NEWS & INFORMATION
The Bushwalking
Victoria website is a
useful resource that would be of interest to club committees, walk leaders and
members. There is information on clubs across
Need
that map right NOW?
We have become aware
of an excellent VicMap service. You can now access on
http:\\www.land.vic.gov.au the whole of
Paddling
A site has been set up for all paddlers to visit and contribute trip information for general access by the Australian paddling community. The guide has been set up to supply information relating to trips on rivers, lakes and estuaries. Visit at www.adventurepro.com.au/paddleaustralia
Victorian Rogaining Association www.vra.rogaine.asn.au
What is Rogaining?
That's a great question! Some
answers that have been bandied about include:-
... a car rally
on foot
... an easter egg hunt for grown-ups
... competition
bushwalking
... marathon
orienteering
... Rugged Outdoor Group Activity
Involving Navigation and Endurance
... a sick, sick
sport
... orienteering
on steroids!
The standard definition goes like
this:
Rogaining is the sport of long distance
cross-country navigation in which teams of
A central base camp (called the
"Hash House") provides hot meals throughout the event and teams may
return at any time to eat, rest or sleep. Teams travel at their own pace and
anyone from children to grandparents can experience the personal satisfaction
that comes from cross-country navigation at their own level of competition and
comfort. One feature of rogaining is the opportunity
for night navigation and the extra challenges that this involves.
Rogaining developed as a sport in its own right in
the early 1970's, but 24-hour walks had been held since at least 1947 by the
Melbourne University Mountaineering Club. The word ROGAINE was coined from: ROd GAIl and NEil,
the three people in
Rogaining is a team activity for people of all ages
and levels of fitness. It provides competitors with navigational challenges, a
way of enjoying the outdoors, and a sense of achievement.
New Regulations Allow Stoves on Planes
This is an extract from the IATA Dangerous Goods
Regulations:
2.3.2.5 Camping Stoves
and Fuel Containers that have contained a flammable liquid fuel.
With the approval of
the operator, as checked baggage only, camping stoves and fuel containers for
camping stoves that have contained a flammable liquid fuel may be carried
provided the fuel and tank of the camping stove, and/or fuel container has been
completely drained of all liquid fuel and action has been taken to nullify the
danger. To nullify the danger, the empty fuel tank and/or container must be
allowed to drain for at least one hour , the fuel tank
and/or container must then be left uncapped for a minimum of six hours to allow
any residual fuel to evaporate. Alternative methods, such as adding cooking oil
to the fuel tank and/or container to elevate the flash point of any residual
liquid above the flash point of flammable liquid and then emptying the fuel
tank and/or container are equally acceptable. The fuel tank and/or container
must then have the cap securely fastened and be wrapped in an absorbent
material such as paper towel and placed in a polyethylene or equivalent bag.
The top of the bag must then be sealed or gathered and closed with an elastic
band or twine.
At the airport you should now also expect to fill
out and sign a form stating which of the above two methods you have used.
After the Fires -
High Country huts & tracks
There may still be restrictions on some bushwalking areas after the fires. Parks Victoria have a listing of track closures and access restrictions on their web site http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
Given the extent of the fires, relatively
few huts were lost. However there were many close calls with fires coming to
within metres of many huts. If you are planning to visit any of the huts it
will be worth confirming that they are still standing. As well as the Parks Vic
web site, information is also available from the Victorian High
Country Huts Association and the Bogong
Club. These sites contain an
extensive listing of the status for the huts.
Scroggin Blocks
A compact, high-energy snack
which is great to take bushwalking.
Complexity: Quick and Easy
Ingredients:
250g dried fruit
(raisins, sultanas, currants, glace ginger, dried apricots, apples, apricots,
etc)
Brandy
250g Chocolate
100g chopped nuts
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons honey
5 finely chopped wheatmeal biscuits
rolled oats
Method:
Soak fruit in brandy for 1 week. Melt chocolate
with butter and honey. Add soaked fruit, nuts, biscuit pieces and enough rolled
oats to bind the mixture. Press into a greased lamington tray. Refrigerate and
cut into squares.
Snake
Bites
by Chris Thompson and John Loadsman from the following website www.usyd.edu.au
In
Common or Eastern Brown
Snake
Pseudonaja textilis
The Brown Snake may be found all over
Tiger Snake
Notechis scutatus
The tiger snake lives in the temperate southern
areas of
Signs and Symptoms
The bite site is usually painless. It may have
classical paired fang marks, but this is not the most common picture. Often
there are just a few lacerations or scratches, and sometimes these may be
painless or go unnoticed. Bruising, bleeding, and local swelling may be present,
but significant local tissue destruction is uncommon in
Regional lymphadenopathy
may be marked, even with non-venomous snake bites, and is not by itself an
indication for the administration of antivenom. It
may contribute to abdominal pain in children.
The usual sequence of systemic symptom
development goes something like this:
(<1hr) Headache (an important symptom), irritability, photophobia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, confusion; coagulation abnormalities; occasionally sudden hypotension with loss of consciousness.
(1-3 hrs) Cranial nerve paralysis (ptosis, diplopia, dysphagia etc), abdominal pain, haemoglobinuria, hypertension, tachycardia, haemmorrhage.
(>3hrs) Limb and respiratory muscle paralysis leading to respiratory failure, peripheral circulatory failure with pallor and cyanosis, myoglobinuria, eventually death.
This sequence of events is highly variable. Brown
snake bites, even apparently trivial ones, have been associated with acute
deterioration over a five minute period leading to death. This may occur as
soon as 30 minutes to an hour after the original bite. Acute, severe cardiac
depression may be the mechanism for sudden death.
Paralysis, when it occurs, usually commences with
cranial nerves, then skeletal muscle, then the muscles of respiration. In small
children or with highly venomous snake bites it may happen much more quickly.
Major bleeding disturbances are, as mentioned
before, rare with Australian snakes, although the development of coagulopathies and a DIC-like picture are relatively
common. Thromboctopaenia and haemolysis
may occur. Watch for haematuria, haemoptysis,
haematemesis, low bowel haemmorrhage,
menorrhagia or haemoglobinuria,
and remember that about 20% of patients who die after snake bite have cerebral haemmorrhages.
Muscle destruction from myolytic
toxins is not uncommon and may not be associated with muscle tenderness; it may
lead to renal failure and should be specifically looked for, because early
treatment with antivenom will reduce its severity.
Snake bite should always be considered in any
case of unexpected confusion or loss of consciousness following outdoor
activities in snake country. In
Prognosis depends on the type of snake and the
quantity of venom injected. An angry snake and multiple bites is associated with greater venom volumes. Ian Westbrook
describes, in this moving story, how an apparently trivial bite from a tiger
snake caused the death of one of his dogs.
First Aid for Snake Bites:
Do NOT wash the area of the
bite!
It is extremely important to retain traces of
venom for use with venom identification kits!
Stop lymphatic spread -
bandage firmly, splint and immobilise!
The "pressure-immobilisation"
technique is currently recommended by the Australian Resuscitation Council, the
The lymphatic system is responsible for systemic
spread of most venoms. This can be reduced by the
application of a firm bandage (as firm as you would put on a sprained ankle)
over a folded pad placed over the bitten area. While firm, it should not be so
tight that it stops blood flow to the limb or to congests
the veins. Start bandaging directly over the bitten area, ensuing that the
pressure over the bite is firm and even. If you have enough bandage you can
extend towards more central parts of the body, to delay spread of any venom
that has already started to move centrally. A pressure dressing should be
applied even if the bite is on the victims trunk or
torso.
Immobility is best attained by application of a
splint or sling, using a bandage or whatever to hand to absolutely minimise all limb movement, reassurance and immobilisation (eg, putting the
patient on a stretcher). Where possible, bring transportation to the patient
(rather then vice versa). Don't allow the victim to walk or move a limb.
Walking should be prevented.
The pressure-immobilisation
approach is simple, safe and will not cause iatrogenic tissue damage (ie, from incision, injection, freezing or arterial torniquets - all of which are ineffective).
See the AVRU
site for more details of bandaging
techniques.
Bites to the head, neck, and back are a special
problem - firm pressure should be applied locally if possible.
Removal of the bandage will be associated with
rapid systemic spread. Hence ALWAYS wait until the patient is in a
fully-equipped medical treatment area before bandage removal is attempted.
Do NOT cut or excise the area or apply an
arterial torniquet! Both these measures are ineffective and may make the situation worse.
……………………………………….
Envenomation: Tick Bite
Revised & Updated Australian Resuscitation Council Policy
Statement: 8.9.5. July 2001
The Australian Paralysis Tick, i.e. Ixodes holocyclus (also called "hard or scrub tick") and related species cause envenomation and possibly paralysis in humans and allergic reactions. However, other species (e.g. the "soft" tick Argasidae) may produce endemic relapsing fever and serious toxic or allergic affects. Ticks may attach anywhere on the body, but hairy areas, skin clefts and crevices should be examined carefully. Whereas the soft tick usually attaches to the host only briefly for feeding, the hard tick may remain attached to the host for several days, and thus need to be removed. The Australian Paralysis Tick inhabits the Australian east coast.
Recognition
Symptoms and Signs may include
• local irritation is the most common sign
• lethargy
• muscle weakness, especially in children
• unsteady gait
• double vision
• difficulty swallowing or breathing
Note: Symptoms and signs generally develop over several days but allergic
symptoms can occur within hours. Severe allergic reactions rarely occur.
Management
• Always check the whole body of a suspected casualty including the ears,
skin creases and hair for ticks.
• Hard ticks usually do not complete their attachment and begin feeding until
they have been on a host for 3 to 5 hours. Early detection and removal may
therefore prevent illness/paralysis, however, once attachment has occurred,
prompt and careful removal of the tick is essential. The following is the
simplest and best method.
• Use fine curved forceps, or equivalent. Press the points down onto the skin
on either side of the front part of the tick (the hypostome
and mouth parts) then close the points and lift or lever the tick out intact.
The tick should be removed slowly allowing it to withdraw its mouth parts.
• Do not grasp the tick's body with fingers or forceps as this may result in
incomplete removal as well as expression of toxin.
• There is no need to excise (cut) the tick.
• After removal of a tick, the casualty should apply an antiseptic and be
advised to consult their doctor, to check that no further treatment is
required.
• If the casualty has a rash, persistent headache, fever, aching
joints or a history of allergy: Seek medical advice immediately.
Note: Antivenom is available for Australian Paralysis
Tick envenomation
References:
Stone BF, Binnington KC, Gauci
m, Aylward JH. Tick-host interactions for Ixodes holocyclus: the role,
effects, biosynthesis and nature of its toxic and allergenic secretions. Experimental and Applied Acarology; 1989
Stone BF, Pearn JH, and Thong YH.
Human toxicoses due to the Australian paralysis
tick Ixodes holocyclus, the
Tasmanian paralysis tick I.cornuatus and Hirst's marsupial tick I.hirsti.
Monograph for World Health Organisation.
A GOOD RECIPE AGAINST SANDFLIES AND
MOZZIES
50% BABY OIL
50% DETTOL WITH A GOOD SLUG OF EUCALYPTUS OIL OR OIL OF CITRONELLA
Shake well in an old spray dispenser
The key thing is the baby oil as it stops sandflies
urinating on the skin, which causes the problem. It really works! Found on the
internet by Norma.
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