Paluma to Bambaroo via Waterfall Creek (2012): A tough 2-day through-walk with spectacular cascades, sheer drops, and 800 m descent. Rain turned granite slick, forcing bush-bashing through lantana and vines before finally emerging at Bambaroo farm after dark – tired, soaked, but triumphant.
Mt Elliot summit (2012): A tough two-day adventure via North Creek to the summit, with rainforest climbs, dry saddles, thick wait-a-while, and shredded legs. Camped high, then descended Alligator Creek past cascades and falls. Hard, scenic, and a real club achievement.
Townsville Bushwalking Club’s 2012 Kokoda Track trek (Kokoda → Owers Corner) marked the 70th anniversary: a 9-day, 96 km crossing of the Owen Stanley Range with ~6,000 m ascent/descent, village camps, powerful WWII history, and outstanding PNG porter support.
December walks saw the club tackling a stormy Many Peaks Range, cactus control at Walkers Creek, and a wet weekend at DCK Shelter. Jourama Falls hosted the lively break-up weekend, complete with swimming, Santa, and a Frosty Mango stop. Next up: Crystal Creek or North Creek, weather permitting.
Despite rain, three walkers reached Alligator Creek Falls and spotted snakes. A modified Cloudy Creek walk ended with a BBQ at Paradise Waterhole. Next up: cactus control at Walkers Creek, the Jourama Falls break-up weekend, and dinner at the Dalrymple Hotel to close the season.
Hidden in Thunderbolt Creek is a cave with an unlikely past. In the 1940s it housed a secret Communist printing press producing The Spark. Today, bushwalkers find relics, rusted tins, and faded ochre art—reminders of a time when politics and wilderness converged in North Queensland.
The September 1987 Escape magazine shows the club’s enduring spirit: trips to Tully Gorge and Crystal Creek, a Godwin’s Peak climb, tales from Yaminie Falls, ibis research, Kata Tjuta adventures, plus puzzles and pub nights—proof that camaraderie and exploration are timeless.
This 1987 Escape edition features treks from Boggy Camp Creek to Thornton Peak, Dave Whyte’s Yamine Falls saga, and a chilly Mt Elliott camp. Plus, Marg Hayes on trekking Nepal, bush skills for stings and bites, and even a bushdance notice—capturing adventure and community in equal measure.
Sept 83 Townsville NFC Bushwalkers President: John Hunter Secretary: Jim Cameron Treasurer: Leslie Wightman Editor: Jan Bode Safety/Training Officer: Greg Arrowsmith Mail: PO Box 494, Townsville Q 4810 Phone contacts: * Les & Lynn Hyland – 712668 * Pauline & Graeme – 790434 Meetings: Held at the Townsville Environment Centre (next to Sorrento’
From water slides at Leichhardt Creek to muddy treks at Repulse, Easter at Cape Upstart, and sailing tales from Goold Island, July ’82 was packed with adventure, laughs, and lessons in leaving no trace.
In 1953, the University of Queensland Bushwalking Club made the first ascent of The Thumb on Hinchinbrook Island, placing a quartz crystal on the summit. Stolen decades later, the crystal was recovered, cared for by the Townsville Bushwalking Club, and returned to its rightful place in 1978.
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