Mount Zeil is the most famous mountain you may never have heard of. Hiding away in the arid inland, it is not only the highest peak in the Northern Territory, it’s higher than any peak outside of the Eastern states. To be honest, it’s not much to look at, but the way it rises from the plain out to the west of the West MacDonnell ranges makes it a spectacular climb, and only difficult because of its remote location. 

All of ...

Are you thinking of joining ABW but put off by the idea of having to qualify? Well, join the club! That’s exactly how I felt when I first looked at becoming a member. 

I was a fit, experienced, multi-day walker and, to be honest, the thought of having to go on trial grated a little. Nobody likes tests.

Looking back, I now see a lot of good reasons why qualifying exists. And I also see that it didn’t make any difference to ...

Welcome to our first Tandanya magazine for a while, and a new beginning. A few words about this edition are worthwhile. 

Jules’s article is the jewel in the crown. It’s her words and photos from a travel diary, lightly edited and formatted into a web document. That’s also her photo on the cover. What makes it unique is the honest approach; there’s no bravado or exaggeration. Anyone planning the trip will get a clear view of the challenges ahead.

Lee’s article is ...

When hearing about a hike, the temptation to ask ‘how far are you hiking’ is innocent enough; however this question is fraught with uncertainties – and the truth is, there is no correct answer. As a South Australian completing the Heysen, I could cover 30-35km a day or 6km an hour if that section of track was favourable. For this Tasmanian Mt Anne Circuit, there were many sheer ridgeline-kilometres that took 2 hours to achieve each 1km. Timing and tyranny ...

The Pyrenees is the mountain range that runs east to west from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.  It forms the border between France and Spain.  It’s an area rich in agricultural and mining history, prehistoric remains and large forests.

I had come across this blog that got me interested in further research and the first walk I led for the club in 2018 began to take shape

It soon becomes apparent that there are very many walking options along ...

From the Archive: a pamphlet produced in 1977 shows just how little has changed.

See the end for suggested 2024 updates.

What better way to relaunch our journal than by paying respect to its name and the people it comes from.

The Kaurna of the Adelaide plain have country from Parawa in the south to near Crystal Brook. By the 1860s, their language was no longer spoken, but several early efforts to write it down have survived to this day.

Tandanya of course is named for the location of the city of ...

From where the Heysen Trail ends in Parachilna Gorge, the Flinders Ranges extend North through pastoral leases, conservation areas, Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and the Indigenous Protected Area of Nantawarrina, to Mt Hopeless.

This item reports on an environmental monitoring project being conducted in the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park by members of the Park’s Friends group. Early reports on this project have appeared in the Autumn, 2017 and Summer, 2019 issues of Tandanya. It is a Citizen Science project that sees Friends group members working under the guidance, and with the support, of scientific professionals including Mr Robert Brandle, Senior Conservation Ecologist, DEW. (from Tandanya Autumn 2021)

Each year the Wednesday Walkers hold a week long bushwalk / camp which is open to all club members. There is no overnight walking but the scenery and activities are great. 2020 saw 16 ABW members going to Gammon Ranges. (from Tandanya Autumn 2021)

Five ABW members made their way to Hobart, flew to Melaleuca, then completed a 10 day South West Cape loop hike encountering a wide variety of conditions. (From Tandanya Autumn 2021)

Scattered throughout our state there are trail monitors on trails and Summit Logbooks on peaks and they provide us with a wealth of information. For example they show how many walkers are using the trails which, in turn, will validate trail improvements and infra structure measures. These statistics are also useful when governments review policy such as the Pastoral Act late last year and can assist local entities in land management and regulation. From Tandanya Autumn 2021.

The route from Cape Jervis to Victor Harbour is one of the most beautiful coastal walks in SA. It traverses Deep Creek and Newland Head conservation parks as well as the magnificent Waitpinga Cliffs. From Tandanya Autumn 2021

For four cold days in June 2020, a group of bushies used canoes to explore the water ways of the Eckert wide Waters just south of Berrie

This ten day loop walk was based in and around the Parc National des Pyrenees in France and the Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido in Spain. The loop combined sections of the three main trans Pyrenees walking trails: Le Sentier des Pyrenees GR10 (France), La Senda Pirenaica GR11(Spain) and the Pyrenean Haute Route. I used the Cicerone guides for these routes as well as some maps I had acquired through book depository and some web blogs for route ...

Walkers:Jonathon Brice(L), Lee Marling, Ben Campbell, David Carmichael, Carlos Garrido, Michael Close, Nino Fioretti, Roxanne Crook, Tai Lim, Bruce Marquis

Where: Caroona Creek Conservation Park is on the western edge of the Olary Plain and around 6km E of Hallett on the Barrier Highway. Tourilie Gorge is in the northern section of the park. This park was proclaimed on 18 February 2010.

Indigenous history: The Mount Bryan East Area had been occupied by the Aborigines for thousands of years and evidence of this ...

In March 2017, Trevor Jones led Bruce Hood and me (Ben Trainor) on a 14-day walk traversing the Western and Eastern Arthurs, in the wilderness of the Southwest National Park, Tasmania. Soon after discovering overnight hiking in around 2012, I read about the Arthur Range and marvelled at its jagged peaks and alpine lakes. Photographs by famous Tasmanian wilderness photographer Peter Dombrovskis and prominent Sydney Bushwalker Dave Noble inspired me to dream of exploring the range.

In late 2016, Trevor posted on ...

Envenomation First Aid Reviewing The Pressure Immobilisation Technique Garry Tretheway provides here a critical review of the use of compression bandages in the treatment of venomous bites. The opinions expressed are those of Garry. We would welcome some response to the article.

Australian Snake Bites

In Australia there are about 3,000 snake bites per year, resulting in about 500 hospital admissions (Weldon, 2017). Many receive antivenom; on average two per yearwill prove fatal. About half the deaths are due to bites from the brown ...

In late March this year Trevor Jones and Bruce Hood undertook a 13 day walk and paddle in an attempt to get to Vanishing Falls, in the SW National Park in Tasmania.

At Vanishing Falls, the Salisbury River flows over a dolerite plateau underlain by limestone. The river flows over the edge of the dolerite sill, a 70m drop, and drains straight into a cave system in the limestone. The above-ground channel downstream of the plunge pool flows only during floods.

The ...