Members will recall the expedition by a team of FOMS members with expert assistance from Rob Marshall and Sue Barker to Strangways and the Peake in May 2011 to establish a series of self-guided walking trails.

In May 2012, Colin Harris, Elaine Smyth, Bernice Cohen and Simon Lewis headed north once again to check on the condition of the walking trails and to top up the supply of brochures. (Thanks must also go to Bill Giles who, a little earlier, checked on the situation at Strangways on a separate trip through the region.)

We are pleased to report that the trails are all in good shape. There were still brochures at each location but the topping up was timely.

We made some interesting but not unexpected observations at both Strangways and the Peake. At Strangways, the Springs Walk is clearly the more popular of the two and it appears that the majority of walkers are venturing as far as the cemetery, then retracing their steps back to the ruins. At the Peake there is a similar pattern on the Coppertop Smelter and Mine Walk, with many walking up the gully to the smelter site then returning to the ruins.

During our return journey, we stopped in at Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park to remove vegetation growing through the ruins of the Mt Hamilton police station. Good progress was made, with the work to be completed at a later date by a work crew organised by Tony Magor of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR).

Another trip highlight was the sight of Beresford Hill surrounded by water following recent good rains.