Scenic Rim Traverse written account

[dubbystegers]

Hi All - was wondering if anyone had a copy of Gordon Holden's book "This one great trip - Cunningham’s Gap to Binna Burra 1968" that they would be willing to lend me to read? I'd be happy to pay a deposit for surety of safekeeping whilst in my possession. It's out of print and I'm struggling to source a copy.

[ofuros]

Other options...try contacting the man himself or inquire at the National Library for a downloadable PDF. They'll check the copyright status & let you know the price.

I'll add this title to the long list in the Qld guide/historical books post...


https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3989850/Copyright?

[Aardvark]

I have walked it four times now i have wrestled a little with the time to write much about it. It's more about how to write an an interesting account without making it like a guidebook.
I suppose i should get this book to get a little more inspiration.

[dalehikes]

Binna Burra Teahouse currently has a recount booklet of this book for sale. It accompanied their recent talk up there.
Although it isn't the full book, it certainly gives you a big enough picture and almost satiates the need to read the entire book.

[ofuros]

A condensed SR Traverse report here...
https://zenandtheartofclimbing.com/trip ... erse-2016/

Historical timeline, with many attempts/completions going unreported I'm sure...
https://zenandtheartofclimbing.com/scen ... l-of-fame/

[dubbystegers]

Thanks Everyone

ofuros - yes I've read Ryan's blog on it and the HOF listing. A good resource.
and thanks for the other advice on sourcing a copy. I'm surprised the local libraries don't have a copy - but they don't.
I originally thought it a bit forward just to email Gordon - but I've now gone and done it anyway - so we'll see whether Gordon is flattered or annoyed by the direct contact. I'll let you all know.

dalehikes - I was aware of the talk but alas family commitments prevented me from getting there on the date. But I'll keep the Tea House brochure availability in mind when I'm there next. Not that I need an excuse to visit - but it does add importance to sooner rather than later.

Aardvark - you are just boasting now........ But really not a lot of written accounts available. There'd be a small audience of very interested/dedicated people if you did take the time to write. Or if you don't then perhaps I could just by you a beer and you could just tell me anyway. If I get a copy I'm happy to lend for the inspo.

[metastable]

Not sure if this link works http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=slq_alma21135686930002061&context=L&vid=SLQ&lang=en_US&search_scope=SLQ&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&isFrbr=true&tab=slq&query=isbn,contains,0646464337,AND&sortby=date&facet=frbrgroupid,include,114818953&mode=advanced&offset=0 but it seems that the State Library has a copy in storage you can request (assuming I'm reading this right)

[dalehikes]

it seems that the State Library has a copy in storage you can request (assuming I'm reading this right)

FYI: Being on Level 4, the John Oxley library, it looks like this can only be read in the library and cant be borrow and taken...

[dubbystegers]

Confirmed - not for borrowing - but I can become a member of the State Library and attend Level 4 to read it as an option if I can't source a copy elsewhere. The two volumes held there are part of the QLD heritage collection and are not for loan off premise. Thanks for tracking down - must admit I did not check the State Library.

[CBee]

I'm planning to complete the SRT sometime soon, time permitting. I have done it in sections, but most is pretty uneventful. Not sure how people can write books about it.

[ofuros]

Diary style entries with reflectives thoughts afterwards...

[Lyrebird]

You can take a mobile phone into the John Oxley and take photos of the book you are reading. It’s a quick (and free) way to save copies of the interesting bits.

[dubbystegers]

Thanks all for your replies - I really appreciate the help. I have a pdf copy now thanks to a member of the forum.

Cbee - I can't speak to others motivations for writing about the SRT but can my own for wanting to read it.
I've never completed the SRT and perhaps I will one day (your enthusiasm with which you speak of it hasn't put me off).
But we can't replicate what Gordon Holden and friends did. Sure we can walk the route but not in the way they did - too much has changed in the subsequent 55 years.
Biodiversity loss for one. The loss of the amount of animals is sad to me alone.
Increase of invasive species both flora and fauna.
The route is not as remote as it once was. With the exponential increase in bushwalking in the last 5 years let alone preceding years makes parts of this route now heavily tracked.
Food for carry and resupply is far different
Equipment is far more advanced
Logistics are easier
Development surrounding and in some cases within the NP is much more prevalent.
What they did was a point in time trip and I think perhaps because of the era, a little more adventurous than we can replicate today. For that alone the story will be interesting (to me at least).

However, if you do do the SRT soon please let me know whether the regrowth after the fires and recent wet seasons is as bad as I anticipate it would be in the areas I dread. Gives the the willies just thinking about going into some of those locations at the moment.

[CBee]

I think you probably misinterpreted my comment. Or I didn't write it properly. I'm actually excited to complete the SRT, but for my own reasons, certainly not to be part of a "hall of fame" and I have no intention to put anyone off. I simply believe there's not much to write about it, at least the sections I have done so far. Unless something extraordinary happens along the way, is a long bushwalk, often following a fence and more than often in thick scrub with no views. It has some very good sections, some moderate challenges and some opportunity for nice photos. I am obviously open to share the hike, I already asked here on the forum for tips and infos about some areas I haven't done. But allow me to think that writing a book about it, is a bit of a stretch.

[dubbystegers]

Sorry Cbee - yes misunderstanding I think. Thanks for the clarification. Enjoy the walk when you get around to it. I'll look forward to hearing of conditions on the track.

[Aardvark]

I expected the first time i did it i would stick to the watershed all the way. That is Main Range and the McPherson Range.
I was also adamant i wanted to make it carrying everything for the entire way.
We calculated it to be appx 40 peaks over appx 160km. We took 8 days. That was in 2004.
As things evolved, the last couple of times ie 2011 and 2018 we did things very differently.
It can be relentlessly boring in places. But that's how many a non bushwalker would describe almost any lengthy walk.
As for it being eventful. Well, there are no concerts, festivals, Mardi Gras or Grand Prix. We weren't expecting events.
However it was not ever without unexpected circumstances or incidents.
The season you pick can be very relevant as to how well it might go to plan.

[Aardvark]

I would never suggest logistics are easier now than ever before.
It very much depends on how you do it.
There are good reasons behind why it has never been developed as a complete walk and marketed as such.
I for one am glad for that. I wasn't once, but as is often the case i was ignorant to the facts and just wanted to bushwalk.
It is a challenge still. I don't believe the numbers that have honestly completed it are huge.
What i know now after having tried it a few more times than having completed it makes me realise what a challenge it can be.

[CBee]

As for it being eventful. Well, there are no concerts, festivals, Mardi Gras or Grand Prix.

Uneventful, meaning you are walking all day under a canopy, same "scenery", no exciting scrambles, no views. Kind of hard to write a book. Also, you can make this traverse as challenging as you please. I do it in chunks of 3 days or so and I personally find this quite comfortable. But I would imagine planning the lot, from Laidley to Point Danger, in one go, with no caches or assistance along the way, could be challenging in some ways, especially from Cunningham's Gap to Mt. Lindsay.

[Aardvark]

There are views and in quite a few places. You're not always under canopy. You can vary the route in so many ways.
I could write a book and make it interesting based on elements from many different attempts. And make it sound like one walk.
The greatest challenge i have is time to write. I have started so many times. As you can probably appreciate i will often leave something and return later to not like how i've written it. The resources are ever building. Life is busy though and i have more to juggle than just bushwalking and the time to write.
I will die and maybe someone will gather all the ramblings and complete a book. Or more likely they will gather it all and burn it.
On the subject of exciting scrambles. There is no reason why one can't add a traverse of Barney and/or Lindesay to the walk. I have on one occasion varied it to essentially circle Barney and it enlightened me further as to how to access certain parts. The point is, even when you think you already know it all there is something still to learn.
I should mention something further which i alluded to earlier. The season is relevant. On two occasions we had to deal with bushfires. Not that we were directly in one but they very much affected what we did. They were occurring whilst we walked and they weren't going when we started. That was an event.

[Aardvark]

In 2018, our starting point was at GlenRock. In three long days we had done so well covering ground we found ourselves at our cache in Teviot Gap.
I can't quite recall all the reasons. We had been hashing over in our minds a plan to temporarily abandon the walk.
It wasn't like we didn't know the terrain and we weren't so enthralled by what was to come. Everything we were doing we had done in countless daywalks and throughwalks over 30 years.
We walked down to the junction of Carneys Ck Rd and the Head Rd and spent some trying to hitch a lift back to brisbane. We pitched the tent amongst long grass a little hidden from the road and in the morning successfully got to brisbane via two lifts. We had a comfortable nights sleep in our bed at home and dealt with the various problems we had as reasons to pause the walk. The following day we drove out and parked the car at Teviot Gap and resumed the walk.

[CBee]

I guess it is all subjective. And any story will always catch the interest of someone no matter how eventful is. I personally found almost every hiking trip I did in Tasmania and overseas (due terrain and weather) challenging and worth telling the story to others (if asked to tell the story). But in SEQ, weather and terrain never really challenged me beyond the point of "how was you hike? Good, I enjoyed it" or "it was ok". Maybe because of the fact is not remote and "easily" escapable to civilization or easy to get rescue. Maybe because the weather is very predictable. But if I had to write a book, I would start with the assumption that someone has to read it, apart from me. And so in the story there should be some elements to catch the interest of the reader. And walking all day following a fence, stopping for lunch and snacks, setting up the tent at night, listen to the bellbirds, watching the carpet snake (and even halting the hike to hitch a lift back home), to me is not something I would write and publish. It's just something we do and enjoy. The only thing of interest I could share is track info, if asked.

[dubbystegers]

Hi All – I read the book and it is quite short – really an embellished diary entry account of the walk.

Still, it was interesting regarding the era (1968). Some things that stuck out to me:

They mentioned snakes (a lot) – even from my childhood out Boonah way I remember the fauna being much more prolific. Sad that it’s declining so fast.
They stayed a night in an old logger’s hut coming down off Huntley (south) which must surely have been claimed by a bushfire since.
They departed boxing day and consequently water was a big problem for them. Found in the reliable spots but still walking at that time of year meant sweating out more than you can take in.
Food included bacon and ham (well into the 6th and 7th days), damper, jams, glazed and dried fruits, cheese, rice, soup, dewcrisps?????, custard and copious amounts of tea.
Because they didn’t resupply or have caches along the way – their starting pack weight was 30kg
They did certainly follow the border fence a long portion (something if I ever did this would try to avoid where possible I think to bring more interest to the walk)
They saw very few people along the way – a couple of farmers and a couple of forestry workers and that’s about it.


I never did hear back from emailing Gordon. I guess he prefers his privacy.