No Excuses

There really is no excuse for not getting out in the bush in S.E. Queensland when it is just so damn easy. Well, except for maybe the odd hail storm or two that we've had lately.

This past weekend Maree and I decided to head to the J.C. Slaughter Falls picnic area to fit in a quick walk between other engagements. This is part of the Mt Coot-tha Reserve which is maintained by the Brisbane City Council (more information here). We decided to head up Ithaca Creek to try and get away from most of the crowds, so started on the summit track but headed up stream as soon as we hit the creek.

Spikey grass trees along the creek

A New Perspective on Girraween

Date: 5 - 8 September 2013

Those who have kept an eye on this blog will probably have realised by now that Girraween is a favourite place of mine. This time a birthday trip was on the cards so Maree and I took a couple of days off work to make it a super long weekend, invited a few friends and off we went.

Goolman Lookout

Hardings Paddock Picnic Area

Date: 14 Aug 2013
Having been very busy working on the house recently I was glad to get out for a leisurely walk on the Ekka public holiday. Maree gave me the idea of heading to the Hardings Paddock picnic area within the Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate as she was out there last week for work. We had previously done the Flinders Peak walk and at the time noted some of the other smaller peaks in the region but never had a chance to go back.

Another Day at Frog

An all too familiar scene for those heading to Frog on the weekend

Climbers, as would many people involved in a specialised hobby/sport, have their own language. Whether it's talking about gear, describing a route or simply talking about where they went on the weekend, it is part of what forms a community around an activity. My brother and I have to be careful at family gatherings as we will talk at length about anything climbing related, essentially excluding the rest of the table from the conversation. My Wife, despite not climbing herself, has also been forced to learn the language and these days is also quite fluent.

When answering the question of "what did you do on the weekend?", one response sure to baffle all but the dedicated climber (or climbers spouse...or the occasional bushwalker) is: "We had a great day at Frog on Saturday". Firstly, is Frog a place? If so, where is it and what do you do there?

Good Times at Urbenville

Date: 8 - 9 June 2013

As local readers are well aware, the weather in the South-East Corner (and no-doubt beyond) hasn't been the best lately. Apart from short cold spells, Winter hasn't really hit yet and the rain has stayed well past its welcome for this time of year. This has made climbing and walking opportunities few and far between. We were determined to get out and do something over the recent long weekend though, and the destination was Urbenville just south of the border.

Another Week in Tasmania

Date: 14 - 22 April 2013

As mentioned in my previous post, I managed to get down to Tassy twice this year and this would be my second trip. This time was for my honeymoon with my beautiful wife Maree and once again The Apple Isle didn't dissapoint. The itinerary for the trip included Freycinet Peninsular (again), Tasman Peninsular, Bruny Island and Hobart.

Two Weeks in Tasmania

Date: 23 February - 10 March 2013

I first visited Tasmania in 2008 with Maree. We spent a week touring in a campervan and we loved the place. I've been wanting to get back there ever since and this year I'll be lucky enough to get down there twice. The first trip was with Tom and we spent two weeks walking and climbing at Ben Lomond, Freycinet Peninsula and Mt. Field.

Note: As usual be sure to click on the photos to see the full resolution version. They come out a bit blurry when reduced in size.
Note 2: This is a fairly extended trip report so it might be best to grab a coffee first. ;)