SydneyAdventurers40+

• Take the B1 (City to Mona Vale) express bus service from Wynyard station (stand B in Carrington Street), departing 9.05am and arriving at the B-line stop at Narrabeen shops 9.48am.
• See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections.
• When you get off the bus at Narrabeen shops, turn to face the lake and walk 300 metres to the left along the lake shore to the Prokayaks shop in Narrabeen Street.

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BRING

• hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
• dress in tshirt and shorts as you would for gym or sport
• water bottle (1 litre)
• snacks
• a dry bag or sealable plastic kitchen box to keep your valuable things dry in your boat (or leave them stored in the organisers locked car).
• normally we paddle barefoot and your feet will get wet, but if you want to wear shoes in your boat bring some shoes which you don't mind getting wet
• towel, change of dry clothes, and warm jacket & pants for afterwards (there is safe storage for your stuff while we are out on the water)

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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE.

• Head by train to Cronulla station (take the T4 line from Central station platform 25 at 7.52am, via Wolli Creek, Hurstville and Sutherland, arriving at Cronulla station at 8.44am. See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections and times).
• As you exit Cronulla station onto Cronulla St, turn left and walk 100 metres, turn left again into the subway tunnel (sign post points to the ferry wharf), turn left again as you exit the subway onto Tonkin St, walk 100 metres along Tonkin St beside the park, and turn right at the big sign and walk down the driveway to the ferry wharf.
• The Bundeena ferry departs at 9.30am - be there at least 20 minutes early to ensure that you get a seat on that departure. Tickets are $9.10 each way - pay by card or cash. Opal cards are NOT accepted. Arrives at Bundeena wharf about 9.50am. Walk 100 metres from the wharf to the group meeting point in Bundeena Reserve.

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GRATUITY
Please contribute $15 cash on the day to help cover the substantial costs of organising and running the group's events.

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BRING
• opal card for public transport,
• cash/credit card for ferry ticket
• lunch, snacks (there are no shops along the way)
• water (at least 2 litres, there are no refills along the way)
• hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent
• a warm jacket (it may be windy along the ocean cliffs, and cool on the ferry home in the afternoon)
• sturdy walking shoes
• beach towel to sit on
• swimmers if you fancy a dip in the surf at Marley Beach.

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DISCLAIMER:
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the WHAT WE'RE ABOUT section HERE.

• The trip runs Friday evening 14 Nov to Sunday afternoon 16 Nov.
• 2 days kayaking to explore the utterly beautiful Myall waterways and forests, with 2 nights super easy car camping at our base right by the water.
• Wildlife, OMG! highly probable close encounters with dolphins (no promises, but we’ve had 100% success on every previous trip here in the past 10 years).
• Lots of raptors, waterbirds, leaping fish. And prowling dingoes ... no they are not scary.
• Paddle through stunning scenery of dark palm jungles, pristine mangrove channels, huge coastal sand dunes, perfect white beaches, sapphire waters, vivid sunsets and intense starry nights.
• There will be spare time for special activities: night paddle, jungle & dune walks.
• Just 2.5 hours easy drive north of Sydney at Port Stephens.
• Check out last year's trip photos !
• Cost is $200 per person for the weekend, covering two days hire of stable and fast touring kayaks, 2 nights stay at an idyllic commercial camp site, wood for log fire BBQs. BYO food.

The trip is now confirmed to proceed with a core group of paddlers, and there are limited places left, so RSVP without delay and before the closing date of 5 November.
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HOW TO BOOK

• If you are genuinely committed, RSVP on this page now. (Do NOT NOT NOT RSVP if you are just a "maybe" as it really wastes everyone's time and messes up trip organisation).
• After you RSVP I will email you via Meetup to ask you to forward your $200 payment by secure PayID transfer.
• Once I receive your $200 and make a booking for a hire kayak for you, I will message to let you know that your place on the trip is confirmed.
• Deadline to RSVP and pay is Wednesday 5 Nov by 5pm.
• Booking conditions: If you decide to drop out, your payment is non-refundable. The trip proceeds in all weathers, except where the provider of the kayak hire service may cancel due to dangerous conditions (ie. severe bushfire, storm, flood). In that case, any refund for that service is solely at the discretion of the commercial provider, and the meetup organiser makes no guarantees on their behalf.

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THE PLAN FOR THE WEEKEND

FRIDAY

• Meet by the river's edge at Myall River Camp, 341 Mungo Brush Rd, Hawks Nest. It is 2.5 hrs drive north from Sydney via Pacific Highway.
• Arrive any time from midday onwards. The leader will be there from mid afternoon, and will have the camp fire going from dinner time so we can cook and relax.
• Cook your dinner on the fire, or we will also bring a gas stove for you to use if you wish.
• BYO food for the weekend, or drive 5 minutes from camp to Hawks Nest village supermarket, bakery and burger shop for supplies.
• Set up your tent. The eco campground has clean toilets, drinking water supply, but no showers.
• If you don't have a tent you can use to your car to sleep in (if it is spacious enough with the back seats folded down, you can just bring a mat and your bedding for a comfortable sleep).

SATURDAY

• 7am-9am - relaxed breakfast at camp
• 9am - kayaks are delivered by supplier to our camp
• 10am - kayak tour going upstream along Myall River, looping back via a secret creek, back at camp by 3pm-4pm, total distance 10km at a slow pace and lots of breaks across the day
• Possible dolphin encounters, many eagles and other raptors, gorgeous paperbark forests and mysterious dark palm jungles
• Lunch break on a nice beach - bring your packed lunch, snacks, and a towel to sit on
• 4pm-6pm - free time at camp, if you wish before dinner we can visit the sand dunes with epic coastal views (there's a brilliant spot to sit with a gin & tonic and jawdropping views), or take an easy short rainforest walk
• 6pm - light the fire, cook dinner
• After-dinner option: a short easy night paddle (huge numbers of leaping fish, maybe dolphins on the hunt) or an easy short flat night walk in the palm jungle for an hour.

SUNDAY

• 7am-8am - breakfast at camp, pack up tents.
• 8am-9am - move our cars to the end point of today's paddle
• 9am - kayak tour going downstream along Myall River, different types of forests, more raptors and waterbirds foraging on sand bars, explore quiet channels through mangroves with crystal clear water, sand dunes and coastal salt bush, probable dolphin encounters.
• After 7km paddling land at Tea Gardens port area for lunch on the beach (BYO or grab seafood from the takeaway on the beach)
• After lunch - option to do 3-5km more paddling, looping further around the end of the estuary where there is best chance of dolphins as they love to forage here, often they also have babies with them.
• 4.30pm - finish at our cars, hand kayaks back to the hire company.
• Drive home to Sydney in daylight.

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IS THIS ACTIVITY OK FOR ME?

This activity is OK for beginner paddlers - you don't need to have special skills, very high fitness, or alot of upper body strength. We will coach you in paddling technique if you need it and make sure you are coping.

We stick together and paddle at a relaxed pace - we take lots of breaks to enjoy the scenery and chat, and we keep in a group for safety and sociability. We never ever leave anyone behind (unlike some other crappy meetup groups), and nobody gets to take off ahead without the group.

Experience - It is better if you have had at least one previous paddle somewhere involving 5-10km distance and 3-4 hours of paddling, but this is not mandatory. If you have not paddled before, we recommend you also first come to our easy kayak day close to home at Narrabeen lagoon on Saturday 8 November, see details HERE.

Life jackets - are provided with your hire kayak, and must be worn on the water.

The paddling distance and effort will be managed - We will do 10km per day, which is very manageable at a relaxed pace across 4-6 hours on the water each day. Note that most of the waterways are within wilderness, so there are no easy outpoints to roads or towns - once you start on the water each day, you must paddle all the way to the finish.

Water conditions - The river is fully enclosed from the ocean, so it is mostly glassy flat (sometimes if there is a breeze there is small chop in the wider parts of the estuary, but never big waves). If necessary, we'll adapt our route to be protected from any strong wind (there are many hidden corners in the lake system to explore). We will use the daily tidal currents as much as possible to assist us.

There will be single kayaks and double kayaks available - we'll get the less experienced people to pair up in the doubles, and more experienced people can take the singles. We'll swap around boats over the two days of paddling for best variety and fun.

Very easy walk options - if we do the dune walk and/or forest walk these are short and pretty flat, so totally fine for beginners.

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TRANSPORT

• Myall River Camp is at Hawk Nest, 2.5 hours drive from Sydney, located on the north side of Port Stephens.
• Driving directions: take the M1 Pacific Highway to Newcastle and Hexham. Then after another 52km on the M1, turn right onto Myall Way/Tea Gardens Rd/Myall Street to Tea Gardens, and cross the bridge over the Myall River to Hawks Nest village. At Hawks Nest, turn left onto Mungo Brush Rd, and in 3km look for the sign on the left for the driveway into Myall River Camp. Proceed through the property all the way to the river where will be camped.
• There is public transport to Hawks Nest, but it involves many changes of train and bus via Newcastle, takes many hours, and there is no final bus connection from Hawks Nest village to Myall River camp on the edge of the national park.
• Use the Comments section below if you want to offer a ride, or to ask if anyone can give you a ride.

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COSTS

• Total cost for the weekend is $200 - this covers our kayak hire, camp site fee, purchase of wood fuel for our log fires, gas stove, etc.
• Food and drinks are not included - please BYO.
• If you get a ride with anyone, it is polite to split transport costs (total fuel, motorway tolls from the drivers home and back) evenly amongst everyone in the car.
• There is no gratuity due for this event.

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BRING

• tent (or sleep in your car), mat, bedding, pillow
• food supplies for your meals (Friday dinner, Sat breakfast/packed lunch/dinner, Sun breakfast/packed lunch), and any snacks you like to keep you going through the day
• any soft drinks or alcohol you like (drinking water is supplied at the camp) ... keep the alcohol consumption moderate, and zero when paddling or doing walks
• cooking and eating utensils, or bring cold food so you don't have to cook (each night you are welcome to cook on the log fire or use the group's gas stove)
• light clothes to paddle in (same as for bushwalking)
• hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and insect repellent are essential
• head net - this optional, but can save your sanity if the flies are bad (can buy them for about $5 at camping shops)
• generally we paddle barefoot in the boats, but if you want to wear shoes bring some that you don't mind getting wet as you step in and out of the boat
• sanitiser, wet wipes, toiletries, toilet paper
• wet weather gear (be prepared even on sunny days, just the same as for bushwalking)
• sturdy walking shoes if you come on any of the walks
• warm clothes for evenings (long pants, long sleeved tops, warm fleece)
• head torch or hand torch (your phone light can be used in your tent and around camp, but is not enough if you come for the night paddle or night walk)
• swimmers, towel
• dry bag to keep things safe from water in your boat
• folding chair, stool or box to sit on at camp
• optional - folding table to make your meals
• optional - spare battery to charge your phone (there is no power supply at camp).

KEEPING YOUR STUFF SAFE ON THE WATER

• It is very inadvisable to take sensitive objects like car keys, credit cards, phones and jewellery unprotected onto the water - keep your electronics, valuables, and spare clothes safe in your dry bag or in a sealable plastic food box aboard your boat.
• If you want to take pictures with your phone whilst paddling, put it inside a waterproof sleeve and have it attached to you with a strong cord.
• Sunglasses are safer if you have them fitted with a rubber strap or tied with cord around your neck so you can't drop them in the water.

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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE.

• The organiser will stay at NRMA Jindabyne Holiday Park which is right by the beautiful lake and has excellent bathroom, kitchen and lounge facilities. Tent sites are $84 for 2 nights, and cabins that sleep 5 are $258 for 2 nights.
• You can also find other affordable 3-star rooms or cabins in Jindabyne using Google, Booking.com or AirBnB. Examples: Kookaburra Ski Lodge is good, or also try Jindy Inn, The Alpine Gables, Lake Jindabyne Hotel Motel, Jindabyne Discovery Park, Alpine Hotel Motel, Banjo Patterson Inn, etc.

3. Fri 28 Nov - drive Sydney to Jindabyne

• 460km, 6-7 hours including breaks, avoid late night driving, actively manage fatigue with breaks every 2 hours, car pooling encouraged.
• Take extreme care to avoid animals on the roads from dusk onwards, especially through Canberra and on approaches to Jindabyne.

4. Sat 29 Nov - official start in Jindabyne

• Gather at 11am for lunch and coffee in the central courtyard of Nuggets Crossing shopping mall in Jindabyne.
• Mandatory gear check: everyone must have rain jacket & rain pants, wind-proof top, warm under-layers, gloves, warm hat, torch. Missing gear = no walk.
• Check food supply and 2 litre water, use supermarket if needed.

5. Sat 29 Nov - walk Charlotte Pass to Kosciuszko summit (2220 metres altitude, gradual 380 metre ascent/descent from start point, 18km total walk distance)

• Car pool the 40km drive from Jindabyne to Charlotte Pass in the national park ($17 per vehicle per day entry fee payable at the park gate).
• Toilet stop at Charlotte Pass, start walking at 1pm.
• Rest stop at Snowy River bridge, meal break & tea/coffee sheltering at cosy Seamans Hut, toilet stop at Rawson Pass trail facilities, then the summit.
• The organiser will have gas stove to heat tea/coffee for everyone - bring your own mug to drink out of.
• Arrive at summit by 7pm, dinner + hot drink, sunset at 8pm, full dark at 9pm.
• Depart from summit 8pm, night walk back to Charlotte Pass by 11pm.
• Drive to Jindabyne by midnight, keep it to 50kph to avoid animals.
• Concerned that you can’t do this entire 18km walk? The route is there and back on a very safe, wide, even, and clearly visible fire trail … so if you get tired you can choose to turn back at any point and walk safely back the way we came to the cars while the group continues to the summit.

6. Sun 30 Nov - walk Eagles Nest to Ramshead summit (2130 metres altitude, 250 metre ascent/descent from start point, total walk distance is 6.4km total)

• Gather at 9am in the courtyard of Nuggets Crossing shopping mall.
• Check food and water supplies, use supermarket if needed.
• Drive 35km to Thredbo ski village in the national park by 10am ($17 per vehicle entry fee payable at the park gate).
• At Thredbo purchase chair lift return ticket (about $50) on the day of our walk. Do NOT pre-purchase in case we get bad weather and have to do a different walk.
• 10.30am take chairlift 600 metres up to Eagles Nest trail head.
• Walk 6.4km loop through Ramshead Range. Lunch on summit amongst dramatic rock formations.
• Return to Eagles Nest well before the 4pm chair lift closing time.
• Leave Thredbo village about 3pm - 4pm for 500km drive to Sydney.

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IS THIS ACTIVITY RIGHT FOR ME?

Read the following info carefully, consider the alpine environment and the descriptions of the planned walks, and make an honest assessment of whether this activity is right for your current capability.

Reasonable fitness required

• We will walk at a relaxed and social pace, with as many rests as you like, and nobody gets left behind, but this walk is still graded HARD.
• The 18km route from Charlotte Pass to Kosciuszko summit is largely flat in the first 4km, then a gradual 400 metre ascent over the next 5km to the summit, and then the same sections descending in reverse back to Charlotte Pass. This large distance, the ascent, the low oxygen at altitude, and carrying 3 - 4 kilograms of gear in your day pack, combine to make this a significant effort.
• If you get tired you can choose to turn back at any point on this very safe track, but start with an assumption that you will do the work to walk the full distance. To be adequately fit you must have done walks of at least 10 - 12km in recent weeks, though not necessarily at altitude.
• This walk is not appropriate for absolute beginner walkers, or if you have cardiovascular issues, injuries, or problems with leg joints.

Alpine weather

• Conditions can change very quickly and contrary to published forecasts, and it's not uncommon to get four seasons in one day (heat, rain, wind, cold, thunder).
• When we've done these walks in the past it has been 30 degrees and burning sun during the day, but by late afternoon can drop very fast to 10 degrees or less.
• Wear layers that you can put on and take off with the conditions, include full sun protection, a cool light top for the heat, warm fleeces for your top, long pants, and be ready with full wet weather gear in your pack at all times.
• We will monitor forecasts in the days before the trip, and change the walking plans if necessary to maintain safety.

Trail conditions

• The Saturday route from Charlotte Pass to Kosciuszko is on a wide fire trail of hard packed dirt and gravel. We will return along this in the dark - with the moonlight and your torch you will have no problem walking safely.
• The Sunday route from Eagles Nest to Ramshead is on a raised metal grate for a short way, and then a narrow dirt trail winding through the rock formations.
• There are no technical sections, scrambles or cliffs on these walks.

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COSTS

Accomodation - book your own

• A tent site at NRMA Jindabyne Holiday Park is $84 for the weekend.
• A cabin with 5 beds is $260 for the weekend, and very economical if you share it ... $50 each for a weekend is a bargain. Use the comments section here to offer to share.
• Motel rooms in Jindabyne are also affordable.

Transport costs

• If you can, it makes sense to carpool to share costs, and for safer driving - use the COMMENTS section to offer/seek rides and indicate which end of Sydney you are.
• National park entry is $17 per vehicle per day - pay at the national park gate as you drive in from Jindabyne each day. We'll car pool from Jindabyne each day to minimise the number of cars paying entry.
• If you are a passenger, please be polite and contribute an equal share of the driver's total fuel, highway tolls, and vehicle entry fees for the weekend.

Chair lift tickets at Thredbo

• In previous years day passes (one two-way trip to Eagles Nest and back) have been about $50.
• The online bookings for spring/summer tickets are not available until after the winter ski season closes in early October. We'll update you with ticket price and link in the weeks before the trip.

Gratuity
Please contribute $60 per person to the organiser to help cover the significant organising costs for this event. You can

• pay in cash when we meet in Jindabyne, or
• do a PayID transfer to the organiser's phone number 0411 600 717.

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WHAT TO BRING

• Adequate clothes – the weather in the Snowy Mountains can be over 30 degrees followed by snow or rain on the same day! Walk in a tshirt, but carry a day pack with a very warm breathable underlayers, wind-proof jacket, full rain jacket and rain pants, warm hat, and gloves.
• Sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots.
• At least 2 litres of water carried on the trail each day (and be well hydrated before the start of each walk).
• Energy rich food & snacks carried on the trail each day.
• A personal mug or cup - the organiser will make hot drinks for everyone during the meal breaks on the walks.
• Sun hat, sun glasses, sun screen - the sun in the mountains can be very glary and penetrating, even on cool cloudy days.
• Insect repellent (tropical strength) – in the warmer months the flies can be relentless and bite hard, so in case they are bad be ready to use both insect repellent spray (the Aeroguard and OFF brands at the supermarket are good), and wear long pants and sleeves to keep them from biting you even through the repellent spray.
• Head net to keep the insects out of your face - these are very cheap to buy at outdoor shops, and will save your sanity.
• Torch (a simple hand torch or head torch with fully charged batteries will be very adequate, but not your phone light).
• Any medicines that you normally use in your day (when we are out on the trail we will be hours from any medical help or supplies)
• Walking stick (not mandatory but recommended, takes the pressure off your knees on the descents).

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DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the ABOUT US section HERE.