Mt Warning: Uki - community meeting and climb

Some notes and photos of SOS community meeting and protest climb 12-13 April 2024.

Mountain legends (thanks SOS)

Community Meeting 12 April Mt Warning Hotel Uki.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Community Meeting at the Mt Warning Hotel in Uki on Friday night. Speakers included Craig Evans, myself, the great Andrew Flanagan and Uki local Amulet Ov Acorn with some welcome input, facts and questions from the audience.

Video of my speech.

For me it was wonderful to meet people who have assisted with our petition and others who shared wonderful stories about climbing and working on the mountain. The petition should break the 10k mark next week (Broke 10k on afternoon of April 15). I understand any debate in Parliament will likely be in the first or second sitting week in May - keep an eye out. To get better than 10k on what is a rather obscure NSW Parliamentary petition system that excludes legitimate stakeholders from SE QLD and the rest of the country is a great achievement. Thank you for your assistance on this. To those who couldn't sign I hear your frustration!

We need to get a firm timeline for reopening from the government. If writing to Minister Penny Sharpe please ask that question... When will the mountain be reopened? - we need to keep the pressure on. In my opinion they may use the repairs on Mt Warning Road to delay any announcement. I understand repairs will take another 12 months (anyone got any better information?). If this is the case the earliest date for Reopening may be April 2025 - so another 12 months of harm ( hopefully I am wrong on this).

While the road is under repair NPWS should be cleaning up the track and completing maintenance on the summit lookouts - perhaps ask this on letters. I suggested community working bees to the Minister but sadly NPWS no longer seem to want to include local communities in their decision making - perhaps this can change?Let's continue to work together to get that wonderful mountain summit reopened to ALL Australians.

Don't forget the words of Ben Fordham "if you want to climb ... Just climb it". Ben's editorial on 19 April covers the major issues for Mt Warning and other natural wonders in Australia and is worth listening to HERE.

Some regular traffic on the track would be good, even if not all the way up. Just take extra care if you do it and do share photos of your climbs (anonymously if so desired) to the Reopen FB page and or SOS. Take into account potential fines. If anyone wants some advice on track conditions at present look for posts on the climb undertaken on 13 April (this morning) coming. The "bones" of the track are sound but vegetation has narrowed it and there are a number of tree falls to negotiate. Take care on slippery rocks if wet due to rain, for dew. Use your common sense and take consideration of your own limitations. Note I have seen worse maintained tracks open for public use.

Best wishes and thanks again

Summit climb 13 April 2024
A few notes and photos from this morning's adventure.
We had 13 on the 13th reach the Mt Warning summit to view another wonderful north coast sunrise.

Mountain legends (thanks SOS)

The track is a little more overgrown with a few more tree falls thanks to the recent rains since January and needs attention. The bones of the track remain sound thanks to the wonderful work of those who constructed it in 1909 and parks staff who maintained it, especially in the the 1990s and there is little major work required (IMHO). Overall I have been on Grade 5 NPWS tracks in similar or worse condition that remain open. If you climb take extra care and know your limitations (and potential for fines).

Typical tree fall over the track

When we got back to the carpark we were met by two rangers from NPWS who had never been to the summit. Little wonder our natural wonders are being neglected and mismanaged when NPWS staff are unaware of how special they are. (Feel sorry for these two rangers). After a brief discussion we were asked to leave the park and so we did.

Sorry to those who missed out. The 95th anniversary of the 1929 declaration of the Mt Warning National Park is 3 August this year, a fitting date for a celebration perhaps?... Mark your calendar and stay tuned as they say.

Sunrise timelapse (thanks SOS):

Mount Warning: Aboriginal claims about summit climb are contested

"How can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation." Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd RIP NSW NPWS have the following description about Aboriginal attitudes to people climbing to the summit of Mt Warning on their webpage about the walking track: Wollumbin, which means ‘cloud catcher’ to some Aboriginal People, is a traditional place of cultural law, initiation and spiritual education for the people of the Bundjalung Nation. Under Bundjalung law, only certain people can climb the summit. Out of respect for their law and culture, consider not climbing the summit. These claims, including the very name applied to the mountain, are contested and it seems there is another story that NSW NPWS have not properly acknowledged and have long kept from public attention. We came across this article from the Daily News February 24 2007 about Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd that makes for interesting reading. ...

17th death on the Rock

17th death on the Rock ABC report that a 76 year old Japanese man collapsed on the steep part of the climb and despite first aid, was not able to be revived. The elderly Japanese man likely died as a result of heart complications, probably brought on by existing (perhaps unknown) medical conditions and over exerting himself. He appears to have died revelling in the opportunity life provides. RIP Brother of the Rock. Our thoughts with his family and the first attenders who did their best to treat him. It's sad, but life goes on, and so should the climb. His death marks the 17th death ON the Rock since 26 May 1962 when 16 year old school boy Brian Strieff, on a school excursion with Carey Grammar, wondered off the main path in heavy fog on the way down and fell to his death. ABC's report indicate it is the 37th death, but these figures from Parks Australia have not been substantiated. It seems that many of the deaths Parks Australia claim to have occurred ON the Rock occurr...

Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation

Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation March 30 (Easter Saturday) marks the 4-year anniversary of the "temporary" closure of the Mt Warning summit track. Some thoughts and rambled musings below. I spoke with Ben Fordham about the anniversary on the Ben Fordham Breakfast show on 2GB. Ben's response a classic: "If you want to climb, just climb it!" Link to that interview HERE . 4 year anniversary of bureaucratic madness We know the exact date of the closure thanks to bushwalker: Tertia Starr Maynard, who posted a photo of a note left on her windscreen by NPWS rangers to the reopen Facebook page . It was dated and read “NPWS advises Wollumbin National Park is closing from today due to covid19. Gate is not locked but please close behind you as you exit. Thanks NPWS.” Photo by T Maynard - the last walkers out. In the 4 years since, after other parks were reopened, Mt Warning remained closed and the reason for the temporary closure morphed to in...

Right to Climb

Search This Blog