However, following a three-day operation conducted by four field officers from ACT Parks and Conservation Service, the two oversized rock cairns atop Gossan Hill in Bruce have been dismantled.

According to Michelle Nairn, Senior Ranger with Canberra Nature Park North, the cairns were demolished as they were "contrary to the values of the Gossan Hill Nature Reserve".

"In recent months we walked through the reserve and sadly there were hardly any rocks left on the ground," reports Michelle, adding, "this meant a significant loss in habitat for several critters which live under the rocks, along with an increased risk of erosion".

The rock cairns, the larger of which was over 2.5 metres high before it was dismantled had become so large that they were also deemed a safety concern. "The cairns also posed a danger to kids who were climbing it, with the rocks moving around," reports Michelle.

"People shouldn't be moving rocks from where they lie, they might also be disturbing Aboriginal heritage or sites of geological significance," further explains reports Michelle, who co-ordinated the painstaking effort to dismantle the cairns.

"We got a backhoe in and loaded it by hand and then drove to various location where, until the last few years, rocks used to be located, and carefully scattered the rocks by hand," reveals Michelle.

While several readers of this column previously argued that the rock cairns may have created new habitat for displaced critters, evidence uncovered by Michelle's team revealed otherwise.

"While picking up each rock by hand, we checked for any sign of wildlife but both cairns were completely barren as they were so densely packed, all we found we a couple of redbacks," she reports.

During the three day operation a number of Bruce locals asked the field officers why they were dismantling the cairns.

"Most were completely unaware of the reasons. But once we explained the damage to the environment the collection of the rocks was making, they were fine with it," reports Michelle.

"Like us, people were also baffled as to its origins," explains Michelle, adding: "We tried to get rid of it in the past but that seems to have just fueled whoever was responsible for it to keep doing it".

The folk at ACT Parks and Conservation have a word of warning to the perpetrator(s).

"We will be doing regular patrols as we don't want to have to put in such a big effort to get rid of it again," explains Michelle, adding "we have erected signs at key entry points around the reserve explaining the impact of collecting rocks."

Gossan Hill Nature Reserve: This 47 hectare reserve, part of Canberra Nature Park, is surrounded by the Belconnen suburb of Bruce. The mystery cairns were located in the western section of the nature reserve at the intersection of walking tracks, 'Gossan Six' and 'Gossan Seven', which is about 250 metres east of 95 Crisp Circuit, Bruce

Cairn history: Satellite imagery shows that the rocks cairns first appeared in 2012 but began to grow exponentially in the last two years.

How big were the cairns? Although not every rock was counted, park rangers estimated that the two cairns contained the equivalent of "around 100 wheelbarrows" of rock. Ken McQueen, adjunct professor at the Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra estimated the total number of rocks in the larger of the two cairns to be around 13 000. "If just a third of these rocks were originally home to critters, this would represent 4330 critters homes lost," he calculates.

Double-edged sword: While spreading the rocks 'throughout the reserve' means more homes for critters, according to Ken McQueen it will destroy their geological context. "The 'distributed' surface rocks will no longer indicate the underlying bedrock for map interpretation and confuse the picture," he reports, adding, "but I guess you can't win them all."

Suspects: While the main builders of the cairns may never be known, this column is aware of several fitness fanatics who often carried a rock in each hand while running around the reserve only to toss it on the cairns at the end of their session.

Habitat loss: According to ACT Parks and Conservation, there is a long list of species found on Gossan Gill that may be affected by the removal of rocks. These include invertebrates like Wolf Spiders, lizards such as Copper Tailed Skinks, sensitive orchids like the Australian Leopard Orchid and native plants such as Billy Buttons.

Did You Know? Removing rocks is an offence under the Nature Conservation Act 2014 under sections 247 (damage land) and 221 (remove stone from reserve). Penalties apply.

Still on moving rocks that you shouldn't, regular readers may recall Steve from Weston, who, in 2017 after pilfering a match-box sized rock from Uluru claims he was struck-down by a "long-run of bad luck", including car accidents and expensive mechanical repairs to his 4WD.

In an attempt to reverse the so-called 'curse' which some believe strikes down those who take rocks from Australia's spiritual heartland, Steve recently drove the 3000km back to Uluru to return the rock.

"The moment I put it back, it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders," reveals Steve who confesses he "was an idiot for taking it in the first place".

Steve isn't alone in returning a rock stolen from Uluru, however, most guilt-ridden tourists send packages in the post rather than making personal pilgrimages back to Uluru.

This column's recent exposé on the former Duntroon ski lodge in the Brindabellas prompted several readers, including David Evans of Fadden, to recount their own memories of skiing in the ACT when snow falls were more regular and heavier than today.

David reports that in the 1960s he would "ski with his brother and friends in the Brindabellas from Bulls Head to Mt Franklin to Mt Ginini and Mt Gingera".

"In January 1969 my deferment from National Service call-up finally caught up with me and I started my 2 years of army service," reports David, adding, "this meant an interruption to skiing in the Snowies and the Brindabellas, however, before I was posted to Vietnam in October I managed to get one day's skiing at Mt Ginini."

Meanwhile, on a recent trek through the Brindabellas, John Evans, this column's bushwalking correspondent stumbled across tangible evidence of the long-demolished lodge - some cracked crockery featuring part of the Australian Military Forces tell-tale rising sun insignia, still clearly readable.

"It was just sitting on the ground amongst other smashed plates and some metal sheets," reports John.

"I can imagine the mess made by the cheeky possum Kate and Ray Carlisle found among their kids toys in their home in Cooma earlier this year (Spotted 12 January)," writes Don Burns, adding, "but our recent experience in Narooma was even more gruesome."

According to Don, a possum "amazingly squeezed under the metal cap" above his roof-top pipe venting his kitchen's range hood.

The possum's domestic adventure didn't end well. "It must have slithered headfirst down inside the pipe into the fan housing," reveals Don, adding "where it remained, silently, until a horrible odour caused me to remove the range hood."

Don also documented his unfortunate find with his camera, but as this is a family column, I'll spare you the horrific image of the poor upended creature. Oh dear, what a way to go.

CONTACT TIM: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick.

Cryptic clue: Church of the outdoors

Degree of difficulty: Medium [I'm after both the waterway and the nickname of the rock]

Last week: Congratulations to June McKenzie of Fisher who was the first reader to correctly identify last week's photo (inset) taken by Canberra instagrammer @boagshoags as the Lifeline plantings at the Lindsay Pryor Arboretum photographed from the air.

The logo consists of two groves of 25 trees (25 Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred' Autumn Blaze Maples and 25 Ulmus 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' hybrid elms), totalling 50 altogether, which were donated and planted in April 2013, to celebrate Lifeline's 50th birthday. Lifeline provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. Phone: 131 114.

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday 3 August, 2019 will win a double pass to Dendy - The Home of Quality Cinema.

Here's another "hungry tree photo" reports Peter Keast of Torrens who, after recently completing an epic 660km bicycle ride along the Gibb River Road in Western Australia, noticed this gate in Derby, which he assumes "hasn't been opened for a very long time".

It might be several hours' drive to the coast and about fifteen degrees colder, but Ian Loiterton of Dunlop had a close encounter with a 'grumpy-looking fish' while walking along the Rendezvous Creek Fire Trail in Namadgi National Park.

"One of the patches of lichen is in just the right position for an eye," reports Ian, adding, "perhaps it best resembles a parrot fish?"