Meetings: All meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month (excluding December); General Meetings at Leongatha Community House, 16 Bruce Street, Leongatha and alternating with Activity Planning Meetings and dinner at venues to be announced.

Activity Planning Meeting: July 27 at Meeniyan Hotel - 6:30pm

General Meeting: Thursday June 22, Leongatha Community House at 8:00pm

President’s Report
Thank you to Steve and Paula for organizing the Invygaine, those who participated appreciated all the work that went into the questions and map. It was a lot of fun. A wonderful afternoon tea was enjoyed at Steve and Paula’s home while they scored the answer sheets. I can’t remember who won but I do remember that David and Kerry beat me and Heather because David kept telling me.
Some keen walkers had a good time walking the length of the Great Southern Rail Trail in good weather which was well organized by Judy.
Please note on your calendar 22nd June for a CPR refresher prior to the general meeting. This is at no cost to members. The instructor Stan Hewerdine is donating his time to us. One day you may benefit from someone else’s knowledge of CPR so please make the effort to come along as you may be able to help someone else one day if you have the knowledge. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t learnt CPR previously.
Les.

AGM - Photos
For the past 6 years we have had a ‘showing’ of photos taken during various activities during the club year. It is close to time for these to be collected and edited. The easiest way to transfer photos is on a USB stick that will be returned to you after transfer of the photos. I will not be available to put the ‘show’ together this year, so if members would like this little bit of jollity to continue a volunteer is needed to take over the task.
Judy Speedy 56681387

Position Vacant
Now that we have our own bike trailer you might like to know that we will be looking for people who would be prepared to drive on our future trips. This would suit a non or occasional bike rider who would still like to participate in our cycling extravaganzas. They would also have to be prepared to eat, drink and indulge in riotous behaviour.
(written by David on behalf of the Walks Coordinator!)

Activity Reports
Lovely Days at Healseville - May 2-3
Tuesday: It was grey, wet, and cold when I left to pick up Val for our trip to Healesville. Not to worry, I’d looked at the forecast and there wasn’t much rain forecast for Healesville. I dropped off my puppies at boarding kennels close to Healesville and we drove on to the Beechworth Bakery to meet the others. Everyone else was already there so Charlie, Marina, Janet, Sue, Sandra, Elizabeth, Val and I were soon enjoying morning tea at the Bakery before setting off on foot for Maroondah Dam.
Marina led the way along the quiet roads and in no time, we were amongst the lovely trees and green lawns near the dam. Autumn is a lovely time of year and the trees were looking splendid. We walked up the hill and across the weir wall. Sue was surprised to see how low the reservoir was and wondered why, further down the hill there was quite a lot of water being released. However much speculation, we were not to know the reason and therefore continued up to the top of the hill to overlook the dam and the autumn colours of the trees in the park. Quite a beautiful view.
The weather was being kind and although there were a few spots of rain, it stayed cool and dry. We travelled further on down the hill and walked along what seemed to be a large drain to me. Again, surprise from the local girls as to why this drain was almost empty. This was the main runoff for Melbourne’s water supply. Perhaps the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant is operating and the water from Maroondah Dam isn’t necessary at present? This area is so lovely; tranquil, green and lined with many, many tree ferns amongst the trees. It was a joy to walk along here. Soon we arrived at Donnelly’s Weir where we had our picnic lunch. The rotunda that was once there has disappeared, again a surprise to Sue. After lunch, we continued along the tracks and then on to the road and back into Healesville. We visited the bakery once again, had a cuppa and then hit the shops (op shops, I mean). The rain came down heavily then, so our timing was perfect.
We arrived back to the lovely warmth and comfort of Sue’s mother’s house and simply relaxed before heading out again to the pub for tea. Charlie was staying with his son so had dinner with them, but we were joined by Bee and also Janet’s partner Brendan at the pub. Lovely to catch up with our Healesville friends again.
Wednesday: It was extremely foggy and cold in the morning but no wind at all. We dropped our cars off at the Healesville Sanctuary and Sue drove us back to the house to begin our walk. Janet and Marina weren’t with us, so it was just 6. It’s only about 4km to the Sanctuary so it didn’t take too long to walk there and we had great views over Healesville on the way. It was about 10 when we arrived so of course we hit the café for morning tea. Then, we explored the Sanctuary, beginning with the kangaroos, and then going to the Platypus enclosure where I became fascinated firstly by the platypus swimming in its home and secondly, by the story about eels that travel from the Coral Sea, float down the coast to Victoria, enter the Yarra River, swim upstream to the streams around Healesville where they live happily for 10 to 20 years before swimming back to the Coral Sea, spawning, and then dying. Amazing!! Sandra came to find me just in time to join scores of school children at the education centre. We learned about tortoises, yabbies, platypus’ and balloons. Did you know that balloons are posing a huge threat to wildlife? After being released into the skies, they deflate and fall to earth (or ocean, or waterway). There they become an attractive but fatal treat for wildlife. The message was to not release balloons, try bubbles instead at birthday parties.
We had just enough time to nick across to the animal hospital where an operation was taking place. The patient was hidden, but turned out to be a dove. The male and female of these doves look exactly the same. Both sexes build nests, and it is therefore impossible to know which is male or female. So, these small birds were undergoing an operation to detect which sexual organs they possessed. Why, you might ask? Because they are busy building nests each season, but not laying eggs. Are they all male? Or female? This invasive operation will let the staff know; and while under sedation, a small feather and blood sample is taken for analysis so that in the future, DNA samples from other doves will be able to determine their sex. Medical Science - clever isn’t it?
We just had time to hotfoot it across to the Flight Centre. No, not catching a plane, watching our beautiful and clever native birds put on a show. If you haven’t been to the Healesville Sanctuary, it’s worth going just to see this. The show commenced with a Black Kite, followed by a Black Breasted Buzzard of all things. Ignoramus that I am, I didn’t realise that we have our very own buzzard - thought they were just in the northern hemisphere. The birds fly across the open area and above the audience and are a wonderful sight. There were many more loose birds flying around one at a time and responding to the keeper’s words. All fascinating, and the parrot family, stunning. The Eclectus Parrots from the north of Cape York, male and female both brightly coloured, male an emerald green and blue, the female, crimson. Major Mitchell and Sulphur Crested cockatoos - beautiful - the underneath of these birds as they flew above us, so colourful. A Long-billed Corella almost stole the show with his ‘talking’ and antics. The Wedge-tailed Eagle, majestic. After lunch Charlie said farewell and headed home. The rest of us went in different directions, Sandra, Sue and I ending up at the reptile enclosure. Very well fed snakes and lizards including a very dark tiger snake and a pretty green tree snake were fascinating (as well as horrifying for Sandra). We saw a keeper holding an enormous python while the vet performed various medical procedures on this huge snake. It looked very scary but when the keeper released his strong grip on it’s head, it just casually moved into the enclosure with no drama. We finished our day walking through the tranquillity of the Lyrebird enclosure and then the wetlands. The enclosures, displays, and gardens are all truly beautiful. Healesville Sanctuary is really worth a visit.
Thank you Sue for your hospitality and planning and everyone else for your great company. I enjoyed a wonderful couple of days.
Lynn

Great Southern Rail Trail Walk - 4 days and 72km
We left Healesville travelling in heavy fog, Heather rings us to say the sun is shining, about half an hour from Korumburra we found the sunshine.
We all met at the starting point in Leongatha, 10 walkers and 2 catering/porters who collected our overnight bags for the trip so that they could deliver them to our Motel at Meeniyan. Our itinerary did say Morning Tea will be provided but we did not think any of us really gave it a thought, I think we were all expecting hot water for our cuppas, but why did we not think that Judy had organized not only hot water but two containers of homemade slices. Koonwarra Recreation Reserve was the perfect spot for it. Lucky for Joy someone had found her wallet she’d left in the toilet and returned it to her safely.
On arriving in Meeniyan about 2.30pm we ran into two dodgy locals (Kerrie and David) who would later accompany us for our evening meal. Within seconds of arriving at our hotel room Belinda gave it a 1 ½ star rating, it wasn’t that it was old but it did smell a bit musty and the last straw was grit in her bed. We sauntered out of our rooms at 4.59pm to arrive at the local hotel at 5pm for Happy Hour to commence, which followed by our meals and a reasonably early night as we knew that the noise from the passing trucks would be persistent all night.
With a civilized 9am starting point we loaded our bags into the 2 catering/porter boy’s vehicles and we took off on our way to Buffalo, meeting Robyn at Stony Creek where she would join us till our lunch stop. We arrived at Fish Creek early afternoon were the lodgings were far more appealing. Some of us hit ‘The Shop’ to kill some time. Again, only a short walk and we were at the pub for another Happy Hour, nice meal and then we all indulged in two wonderful Cheese Platters that Clive and Marg kindly ordered.
Thursday saw us with the longest day of the track. Starting at 9 again, we had morning tea at Lowry’s Road where the catering/porter boys were there once again having the table spread out and miraculously two more containers of cakes/slices where presented, not having demolished the last lot we had plenty of choices to be had.
For our lunch the two catering/porter boy’s picked us up, drove us into Foster and after a long discussion about where to park (where Belinda nearly had to complete a family violence report) so we could then indulge at the local bakery which had all sorts of goodies offered and then drop us off back on the trail to continue on our merry way.
Being a Rail Trail they genuinely are long, straight and with not much gradient, we had 10kms to do from lunch and they did seem to drag on a bit but with the good company we completed them still in good spirits except for one who succumbed to the temptation of the catering/porter boys who offered to drive us the last bit. Val and Josie joined us along the way, riding their bikes and staying the night with us. We did fleetingly think of catering ourselves for tea but soon realized that was a foolish idea and once again hit the local hotel.
The weather on Friday was meant to be iffy but Judy did pick the best week for us, with the mild mornings and sunny days. Only having 15kms to do, they seemed to go quick and we arrived in Port Welshpool in time for some people to grab a famous ‘Scallop Pie’ and receive a Great Southern Rail Trail certificate that Judy and Max had kindly done for us.
Heather and Marina did have an audio book on standby incase the walk got boring or they got sick and tired of talking (that would never happen with Marina and Heather). But because of the good company they never did get to listen to it.
With our upcoming Larapinta trip we were very appreciative of having this trip organized, a perfect training run for us. On a side note even Marina’s pillow went on a trek itself. Marina left it at the Toora Motel, where lucky for Marina Rosanne was in town staying another night. She kindly picked it up for her, dropping it off to a local shop in Leongatha where Les’s mother kindly picked it up and took it to the Cruickshanks, where they passed it onto Val who safely returned it to me on the Rokeby Tuesday walk. So thanks for everyone that was involved, Marina did appreciate having it back last night.
Thank goodness Saint Jude had read up on her advanced leadership and trekking skill manuals and not one of us got lost or suffered any injuries. Max and Les did get a small amount of exercise done by riding or occasionally walking with us, but only once they knew there chores had been organized and completed.
Thanks for Judy, Heather and Elizabeth for the baking. So on behalf of Heather, Robyn, Elizabeth, Rosanne, Clive, Marg, ‘The Partimers’ Joy and Sandra and us we’d like to say a big THANKS to Judy for organizing it and the catering/porter boys for doing just that - catering and portering.
Sorry to say there is a downside to this walk, a feel for the next person/persons who organizes one, Judy has set a high standard that we all could get easily accustomed to.
Belinda and Marina

Forthcoming Events
‘Hairspray’ the musical
This musical is being put on by Lyric theatre in July.
Come and join us on Friday 14th July for dinner at McCartin’s Pub before the show. Let me know if you need me to purchase the ticket. I will be buying tickets on the 1st July when the box office opens at the Great Southern Saddlery. Otherwise please purchase your own ticket and let me know numbers for the pub.
Contact Zoe Baillie 0429 830 307 or email hezbaillie@gmail.com by the end of June.

3 Capes Walk - Tasmania
Many club members have already completed this walk and all agree that the scenery is spectacular and the huts make carrying a tent unnecessary. I would like to do it next year, starting 5th March and would appreciate the company of a few other club members.
I have booked myself on the early boat (11.30am) and the late bus for the return (4pm).
If you book on-line please mention my name so we can be allocated together.
You can contact me on 0400 109 160 to discuss if you are interested.
Elizabeth Griffiths

The Mt Baw Baw Snowshoe Shuffle August 16-17
Wednesday 16th - Thursday 17th August. Note: Availability yet to be confirmed by Club.
Accommodation Enjoy an overnight in the winter wonderland at Mt. Baw Baw staying at Benbullen a warm and inviting lodge in a premier positing with spectacular views. This lodge has four bedrooms and can accommodate up to 20 people in double and single beds. Semi-private bathrooms, gas ducted heating and large open fireplace. Guests are required to provide their own linen and bedding.
A lodge manager is in residence for the winter season. Check in 5.00pm and Check out 3.00pm.
Lodge cost is $740 per midweek night in peak season. 4 Bedrooms (5+6+6+3)
Equipment Snow-shoeing is a great alternative to down hill or cross country skiing.
If you can walk you can snow shoe, so we have read. Snow shoes no longer look like wooden tennis racquets, rather a light weight elongated platform with‘ teeth’ on the underside that are clipped onto your water proof boots. The ‘teeth’ will get a grip on the snow and not slip when walking up or down hills, with poles they make walking over deep un-groomed snow relatively easy.
Snow shoes and poles can be hired at Mt. Baw Baw Equipment Hire. $16.00 per day $24.00 2 days ID is required (Drivers licence) plus $20.00 bond)
For an enjoyable day’s snow shoeing you will need the following:

• Thermals, A warm fleece
• Waterproof jacket and pants (parka and overpants)
• Gloves & warm hat, Sunscreen, Sunglasses
• Waterproof shoes/boots, Gaiters (to prevent snow in your shoes/boots) optional

Walks Program
For the web version of Footprints, the walks program is located on a separate page and is kept up-to-date with changes as they come in.