A very select group gathered at a sheltered picnic area beside the Bayviews golf course in Rosebud, for our end of year picnic. The location is run by Parks Victoria, providing an excellent and very private location for a gathering. We figured we were unlikely to be gazumped by a five year old birthday party, as had happened to our AGM.
We had enough goodies to feed the five thousand, so the eleven of us did our best with morning tea, then headed off to walk it off and work up an appetite for lunch.
The short walkers took a leisurely stroll through woodland then circled McLaren dam, coming back via a different route to cross the golf course on return.
The long walkers were more adventurous. They headed steeply up the hill on the Two Bays walking track, then turned to follow a mountain bike track till it intersected an old walking trail coming down Waterfall Gully from the Kings Falls. It was quite hidden away and somewhat overgrown but still passable to enthusiasts, and it eventually led to the southern border of McLaren dam. At this point they met some Parks rangers who were doing an inventory of noxious weeds, and were rather surprised to find walkers arriving via the old track.
They then explored a number of possible crossings of Waterfall Creek, deciding that anyone who pushed through there would be up for navigating in the Congo . Finally they followed a kangaroo track that led to a loop-the-loop structure for trick bikes, then on to a secret garden, and finally back to our picnic location.
By this stage we had been joined by a friendly butcherbird. After an excellent lunch, (MUAB and the butcherbird) we were treated to a very enjoyable slide show by Joan, reviewing our activities for the year. So many good memories. We will share it again when we have others to enjoy it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our members. See you in 2022 for another year of walking and friendship.
