Thursday 26/10/2023 Horseshoe Bend Campground – Horseshoe Bend Road – Pomponderoo Hill Road – Pomponderoo Hill
Little Desert National Park, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
Having kept relatively close to the Wimmera River during our morning walk we headed away from it in the afternoon. Although you can drive to the start of the Pomponderoo Hill walk along Pomponderoo Hill Road, we chose to walk from the Horse Shoe Bend Campsite. As we were walking along Pomponderoo Hill Road a fox made a quick crossing not far in front of us. We arrived at the Pomponderoo Hill Carpark, just as another couple were preparing to start.
Max elevation: 121 m
Total climbing: 123 m
Total descent: -127 m
Average speed: 3.28 km/h
Total time: 02:31:09
This is a very short walk the aim of which is to get a little elevation above the desert for some views. On top of the hill, there are no great mountains or huge trees to be seen anywhere, just a great expanse of desert flora stretching off into the distance. It does, however, provide a great perspective as to how challenging it might be to navigate through it if caught out unprepared.
Little Desert from Pomponderoo Hill
For our return from the viewpoint, we decided to head back more directly using a couple of trails marked on my Pocket Earth app. Our choice of walking this midafternoon limited our opportunity to experience it at its best, as I’m sure the animal life would come to life at dawn and dusk, just as we had observed around Horse Shoe Bend Campsite. During our afternoon walk it seemed most of the wildlife had a lot more sense than we did and just stayed in the shade having a rest.
My most interesting encounter was when walking along a narrow, single-track section with head-high heath surrounding. It was then that I almost collided with someone walking off track and at right angles to my direction! This middle-aged man turned out to be a local who had a strong preference for walking off-track, which he did regularly.
Horseshoe Bend Campground – Dusk Walk-Around
The hour before sunset proved to be a magical time of the day at camp. Then a huge number of birds could be seen coming, going and flying across the campground. With my eyes ever upward looking for birds, I almost missed a close encounter with an echidna busily going about digging up some dinner, now caught on video and in photos.
Musk Lorikeets (Glossopsitta concinna)
Video to come
Horseshoe Bend Campground – Dawn Walk-Around
Extremely impressed by the amount of animal activity I had seen last night I repeated my wander around the vicinity of the campground the next morning. I was rewarded with a lot more wildlife encounters.
Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) – Research Grade
Video to come
The local flora, fauna, geology, history and some other walks (Bard)
Local Flora
The Wimmera River section of Little Desert National Park is home to a variety of flora, including:
Trees and shrubs: River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens), mallee (Eucalyptus incrassata), bullock bush (Alectryon oleifolius), wattles (Acacia spp.), and grevilleas (Grevillea spp.).
Grasses and sedges: Kangaroo grass (Themeda australis), wallaby grass (Danthonia spp.), spear grass (Stipa spp.), and reeds (Phragmites australis).
** wildflowers:** Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora), blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis), stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua), and spotted gum (Corymbia maculata).
Local Fauna
The Wimmera River section of Little Desert National Park is home to a variety of fauna, including:
Mammals: Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas, bats, and foxes.
Birds: Emus, kookaburras, parrots, honeyeaters, and wrens.
Reptiles: Snakes, lizards, and turtles.
Amphibians: Frogs and toads.
Geology
The Wimmera River section of Little Desert National Park is underlain by a variety of rocks, including:
Sedimentary rocks: Sandstone, shale, and limestone.
Volcanic rocks: Basalt and tuff.
The park is also home to a number of geological features, including:
The Wimmera River: The Wimmera River is a major river in western Victoria. It flows through the Wimmera River section of Little Desert National Park and provides a vital habitat for a variety of plants and animals.
Sand dunes: The park is home to a number of sand dunes, which were formed by wind erosion over millions of years.
Rock outcrops: The park is also home to a number of rock outcrops, which provide habitat for a variety of plants and animals.
Indigenous History
The Aboriginal people of Australia have lived in the area now known as the Wimmera River section of Little Desert National Park for thousands of years. The park is on the traditional land of the Wotjobaluk people. The Wotjobaluk 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 the Wimmera River section of Little Desert 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 1969.
Clickable icons on this world map will open the related trip report
A detailed, searchable trip list with links to reports, photo galleries and other content
