About the Geehi Club
The Geehi Club is a not-for-profit group that leads bushwalks, overnight treks, canoeing, cycling and cross-country skiing adventures. Walks and events are held approximately once a month, and cover the Snowy Mountains, South Coast and ACT. All ages and capabilities are catered for, with activities ranging from easy half-day walks on trails, to weekend hikes. New members are always welcome! Learn more about joining the club here.
The Geehi Bushwalking Club is an affiliated member of The Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW Incorporated and as such has appropriate Public Liability and Personal Accident insurance cover for all club members. Visitors are welcome to come along on club walks, after signing a liability waiver form as stipulated by our insurers.
Patricia Jan 2008 (Photo: Bob Woods)
History of the Club
Opening of Bullock Yard Creek Bridge
The Geehi Bushwalking Club started life as the Geehi Club on 27th May 1957. The original members were mainly personnel from the Snowy Mountains Authority which was at that time busy building the dams, tunnels and power stations of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The name Geehi Club was chosen ahead of other suggestions such as the Alinga Club (Aboriginal for sun) and the Kosciuszko Club. The name Geehi was chosen because club members used some buildings at The Authority’s Geehi Camp as a base for the club’s activities. However, due to the travelling distances and costs involved in maintaining these buildings they were handed back to the Authority after a couple of years.
The club’s first patron was the then Commissioner of the Snowy Mountains Authority Sir William Hudson. Sir William was instrumental in getting the club started, and was an active participant. In 1958 he led a walk from Mt Kosciuszko to Geehi down Hannels Spur and the track was marked at the time for use by walkers. Sir William also lead various walks in later years.
Track marking was a feature of many of the club’s early walks, and this (together with the need for suitable maps of the area to assist bushwalkers) led the club to publish the first edition of the Snowy Mountains Walks in 1961. The first edition was distributed among club members only with the idea of refining the information before making it available to the general public. The second edition was published in 1962, and since then the book has been regularly revised and updated.
In the early 1980s the club’s name was changed to the Geehi Bushwalking Club to better identify the club’s activities to the public and in 1992 it amalgamated with the Monaro Cross Country Ski CLub and expanded its skiing programme.
Since the club was founded in 1957 it has held walks every month in the Snowy Mountains and the ranges near Cooma.
Bullock Yard Creek Bridge
Bullock Yard’s Creek
The Bridge over Bullock yard creek on the Thredbo Valley trail was fully funded by the Geehi Bushwalking Club. The intention of the club was to contribute to the community, using the proceeds from the sale of the Snowy Mountains Walks book to do this.
The bridge is used by both bushwalkers and mountain bikers, and is a valuable addition to making the wonders of the Kosciuszko National Park accessible to all.
Mackay’s Hut
The Geehi Bushwalking club works with Kosciuszko Huts Association and National parks to care for and maintain Mackays Hut, located on the trail between O’Keefes and the Gungahlin River. This hut is also known as Tibeaudo’s or Mackey’s Hut.
Brief History
Mackays was built in 1944-5 by Norm and Sam Mackey for grazing. Their lease was ultimately revoked in 1958. The site was first visited by Dr Herbert Schlink in 1926 with Bill and Bob Hughes and a bunch of other horsemen. They camped at the site, where a rough granite fireplace existed – there may have been another hut hereabouts before.
Construction
Mackays consists of two rooms with iron walls and roof. The floor is of timber and the fireplace of stones, with an iron flue. The chimney was rebuilt by NPWS in 2010 and the asbestos sheeting removed. The fireplace at Mackays is reknowned to smoke, but otherwise the hut with its sheltering verandah is excellent.
(Sourced from Kosciuszko Hut’s Association)
Mackay’s Hut (Courtesy of KHA)