"But the rest of the world knows now." AND THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE.

"And by the way it’s the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area"

"What a mouthful, I guess the kooris had a shorter name"

And indeed the kooris had numerous names many of which are embedded in the landscape of the Blueys and on Dunphy’s Maps. Would you like to Walk this Land in Celebration of this Great Honour which the World Community has bestowed? Sure, you can walk it anytime and probably have, but how about walking it to tell the world what a super special place it is.

I like to call this Walking the Land, Waking the People. But first what’s all this World Heritage about?

because it is beautiful,

and wild,

because it is wilderness and so diverse,

because it has over 90 species of gumtrees

and it is evolutions’ cauldron !

And because we fought for it, Bushwalkers and Greenies. Now World Heritage means that we have to be even more careful in looking after this natural treasure, since it is considered so valuable by all the World. The way we look after it will be scrutinised by State and Federal Governments and by international conventions. More people will come to see its beauty and wonder; more of us will have to care for it even more.

At last Dunphy’s Dream came true. And to give proper public recognition to those conservationists who fought for this honour, bushwalkers need to show their flag, and display their hearts on the shoulder together with their packs.

Once before we have witnessed a public Walk Event, when in 1992 this same area was walked in 52 days during the Greater Blue Mountains Heritage Walk. This too was a celebration of the natural values and those who had conserved them during the 20th Century. This was in the early days of the campaign for World Heritage listing. More than 100 people joined the walk some for one day, most for more. Wyn Jones walked the entire distance of 450 km. Bushwalking clubs and individuals were invited, and funds were raised for conservation of threatened species in the Blue Mountains.

Now almost 10 years later and in the cusp of the 70th Anniversary of the Saving of Blue Gum Forest from logging, we need to Walk the Land for the eyes of the World to see. To show the people our land and how much we care. Bushwalkers were the primary instigators of this conservation and for the World Heritage listing - they took the lead in the battle and should take the lead in this walk. I have chosen a name for this walk Gumtree Songlines, a name which goes to the very heart of the Australian Landscape and the fact that the Greater Blue Mountains is the first area to be listed based on the diversity of the Eucalyptus trees. In the true manner of Walking the Land, this walk is intended to awaken the many stories of bushwalkers, traditional owners and people of the nearby lands.

That is the difference that World Heritage can make; a much greater appreciation of this vast wilderness and the promise it holds for all people. Bushwalkers can and should be the ambassadors of this promise.

This Walk cannot and should not be a repetition of the old one in 1992. The Celebratory nature of the Walk suggests we have to do it differently. We have to connect with those communities adjacent to the area; there are 14 different councils or LGA’s with diverse land uses from intense mining, agriculture and hobby farming. There are many stories hidden in these places relating to the Heritage Area, stories that this Walk will help to tell.

The Gumtree Songline Walk is firstly a bushwalkers walk, it is through the Wilderness. It is to be a relay where the cold coals of the previous campfire are carried and passed to the next team of walkers. Coals from Campfires will be lodged for keeping by all local communities along the way.

Ultimately the final parties of walkers will meet in Blue Gum Forest for the final campfire. Teams of Walkers will start from the north and south extremities of the area walking for 2 to 4 days before swapping stories, passing on the campfire coals in their gumnut capsules, and leaving. Each group will be asked to observe the gumtree species along the way – hopefully recording all 90 species. A most important feature of the Walk will be the Welcome Campfires at the starts where the local community meets the walkers and regales them with tales and song at a campfire.

I. Saturday 1st September: Start Baerami and Denman

II. Saturday 8th September: Start Mittagong

III.Saturday 22nd September: Finish Blue Gum Forest

A bushwalkers’ walk, for those who walk the land.

A celebration with the local communities.

Get a team from your club or two clubs and contact Bluegum Pathways who are organising the walk. Each club will be responsible for their own walkers and transport.

Ideally each group will have a person responsible for:

I. Eucalypt ID (we will provide a kit),

II. Recording the journey (still images, video, text),

III.Relaying info to Walk co-ordinators (sat phone, GPS, radio)

The start, finish, and transition sites need to be defined but the actual route between will be up to the walkers – just as long as they take 3 days to get from A to B.

Some significant places that we hope to include:

Yerranderie, Kanangra, Jenolan, Colong, Carlon’s, Guouogang, Church Ck, Thirlmere, Blue Labyrinth, Scott’s, Mobb’s, Grose, Wollangambe, Deep Pass, Cameron, Coricudgy, Coriaday, Yengo, Cameron, Rocky, Baal Bone, Blue Gum, and many more.

The prinicpals are Wyn Jones, Richard Delaney, and Ian Brown. All are Blue Mountains residents with extensive experience walking the Mountains, Australia and overseas. They will discuss with you the final route and start dates and coordinate the Gumnut Campfires at the National Park boundary.

* Wyn Jones is a former member of the Sydney University Bushwalkers and the Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking Club and a very experienced bushwalker and canyoneer. Now a freelance poet and musician, he worked for 25 years with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of NSW. During that time he conducted research into the effects of logging on forest wildlife, and many surveys for wildlife in the Blue Mountains. He is the senior name giver and taxonomist of the Wollemi Pine. During 1992 Wyn organised and lead the Greater Blue Mountains Heritage Walk. He lives in Blackheath.

Contact

Wyn Jones, PO BOX 60, Blackheath. NSW 2785

Phone: 0247 877 511 e mail: winjones@lisp.com.au