Last week's rain got the creeks pumping and SBWs doing something they had not done for a long time - traversing flooding water. 

Snow, windy conditions and road closures disrupted a busy weekend of walking. Leaders were forced to cancel walks in the Blue Mountains, Wild Dogs and Newnes over the weekend of 10/11 August.  

Another great crop of new members have graduated to full membership in July :  Emma de Haas, Emma Gillyon, Kylee Hill, Sally Ho, Gary Landsdown, Derrick Lian, Karen McMahon, Sarah Nash, Anne Turner, Steve Watson

101 people joined SBW in the last three months.

23 were under 30 years of age (the youngest was 20), with another 29  aged between 31 and 40.

55% were women. 

4 of the ten members who have qualified for Full Membership in July were under 40, with the youngest being 23. 

Last week above Refuge Bay, an SBW party re-discovered Camp X, the training camp used by commandos for a raid on Singapore in 1943.  Thick bush has reclaimed Camp X, but stones marking pathways are still there.

Once a quarter, SBW runs a Basic Skills Workshop at Centennial Park for prospective members as an essential component of their progression to full membership. We have a great pool of trainers from amongst our members, who may volunteer once, twice or even more often every year. We are looking to expand that pool of trainers in bushcraft, first aid or navigation.

We have training materials to guide people on the day and there is even the possibility of buddying up initially until you get the hang of things. If you are interested in giving it a go or finding out more, please contract Mark Wigley - mark.wigs@gmail.com or 0411 558 205. It is always a fun day and is an excellent opportunity to meet and engage with the newer members of our club.

The bushwalker missing for 9 days near Lake St Clair did something many experienced bushwalkers have done to their regret.  He put down his pack to look for some missing equipment without taking a waypoint. When he returned, couldn't find his pack. 

SBW's team won the Navshield (Bush Search and Rescue) again this year. 29 hours navigating in zero degrees temperatures at Kanangra Boyd NP on Sat/ Sun 22/23 June.

It may be winter but there are still snakes around like this Death Adder on a Colo ledge in May. On the shortest day of the year, a member had an uncomfortably close encounter with a Black snake in Marra Marra. Both the snake and the member panicked, running like hell in opposite directions. 

   
6 SBWs celebrate finishing 14 days on the Larapinta Trail with a beer at an Alice Springs pub.