Cancellation of COG outing to Yanunnunbeyan 4 December 2010

[martin butterfield <>]

In an earlier message I commented about the weather forecast for this week and the possible implications for the proposed outing next Saturday.  The forecast seems to have been spot on and the more recent forecasts suggest the rain is likely to continue for the next several days.

I have this morning driven down Woolcara Lane nearly to the homestead this morning.  Some parts of the road are close to going under water and it is potholed.  Once past the turn-off to Primrose Valley the road was quite chopped up and and that point I turned since I know it would only get worse further down the track.  I believe there is also a probability that at least one or two of the creek crossing in the NR would be hazardous.  As well as the risk to members of the outing I believe that a number of vehicles using the road could well damage the surface which would not be welcomed by the residents of the area.

Thus I have decided to cancel the outing.  Would David Cook (or if he is still O/S someone else with access to the website) please annotate the trip announcement on the website to that effect.

I considered whether it was possible to substitute another venue but:

• the weather forecast for Saturday does not sound conducive to a birding expedition;
• the options that I had either required travel on other dirt roads (and crossing the Molonglo which was flooded this morning) or visited reserves which are not very productive birding sites.

These did not seem viable alternatives.

Sorry.

Martin