Risdon Brook Resv. to Madmans Hill 2015

Today you get our special two for one offer. That's right! Two walks on one post!

Walk 1

The best laid plans of mice and walkers etc. All dressed up and no way to go. Dead battery (reading light left on for 48+ hours), waiting for RACT. In the meantime I phoned Tas and he took his camera.

By the time I left, I was running over an hour late, but decided to go to Risdon Brook on the off chance I would catch up somewhere.

On arrival I started out walking counter clockwise, but could see no sign of any group passing this way, so I decided to take a walk on my own.

I turned off at the top end of the reservoir through the gate on the right and found a large arrow drawn in the dirt. All my years watching and listening to the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Smokey Dawson etc.  told me this was not a new mark but several days old. Tonto would have been proud. Since I wouldn't catchup with the others, I decided to follow and see where it was pointing.

We've been this way before, but usually in the other direction. A good open bush walk. I'll let my photos tell the story.

Looking back at Risdon Brook Dam

I've turned off to the right and looking back at the gate

The first arrow, I decided to follow it

A glimpse of Gunners Quoin

Another arrow

Going up

Cairn marking a turnoff

I'm pretty sure we've walked up here in the past

This goes up. Really up

Looking back. We've come up over that fence in the past

This wasn't here last time. Perhaps a good place for lunch on the way down

Up at the top now, heading for a stone cairn/construction I know of

Found it

Just to prove I was here. That's Grasstree Hill in the background. We walked to this point before and you can read about it if you click on "Bob's Grasstree Hill 2014"

Heading back down I crossed the fence to see where we came up in 2014. But I couldn't quickly find it and as it was running late I decided to retrace my steps.

Walking back down towards the reservoir, I set a cracking pace and once back on the path around the dam I passed several people including a couple of old blokes who wanted to know if I had killed a snake they passed earlier. No.

After leaving them behind, I walked on and began to imagine I could hear voices off to the left. I wasn't sure if they were real or in my head - they sounded different from the ones in my head. Moving on, they got louder and I could see some movement up and off to my left. Yep, I had caught up with the others for the last 5 minutes of the walk! 

I never did find out where the arrows led, they just stopped.

There they are!

My walk

My Walk

Walk 2. Now we move on to the official walk led by Bob to Madmans Hill. Tas and Peter have kindly sent me photos of what looks like a good walk and one I will look forward to doing in the future.

Photos by Tas:

Getting geared up in the parking lot

Crossing over Risdon Brook Dam. They went the opposite way I did

A local

He's wondering where all the noise is coming from

You might this is a romantic photo of Tas enjoying the view. But...

...it's all about his NEW PACK!

Great views on top

Peggy, Bob & Jenny

Going down

Gordon waiting for the rest

The following photos and captions were supplied by Peter.

Bob's Kookaburra Cairn

 Gunners Quoin

 Bob Leading the way up Madman's Hill

 Artistic Tree

Lunch

 Mushroom hiding under a log over the track

Many thanks to both Peter & Tas for supplying these photos. Looks like everyone had a good walk.

There were 9 walkers. Someone suggested numbers were down because of the combination of Bob leading the walk and the name of the destination. Madmans Hill. I'm sure it wasn't that!