Sunday 29/10/2023 Stapylton Campground – Mount Stapylton Loop Walk (Upper) – Grampians Peak Trail – Mount Stapylton (Gunigalg) (518m) – Taipan Wall – Mount Zero Picnic Area – Mount Stapylton Loop Walk (Lower)
Grampians National Park, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
After being disappointed last week on the Hollow Mountain walk when we couldn’t find the cave, as per the photograph captioned “Hollow Mountain” in the Parks Victoria Grampians brochure, we thought we might further explore the area in a determined attempt to find it. Inquiries at a National Parks office during the week didn’t throw any further light on where to look. However, having been atop Hollow Mountain last Friday and observing the cliff of Taipan Wall from above I speculated that the cave in the photo may be somewhere along that wall. So off we went on our quest, departing from Stapylton Campground in the cool morning air at 8:40am.
Max elevation: 496 m
Total climbing: 1615 m
Total descent: -1616 m
Average speed: 4.65 km/h
Total time: 08:38:14
Having elected to stay at Stapylton Campground added 3km to the walk as opposed to starting at the Mount Zero Picnic Area. The walk from camp was very pleasant, with wildflowers aplenty, principally melaleuca, and views of a variety of sandstone cliffs ahead. We walked along a very easy, even track with open areas around it before crossing Pohlners Road after 1.5km and heading into a more heavily treed area as we began a gentle climb.
The next navigation point occurs when the Mount Stapylton Loop Walk reaches the Grampians Peak Trail, here we turned left to continue. This section of the walk is memorable as there are numerous outstanding views of large sections of The Grampians and many interesting rock formations of heavily weathered, lichen-encrusted, sandstone. Amongst these features are a couple of excellent overhangs that offer brilliant views from their shady interiors.
Approaching Mount Stapylton there is another track junction to which we would return after our sortie to Mount Stapylton. The track is now rocky and uneven and towards the end on the bedrock of the mountain itself, here, there are yellow track markers to follow. The final approach has you walking up an inclined slab, along which is a large deep overhang that can easily be stood up in, which looks just like the one in the Parks Victoria brochure labelled Holly Mountain! Finally, we had found it. Needless to say we made sure we got plenty of our photos from the inside looking out. Here we also had company in the form of the resident Welcome Swallows who came and went as we sat in their living room. We also had a visit from a remarkably friendly Black Rock Skink, who came up to each of us in turn and gave our fingers a tasting!
Not far above the cave, there is an awesome lookout that has views of numerous Grampians peaks to the south. Also along this ledge are numerous other overhangs with a variety of views in different directions. At the point, we noted the yellow track markers had turned red and expected that to represent a more challenging route. We followed it around for a couple of hundred metres along a narrowing ledge where it indeed was starting to become somewhat dodgy in places. By this time it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen a red marker for a while and maybe I was off track! As Sue had previously decided to turn back and wait for me I thought I might retreat as well. On the way back I noticed where I had missed a sharp turn, straight up the mountainside, maybe I’ll leave that for another day!
We now returned to the previous track junction and headed off towards Mount Zero. This route largely follows a long, wide, inclined bedrock route and is easy to walk. As you proceed the very colourfully striated walls of Taipan Wall become more and more dominant and Hollow Mountain and Mount Zero appear a little further away. Today two people were climbing on Taipan Wall and from what I saw it looked to be a considerable challenge. Judging from some of the discussion that could be partly overheard, someone wasn’t very happy!
Taipan Wall
Further around there were several groups of climbers partaking in some bouldering challenges. As I had repeatedly lingered on taking photos, Sue had steamed ahead long before. A couple of texts hinted I might need to get moving if wanted to retrieve my lunch number two before she moved on. Just I time I caught her, grabbing the food before she headed back to camp by herself. I now enjoyed that second sandwich before deciding to take a detour to Mount Zero Picnic Area to revisit the two nesting birds we had seen there yesterday. This first involved a short climb up to the base of a rocky nose, then a descent along a rocky bedrock slope directly to the picnic area.
I ended up spending about 90 minutes there waiting for the parents to return with food at irregular intervals and trying to capture the feeding frenzy. The initial approach with the magpie nest was to lay flat on my back on the dirt, as it was a comfortable vantage point, I’m not sure what the people passing by made of that. At least with the kookaburra, I could sit at a picnic table to capture it. All parents were seen only once in the first forty minutes after which the magpies seemed to have found a productive, nearby food source as they were returning every five minutes or so. The kookaburra was far less frequent. Nothing spectacular was obtained, as there was harsh backlighting on the magpies along with a lot of leaves and branches in the way. The kookaburra may have had me fooled for ages, as when I reviewed some video of the tree hollow it kept visiting, I observed a stream of insects coming and going from it. Perhaps the kookaburra itself was feeding, maybe it was a beehive.
Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) – Research Grade – Mount Zero Carpark
Walking back to camp along the lower half of the Mount Stapylton Loop Walk provided more highlights, here the wildflowers offered a much more extensive range of species in flower than we had seen anywhere else in The Grampians. Along one two-metre length of track and just on one side I counted six completely different species of flowers. Further along, I disturbed a pair of pigeons, then got very close to a pair of shingleback lizards and finally had a pair of rosellas fly past about a metre in front of me.
This walk, for me, turned out to be the highlight of The Grampians and is one I cannot recommend highly enough. It was an extraordinarily spectacular day.
Photos – Mt Stapylton Campground
The local flora, fauna, geology, history and some other walks (Bard)
Local Flora
The local flora of Grampians National Park is a diverse mix of woodland, grassland, and heathland vegetation. The woodland is dominated by Eucalyptus species, such as the mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), the manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis), and the messmate (Eucalyptus obliqua). The grassland is dominated by native grasses such as kangaroo grass (Themeda australis), wallaby grass (Danthonia spp.), and spear grass (Stipa spp.). The heathland is dominated by shrubs such as wattles (Acacia spp.), grevilleas (Grevillea spp.), and hakea (Hakea spp.).
Local Fauna
The local fauna of Grampians National Park is also diverse, and includes a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Some of the common mammals include kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, koalas, and echidnas. Some of the common birds include emus, kookaburras, parrots, honeyeaters, and wrens. Some of the common reptiles include snakes, lizards, and turtles. Some of the common amphibians include frogs and toads.
Geology
Grampians National Park is located in the Grampians Ranges, which are a mountain range in western Victoria. The park is underlain by a variety of metamorphic rocks, such as sandstone, shale, and quartzite. The park also contains some igneous rocks, such as granite and basalt.
Indigenous History
The Aboriginal people of Australia have lived in the area now known as Grampians National Park for thousands of years. The park is on the traditional land of the Djab Wurrung people. The Djab Wurrung people used the land for hunting, gathering, and fishing. They also used the land for ceremonial and spiritual purposes.
White History
The first Europeans to visit the area now known as Grampians National Park were explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell in 1824. The area was first settled by Europeans in the 1830s. The park was established in 1892.
Walks
Grampians National Park has a number of walking trails, ranging in difficulty from easy to difficult. Some of the popular walks include:
The Pinnacle Walk: This is a moderate 3 km walk that leads to the top of the Pinnacle, a rock formation that offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
The MacKenzie Falls Walk: This is an easy 2 km walk that leads to the MacKenzie Falls, a waterfall that is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the park.
The Balconies Walk: This is a challenging 6 km walk that takes in some of the most scenic views in the park, including the Balconies, a series of rock formations that offer stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
Conclusion
Grampians National Park is a beautiful and diverse park that offers something for everyone. The park is home to a variety of flora, fauna, and geology. The park also has a rich indigenous and white history. Visitors to the park can enjoy a variety of walks, ranging in difficulty from easy to difficult.
Additional Information
The park is also home to a number of cultural heritage sites, including rock art sites and Aboriginal burial grounds.
The park is a popular destination for rock climbers, with a number of climbing sites located throughout the park.
The park is also a popular destination for birdwatchers, with over 200 species of birds recorded in the park.
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