Tim the Yowie Man: Black Mountain summit trail opens up horizons for Canberrans

The first difference you'll notice is a completely new surface underfoot. As we leave the trail head from the back gate of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Stewart explains how his team from Canberra-based trail blazers Makin-Trax "resurfaced this section with a two-coat seal of bitumen emulsion with a pre-coated aggregate". Sure, it feels a bit like you are walking on a super-highway, but it's clearly much safer and more sustainable than the old potholed track with its severely eroded edges.

This lower section of the trail has also been widened to allow people to walk two abreast, and new water-diversion measures (rollers, or humps in the track) have been built to reduce the potential for erosion both of the track and the surrounding bush, Stewart explains as we wind our way further up the forested eastern slope.

However, it's only after we've hiked a couple of kilometres up the iconic hill that Stewart reveals the biggest improvement to this much-loved Canberra walk. "Here we took an old and ugly environmental scar and turned it into an inviting, sustainable example of best practice in trail construction," boasts Stewart as he points to a gently winding new section of track.

Not only is the gradient on this section much kinder to the knees than the steep fire trail it replaced, but it also feels much more intimate hiking along a purpose-built walking track.

Stewart's team also designed and constructed a trail junction and upgraded three bridges along the existing Forest Trail, which leaves the summit trail about two-thirds of the way up and loops gently around Black Mountain at about the same contour (even better on the knees).

Track builders are often accused of not sufficiently considering the fragile environments in which they operate, but after a two-hour stroll up (and around) Black Mountain, it's clear Stewart and the Makin Trax team care deeply about their work. This upgrade is a win-win for both the many Canberrans who use it each week for exercise and recreation, as well as for the surrounding bush, which one of our much-loved nature reserves protects.

As construction has only just finished, the track is still a bit raw around the edges, but give it a couple of months, and it'll blend much better into its surrounds.

Black Mountain Nature Reserve Summit Trail: The 5.4-kilometre return trail begins at the back of the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Warning: the gate linking the back of the gardens with Black Mountain Nature Reserve is locked at 4.30pm each day. You can access the Forest Trail, which circles the mountain at roughly a constant contour (add an extra two kilometres to your walk), near the top of Summit Trail, or via the parking area on the right about halfway up Black Mountain Drive.

Don't miss: When at the summit, pop inside the base of Telstra Tower and check out the free exhibition, Black Mountain Nature Reserve: A Special Place. Created by the Friends of Black Mountain, the exhibition highlights the natural and cultural history of the reserve and includes a photograph of the new species of peacock spider (Maratus calcitrans) that Stuart Harris, of Belconnen, discovered while walking on the hill in 2012. Open 10am to 5pm daily until early August.

Did you know? More than 100 species of birds, 500 species of plants and 5000 species of insects are found on Black Mountain.

Tim's tip: If walking in the afternoon, the western part of the Forest Trail has several naturally occurring rock ledges that provide perfect vantage points from which to soak up the views over the Brindabellas while enjoying a hot cuppa (don't forget your vacuum flask).

Emus everywhere: It seems that this column's chance encounter with a flock of emus while driving west of Canberra ("Narrandera is a top getaway for Canberra families", June 6) isn't as rare as first thought. Several readers, including Judy Matthews, of Kambah, report regularly spotting the flightless birds, especially while traveling west of Junee. Closer to home, while recently returning from a day's work at Bendora Dam, Matthew Higgins, of Ainslie, was surprised to spot an emu near Laurel Camp (just south of the Cotter). I can't remember the last time I saw an emu roaming free in the ACT (outside of Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve).

Swanning around: While walking along the Lake Tuggeranong bike track at Bonython earlier this month, Colin Parks, of Isaacs, was surprised to stumble upon "a pen [female swan] with no fewer than six cygnets in tow". Colin wonders whether it's normal to see cygnets so early in the year, adding "maybe it's another sign of global warming". However, according to birding enthusiast, Geoffrey Dabb, of Narrabundah, "nests and small cygnets are actually common in Canberra throughout winter."

Remote rooster: Further south, Warren Müller, of Kambah, thinks he might have spotted the same rooster that Bruno Yvanovich was surprised to see scratching around near the top of Brown Mountain last month. "It was about halfway down the mountain and looked quite contented when we saw it," Warren says.

Given the chilly start to winter, if it is the same rooster, no doubt it's slowly making its way down the mountain to the warmer climes of the coast to see out winter. However, Roger Farrow, of Urila, is not so sure it is the same rooster, for he recently saw not one fowl, but several foraging near Pipers Lookout near the top of the mountain. "Discarded Big Mac remains and other edible items probably attract them to the roadside," reports Roger, who believes predators of the wayward fowl might not pose as big a threat as you'd expect. "There aren't many foxes around Brown Mountain, and the fowl probably roost high in the shrubbery, away from other dangers like quolls," he says.

Big beehives: Amanda Horne's striking photo of a beehive in an inner north front yard recently featured on these pages ("Nature's curiosities", May 23) prompted a mix of responses from readers both near and far. While Peter Scott, of Oxford in Reading, England, was concerned about its gargantuan size, warning "I hope that it doesn't fall on anyone", Christine Retschlag, of Brisbane, was more focused on the hive's contents, simply describing the suburban hive as "sweet".

Meanwhile, Belinda Wise reports "there is another huge beehive in Curtin, which hangs from a tree over a public pathway in the Radburn estate area – amazing to contemplate – and easily missed if you don't look up". If you want to check it out for yourself, be quick, for apiarist aficionado, Gary Poile, of Collector, doesn't "hold out much hope of those bees surviving a cold winter".

Peppercorn

This column's recent exposé on Francis Dunn ("A close call", April 11) and his remote windswept grave near the site of Peppercorn Hut in northern Kosciuszko National Park solved a long-standing mystery for Barry Roberson, of Weston.

Barry reports that in the early 1970s, his family held the lease of Coolamine Plain for cattle grazing and he often camped at Peppercorn Hut. "In those days, Peppercorn Creek could be relied on to provide trout for dinner," recalls Barry. "One afternoon, while walking near the creek hut, I came upon the grave.

"The inscribed stone was positioned such that you had to kneel and look under to see and read Dunn's name, probably the reason it remains legible." Barry adds: "On quite a few occasions, I set about to discover some background behind the grave, but until reading your column, without success."

Recent confirmation that the wooden structure on the M31 near Menangle is the remains of a historic tank stand ("It's a tank, it really is", May 2) was a revelation for many readers, including Tom Ruut, who since first noticing it back in 1967, like many, "thought it was a some kind of elaborate treehouse".

For Mark Westwood, of Narooma, the photo of the tank stand brought back memories of his drives to Goulburn Teachers College in the early 1970s. "The trip was agonising and took four hours (in my Beetle) and more if there was a prang," recalls Mark, who adds, "the 'tree house' was something to look forward to either way".

Cryptic clue: Turns 85 this year.Degree of difficulty: Easy-medium.Last week: Congratulations to Norma Summerell, of Queanbeyan, who was first to correctly identify last week's photo as a statue of The Man from Snowy River in Centennial Park, Cooma. Norma just beat a barrage of correct entries, including those from Max Rowe, of Hawker, James Murphy, of Kaleen, and June McKenzie, of Fisher, who is by far and away this column's most prolific entrant.How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am on Saturday, June 20, with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.