Activities
Special Interest Groups
If you’re interested in leading/co-ordinating a SIG then please advise the Shed. We have also developed some special interest groups (SIGs), for things such as:
- Cycling – contact Paul McCarthy
- Walking – see the Walks information below
- Lunch after the Shed on Fridays
- Coffee and Chat on Tues mornings
- Meccano Group
Lunch (after the Shed on most Fridays)
A group of members heads to the Soccer Club in Mackellar for lunch after the Shed’s Friday meeting (except when there is a Shed BBQ). involved.
Coffee and Chat (including Lunch from 12PM if you stay that long)
Want to just sit down, relax and natter to a few good Shed mates? Then the Coffee and Chat SIG is for you! It meets weekly: Tuesday mornings from 9:00am at the Southern Cross Club in Jamison. All Shed Members are most welcome to attend. Just turn up after 9:00am at the Southern Cross Club Jamison. Stay for lunch if you wish. They usually sit at Table 49.
Meccano Group
Members of the Melba Shed go to three or more local primary schools each week to work one-on-one with students to build Meccano models. Student participants select & build a model to be made with the assistance & support of a volunteer. This mentoring program provides boys with friendly and positive experiences with older males, having fun constructing Meccano models in a group situation. It also focuses on the skills of perseverance, responsibility and public speaking. Participants have 10 one-hour sessions working with a mentor building a model. At the end of the program the student demonstrates and describes their model to the rest of the school at assembly.
Bob Greeney has said overall covering the 8 schools in this program some 40% of the young participants are girls. 6 of the schools undertake the activity on Wed, whilst one does Tues and one Thurs. Contact Bob Greeney (Northside coordinator) on 6258 4152 or 0407 737 131, or or email: greeneyb@iimetro.com.au and he will be very happy to arrange this introductory “observation‟ session. It only involves an hour or two once a week during school terms & our members greatly enjoy the experience & provide much appreciated assistance to the kids involved.
Walks
Introduction
Walks Contacts and Time of Walks
Walkers will need to meet at the shed 30 minutes before the start time of a walk unless otherwise stated, and share transport or make their own way to the starting point. If you intend the latter please email first so that you can be allowed for as well as obtaining the exact start location.
Visitors. Your welcome to join us as long as your capable. We are not power walkers (most of us are retired older gents) but please read up about things you should consider & carry on a walk. If in doubt call one of the numbers above.
Canberra Centenary Trail (CCT) – we did the trail in sections between 2014 & May 2016. Information on the trail and links to our files
Maps shown are either GPS Map View from Oziexplorer using OzRaster Maps with permission of © BKK Enterprises Pty Ltd, http://www.gpsoz.com.au
for newer style maps or using the older TopoView Maps with permission of NSW Land & Property Information for display. We also use Open Street Maps (OSM) for NSW especially the cycle version as it shows paths better. This is an open source product
Things to Consider before Walking – See below
Scheduled Walks
Walks start at 8.30AM for Sep 2022-Jan 2023 (Meet by 8.00AM at the Shed) (Check each walk for actual meeting time & place)
Below is an example of the layout planned walks had on the web site
Date | Location (Walk Title)
Map | gpx File | Other Info
Description
Day Month 2023 – 8.00AM
Walk Title
Map of the walk | gpx file
Meet at the Shed by 8.00AM.
Possible Future Walks
TBA 20XX – 9.00 AM (walk start time).
Namadgi NP Legoland
Map of the walk | Detailed Map | gpx file
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Meet at the Shed by 8.00AM. TBA – Park at Legoland Car Park 4.3Km up dirt road from Honeysuckle Camp ground. We may have to walk up the road and back. That will limit the distance we can have along the ridgeline. Either way we will visit the Opera House Cave and go a further 1km. Total about 12km. Medium-Hard walk with some rock scrambling in the caves Ref: https://www.thewalkact.com/honeysuckle-to-legoland-
Thurs XXX 20XX – 8.30 AM (walk start time). To be rescheduled
Wamboin Bywong Greenways
Road access is off Fed Hwy via Macs Reef Rd. Then drive 7.8Km to turn right (or south) down Birriwa Rd. Its 400m to turn left into the Bywong Comm Ctr at Les Reardon Reserve. Be careful as a lot of drivers speed along the main road. Birriwa Rd is the next turn after Harriot Road.
Meet at the Shed by 8.00AM. This is a repeat of Greenways walk 1 of 30th Aug 2018. However we may do it in the reverse direction. Meet at the Shed by 8.00AM & car share to the Bywong Community Hall at the Les Reardon Reserve where we will park. Then from 9.00AM we will walk counter-clockwise around various Greenways with some walking on the edge of local roads such as Weeroona Dr & Norton Rd to link these paths together. The walk is along some interesting pieces of native woodland, intermixed with some sections across open fields, with some sections along sides of roads. Last time on Majors Close between Greenways 5 & 6 we encountered an amazing White-Winged Clough that stayed with us the whole journey back to the cars. It flew, it walked and it accompanied us some 9.5Km. On Trail 2 we may also come across several beautiful & friendly white horses. We should get back to the cars around 12.45PM, thus a walk of 3hrs 45mins. Medium Walk, 14.4Km. The walk whilst longish is fairly flat with no obstacles. The walk is around the 800m contour and varies little. It is through open farmland on right of ways between properties. We can have snacks and coffees etc at the Sutton Bakery after the walk.
Guide to Grades
Grade Description
Easy should be fairly simple walks on tracks or grassy ground with minimal altitude change. Typically would be a max of 2 hrs and 4-8Km walking
Easy – Medium should be similar to Easy but might involve some small amount of climbing or slightly longer distance. Typically would be a max of 3 hrs and 8-10Km walking
Medium really aimed at the Scenic type of walk with some climbing, maybe more difficult navigating. 3 hrs or 10-12Km walking
Medium – Hard is probably the hardest we should attempt. Essentially similar to Medium but with more intense climbing or longer distance. Good examples are Mt Majura, Mt Taylor, Max 4.0 hrs or 16Km
Hard for the experienced. Typically a lot of off track walking in difficult terrain or long distances or a lot of altitude change ie 25Km or 6 hrs ie Mt Tennent, Cotter Gap
Guide to Social Easier Trips or Harder Scenic Trips
Grade Description
Easy Social trips should be fairly simple walks on tracks or grassy ground with minimal altitude change. Typically would be a max of 3 hrs and 10Km walking
Scenic trips should be similar to Easy but might involve some small amount of climbing or slightly longer distance. Typically would be a max of 5 hrs and 20Km walking
Guide to Locations
Grade Description
Easy should be fairly simple walks on tracks or grassy ground with minimal altitude change. Typically would be a max of 2 hrs and 4-8Km walking
Easy – Medium should be similar to Easy but might involve some small amount of climbing or slightly longer distance. Typically would be a max of 3 hrs and 8-10Km walking
Medium really aimed at the Scenic type of walk with some climbing, maybe more difficult navigating. 3 hrs or 10-12Km walking
Medium – Hard is probably the hardest we should attempt. Essentially similar to Medium but with more intense climbing or longer distance. Good examples are Mt Majura, Mt Taylor, Max 4.0 hrs or 16Km
Hard for the experienced. Typically a lot of off track walking in difficult terrain or long distances or a lot of altitude change ie 25Km or 6 hrs ie Mt Tennent, Cotter Gap
Things to Consider Before Walking
The shed offers members the opportunity of participating in some occasional walks as a supplement to our usual activities. The aim of this is to expose members to some of the delights of nature around and within Canberra, as well as getting some exercise. Most walks will be designed to be undertaken within 3 hours from start to finish including breaks and be no more than 10-15Km and include climbs of no more than 250 metres in total. However there may be an occasion where we could go to Namadgi and do a half day or more walk.
Generally walks will be held every two weeks on a Thurs with walks alternating between easy social strolls around simple locations like Lake Ginninderra versus more challenging scenic walks to places such as Cooleman Ridge. These latter walks will tend to be more the medium and sometimes medium/hard type of walk. Most walks will be on tracks or easy open country with minimal scrub bashing or cross country style walking.
walking.
Checklist of Things to Do and/or Consider
- check the grade and distance of the walk and ensure you are capable of doing it. If in any doubts call the leader
- check the start time and meeting place
- wear sturdy walking shoes with good grip (essential for steep slopes or rocky creeks etc) (you don’t normally need heavy & expensive ie $300 Scarpa bushwalking boots or similar)
- wear sensible clothes including warm clothes in winter
- wear a wide brim hat in summer, autumn & spring
- bring a water bottle (You could use staminade or similar. However water is more functional and can be used to e.g. to wash a wound). See notes below for CamelBak options
- bring a raincoat when its threatening
- use sunscreen cream in non winter months (Sept-Apr) especially SPF 30+, 50+
- bring a snack if we are taking more than 2 hours
- bring a mobile phone (Sep 2015 – This Canberra Times article on finding Kathleen Bautista highlights the benefits of carrying a mobile. Walkers should take special note)
- consider a well built walking stick (or pair of sticks) if your frail or with damaged knees. A lot of people use them all over the world and swear by their assistance value
- advise the leader if you have had any serious condition that might be exacerbated by a vigorous walk (i.e. stroke, heart condition, asthma, etc)
- ensure your contacts details & those of your emergency contact are on the Walking Contact Sheet (we don’t publish this)
Before Walking
Insurance Issues – The Shed has AMSA Insurance which does cover us for “Excursions, including by bicycle or foot, on designated tracks, pathways and other outside locations”. So generally we are covered for public liability issues as long as we don’t get into significant off-track adventures or rock climbing, etc. For personal injuries we should first seek medical assistance through using Medicare and any private medical cover we may have.
Note that any non-members who walk with us are not covered by the Shed’s policy. Thus any non-members will be required to accept that they walk at their own risk.
Members should have an ability to walk at least 3Km in 1 hour. Some scenic walks may require climbs such as Black Mountain, Mt Ainslie, or Mt Taylor where the altitude change may be up to 250m (820 feet). This is likely to be the maximum. If undertaken slowly most can do this. However members should carefully assess their abilities for any walks before turning up. If in doubt seek advice. Most of these walks should be fairly safe and we will take enough time to allow for adequate rests.
You need adequate footwear. Sneakers with a good soul and grip would be mostly suitable. Also you need comfortable trousers, shirt and jumper. You will need a polar fleece lightweight jacket or similar in winter. You definitely need a good hat in the warmer months.
Dehydration can impact anyone. Ensure you keep well hydrated especially in summer. A small water bottle <300ml is adequate from May-Sept, Oct-April 1000ml (i.e. 1 litre) or more is recommended. Note we now have had 2 people feint due to dehydration. Both of these occurred just after the walk finished. If you are carrying water you also have to drink it. You don’t bring it to carry it home again. You can also use a Camelbak type of pack that comes with an inbuilt 1.5 to 2.5L water capacity with a tube you can suck water out of. Some of their packs double as a day pack and can be used with the reservoir in or out. See Hydration Packs in Amazon. Greg now has a Camelbak Rogue which comes with a 2.5L reservoir and some compartments for snacks and emergency gear. Its probably more for cycling than hiking.
Simple snacks ie apple, banana, muesli bar or similar is adequate for such walks. Sometimes if we go for full half day or more to Namadgi you may need to carry lunch plus snacks.
Other items to consider: Camera, Mobile phone, strong headache pills, band aids, sunscreen cream in non winter months (ie Sep-Apr) preferably SPF 30+ or better, and a small 50ml bottle of hand sanitiser. The leader will carry a mobile and small first aid kit, as well as have knowledge of the route. It’s unlikely that anything more than a small day pack would be needed. In fact if you can place things in a pocket or bum bag then this would be best.
Weather: If the weather is bad on the morning we will postpone. Cool weather above 5C is good for walking, however strong winds with rain or drizzle is not suitable when combined with cold weather. Over 30C is also too hot in the middle of the day. In summer we will consider early morning walks.
Walking Grades: Please understand that some walks are harder than others due to distance or the amount of altitude change, or rocks, or steep slippery surfaces or just the gradient of the walk (ie steepness). See the grades used above.
Car Costs & Other Fees: For some walks to places further away such as Namadgi, Tidbinbilla, Googong, etc it is suggested members should help share the cost of petrol with others in the car. The concept of sharing can be based on an average vehicle using approx 10litres/100km and $1.50 per litre (This needs review given inflation). This equates to $15 per 100Km. Thus for a trip of about 65Km each way, ie. total 130km trip, suggest passengers consider sharing cost of petrol; say 13 litres, ie about $20 to split in average sized vehicle. For 55Km each way. total 110 Km, about $18; for 75Km each way, total 150Km, about $23, etc. We should also share entry charges as these occur, as they will at Tidbinbilla or car parking costs which will probably occur around Central Canberra. You will need to reassess some of this as petrol costs are now more like $1.90 per litre.