I got a report from a friend who travelled the Alpine Way between Thredbo and Khancoban on Mon 16 Mar. It is open with only a small number of areas under maintenance including a short stretch near Khancoban of one way. (Drivers are cautioned to check Live Traffic NSW.) Good news was that rest areas and camping sites are all open and in the middle of unburnt areas.

There appears to be little change to ongoing closures but I haven’t had any observations from travellers:

• All areas north of the Snowy Valley Highway including Tantangara Road. ie Tantangara Dam and the Murrumbidgee headwaters.
• Cabramurra township and the Khancoban-Cabramurra Road.

The authoritative source is the NPWS website or else contact the NPWS offices.

The NSWCFA Interclub Fly Fishing Meet is again on at Wallerawang (based at Black Gold Motel) from Fri 01 May to Sun 03 May 2020. Our affiliated clubs/associations are urged to get a team together to compete for the Best (fly fishing) Club Trophy.

Stefan is hoping CAA might enter a team.

There are a total of 13 categories spread over five competitions:

· Fly Fishing – six categories for longest fish species: Impoundment Trout, Stream Trout, Bass, Other Native, Redfin and Carp;

· Fly Tying – three categories: Open, Intermediate and Novice;

· Fly Casting – Long distance accuracy;

· Fly Casting – Short distance accuracy and

· Photography – two categories: Open and Novice.

There is no limit to team size but obviously the larger the team the more chance of one member getting a place (1st to 4th) and scoring points (7,6,5,4 pts respectively) which go towards the team total.

Program.

One notable one is Lower Cotter Catchment (think Vanity’s Crossing)

Reported in the Canberra Times.

The ACT Government’s Environment Directorate website would be the authoritative source to stay up to date.

The postponed opportunity to hand back out of date flares has been reprogrammed for March at various places on the South Coast.
Schedule.

The inflatable life jacket maintenance clinic is closer to home in Queanbeyan on 9 Apr. More details here.

Readers would have noted from News blog and Secretary email, the Natives on the Bidgee event has been postponed one week to Sat 21 Mar.

The next change is that the High Country Trout event scheduled for 28-29 Mar has had to be cancelled.

MAS has passed to us news of a press release from the Invasive Species Council giving limited to support to the NSW Govt moves in respect to brumbies post the fires.

There seems to be some movement in the government accepting that numbers need to be reduced. Of concern is that the fires have not impacted on the population numbers and the horses are concentrating in the unburnt areas or moving back to burnt areas as they regenerate but vulnerable to damage.

Read it all here

Just got this in from Sec:

Like me, you will all be keen to get back to our alpine region, go fishing and splash some cash on accommodation and meals to support the communities who are so welcoming to us when we visit.

Mark at Brindabella Ski Club has put together the lists below of closed and re-opened areas of the Snowy Mountains.  Please respect the instructions from National Parks and Wildlife Service about out of bounds areas.  It is in the interests of our own safety to do so.

From: Brindabella Ski Club

Kosciuszko National Park Closed Areas

Sections of Kosciuszko National Park have been reopened, but areas which have been burnt or have ongoing fire suppression operations remain closed.

Areas Recently Opened:

All areas south of Mt Jagungal and east of the following roads / trails are open to the public: Khancoban – Cabramurra Rd, Alpine Way and Cascade Trail (refer to map). This includes all backcountry areas which have not been impacted by fire. Overnight camping is permitted in these areas. This includes:

Kosciuszko Road – Jindabyne to Charlotte Pass

Guthega Road – Kosciuszko Road to Guthega Village

Charlotte Pass, Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Guthega, Diggers Creek, Wilsons Valley, Sawpit Creek, Waste Point – visitors need to check whether resort facilities and hospitality venues are open for business

Alpine Way between Jindabyne and Thredbo Village

Thredbo Village and Thredbo resort lease area

Ngarigo, Thredbo Diggings and Island Bend campgrounds – for day use and overnight camping

Snowy Mountains Highway – visitors must stay within the road corridor and be aware of hazards such as damaged buildings and burnt trees

Blowering campgrounds – Log Bridge, The Pines, Humes Crossing and Yachting Point

All walks on the Main Range, including to Mt Kosciuszko and surrounding the alpine resort areas

Barry Way – open to the Victorian border. Lower Snowy picnic and campgrounds are open and include; Jacobs River, Halfway Flat, No Name, Pinch River, Jacks Lookout and Running Waters

Schlink Pass trail and associated huts (Horse Camp Hut, White River Hut, Schlink Hut, Valentine Hut)

Mt Jagungal. Access to this area must be from Guthega Power Station or Guthega. There is no access from Round Mountain, Tooma Dam or Snowy Plain. O’Keefes and Dershkos huts are accessible but areas further north remain closed

Rainbow Lake walk – Kosciuszko Road to Rainbow Lake

Rennix walk – Kosciuszko Road return

Waterfall walk – from Sawpit Creek

Pallaibo walk – from Thredbo River picnic area and Sawpit Creek

The following areas of Kosciuszko National Park remain closed:

All areas impacted by fire and where ongoing firefighting operations are occurring.

This includes:

All campgrounds between Thredbo and Khancoban

All areas North of the Snowy Mountains Highway

Yarrangobilly Caves – accommodation is available to be book for check-in from July 1. The anticipated opening for day visitation is the 2020 NSW Easter School Holidays.

Long Plain Road

Long Plain Hut campground and Blue Waterholes campground

Yolde campground and Jounama Creek campground

Public Roads as listed below note that for the latest updates on road closure, refer to the RMS website link to Live Traffic

Alpine Way from Thredbo to Khancoban

KNP5 (Khancoban to Cabramurra Road)

Link Road from Snowy Mountains Highway to Goat Ridge Road

Goats Ridge Road and Elliot Way

Cabramurra township – Snowy Hydro’s operational town of Cabramurra suffered significant fire damage and for safety reasons is temporarily closed

RFS and NPWS will continue to assess bushfire risk and progress opening further areas of Kosciuszko National Park when it is safe.

Beware of changing conditions

All roads, resorts and other areas may close suddenly in response to changing bushfire risk.

You should monitor advice from NSW Rural Fire Service and other emergency services frequently, regardless of whether you are inside or outside of Kosciuszko National Park.

Current fire situation

Large fires have impacted the northern part of Kosciuszko National Park around Kiandra, Tantangara, Adaminaby and Eucumbene Cove.

There are still fires in Kosciuszko National Park around Mt Youngal (In the vicinity of Geehi) and Cooleman Plain in Northern Kosciuszko.

Other fires exist to the west of Kosciuszko National Park in Victoria.

Lightning and ember attacks may result in additional fires.

Stay up-to-date with the current fire situation in your area by: visiting the Rural Fire Service website, viewing the Fires Near Me app or website listening to your local radio station, or calling NSW RFS Bushfire Information Line on 1800 679 737.

Do not enter closed areas in Kosciuszko National Park. Penalties apply for non-compliance.

For more information, contact the local NPWS office or visit the Rural Fire Service website.

Recently MAS contributed towards a helicopter flight to take ecologists into Kosciuszko National Park. The results are worrying. CAA has received from MAS an email from Andrew Cox of the Invasive Species Council that provides access to the results:

Here is the widely circulated tweet of bushfire damage from Kate Washington, NSW Labor MP, who went up in a helicopter. Looks devastating.  This tweet generated a story in the Daily Mail in the UK!

Also spotted from the air were locations of unburnt areas with horses that are some of the last stronghold of critically endangered species like the corroboree frog and the stocky galaxias fish.

Straight after the flight we also produced video of Prof Jamie Pittock with video of horses from the air here.  This was picked up in the Guardian as a video story and then led to interviews on ABC Radio 702 early last week (Mon 3 Feb), on ABC radio national am or pm (need to track that down), then on ABC JJJ Hack here (in the first 14 mins) this Monday 10 Feb. There were some other news interviews Jamie did (2SM. ABC NSW news). He also produce a piece in the Conversation:  Fire almost wiped out rare species in the Australian Alps. Feral horses are finishing the job published 27 Jan 2020 which further pushed out the story. We are also taking to The Australian about a new story.