September Newsletter 2026
Catch up on recent walks, a tribute to Joy Sibson, upcoming North Queensland bushwalks, conservation news, Club history, Leave No Trace, and more.
G'day all,
There was no August newsletter because my wife and I were away in Canada for the entire month, hiking, canyoning, climbing mountains, and generally doing exactly the sort of things you would expect to be doing while supposedly "on holidays".
So, this September edition is a bit of a catch-up. We have two months of Club adventures to cover, including Hidden Gorges, North Creek, Godwin's Peak, the successful Paradise Beach clean-up, Mount Halifax, Killymoon Creek, Bindal Ridge, and our Hiking and Camping Show and Tell.
September is looking good too, with everything from a relaxed rainforest walk to Ethel Creek Falls through to The Terraces, Mount Halifax, and a rather substantial coastal mission with Wilfred - need I say more?
Before all of that, however, we have some sad Club news to share.
Vale Joy Lynette Sibson
It is with great sadness that we let past and present members know of the passing of Joy Sibson, a much-loved former member of the Townsville Bushwalking Club.
Wilfred and Jo will be travelling to Monto to represent the Club and to attend Joy's memorial service as personal friends. The following words were written by Wilfred:
Vale Joy Lynette Sibson
It is with much sadness that we announce the death of Joy Sibson after her long battle with cancer.
As her name says, she was a joy to have as a member of the Townsville Bushwalking Club. She was in her fifties when she joined the Club, but, as with all the other things Joy got involved in, she was totally committed.
From being in tears on her first overnight walk because she couldn't handle the big backpack with tent, sleeping bag, mattress, cooking gear, and all the other things needed, she became one of our most active members. No mountain too steep, no walk too long, no vegetation too thick or scratchy - Joy couldn't get enough of it.
As well as all the local destinations around Townsville, she also did multiday hikes with the Club like the Larapinta Trail near Alice Springs, the Western Arthurs traverse in Tasmania, the three highest mountains on the North Island of New Zealand, and bagged the 15 tallest peaks in the Australian Alps.
Joy set herself the task of climbing each of the highest mountains in all Australian states and territories and achieved the goal within three years - no easy feat, as some of these mountains are in remote areas, hard to access, and even harder to climb.
She did the Kokoda Track in New Guinea over nine days, visited Everest Base Camp in Nepal on a 15-day hike, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa at over 5,900 m, and even dragged her husband Glen to Machu Picchu in South America. Not sure if his knees were ever the same after that trip.
Joy's name still comes up in conversations around the campfire out in the bush, and she will always be remembered as a much-treasured member of the Club and an enthusiastic and joyful person to go bushwalking with.
- Wilfred
Our thoughts are with Glen, Joy's family, her friends, and all of those Club members who shared the tracks, mountains, campsites, creek crossings, and campfires with her over the years. We will forever remember her. We'll have to organise a walk to Joy's Cliff, the impressive cliffline named after her, in the near future. A good bushwalking club accumulates more than routes and trip reports. It accumulates people and stories, and those stories stay with us long after the walk is over.
Previous walks and trip reports
There is quite a bit to catch up on...
Hidden Gorges - Saturday 4 to Monday 6 July
Keith and Wilfred led the three-day Hidden Gorges trip over the first weekend of July, with a couple of the Cairns crew making the trip south to join the Townsville contingent. This was one of the harder adventures on the calendar - remote private-property country, rough terrain, gorge exploring, bush-bashing, rock hopping, scrambling, and the sort of walking where "track" becomes a fairly theoretical concept. It is always good when walkers from neighbouring clubs join us. There is a wealth of knowledge within North Queensland's bushwalking community, and trips like this are a great way to keep those connections alive. Thanks to Keith and Wilfred for organising and leading another proper old-school Club adventure.
Shelly Cove Trail - Saturday 4 July
While Keith and Wilfred's group disappeared into Hidden Gorges, Amanda offered a somewhat gentler option back in Townsville with a morning walk along the Shelly Cove Trail. The Cape Pallarenda and Town Common area remains an accessible morning wander, combining bushland, coastal scenery, beach walking, and Cleveland Bay views without requiring an entire day. Thanks, Amanda, for continuing to add these shorter, more accessible walks to the calendar.
North Creek - Sunday 12 July
Amanda was back the following weekend to lead North Creek, also known as Sandy Creek, in Bowling Green Bay National Park. This one stepped things up considerably, with off-track creek travel, granite, rock hopping, waterfalls, vegetation, and rougher terrain. North Creek is a great example of how quickly the country around Townsville can change from a straightforward approach into genuine off-track adventure terrain.
Godwin's Peak - Sunday 19 July
Cherry took on Godwin's Peak, one of the Paluma summit walks and certainly not one of the easy ones. At 783 m, the summit itself does not sound especially intimidating until you remember that getting there involves a long day of rough walking, creek crossings, rock hopping, climbing, navigation, and plenty of elevation. Thanks, Cherry, for continuing to put the substantial walks on the calendar. Someone has to make sure nobody gets too comfortable.
Paradise Beach clean-up - Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 July
This one deserves a special mention. Cherry led the Saturday day walk, while Brent led the overnight group, combining a remote coastal bushwalk with a practical clean-up of Paradise Beach alongside Ocean Crusaders and TIDY Up Townsville Group. It was an amazing day to combine a walk with actually doing something tangible for the place we were walking through.
Ocean Crusaders later described the day:
"Day 15 Townsville Environmental Recovery Clean up for Queensland Environment and we headed to Paradise Bay to meet the Townsville Bushwalking Club who hiked in. Even after the walk, the enthusiasm shown was immense. Smiles everywhere as we cleaned a boatload of trash off this beautiful paradise."
Dave from TIDY Up Townsville was described as a "pack horse"; the Litter Legends were apparently epic, and between everyone involved, an enormous amount of marine debris was removed from this beautiful and otherwise fairly inaccessible stretch of coastline. A huge thanks to Ocean Crusaders, TIDY Up Townsville Group, Cherry, Brent, and everyone who hauled rubbish, camped out, and helped. It is one thing to say we love wild places. It is another thing entirely to walk several kilometres into one and then carry somebody else's rubbish back out. That is conservation in its most practical form. A whopping 720kg picked up, mostly plastic bottles. Pictures from the trip are available on our Facebook Group.
Hiking and Camping Show and Tell - Saturday 8 August
A great morning at Pallarenda Park for our Hiking and Camping Show and Tell, with members sharing gear, setups, and experiences, along with plenty of practical tips. Members laid out an impressive collection of tents, packs, sleeping mats, shelters, cooking systems, clothing, navigation equipment, safety gear, food, and assorted bits and pieces accumulated through years of walking. More importantly, people explained why they carry what they carry. There is a big difference between looking at a piece of equipment in a shop and having somebody explain, "I've carried this through three days of rain", "this weighs 300 g less but drives me insane", or "don't buy this unless you enjoy sleeping on the ground". There was plenty of discussion around pack weight, sleeping systems, water, navigation, food, clothing, safety equipment, lightweight versus traditional gear, and preparing for North Queensland tropics. The sleeping mats also underwent some particularly rigorous comfort testing. A big thank you to Brent for leading the session, and to Cherry and everyone else who brought equipment, demonstrated their setups, answered questions, and shared what they have learnt.
Mount Halifax - Sunday 9 August
Nine walkers took on Mount Halifax, setting off at 6:00 am for one of the Club's classic big days. Five hours of climbing through jungle, creek, and increasingly steep mountain country eventually delivered everyone to the summit - in cloud. Fortunately, the mountain took pity on the group, and the clouds parted for a few minutes, providing just enough of a window for a summit photo with Halifax Bay below. After lunch in the cloud, it was time for the long descent. Another three and a half hours brought the group back down, with a very welcome foot soak at Rope Falls before the final stretch to the cars. Thanks, Cherry, for leading.
Two walks, one Saturday - 29 August
We managed to have two Club walks running on the same day at the end of August, which is exactly the sort of problem a bushwalking club should aspire to have. Molly led three adventurers into Killymoon Creek for an introductory off-track walk. Three walkers. Ponies. Goats. Green ants. Grandfather eel. A dragon egg. Imaginary baked goods.
Townsville Bushwalking Club
Meanwhile, Amanda led another group on a wander up the Moongun/Bindal Ridge Trail. It was great to see two quite different walks available on the same morning.
Upcoming walks
There are some excellent adventures coming up. As always, please RSVP directly with the walk leader. Meeting locations and any access details are supplied to registered participants. Club walks are free for visitors. Visitors can attend up to three Club walks before they are required to apply for membership. You can see the full and continually updated program on the Townsville Bushwalking Club Events Calendar.
Ethel Creek Falls - Sunday 6 September
Leaders: Amanda and Cherry
Grade: S33
Duration: Approximately 4 hours
A relatively relaxed September outing from Paluma village towards Ethel Creek Falls, following rainforest tracks via the Cloudy Creek area before continuing along a quieter section to the falls. There will be time for morning tea and possibly a swim if conditions are suitable before returning to Paluma. This is a good option for walkers wanting something more moderate, although there are still uneven surfaces, creek crossings, slippery rocks, and a less-maintained section of track to negotiate.
Cocoa Creek to Cape Cleveland - Sunday 13 September
Leader: Wilfred
Grade: X78
Duration: Approximately 8-10 hours
Suitable for: Fit and experienced walkers
For those unable to get onto The Terraces - or who simply fancy an entirely different sort of long day - Wilfred is planning a coastal walk along Cleveland Bay, starting near Cocoa Creek and heading towards Cape Cleveland. The route takes roughly four to five hours each way, with rocky headlands, scrambling, rock-hopping, beach travel, and potentially some wading, depending on tides and conditions. This is only suitable for fit walkers who are comfortable being on their feet for around 10 hours and are experienced moving over rough coastal rocks. Bring a head torch in case progress is slower than expected. Wilfred advises carrying no more than about 3 L of water initially, as water can be refilled near the cape, but participants should carry suitable water treatment. And definitely no precious leather boots - there is a reasonable chance your feet are getting wet.
Mount Halifax - Sunday 20 September
Leader: Jo
Grade: X78C
Distance: Approximately 11 km return
Elevation gain: More than 1,000 m
Duration: Approximately 9-11 hours
If you looked at the August Mount Halifax trip and thought, "That sounds unpleasantly excellent; I'd like some of that", Jo is providing another opportunity. Mount Halifax rises to 1,063 m and requires a sustained climb through rocky jungle creek, steep slopes, loose terrain, scrambling, rope-assisted sections, exposed ridges, and upper rainforest. It is a demanding walk for fit and experienced bushwalkers only. On a clear day, the reward can be extraordinary views across Halifax Bay, the coastline, Palm Island group, Hinchinbrook Island, and the surrounding Paluma Range. Or you might get a cloud. That is mountains.
The Terraces - Sunday 4 October
Leaders: Cherry and Amanda
Grade: L66
Distance: Approximately 11 km
Duration: Full day
One of the Club classics. The Terraces is a substantial off-track creek adventure through spectacular granite country, featuring creek travel, waterfalls, rock-hopping, scrambling, steep slopes, loose surfaces, slippery rocks, pools, and plenty of opportunities to use both hands and feet. This walk has already reached capacity. A waitlist is in place, and the leaders are also investigating whether a second date can be offered.
Dalrymple Gap - Sunday 18 October
Leader: Cherry
Grade: L34
Distance: Approximately 16 km return
Duration: Approximately 6-8 hours
Looking a little further ahead, Cherry is leading the historic Dalrymple Gap Walking Track in Girringun National Park. This is predominantly an established track rather than one of our usual creek-bashing epics, but 16 km, creek crossings, uneven surfaces, rainforest, and the sustained climb towards the Cardwell Range still make it a proper full-day walk. The historic stone-pitched bridge near Dalrymple Gap is one of the highlights of the route.
A quick local park-alert reminder
There are a couple of current Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service alerts worth keeping in mind this month. QPWS has planned aerial pest-management activities in Bowling Green Bay National Park and Bowling Green Bay Conservation Park from 1-4 September. There are also planned burn operations in the Mount Halifax and Godwins Peak areas of Paluma Range National Park through to 30 September.
Quote of the Month
"A map shows you where you might go. Walking shows you who you are when you get there."
Long days on uneven ground have a habit of revealing character. You learn who is patient when the route disappears, who keeps cracking jokes after eight hours, who quietly carries extra weight when somebody is struggling, who becomes intensely interested in lunch at precisely 11:57 am, and who still insists the destination is "just over the next hill". The fun game is collecting these little fragments over years of travel. Eventually your brain becomes a strange library of trail wisdom, creek crossings, campfire stories, questionable navigation decisions, and half-forgotten quotes scribbled into trip reports. Somewhere amongst all of that, you probably learn a little bit about yourself as well.
Leave No Trace - leave the place, not your presence
After the Paradise Beach clean-up, this feels particularly relevant. Leave No Trace is often reduced to "take your rubbish home", but it is much broader than that. Queensland's guidance includes travelling on durable surfaces where appropriate, packing out rubbish and food scraps, leaving rocks, plants, shells, fossils, and other natural objects where they are, minimising campfire impacts, respecting wildlife, and avoiding interference with cultural sites. One particularly important principle for bushwalkers moving between different rainforest and creek systems is "arrive clean and leave clean".
Soil carried on boots, gaiters, poles, packs, vehicles, and other equipment can spread pathogens, such as Phytophthora. Queensland Parks recommends cleaning soil from equipment before entering and after leaving natural areas, using cleaning stations where provided, and avoiding unnecessary travel through wet soil.
A good little challenge for September:
- Clean the mud and seeds from your footwear before the next walk.
- Pack out every piece of rubbish, including the tiny stuff.
- Don't build rock cairns for decoration.
- Don't collect "souvenirs" from national parks.
- Never start a fire on rock slabs.
- Leave wildlife alone.
- Never touch, trace, wet, clean, or otherwise interfere with Aboriginal rock art or other cultural material.
The aim is simple - somebody arriving tomorrow should have the same chance to discover the place that you had today.
I really like what Madoc Sheehan said to me once, an improved version of the popular saying, something like "Take only photos (and other people's rubbish) and leave only footprints (and a cleaner environment)".
Conservation good news - bilbies return to the wild
Here is some genuinely encouraging conservation news. In August, 150 greater bilbies were released into Currawinya National Park in south-west Queensland, returning the species to an area where wild bilbies had disappeared by the 1970s. Importantly, these animals were released outside the predator-proof enclosure, marking a significant step towards restoring a genuinely wild population rather than maintaining the species only behind protective fencing.
James Tugwell and Dan McCray
A sobering reminder about carrying a PLB
There was also very sad bushwalking news from New South Wales in August. Eighteen-year-old experienced bushwalker Lily Hooper disappeared during a solo walk in Nattai National Park on 12 August. Despite an enormous eight-day search involving police, SES, specialist rescue teams, helicopters, and almost 100 Australian Defence Force personnel, her body was eventually located in extremely rugged terrain. Following her death, Wollondilly Shire Council announced plans to establish a bushwalking safety program in Lily's memory, including personal locator beacons that residents and bushwalkers could borrow free of charge. We do a lot of remote, off-track walking as a Club, and it is a reminder that experience does not eliminate risk. For remote trips, particularly when travelling alone, consider carrying a registered PLB or suitable satellite communication device. Tell somebody exactly where you intend to go and when you expect to return. Carry an offline map, adequate clothing, water, food, first-aid supplies, and a head torch, even if you expect to be home well before dark. The equipment weighs very little compared with the consequences of needing it and not having it.
Brooke Chandler
Trail news - a section of the Heysen Trail reopens
For anyone who needs another long-distance walking objective to add to the list, a section of South Australia's Heysen Trail has recently been upgraded and reopened where land was added to Cudlee Creek Conservation Park. At around 1,200 km, the Heysen is Australia's longest uninterrupted dedicated walking trail, stretching from Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula to Parachilna Gorge in the Flinders Ranges. One particularly relevant point is that the route crosses a mixture of public and private land and relies heavily on relationships with landholders. South Australia's environment department specifically reminds walkers that continued access depends on respecting private land and leaving no trace. That should sound familiar. Many of our own best walks depend on private-property access and the goodwill built by Club members over decades. One careless gate, vehicle, camp, fire, or visitor can jeopardise access for everybody who comes afterwards. Access is a privilege worth looking after.
Throwback to Our Club History - the three searches for the Kennedy Aboriginal art gallery, 1962
This month's dive into the Club archives follows not one trip, but three attempts in 1962 to locate an Aboriginal rock-art site near Kennedy.
Attempt one - 16-17 February 1962
The first search involved Paul Stephenson, Clarry Brewer, and Ray Lane, travelling by Land Rover before continuing on foot into the Cardwell Range country. They didn't find the caves. But, as the report itself observed, the weekend was hardly wasted. Clarry found an Amethystine python described as the smallest specimen he had ever seen - apparently only about 10 or 11 feet long, which gives some indication of the Club's standards for describing wildlife as "small". The group also recorded numerous plants and flowers, and met a local man who had apparently visited the art site many years earlier. He provided them with a new story, a rough map, and enough information to convince them that another attempt was worthwhile.
Attempt two - 24-25 March 1962
Naturally, the logical response to failing to find something was to return the following month with considerably more people. The second expedition involved a much larger party, arriving in a Volkswagen sedan, a Renault sports car, and a Land Rover. Despite extensive searching, creek walking, scouting in different directions, camping overnight, and following the information they had been given, the site remained stubbornly hidden. Once again, though, somebody they met on the way home supplied another piece of information. The mystery continued.
Attempt three - 24-25 April 1962
One month later, they went back again. And this time they found it. The third search located the rock shelter containing the paintings, with the Club report describing some as still quite distinct while others were obscured by smoke deposits from fires. The group explored several other shelters in the surrounding country and continued investigating the old route beyond the site before eventually turning back.
Three expeditions. Three months. No GPS. No satellite imagery. No GPX file. No Google Earth. Just paper maps, local knowledge, old tracks, persistence, and a willingness to go back and try again. It is also interesting to read these reports through a modern conservation lens. The 1962 account includes ideas about physically cleaning smoke from paintings that would be completely inappropriate today. Modern guidance is unequivocal - Aboriginal rock art and other cultural sites should never be touched, cleaned, traced, wetted, rubbed, or interfered with in any way. Leave them exactly as they are for future generations. The old reports are a fascinating record of the Club's exploratory history, but they are also a reminder that our understanding of conservation and cultural heritage has evolved enormously over the past 64 years.
You can read the original reports here:
Townsville Bushwalking Club
Townsville Bushwalking Club
Townsville Bushwalking Club
Doco of the Month - The Longevity Lie No One Talks About
This month's pick is a short one rather than a full-length documentary: The Longevity Lie No One Talks About, by Seth Capehart MD.
The central idea is simple: living longer and staying capable for longer are not the same thing. Instead of obsessing purely about lifespan, the video argues that we should pay more attention to healthspan - the number of years in which we remain healthy, mobile, independent, socially connected, and physically capable. That makes it particularly relevant to a bushwalking club. Most of us are not walking to add an arbitrary number of years to our lives. We walk because being able to climb mountains, scramble over rocks, carry a pack, cross creeks, travel, camp, and share adventures with friends is part of what makes those years worth having. The video touches on aerobic fitness, strength and muscle, mobility, and maintaining the physical capacity required to keep doing the things you enjoy as you age. Bushwalking happens to combine quite a few useful ingredients - endurance, balance, leg strength, coordination, uneven terrain, time outdoors, problem solving, and social connection. Perhaps the goal is not simply to reach 80 or 90. It is to reach it still wondering what walk is on next weekend.
Variety is important. Not every Club trip needs to be a 10-hour epic through lawyer vine. Short walks, social outings, skills sessions, environmental projects, introductory adventures, bike rides, overnight camps, and straightforward track walks are all part of a healthy Club calendar. If you have an idea for a walk or activity, please consider leading one. You do not have to know everything, and new leaders can always co-lead with somebody more experienced. The Club exists because people volunteer their time, knowledge, enthusiasm, and occasionally their scratched legs for everyone else's benefit.
Keep an eye on the Events Calendar as new walks are added and existing events are updated.
Happy walking, stay fit, look after each other, and look after the places we are lucky enough to explore.
See you on the trails,
Luen Warneke
Townsville Bushwalking Club
