Frequently Asked Questions
The answers to most questions are covered
in the document, "Introduction to Melbourne Bushwalkers",
which can be downloaded by selecting the adjacent link. Some of the more
frequently asked questions are covered below.
How do I join
Melbourne Bushwalkers?
Which club activities are "qualifying" for the
purpose of membership application?
How do I get on a walk?
Wednesday nights are difficult for me. What
are my options?
Can I mail my booking for the Sunday bus?
What do I need for my first walk?
What is the cancellation procedure if I am
booked on a walk but am unable to attend due to
illness etc?
What happens if there is a Total Fire Ban?
Where is the clubroom?
How do I contact Melbourne Bushwalkers?
How do I get photos published on the website?
How do I join Melbourne Bushwalkers?
If you are not yet a member of Melbourne
Bushwalkers and would like to join you need to obtain
a copy of the Application Form. Application Forms are available from the Clubrooms or by downloading from this website. Membership is open to anyone who is 16 years old or more.
Pease read it carefully and when you
are ready bring it to the Club Rooms on any Wednesday evening between
7pm - 9pm where a committee member will be present to help
answer any questions you have on how to go about
becoming a member. At the same time you will be able to discuss going on walks and
camping trips that you may be interested in.
Anyone who would like to be considered for
membership of the Club must complete, to the satisfaction of the
committee, either three one-day "walks" or two weekend "walks".
If you would like to talk to someone about the Club
you are invited call into the clubrooms on Wednesday night or
send us an e-mail.
Fees:
(per annum unless stated)
Ordinary Members
Concession Members
Couples / Family
Concession Couples
Visitors (Temporary Member) Fee (per trip)
Newsletter only
|
$40
$30
$65
$38
$8
$20 |
 |
Which club activities are "qualifying"
for the purpose of membership application?
In general, any club activity
where the standard visitor fee is payable is a "qualifying activity"
for the purpose of membership application. Qualifying activities
include all regular walks, cycling, and skiing trips, but exclude
tree-planting events and training days (the latter being aimed
mainly at full members anyway, as preparation for walk leadership).
The number of qualifying activities that must be completed prior to
submission of a membership application form is stated in the
separate "How do I join Melbourne Bushwalkers?" FAQ item above.
How do I get on a walk?
A list of upcoming walks is provided in the
Walks Program with more
detailed track notes provided in the club's
newsletter available online.
Come in to the clubroom on Wednesday Club nights. We are open between 7.00pm and 9.00pm. Here you can talk to the leaders about forthcoming walks and book on a walk that suits you.
It is essential to come in person to book on a walk if you are a newcomer. Meetings are quite informal and visitors are
always welcome. Two committee members will be on duty each night so make yourself known to them - they will be wearing name tags.
Please Note:
We do not accept telephone or on-line bookings from visitors
or from anyone booking
on a Sunday bus walk. Sunday bus walks can
be booked for the next two Sundays. No advance bookings beyond the two following
Sundays are possible. Please refer to the above for details on how to book on your first walk.
Wednesday
nights are difficult for me. What are my options?
If you are a visitor wishing to attend a
Sunday walk, you must come into the clubroom on a Wednesday clubnight in order to book and pay for the walk. This must be done
for the first three walks, but can be done with two visits to the
clubroom, as walks may be booked two Sundays ahead, places
permitting. Once you have completed three walks you must submit a
membership application prior to undertaking any further trips, but
if Wednesday nights are still difficult, further walks may be booked
by mail as long as the booking is received sufficiently in advance
(refer separate FAQ item).
If you are a visitor wishing to attend any other scheduled club
activity (i.e. other than Sunday walks), you must come in to the
clubroom initially to meet with the leader of your first trip and
to make your booking. At the same time, a copy of the printed walks
program may be collected, with contact numbers of the walk leaders.
If it is not possible to attend the clubroom on either of the two
Wednesdays when bookings are being taken for the next trip you are
interested in, you may phone the leader to give your own contact
details and to make your booking, subject to acceptance by the
leader and subject to places being available. Again, this is only
applicable to activities other than the Sunday bus walks, as telephone
and online bookings can not be accepted for Sunday bus trips.
If Wednesday nights are out for you completely, you may want to view
the list of clubs which are members of Bushwalking
Victoria to see if there is another club near you but with a
different meeting night. Can I mail my
booking for the Sunday bus?
Visitors (“Temporary Members”) must come into
the clubrooms personally to make their bookings (refer FAQ item
above).
Full club members who have difficulty attending the clubroom on a
Wednesday night may mail their booking, and should refer to the
detailed instructions on the rear of the printed walks programs,
noting particularly the two weeks’ notice that is required. Mail
bookings are processed at the clubroom on a Wednesday night when
there is no-one waiting in the bookings queue (i.e. bookings in
person at the clubroom take priority over mail bookings).What do I need for my
first
walk?
Being well prepared for a walk contributes to the pleasure and
safety of everyone. Unless you are already an experienced bushwalker
you should not attempt medium-hard and hard walks at first. Equipment
for day walks is fairly basic and you will probably have satisfactory
items already. There is no need to outlay much money until you see
whether you like bushwalking, get ideas of what gear to buy by talking
to others and seeing what is available. See
Tips for New Bushwalkers for more
details on day walks and
Introduction to
Overnight Bushwalking for longer trips.
What is the
cancellation
procedure if I am booked on a walk but am unable to attend due to
illness etc?
Phone the walk leader as soon as possible, to enable the leader
to contact someone who is on the waiting list (if applicable), and
to let the leader know not to expect you on the day. In the case of
a Sunday bus trip, notifying the leader as soon as possible will
increase the likelihood that the Walks Secretary can issue you with
a credit note for a future bus trip, if your cancellation is due to
illness or certain other unavoidable circumstances. The leaders'
phone numbers are on the printed walks program, which visitors may
obtain at the clubrooms, and which all members receive by mail, or
softcopy by email. If it is already later than the Wednesday meeting
night, and you need to cancel from a walk on the coming weekend and
do not have a copy of the program, the next best option is to send
an email to our contact address given on the home page, and we will
endeavour to supply you with a contact number for the relevant
leader.
During the hotter months we occasionally get a Total Fire Ban on
the day of a trip. This leads to questions such as: Does the trip
still go ahead? Should the venue be changed? Can I pull out and get
a refund (Sunday bus)? The following guidelines have been adopted by
the committee:
Sunday Walks The walks committee as part of the Summer Programme
will select two or more coastal or metropolitan walks for which
there are good track notes available and which can be led without
previewing. In the event of a Total Fire Ban day in the walk area,
and the walk being in a high fire risk area, the leader shall
relocate the walk to one of the metro or coastal walks selected by
the committee, or another suitable walk of the leader’s choice,
unless the walk can be suitably modified to make it adequately safe
to the satisfaction of the walks secretary or assistant walks
secretary. The leader is responsible for informing all those booking
on the Wednesday prior that the walk may be altered or relocated and
the proposed destination. A total fire ban day will be an acceptable
excuse for pulling out of the walk and qualifying for a credit note,
provided the leader is notified no later than 7pm Saturday.
Private Transport Trips These trips will be entirely at the
leader’s discretion to modify, relocate or cancel, having regard to
the potential dangers of the walk area, but the leader must
endeavour to contact all participants if the trip is cancelled or
relocated.
Where is the clubroom?
Our clubroom is located on the first floor of the Royal Historical
Society's building at 239 A’Beckett St, corner of William and A’Beckett streets.
Enter from William Street. (Melway 2F, B2).
Click here for the map page.
Club Secretary:
PO Box 1751,
Melbourne 3001
Email:
Click
Here
How do I get photos
published on the website?
Photographs of club trips should be sent to the webmaster.
Someone from the trip should collate photographs from all those on
the trip who wish to contribute. Please download (30KB) and follow
the guidelines for submitting photographs.
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