A picturesque 9km/2-3 hour hike (each way) through Brisbane Waters National Park. The track winds its way up and down Mt Wondabyne, letting us admire views of the Hawkesbury River and various waterfalls before arriving at the basic, Tommo's campsite for the night. There is no running water and no toilets at this campsite or along the track. There is a waterfall near camp however the water needs to be treated (boiled/filtered) before drinking. We will meet at the gear shed at 9 am on Saturday the 26th of October, before driving to Staples Lookout near Woy Woy. We will return on Sunday the 27th, aiming to be at the gear shed by about 4pm.  While this trip is beginner friendly you must have a reasonable level of fitness (e.g. do not get out of breath walking from the Hunter building to bar on the hill). Bare minimum packing list: Tent (or spot in someone else's tent) - the club has tents Sleeping mat -the club has mats Sleeping bag - the club has sleeping bags Food (lunch Saturday, dinner Saturday, breakfast Sunday and lunch Sunday + snacks) Water (at least 2L a day) Warm clothes for at night Sturdy shoes for walking in Stove (if cooking food - the club has a few), cutlery and other associated cooking and eating implements For any questions contact Sophie at 0430177740 or sophie.mckay@uon.edu.au

We've got two days of FREE intro to canoeing at Speers Point, run by Hunter Tafe, beginners welcome! As part of their certification, cert. 4 outdoor recreaction students need to demonstrate proficiency in teaching people to canoe, so the NUMC - in return for providing students as novice canoers - get a free introduction to canoeing! There are two days the TAFE has set out for training; Day 1 : Wednesday 23rd October. Day 2: Tuesday 5th November Please select a FREE ticket for the event on the day(s) you wish to attend. This will reserve your place.  There will be pick up and drop off available from the uni, with  only 12 spots available (9am pick up, 4 pm drop off) Start time 09:30 (at speers point) Finish time 15:00 (at speers point) TAFE will provide boats, paddles, lifejackets.   UoN students to bring: Enclosed shoes to wear whilst canoeing                                           Clothes which can get wet                                           Towel and change of clothes / shoes                                           Packed lunch and water for the day                                           Wide brimmed hat / cap & sunscreen                                           Rain jackets / warm clothes if not nice weather.   Any questions, flick me an email at cooperwalters217@gmail.com

LET’S GO CAVING!!!!! This trip has places for some peeps to come to Timor caves, not far from Mururruruurrurundi (Funny name for a place, ikr?).  When: 14-15/9, leaving about 2pm on Saturday, camping Saturday night and driving back to Newcastle Sunday evening. There are no toilets, showers or other facilities at the camp site. The nearest toilet is an hour drive away.  What: Now this is the fun part. First, we find the damn things, which is much easier said than done. This requires a reasonable level of fitness, we will be carrying light packs through light bushland up and down hills, though it is only about 10 minutes walk between each cave. Second, we put on our helmets, switch on our torches and dive (almost literally in my case) into the underground world of rock, darkness and awesomeness. Once inside we walk, crawl, slide, and swear our way through the tunnels, trying to see what we can find and where we can get. It’s the ultimate in terms of exploration, the only thing stopping you finding out what’s around the corner or in that tunnel is you. If you are claustrophobic, this is not the trip for you.  Skills: No skills required, just bring clothes you never want to see again. They will never be the same colour as they were when you started.  What to bring: - Food for one day including breakfast, lunch and snacks. Dinner on Saturday night will either be a group camp meal or BYO/maccas, and Sunday nights on the drive back will probably be road dinner. The Saturday night meal will be confirmed as group or BYO the week prior to departure, so if you grab a ticket watch your emails for more info! You must bring your own lunch and snacks. - Water for one day (at least one litre in a sturdy or plastic bottle, each car will have a 10 or 20 litre water container for refills, but you NEED a bottle) - Clean clothes for the trip home - Camping gear (can be hired from the NUMC gear store or BYO) - Torches (can be hired or BYO) ***Head torch ESSENTIAL*** - Overalls (optional, limited number and sizes for hire, otherwise old clothes will do) - Spare batteries (Club torches take 4 AAA or 4 AA batteries, you MUST have a complete spare set.) ***ESSENTIAL*** - Backup torch (phones are not allowed in the cave, a $5 hand torch is fine) ***ESSENTIAL*** - Helmets (Store) - Sturdy and/or cheap shoes. Following the “they gon’ get dirty” theme. (You get the point by now, there is dirt. Everywhere. Like, EVERYWHERE. And also water. Water and dirt make mud. You get the picture.) - Wet wipes/baby wipes SERIOUSLY recommended.  - Cheap gardening gloves (Also highly recommended) For additional information, send me an email or Facebook message. That's all the info you need, so once you've got your ticket, make sure to be at the gear store by AT LEAST 1:30 pm on Staturday 14/8 for our departure at 2.  Gear can be hired on the Tuesday night prior, it's a first-in-first-served system.  That's all from me, get keen, sign up, you know the drill. Cheers, Cooper ~Prez

Hey Guys, TIME FOR SOME LAND CARE! Crag Care - Hunter are doing a joint event with National Parks to help care for our climbing crags! This one is at Monkey Face crag, a popular climbing area in Watagans National Park.  To show our support for the local climbing community and NP, we're gonna take a group to help out with the landcare by removing Lantana (a noxious weed), and basically do whatever else we need to do to support the local area! We'll be teaming up with other climbers from around the region and a BBQ lunch is being supplied by Pulse Climbing, so food is included!  So if you want to see some of our national parks, visit monkey face crag and give back a little to the environment, grab your ticket and lets go! Ticket just covers fuel btw.  More information is available at their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/365113507504114/ LETS GO  

This trip is for people new to outdoor climbing who want to get outside and give it a go. Your $15 ticket covers transport from the gearstore, all climbing equipment, and instruction. No previous climbing experience necessary. The walk in is about 10 minutes of dirt track up a hill. You need to bring normal going outside stuff... Lunch (Sandwiches, muesli bars, etc) | Water (2L) | Layered clothing, exercise wear for climbing, something warm for sitting | Raincoat | Sunscreen | Hat | Camera (bring a strap) | Hairband if you have long hair Leave jewellery / watches / nice things at home or in your bag. If you have any conditions that might impact your ability to participate, or if you have any questions you can contact me on the facebook post where you saw this, or my email is ptin265@aucklanduni.ac.nz and my phone is 0431 757 089 If you are an experienced climber keep in mind this is a beginner's trip so you will be in line to learn how to belay like everyone else and all the climbs set will be relatively easy. Apart from climbing, it's a nice spot to sit and socialise, and enjoy the bush. Pic above is exactly where we are going. - Phillip

A gentle 2-3 hour hike (each way) through the scenic Myall Lakes National Park. Wending its way through palm forests, along the lake front and all the way to a cosy campsite, tucked in the bush by the side of the lake.  The trip will leave on the morning of Friday 9th August and return on Saturday. We will have to carry all our supplies (including food, water and tents) in to the campsite. No experience hiking is necessary and most of the camping gear you need can be provided by the club. An email will come out closer to the trip (for those attending) with more details about what to pack and where to meet. 

This trip will be a weekend long trip to the beautiful Myall Lakes from Friday the 26th July to Saturday the 27th The group will meet at the gear shed at 9 am on Friday, load up boats and set off for Mungo Brush Campground. From there we will kayak for approximately 20km to Johnson's Beach Campsite and stay the night there.  The next day we will kayak back to the cars at Mungo Brush and drive back to Newcastle, tired, sore and happy! Most of the camping and kayaking gear you need can be hired from the club. You will need to bring your own food and clothing (for both on, and off the water). The campsite has woodfire barbecues, and toilets. We will have to carry all our own water. An email with further details will be sent out closer to the date for those who have bought a ticket. Any questions, contact Phillip at ptin265@aucklanduni.ac.nz

It's snowing! Let's do a beginner friendly ski trip out in the backcountry. The plan is to drive down as early in the afternoon as possible on the 22nd of July, hire some gear in Cooma, then camp out at Island Bend campsite. We'll then head up into the snow, and work out how to use backcountry skis. There will be lots of falling over, don't worry, even if you've never skied before. Even if you have, uphill skis with a pack on are going to make you fall over. We will aim to make it to White's River Hut and set up camp. We can hang out and cook inside, there's a nice fireplace and some tables there. We will be sleeping in tents. The next day we will have a cruise around the area and play on the slopes. On the 25th we will have plenty of time to head back down the hill, and aim to get back to Newy at a decent hour. The ticket price should cover fuel for everyone, and hire of skis, boots, and poles. Think of it more of a deposit- There is definitely going to be extra costs! Camp food, snacks, extra clothing hire, road food... Please budget another 200 or so to avoid any problems. I'll be having a meetup at the gearstore sometime beforehand to go over maps and gear and answer any questions, but if you can't make it there's always email.  Send me an email at pokwas@gmail.com if you have any questions.

We've got two days of FREE intro to canoeing at Speers Point, run by Hunter Tafe, beginners welcome! As part of their certification, cert. 4 outdoor recreaction students need to demonstrate proficiency in teaching people to canoe, so the NUMC - in return for providing students as novice canoers - get a free introduction to canoeing! There are two days the TAFE has set out for training; Day 1 : Tuesday 4th June. Day 2: Wednesday 12th June Please select a FREE ticket for the event on the day(s) you wish to attend. This will reserve your place.  Car pooling will be organised once attendance has been sorted. On each of these days we can take up to 12 students on the water. We will be canoeing at Speers point (launching at boat ramp) Start time 09:30 Finish time 15:00 TAFE will provide boats, paddles, lifejackets.   UoN students to bring: Enclosed shoes to wear whilst canoeing                                           Clothes which can get wet                                           Towel and change of clothes / shoes                                           Packed lunch and water for the day                                           Wide brimmed hat / cap & sunscreen                                           Rain jackets / warm close if not nice weather.   Any questions, flick me an email at cooperwalters217@gmail.com

***EDIT*** Changed date and time to Saturday April 6, meeting at the gear store at 12 noon.  Welcome new NUMCies and welcome back to the old! Time for our semester 1 beginner climbing trip to Morna Point, off One Mile beach. This crag is tide dependent, so we'll be meeting at midday and leaving as soon afterwards as possible. Anna Bay and One Mile Beach are some really nice spots up near Nelson Bay, so the trip is worth it even before the climbing! We'll be climbing in a spot that overlooks the water, with a beautiful beach on our walk back from the crag to the cars, so bring a pair of swimmers and a towel! We'll also likely stop at a pub for dinner and a beer, so bring some extra dollars if you want in on the pub feed and a drink (or three). There is about a kilometre (~0.6mi) walk between the car park and the crag, plus some scrambling around the headland, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. There is also a small downclimb to enter the crag, we'll have people on hand to assist, but you must have a reasonable level of confidence navigating short rock scrambles. To join this trip you have to A) be a member of the club, and B) have purchased a ticket for the event, which pays for fuel and some gear maintainence.  This trip caters to all skill levels, we supply all the technical equipment and the training you need! What To Bring: - Food and Water for a day, a hat and sunscreen, sturdy shoes, hair ties for anyone with long hair.   - Swimmers, towel Transportation will be by way of a car pool, fuel for which is included in your ticket price. Please be at the gear store, located near the cul-de-sac around the back of the Forum gym ("Newcastle University Mountaineering Club" on Google maps) at or before the time specified to make sure everyone has the correct gear. Follow this link for a video from a previous beginner trip to Morna Point, it's worth it even just for the location https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oqExv0i6vo or look at the videos on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Jackie0630/videos/10217640642233205/. These trips traditionally fill up very quickly, so get in asap to secure your spot! Get keen, I'll see you all there! Any questions, hit me up with an email at cooperwalters217@gmail.com Cheers, Cooper NUMC President  

This is probably the only canyoning trip that will run before December, so first in best dressed because there are only 12 spots available! It'll take place from Friday afternoon to Sunday night, 8-10th of March.  This trip will be a weekend long trip to the Blue Mountains to see some of the most spectacular canyons in the region (cherry picked to avoid the atrocious hikes and bush bashes often associated with canyoning in the Bluies). That said, there will be several kilometres of hiking and some swimming, so a reasonable level of fitness and confident swimming ability are both essential. We'll be camping at Cathedral Reserve campground near Mt Wilson on Friday and Saturday night, and returning to Newcastle by Sunday night. There are no camp fees, and only portaloos (no showers). We'll aim to leave Newcastle around 5pm on Friday afternoon, which will put us at our camp site by 8:30. Earlier would be better, but this time is subject to uni and work commitments, so more detailed leaving arangements and car pooling will be sorted out in greater detail closer to the day. The exact plans will likely change depending on the groups and the weather, but at this stage the plan is: On Saturday we'll be swimming our way down the Wollangambe canyon, with a cheeky side trip up Water Dragon canyon to see one of the coolest (literally, it's cold) slot canyons that you can get into without having to bush bash your way up a hill for a couple of hours. There is about 6km of hiking, some of it up and down steep terrain.  On Sunday, we head for Grand Canyon, one of the highest rated (9/10) canyons in the bluies! It's a short bush walk in and out, and an amazing canyon, with only one short swim. After that it's home time, back to Newcastle. There is the potential for a half day of climbing as well, to be confirmed closer to the date. All the camping gear you need can be hired from the gear store, as well as wetsuits, backpacks and dry sacks. You'll be in charge of bringing your own food*, though there is the option for a pub dinner on the Saturday night.  *We will discuss meal planning once groups are finalised Remember, first in best dressed! A training night may be necessary before attending this trip, please keep this in mind.  An email will be sent out with further details regarding what to bring closer to the date. Any questions, send me an email at cooperwalters217@gmail.com Cooper NUMC President  

Beginner's trip - Williams river walk - Sunday the 3rd Read through all the information before you sign up. The trip is to do https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/rocky-crossing-walk except we will come back down the river rather than the returning down the track. The bushwalk up is nice, then it's a mix of easy canyon sections and rocky river sections. There is also a slide into a whirlpool towards the end. See the photos in the facebook post and you'll get the idea. Other highlights include the serenity, hearing a grown man squeal because he walked through a spiders web (it's fine just don't go first), echidna, lizards, yabbies, eels... No canyoning experiencing necessary but you need to relatively fit and coordinated. The distance is 18km+, most of it will be over slippery rocks, and it'll take 6+ hours. This is doable for most people but if you think that you are particularly slow or not steady on your feet then skip this one. We will be doing a shortened version of this trip in the future that will be more suitable. There is also one rock jump about 1.5m above the water if you are concerned about heights. Just a warning if you are particularly adverse to physical contact that there is a 1.2m drop that you have to lower yourself down which requires a trip leader to hold your hips to make sure you dont fall and sprain your ankle, and in the whirlpool I will have to grab you by the hand to stop you going round indefinitely. You also need to be a alright swimmer, the longest swimming section is about 15m. If you have any concerns about the above, anything about the trip, or particularly about medical info you can contact me (Corey) on facebook or by calling or messaging me on 0422233203. Having a medical/swimming/heights issue doesn't necessarily mean that you will be excluded so buy a ticket and then contact me and we can potentially make an adjustment. If you wear glasses let me know in the medical info so Felix can warn you at the two spots that your head is going to go underwater (rockjump and slide). You need to be able to come to the gearstore on Tuesday the 26th between 5-530 to try on wetsuits as in the past trying them on before the trip took too much time. Meeting at the gearstore at 8 on Sunday, you need to be there on time, it's a long day and we can't spare time to wait for people. I put that we are getting back at 9 but should be more like 730.   WHAT TO BRING - money for maccas on way home (optional) - lunch (sandwich), snacks, lollies, etc - 2L of water - wear swimmers to the gearstore - backpack that can get wet / dry bags if you have one otherwise borrow from gearstore - emergency clothing in case we got stuck over night  (just thermals or something light like tights) - headlamp if you have it - shoes with grip that can get wet, kmart has some for $8 https://www.kmart.com.au/pr…/low-top-canvas-sneakers/2106339 - sunscreen - waterproof camera - towel - clothes to get changed into at the end, probably what you were wearing plus underwear so you can get out of your swimmers. - hat, sunglasses AVAILABLE IN GEARSTORE - wetsuits - dry bags and backpacks Also let me know if you are particularly keen on spotting animals, you'll need to be up the front to see them before we all scare them off.