others went back tocollect the cars at Teviot Gap.

Many thanks to all who came along. Richard

Special Coming Event

Active Outdoors Expo 6 October 2012

When: Saturday October 6, 9:00am 3.00pm

Where: Bayside Park, Manly

We are pleased to announce the return of the Active OutdoorsExpo in 2012 - new logo, new website - same great event - theonly event designed to showcase the diversity of OutdoorRecreation opportunities in Queensland.

Bookings will be open SOON for exhibitor / activity provider

places at the EXPO and the new websitewww.activeoutdoorsexpo.com will have all the information you'llneed when making your booking.

In Memoriam

Tim Apelt 19/6/1958 23/6/2012

It is with sadness that QBW announces the passing away ofTim, one of our members from a rare form of aggressive cancerat the age of 54 years.

Timothy John Apelt

Tim joined QBW in 2010 to catch up with bushwalking which hehad done in the past. However soon after joining he was

diagnosed with cancer. He had treatment but the form of hiscancer was not respondent.

Despite knowing his diagnosis, Tim did manage a fewbushwalks, including a few throughwalks. He remained cheerfuland retained his sense of dark humour.

Personally I have known Tim over 30 years when he was amember of the Brisbane Catholic Bushwalking Club. Even thenhe was a character who was well known and liked. He workedas a surveyor, was married and had three children. He had adeep love for his family, the bush and his work.

Though he may have been short in stature, he was never shortof an opinion. On one of my walks he quite boldly stated thatsurveyors were more important than doctors. Doctors could burytheir mistakes while a surveyor's mistake in marking a boundary

would last for decades. There was no arguing with Tim.Several QBW members attended his funeral on 29/6/2012 at St

Agnes Church, Mt Gravatt. The church was full to capacity withstanding room only, showing how he had affected the lives ofmany. There were moving eulogies from his family, his employerand a fellow bushwalker.

On one of his walks with me, Tim showed me a witness post,those red and white striped metal poles seen occasionally on abushwalk, usually near the summit of a mountain. They are amarker of a survey brass plaque nearby. In life, Tim was awitness post , an outward sign of something enduring.

Richard Kolarski

Members

As at 29/5/2012 we have 105 financial members

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GPS Part 2This is the second of several article about GPSs and howbushwalkers can use them on bushwalks.

Garmin GPSMap 62s as used by QBW

Which GPS to buy

The Club has bought 4 Garmin GPSMap 62s GPSs and theseare the ones that members are recommended to buy for severalreasons.

Which brand?

The Garmin has a high sensitivity chip in it which makes betteruse of the weak GPS signal from the satellites, in fact up to a1000 times better than the old chip. I have been able to get asignal in thick tropical forest and in deep gullies.

Touch screen vs buttons

My personal preference is to buy a GPS with the buttons. Thetouch screen has been known to crack while my button modelhas proven to be quite robust despite heavy handed use. Also itis easier to work on the GPS with one hand on the button model.

Compass vs no compass

The GPS has an inbuilt electronic compass which will give you acompass direction even if standing still. It is so much easier tohave one unit with the map and compass in it rather than usinga separate map and compass.

Computer connectivity

The GPS can connect to a computer via a USB port and canupload and download GPS files. Garmin have a program calledBasecamp which can be downloaded for free from their website.With this program you can manipulate and store GPS files.

Maps

A topographic map with 20 metres contours of all of Australiaand New Zealand is available. They are on a micro SD card inthe back of the unit rather than on a CD. With the maps on a CDyou have to manually download the maps to the GPS and thiscan involve using a password. It is so much easier just insertingthe card. Also the card can be replaced with a card with maps ofanother country if travelling overseas.

Wireless transfer

The unit can wirelessly transfer files from one GPS to another.This makes it easier to exchange GPS files without having toconnect to a computer.

Inbuilt cameraThere is a model with a built in camera which costs a little extra.The pictures themselves are not great quality but they aregeotagged, that is, they store the location of where the photowas taken.

Setting up the GPS

Once you have bought a GPS, you will need to set it up so that itis useful on a bushwalk.

Setting up the Datum, AGD or GDA

The most important thing is to set up the datum to correspondwith the paper map that you are using.

A map datum is a mathematical representation of the shape ofthe earth in a particular area. There are over a 100 differentdatums in use over the world as each country tended to use itsown datum.

Australian maps used to be either Aus Geod 66 or Aus Geod 84(AGD for short) up until the year 2000. Australian maps after2000 are all World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84) which isthe international standard.

Australian paper maps with the WGS84 datum have the lettersGDA printed on them.

Aus Geod 66 and Aus Geod 84 can be considered the same forbushwalking purposes as there is only a few centimetresdifference. However the AGD and GDA maps differ by about200 metres which is quite significant for bushwalking.

How to set up the GPS for the relevant datum will depend on thebrand and model you have.

For the Garmin GPSMap 62s go to the Main Menu and then tothe Setup section. Under Position Format set it to UTM UPS andthe Map Datum to either WGS 84 or Aus Geod 84 depending onthe paper map you are using.

Other important settings are:

The type of batteries you are using eg alkaline, lithium ion or NiMH rechargeables.

Units are in metres rather than feet.

Use battery saver and dim the display to help prolong the life ofthe batteries.

GPS Terminology

Waypoint a single location point saved on a GPS

Track a series of waypoints which make up the trailyou have just walked

Route a series of waypoints you plan to walk

POI Point of Interest. A waypoint showing aparticular feature such as a restaurant

MOB Man OverBoard. Some GPS units mostly fornaval use have a quick button to save the current position incase someone falls overboard.

Course The compass direction to get from A to B.

Bearing The compass direction from where you are atpresent to get to your destination.

Heading The actual direction you are travelling.

Using the GPSHere are some practical tips when using the GPS.

Secure the GPS securely so that it cannot fall accidentally. Usea carabiner or a lanyard to attach it to your shirt or pack.

Do not rely solely on the GPS. It can fail. Carry a papertopographic map of the area and a compass with you as abackup. It goes without saying that you should know how to usea map and compass.

Always carry a spare set of batteries as a backup.

Carry the GPS away from the body as much as possible.Keeping it in a top pocket of a shirt may still obscure the signalwith your body. A holder on the top of your pack or on top of theshoulder strap of your pack for easy access is better.

Carry the GPS with you on every walk and get to know its manyfunctions. Even after using a GPS for 5 years, I am stilldiscovering new features.

Understand the limitations of the GPS as they are not infallible.

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