The Camp

Betty and Margaret's Watagan Mountains bush camp was held in an area that none of us had previously visited. So it was a surprise to find a spacious campsite among the casuarinas with toilets, tank water, campfires and firewood. The Watagan Range is the line of low wooded mountains that you see from the Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie when you look west. Their extensive network of forestry trails are well used on the weekend by trail bikes and 4 wheel drivers, but during the week the place is deserted, except for the odd grader and logging trucks harvesting the State Forest's hardwoods.

Kay and Lesleys camp. Note the rocking chairs Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Karen, Bob, Jan and Barbara at Happy Hour Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Jan cooks pikelets for 22 hungry bushwalkers Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Geoff, Elizabeth, Bob and Jan brave a smoky campfire Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

The Walks

Our group of 22 walkers were split into 3 groups - medium, easy/medium, and easy. Each group did virtually the same walks, but on different days at different paces, with a some optional circuits provided for those who wanted to walk a few extra hills and kilometres.

The Lookouts Walk took us via three spectacular lookouts from the escarpment over different parts of the coastal plain. We could see the vast expanse of Lake Macquarie, apparently the largest coastal lake in Australia, the 3 power stations and adjoining coal mines, a ridiculously long line of coal tankers queuing down the coast from Newcastle, and Cessnock and the surrounding vineyards and picturesque small holdings of the Hunter Valley.

A section of the Great North Walk Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Boardinghouse Creek Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	The moss wall beside Boardinghouse Creek Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Jill Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

The Rock Orchid Walk wound its way through large rocky outcrops and cave overhangs covered with several different types of native orchids - two species of which were in flower. In addition the forest floor was carpeted in ferns, and we walked through mixed blue gum forest with staghorns and birdsnest ferns. There was literally something interesting to see at every turn.

The Wildflower Walk delighted us with its wide variety of flowering shrubs, including drumsticks, geebungs, banksias, hakeas, wattle, teatree, and some waratahs (unfortunately not flowering).

Ron Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Kay Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	John Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Marion and Len Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

The Tower Walk went through drier forest on rocky ridges where huge grass trees were the dominant feature. The tower itself was a communications structure on top of one of the hills we had previously seen from the lookouts earlier in the week.

The extra optional small circuit walks took us to Boardinghouse Dam with its lovely little swimming hole, creek and moss wall, and to Palm Valley full of bangalow palms.

Rock Orchid Walk Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Orchids in flower Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	The Old Swimming Hole Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Luminous fungus ladder Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

The Leeches

Yes, there were leeches, and they were just about everywhere. We experimented with all sorts of deterrents from insect surface spray to personal repellents - the most successful was Bushman Plus Insect Repellent with 80% DEET.  

Anna finds a leech-free perch for lunch Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

However leeches were a small price to pay for what was otherwise a very successful and enjoyable camp. Thank you to Betty and Margaret for all the work they put into getting us there and showing us around.  

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