Victorian Alps - November 2009

We have just returned from a weekend of hiking in the Victorian Alps with 13 other members of the Geelong Bushwalking Club. Our leader, Richard Michael, took us up to the top of "the Bluff" - a very solid 70 minute uphill climb -and you can see three photos of us when we reached the top. We continued along the ridge to Bluff Hut and back to our cars along the road. On the next day we followed the high level track from 8 mile creek to Richies Hut and back along the low level track. This was quite a challenge as the low level track required us to ford the Howqua River 12 times, each time with water well above our knees. The river was flowing fast and staying on our feet was quite an achievement. A really great holiday. We must go there again sometime.

Bibbulmun Track completed

It took us 27 walking days, but we made it. We left the start of the track at Kalamunda, east of Perth, at noon on Sept. 9 arriving at Dwellingup 13 days later. A rest day there, 7 more days on the track, and then into Collie for another rest day. The last 7 walking days were broken with a rest day in Balingup before taking taxi, bus, train, another bus, plane, shuttle bus and another taxi to get home yesterday morning. The total distance walked from Kalimunda to Donelly River was 465km. and this, with the walking in 2007 and 2008, makes us end-to enders. And we feel pretty good about that. Our knees and legs got stronger the more we walked, so we are now wondering where our next big hike might be. Could it be Jade Mountain (Yushan) in Taiwan?
We will upload some photos in the next few days.

Here are some of our better photos:-

Video update

Please note that we posted a draft version of our "Holiday Highlights" on 24/08/09. We have a greatly improved 5 minute video which we urge you to watch ou youtube. We have two links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0zaVV1Oc8c
and
http://www.taiwanbesttrip.net/group/arthur-j-and-beth-f-gilks/final/the-best-trip-to-taiwan-of-the-senior-australians?lang=en
The first link takes you to what we want as many people around the world to watch, so if you are able to help us with this, we will be most grateful. The second is a text summary of our trip with extra pictures.

Otways Waterfall Walk

Yesterday, Rosemary Vince led a magnificent walkto the Allambee Beek and Staircase falls in the Otways. The recent rain made the falls even more spectacular. The photos, taken by Kim Attard, show us at the Allambee beek falls and crossing the Cumberland river on a fallen tree. An excellent day.

Video of Highlights

We have prepared a draft version of the video clip of our holiday highlights. We expect to make a few changes before we upload to the Taiwanbesttrip website. Please let us know your reaction to it.

Taiwan - best holiday ever

We have been to Taiwan since our last upload to the blog, and what a great holiday it has been. Very sadly, typhoon Marokot devasted the southern part of the island causing extensive loss of life. The number who died when mudslides completely buried a village may never be known, but a death toll of 500 is expected. We were quite safe and were able to donate a substantial part of our prize money to a typhoon diasaster relief fund.

Our planned 4-day itinerary had to be changed because all roads to the mountains were cut by the landslides. But we would ask you to follow our exploits (video clips and text) using the link: http://www.taiwanbesttrip.net/group/arthur-j-and-beth-f-gilks/intro/group-introduction-of-the-senior-australians?lang=en

And we also ask you to vote for us by registering on the taiwanbesttrip website. Here is a photo of us having breakfast at the start of Day 1.

WALK REPORTS
Two Winter Walks
1. Steiglitz to Fridays Picnic Ground. Thursday July 16.
Walkers: John Lee, Hilary Prideaux, Glenda Oakley, Tony Wright, Angus Hartshorn, Richard Slade, Rosemary Faris, Gemma Statton, Cath Vassie, Philomena Slee, Joe Gilks, Beth Gilks (leader)
The walk started at the Bert Boardman picnic ground just south of Steiglitz on the Maude-Steiglitz road. A track leads west to Wrixon Street, passing a huge mulloch heap. We stopped at the pine tree that has an historical association with the formation of the GBC. We then followed the Deadman’s Loop markers to the Meridith road. Crossing it we followed the Burchell Track markers to the Crossing Picnic ground where we had lunch in pale wintery sunshine.
We followed Hut Road east until we joined Native Youth Track. We walked north for about 2 kms until we joined Yankee Gully road. The remains of Kinglock Mine were passed before we turned south on Mulrooney,s Track and followed it to the Durdidwarrah road. Turning north we followed it to Friday’s Picnic Ground which has recently been enlarged to have designated camping spots.
This is an interesting 12km walk with lots of gold mining history. There is pretty new-growth forest, some shy kangaroos and lots of raucous white cockatoos in the overhead trees.
2.Wombat State Forest: Barkstead to Sailor’s Falls. Thursday July 30
Walkers: Marg Bethune, Frans Bregman, Pamela Bregman, Kathryn Graham.
Hilary Pridaux, John Lee, Michael Williams, Pam Nurnaitis, Daphne Sands, Glenda Oakley, Ina Costin, Rosemary Vince, Tony Wright, John Hofstele, Joe Gilks, Beth Gilks (leader)
An early start was needed to drive to Barkstead (off the Ballan-Daylesford Road) and do a car shuffle to leave cars at Sailor’s Falls.
The first section of the 16km walk was Anderson’s Tramway walk. This is part of The Great Dividing Trail: Wallaby Track section. The walk criss-crossed the tramway track through the forest until we reached Wombat Station for our banana break.
We followed the disused railway line, climbing down a steep embankment to look at a well preserved red brick culvert running underneath the track.
Lunch was had at White point Road where there are a lot of old shafts marking the White Point diggings. Entering the Hepburn regional Park about 5 kms later, we then ascended to Sailor’s Falls . We passed a couple of springs before going up a steep flight of steps to arrive at our cars.
New growth forest, a few pink heaths, damp leaf litter, gold mining relics, a winding track, the inevitable white cockatoos screeching overhead and brisk winter weather all make this a great walk.
Beth Gilks

Geelong Bushwalking Club Thursday 16th July

Hiking in the Brisbane Ranges again! To fill a gap in the program we were asked to lead a walk, so we followed part of Deadman's Loop, part of the Burchel Track, Native Youth Rack and Mulhooney's Track to reach Friday's Camp site. The only photo we took was at the Anakie Village roadhouse where we enjoyed refreshments before returning to Geelong.

Hip-Hip-Hooray. We are first round winners

Great news yesterday. The 50 chosen teams for the Taiwan Best Trip promotion have been announced and we are on the list. Already we have plans in motion with our 4-day itinery set for August 10,11,12,13. Peter and Yu Ting will come with us and there is a very real chance that Alex, Michelle and Hannah will climb Yushan (the Jade Mountain) with us too. Now we need to track down good airfares and delay our walking on the Bibbulmun Track for a week or two. Our thanks to the 290 people who voted for us and helped us across the line. We will keep you all posted. We are very excited.

Keeping fit and Taiwan Best Trip update

Yesterday was cold and frosty, so the bike ride to Fyansford was a bit chilly. There we met other GBC walkers and started the 12km river walk - very pleasant as the day turned sunny. The walk finished at the Fyansford hotel where coffee and other drinks were enjoyed before we rode our bikes home. The exciting news when we got home was to find that we had been mentioned in the Taipei Times last Saturday. Follow the hyperlink below and you will see what we mean.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2009/07/04/2003447846

The Best Trip in the World - TAIWAN

Great News! Our oldest son, Peter, and his wife Yu Ting, have decided to come with us to Taiwan if we are selected as one of the 50 teams to follow our 4-day itinery there. We hope that this will give us the opportunity to visit and spend time with our lovely daughter-in-law's family in Kaohsiung. But are things getting out of hand? Our second son, Alex is saying "why don't I come with Michelle and Hannah too?" He has reminded us of our hike together in January 2008 when we hiked to the top of Australia's highest mountain together. You can see the seven of us in the photograph at the summit. Whatever happens, we remain a team of two (The Senior Australians). It does mean that we may extend our holiday and see more of the beautiful island as three generation travelers.

From l to r:-Peter, Beth, Hannah, Alex, Yu Ting, Michelle, Joe

Thursday walks

We had wet and windy weather for our walk at Warnambool yesterday.

- despite this, a good time was had by all.

Whereas, last week, the Lake Elizabeth walk, it was much better.

Taiwan Best Trip

It won't be long before the 50 teams selected to follow their 4 day itineries are announced and we (The Senior Australians) are hoping to be one of them. Now that we have got this far, our son, Peter, and his wife, Yu Ting, are suggesting that they would like to return to Taiwan with us to act as our camera operators and interpreters. If they are able to come, they will not join our team, but their technical support will be grately appreciated. It is a little while since they have seen Yu Ting's parents in Kaohsiung, so it may be too good a chance for them to miss. If you were one of the many (mostly unknown to us) who voted for us and left comments, with thank you very much.

Taiwan Best Trip : Itinery details and Costing Estimates

TEAM: The Senior Australians
THEME: An Adventure for Older Bikers and Hikers/Kaohsiung and Jade Mountain.
ITINERY:
Day 1. Hire bicycles at True Love Ferry Wharf and ride to Lotus Pond (24.5 km.) See http://tourguide.travelking.com.tw/Kaohsiung/4/. With frequent stops at tourist attractions, (Jhongdu Wetlands, Kaohsiung Hakka Culture Centre, Tower of Light, Heart of the Love River, Dragon and Tiger Towers and a teahouse for Oolong tea) - this will take most of the day. After sunset, take a cruise on the Love Boat and visit a night market where we eat and buy provisions for the next 3 days. Later we meet Mark from Blue Skies Adventures (www.blueskiesadventures.com.tw) who will have organised our permits and passes to hike in the mountains. He will take us by car to the trail head of the mountain track (altitude 2600m). Sleep in a tent.
Day 2: This will be a fairly leisurely hike of 8.5km to Pai Yun Lodge (altitude 3400m). We stay in this lodge again at the end of Day 3. See the blueskies adventures website for photographs of the lodge. We will make this day as simple as possible, giving our bodies time to adjust to the altitude.
Day 3: Young and enthusiastic walkers get up early in order to reach the summit of Yushan , also known as Jade Mountain, (altitude 3952m) for sunrise. However, we will go at a much slower pace, planning to reach the summit by noon and returning to Pai Yun Lodge by late afternoon. The return trip will be 5.0km with a climb of 552m. If we are experiencing extreme weather conditions, low level walks will replace the trip to the summit.
Day 4: Return to the trail head and Mark will drive us to Dung Pu where there are hot springs. We will have time for some warm relaxation in the thermal pools. This is on the road to Sun Moon Lake and we have quick look around there before driving back to Kaohsiung. To celebrate the adventure, a banquet at a fine waterfront restaurant is planned.
COSTING:
(All amounts are estimates only and are quoted in Taiwan Dollars.)
Day1: Bicycle hire, Café breaks, boat cruise and night market: $1,200 per person.
Day2: (including transport to and from the mountain, permits, hire of camping equipment, insurance and guide fees for 3 days) $4,800 per person. Additional to that is the lodge accommodation of $300 per person. Note: There will be other tourists with us for the mountain section of the itinery and this has helped to reduce the per person cost.
Day3: Lodge accommodation, $300 pp.
Day4: Outdoor thermal pool $200 pp, meal at Sun Moon Lake $250 pp, banquet on return to Kaohsiung $700 pp.
This costing has been based on a 4day/3night itinery. If it is changed to a 4day/5night plan with two nights accommodation at the Zhong-xin hotel, and additional cost of $1,000 per person should be added.

Thge two pictures and two video clips below were taken on a the Geelong Bushwalking Club walk in the Brisbane Range (Sutherlands Creek) which was led by Joe and Beth Gilks on Thursday 4th June 2009,

Historic Bendigo - our two day holiday

We have just returned from a very enjoyable two day visit to Bendigo in Central Victoria. Using bus and train got us there by midmorning, so we walked (with packs on our backs) admiring the old buildings and the Deborah Mine. We were lucky enough to find that the Archibald Portait exhibition was visiting the Bendigo Art Gallery, so more than an hour was spent there. The YHA backpackers is quite central and inexpensive so that was where we stayed the night. Here are som pictures

Photos from our walking holiday in Spain

Passing through quaint old villages

On the outskirts of Santiago

Walking through eucalyptus forest. Like being at home.

Another village with narrow streets and a church

One of the old hospitals used by the early pilgrims

About Us

We think that it might be a good idea to give the answer to the question that we are asked the most. That question is "Why do you keep on walking now that you are both aged in your seventies?"
We are fortunate that we both have good health. Not entirely fortunate, because we have always believed in eating good food and exercising as much as possible. We eat a lot of vegetables, small portions of lean meat and fat reduced products like skim milk. We only use the car to travel to places which are too far to reach on foot. We believe that a 30 minute walk is so much better for you than a 5 minute drive. When we were both working, one of us was able to ride a bike to work, the distance being about 4km. So 8km. a day, 5 days a week was a pretty good start to keeping weight under control and giving the heart and lungs a good work out. Most Sundays we would go for a long bike ride together - not rushing, but slow enough to let us enjoy the scenery.
There was a time when we were both into jogging, but we found that this was leading to problems with our knees.
There are many places in the world which hold a fascination for us and taking walking holidays is, we believe, one of the best ways of seeing the world and meeting its people. So, instead of answering the question, why do we walk, we are inclined to turn it around and say, WHY SHOULD WE STOP.

Australian Pictures

Our son Alex was with us on Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland.

Kangaroo on Maria Island, Tasmania

Beth and daughter-in-law Fay in the Victorian Alps

Snake crossing our path in Western Australia

Beth in the Purnululu National Park,Northern Territory

With 3 other Geelong Bushwalking members, Lerderderg Gorge, Victoria

Wombat with baby hiding between its mother's legs

Australian animals encountered in the bush

Koala

Crossing another stream on the Caples track

Joe and Harry (a friend from Scotland) with Mount Ngauruhoe in the background. This is the view on Day 2 of the Tongariro Northern Circuit

Approaching a hut on the St. James Walkway

Beth crossing stream on the upper reaches of the Dart track

With our son Alex on the Keplar track

Another picture on the Abel tasman track.

New Zealand photos

Crossing one of the many flooded streams on the Caples Track. Joe leading other members of the Geelong Bushwalking Club.

On the Abel Tasman track (Photo taken when we were a few years younger.)

Taking a helicopter to get to the start of the Hollyford Track

Cotswold Way

We ran into some foggy weather, but fortunately we were still able to read the signposts