Outdoors: bushwalking, sailing, bicycling, kayaking & snorkelling, weekends away staying at hostels or car camping. Social: restaurant nights, theatre parties, trivia nights and picnics.
If you have a sense of adventure plus a reasonable fitness level and appreciate the great outdoors you’ll enjoy going outdoors with YHA. The club has a regular year round outdoors program organising outdoor events such as cycling, kayaking and li lo/canyoning trips. We visit many scenic and often relatively unknown places in and around Sydney with secluded swimming holes, kayaking, snorkelling and liloing often featuring in Summer. Generally we do day trips though weekends away, often staying in hostels or car camping, are also organised. The club provides leaders and various fitness levels are catered for with all of our activities graded. All participants however remain responsible for their own safety and should select activities that are appropriate to their level of fitness and experience. We generally have a lot of fun and for those who enjoy the outdoors these activities are a must.
Note: We are always looking for new outdoor leaders so anyone interested in leading outdoor activities are most welcome and our more experienced leaders are happy to offer assistance to newcomers if they find the prospect of leading an activity for the first time a bit daunting.
Have you seen them out on the harbour, those fast moving catamarans that fly past almost every other sailing boat around? If you have a spirit of adventure you will have wanted to know what it feels like, to capture the soul of the wind and be at one with the elements, to fly across the water while leaning out over the side attached to a trapeze wire and looking down at the rushing water as the windward hull rises 2 or 3 feet high into the air?
Now you can find out just what it's like on one of the YHA sailing groups regular sailing/car camping weekends that take place throughout the sailing season (usually September to May). We have a collection of catamarans and you don’t need to be an expert sailor as everyone is welcome. Participants are responsible for their own safety so should have reasonable water sense and swimming abilities but life jackets are provided and our proficient skippers cater for all levels of expertise whether you want to brush up on or improve your skills or simply taste the thrill of flying across the water for the first time.
Naturally the wind strength (or weather!) can never be guaranteed but the lighter breezes are an ideal opportunity for newcomers to learn the ropes, as taught by our friendly skippers.
We usually stay in a friendly camping ground next to a lake on the Central Coast and head off to the local RSL for a top class meal on the Saturday night. There will be unbelievably tall tales about sailing adventures in gale force winds available upon request, or you can just relax after the activities of the day and get to know our regulars.
These weekends are great fun and provide a good opportunity to go sailing at a very reasonable cost. Don’t delay. Contact Alan by email or phone him on 9785 9665 to make a booking to come along and find out just what it is that keeps people wanting to go out on a 16 foot catamaran time after time, get wet (hopefully without swimming!) but coming back with a radiant glow and experiences that stay with them for a lifetime.
The club helps maintain two idyllic bush hostels at Garie Beach in the Royal National Park and at Hawkesbury Heights near North Springwood. Garie Beach is a secluded rustic style hostel with terrific views down to the beach while Hawkesbury Heights is a recently built, comfortable and environmentally friendly hostel in the lower Blue Mountains. Maintenance weekends to complete general upkeep work are regularly organised by Reg Ousley who can be contacted at reg.ousley@ato.gov.au or on (02) 9354 3403 (W). The work involved is generally fairly light and expenses are covered. Both hostels are great places to get away from it all while participants stay overnight for free. These weekends can actually be quite enjoyable and anyone wanting to come along, even occasionally or just for a day, is very welcome.
Partially due to our efforts in maintaining these hostels, YHA makes funds available to help run the club and that is why we don’t need to charge membership or joining fees. It is quite important then that we have volunteers to help look after the hostels so we like to see our more regular members in particular, and especially those who aren't activity organisers, help out for at least one day every year or so as their contribution to the club.
Note: It is also possible for YHA members to become a warden at Garie Beach. Wardens stay free overnight for one night in Summer while in Winter 2 people stay free for a night. There is a job list available on the YHA NSW Website at www.yha.com.au plus prospective wardens can attend an orientation weekend to find out what’s required. For further details contact Colin on 9436 1770 or at colin.fulton@austrade.gov.au.
Serene, sublime, inspiring describes these secluded spaces, each with its own unique magic. It is not just floating down a creek on a hot summers day—there is more to the adventure than that. Hey, worth it though!
It is a long day. Time in the Canyon will be several hours (and another), and during that time the temperature will drop, you will be wet and the water is refreshingly cold. You are up and down from pool to pool, rock hop to rock hop. Expect your endurance to be tested. The walk out can be trying. By the time you get back to the car your thoughts might go along the line: 'next time(?), not tomorrow, again(?), yes(!!!)'.
Too much rain and rushing water poses a dilemma. A thunderstorm can cause flash flooding. Sometimes it is obligatory to cancel on the spot. Once you are in the canyon there are very limited ways out and going back upstream may not be an option. Keeping calm and warm and collected will enhance the enjoyment.
A wetsuit!!! Short arms and legs arguably practical, diving-style suits bulky and restrictive. Agility is a great asset in this environment. Suitable wetsuits can be got for $100 (also for much less and much more) and they are handy for other things too, like sailing and snorkelling. Beg, borrow, steal or shell out! Thermals under or over your wetsuit can keep you more comfortable. Woollen jumpers are also thermally useful, but in choosing assess their weight and shape when wet. Spray jackets are very practical. A hat keeps the sun off and your head warm. A large proportion of body heat is transferred through the head. Pack a beanie (mandatory!). You must have the 'thermal' aspect covered. Don't underestimate the possibility of hypothermia.
It is slippery! Climbing over boulders in the canyon, or climbing the entries and exits requires a great deal of care and patience to limit the potential of injury. Often, a rope facilitates negotiating the tricky spots. Necessity will dictate that you will do some sliding on your bum rather than falling or twisting an ankle or a head. Consider a pair of light-when-wet shorts to protect the wetsuit and/or 'tights' to protect legs from scrapes. Gloves are comforting—if they stay on when wet.
Floatation. A lilo (air-bed) is fitting as you can paddle in many different configurations and laid-back is a part of the experience. The idea is to keep at least most of your torso out of the water. The older style single-size, puncture resistant rubberised cotton lilos are a choice. Durable plastic lilos are lighter. Try camping stores. For a small frame, the 'Redback' surf-mat did fine (Rebel Stores). The new-style air mattresses tend to be bulky to lug over the boulders, through the scrub and a bother to mount. Inflatable floatation packs well for the walk. Of course, other forms of floatation are viable.
Shoes or booties. Dunlop Volleys are preferred by the abseiling canyoners—it is all about the soft rubber tread pattern, flat sole and light weight, and they can double up for walking. 'Diving' or 'wetsuit' booties keep you warmer, the sand and gravel out—preferred once tried—and again good for those other things (about $40 at Whitworths or find a better pair at a dive/surf shop). No matter what you wear, make sure the sole is thick enough to walk on gravel, rocks and sticks, and check their efficiency on a wet slippery surface. You may prefer another set of shoes for the walk (climb) in and out?
It will get wet. Everything needs to be carried in a backpack. Dry bags are commercially available or a 'tied' strong plastic bag inside another plastic bag is effective. Bring foods to top up energy levels. The creek water is typically drinkable, but you will need a water bottle for the walk in and out. Leave some dry clothes in the car for the drive home.
Questions or clarification, ask. Come prepared and perceptive making it a fun day for everyone. Give yourself the best chance to say 'yes, again!'. [Addiction warning!]
Our club is part of the worldwide YHA network. YHA is a well established and respected not for profit organisation that helps travellers with low cost accommodation and travel throughout Australia and the world. With over 4500 hostels worldwide and 140 in Australia it provides unlimited opportunities for people to experience the wonderful world of travel. YHA membership benefits include discounts on tours and at popular tourist attractions plus reductions in hostel accommodation costs. For membership enquiries or for help in planning and arranging your next holiday just contact YHA Travel on (02) 9261 1111 or at www.yha.com.au.