Of the 16 volunteers, who gathered at Omeo on the Friday and then preceded to the camping site on Johnnies Top on the weekend 22-15 March to clear a section of the AAWT, four were named John.
The original plan was to clear and improve the 12 kms from Johnnies Top to the Buenba Hut Site but a recce on the Thursday prior to the activity by Joe, Patrick and Parks Victoria Ranger, Ella Carr, determined that to achieve all the required works on the 6.5 km section down to Corner Creek, would be a good outcome. The recce team used two rolls of pink flagging tape to define the route for the track clearing teams. Including realigning two kilometres of track back onto the original alignment not used for many years and marking the track through thick regrowth in areas affected by the 2019/20 bushfires.
It was determined that the whole party would camp at Johnnies Top for the duration of the activity even though this meant that tools would need to be carried back up the 800 metre climb once the objective was met. The volunteers and two Parks Victoria Rangers divided into three teams; a chain saw team and two brush cutting teams. After two days of hard work including the climb back to camp all but the last few hundred metres of open ground down to Corner Creek had been cleared and new markers erected for part of the way. An AAWT walker would now find it much easier and quicker to get down off Johnnies Top.
Thanks to all the volunteers that put in so much effort; 320 work hours and spent over 300 hours travelling to and from the activity. There was great camaraderie among the volunteers who came from near and far, including ACT. Thanks to Parks Victoria, especially Rangers, Ella Carr and Jo Durant who provided support in planning, logistics and helped out on the tools. Thanks to John Green and Patrick Platt for leading work teams.
Joe van Beek
Project Leader for BTAC
