Vale Ernie: August 16, 1939 – February 19, 2018

Posted on February 22, 2018 by

Ernie receiving his lifetime club membership September 21, 2012

Ernie Richards (or Ernie ‘Ridges’), long time member of the Central Australian Bushwalkers Association of over thirty years, was born in the Samuel Merritt Hospital (now the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center) in Oakland, California in the United States of America to Ernest William and Jessie Maud Richards (nee Hartwig).

Ernie (front row, middle) aged 23 in the US Air Force, 1962.

He grew up in the US and served in the US Airforce, Instrument Repair division at Travis Air Force Base, California, until 1965.
He first worked making bows and was an accomplished Archer, before he studied accounting and became an Auditor for various companies, including Colgate-Palmolive and Nabisco.

Ernie Hood

But it’s as a passionate bushwalker that Ernie is best known for and for his unwavering support of the club – offering to drop off and pick up walkers, bring his walkie-talkies and have a car boot full of gear – extra water bottles, sticks, gaiters, walking schedules and membership forms.
Peter Nowak, who first met Ernie in 1986, penned a glowing tribute for the man who loves shortcuts and ridge walking. Read it here:

Life for ERNIE

He continued to walk, as much as he was physically capable, with his dog Frankie around the Eastside hills, the ‘Wash Basin track’ being his favourite. He often fell down, but as long as he was able to get up, Ernie continued walking.
In his final few months, Ernie was diagnosed with a terminal illness that took away his independence.
Interestingly, for someone with a terminal illness, he developed a really good appetite and actually gained weight.
He entertained a stream of old friends and acquaintances in his house, and always had second and third helpings, dessert, second dessert with an ever present glass or two of aged red wine. Then he’d get up a couple of times in the night to eat some more.
He chose to live out his last short period at home, at peace and in full readiness to leave this world, having lived a full life.
In the end, he welcomed Death like an old long-awaited friend and they both went on their long walk together.

 

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First bushwalking program for 2018 released

Posted on February 10, 2018 by

The Central Australian bushwalking program for walks up to the end of April 2018 is now out. View it on our Bushwalks & Activities page.

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Introducing the McDoualls – the ‘distinct’ high peaks of the NT

Posted on June 23, 2016 by
Mt Sonder - a McDouall

Mt Sonder (West MacDonnell Range)

Peak baggers in Scotland have the Munros – the high peaks over 3000 feet (910 metres) in elevation. In response Bill Wilkinson devised the Tasmanian Abels – the high peaks of Australia’s mountainous southern isle over 1100 metres with a distinct fall of at least 150 metres on all sides.

And now, the Northern Territory has the McDoualls – the high peaks over 1000 metres in elevation with a distinct fall of at least 150 metres on all sides. Read more.

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Bushwalking in Australia’s “adveNTure” Territory

Posted on June 10, 2015 by

The latest edition (Volume 11, June 2015) of Bushwalk Australia’s e-magazine is now out, featuring bushwalking in the Territory. Included are features on the best walks in the NT, a profile on our bushwalking club, and much more.

Enjoy the read. Download the e-mag here.

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Direction finding by the stars in the southern sub-tropics

Posted on December 4, 2014 by

by Michael Giacometti

In the southern hemisphere, all of the stars and constellations rotate around the South Celestial Pole (SCP). Unlike the northern hemisphere with its North Star, there is no ‘South Star’ situated at the point of the SCP.

The Southern Cross and Pointers are used to navigate in the temperate and sub-temperate zones of the southern hemisphere. However, they are of less use to navigators in the southern sub-tropics. This is especially true during the southern summer, from October to March, due to the tilt of the earth northward so that the sun shines more directly at the Tropic of Capricorn, and less of the southern night sky is seen.

In the southern sub-tropics the SCP is located close to the horizon. The Southern Cross and Pointers, being situated close to the SCP, are sometimes visible, but for long periods of the night they ‘set’ and drop below the horizon. At Alice Springs (virtually at the Tropic of Capricorn) in the summer months, the Southern Cross does not ‘rise’ (or become visible) until the early hours of the morning. Instead, south can be found using the stars Canopus and Achernar. With the SCP, these two stars roughly form an equilateral triangle.

A practical guide to locating south

Two other constellations can assist in locating Canopus and Achernar: the Belt of Orion, and Sirius (also called the Dog Star).

These four – Orion’s Belt, Sirius, Canopus and Achernar – describe an asymmetric arc in the night sky.

1. Start by locating the Belt of Orion.

2. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is in the opposite direction to (and in a straight line through Orion’s Belt from) Pleiades, the Seven Sisters.

3. Canopus is the second brightest star in the night sky. The angle of the arc of Sirius–Canopus from Orion–Sirius is about 135°, and the length of the Sirius–Canopus axis is about 1½ times that of Orion–Sirius.

4. Finally, Achernar is the brightest star in the constellation Eridanus. The angle of the arc of Canopus–Achernar from Sirius–Canopus is about 135°, and the length of the Canopus–Achernar axis is about the same as that of Orion–Sirius.

5. Using the location of Canopus and Achernar, project a third point outside the arc (on the convex side) which would form an equilateral triangle (a triangle where all sides are the same length). This projected point is the South Celestial Pole. (It lies roughly on the extension of the Sirius–Canopus axis). Drop a plumb line from the SCP to the horizon and you have south, accurate to within a few degrees.

[The Southern Cross and Achernar are on opposite sides of the SCP in the night sky. In the southern tropics, if one can be seen, then the other cannot.]

A star chart can help you to locate the constellations (such as those available from http://skymaps.com).

Note: This is an addendum to section 5 of the Map Reading Handbook, edn. 2 (TASMAP 1991).

Download a copy of the instructions [displayed below] here: skymap south by stars PDF

 

Finding South by stars

Star chart for Southern Hemisphere November 2014 from skymaps.com.

Note: the southern hemisphere star chart is designed for use at 35°S (the latitude of Adelaide) and up to 15° either side of this latitude (as far north as Tennant Creek. For the southern tropics, refer to the Equatorial star chart.

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Leaders Guidelines updated – Driver responsibilities

Posted on July 21, 2014 by

It may seem like common sense, but all drivers have a duty of care to their passengers. This applies on our bushwalks too. To clarify this, the following has been added to the Leader Guidelines:

Driver Responsibilities

In terms of the potential of major injury or death, driving to and from the walk is probably the riskiest part of bushwalking. Drivers should put the safety of their passengers (their fellow bushwalkers) first. Stop or share the driving if tired or unwell.

Due to post-walk fatigue, drivers should be ‘Sober Bob’ and refrain from alcohol and other drugs.

As a passenger, please inform the driver to slow down or pull over if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

You can download the full guidelines here.

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The art of walking country, a response

Posted on March 1, 2014 by

This article, a curatorial response to the 2012 exhibition, was written and considered for the prestigious national magazine Art Monthly. It was not used.

Cecil Hackett - At the summit of Mt Woodroffe, June 1933 (c) Wakefield Press

Cecil Hackett – At the summit of Mt Woodroffe, June 1933 (c) Wakefield Press

When I saw the cover image of Philip Jones’s Images of the interior: seven Central Australian photographers (Wakefield Press 2011), I knew that I needed it for the hybrid art–recreation exhibition I was curating: walking country: 30 years in the arid rangelands, a photographic journey.

Download the full article The art of walking country

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