The Mt Dromedary and Montague Island Trip - by Brett Davis

Seventeen Club members climbed Mt Dromedary on October 4, 2000. However, only sixteen retraced their steps back down as our intrepid treasurer Nick Lloyd tired of the fire-trail and embarked on an off-track exploratory walk of his own. Karen Davis, Brett Davis and Jim Scarsbrook - mistakenly thinking Nick was lost - all climbed back up to the top of the mountain looking for him, not knowing that Nick was happily battling with nettles, stinging trees, unsuccessful creek crossings and the loss of his car keys. Nick's explorations eventually uncovered a Buddhist camp and he was soon back in Tilba. A good meal and quite a few stiff drinks at the Narooma Bowling Club put everyone in good spirits for the Montague Island trip the following morning.

After a slight mix-up with the bookings, which was soon fixed, everyone boarded the boat for the half-hour cruise to the island. Jim and Janice did not pack their sea-legs so they were not in the best shape to appreciate the colonies of Australian and New Zealand fur seals which basked on the rocky north shore of the island. An informative tour of the island and its lighthouse - complete with nesting seagulls and terns - was followed by the sighting of two whales. Everyone piled back onto the boat and we watched a mother humpback and her playful offspring for about an hour and a half before we returned, happy and contented, to the mainland.