Tuesday 31/10/2023 Dunkeld Arboretum
Dunkeld, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
Participant: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report)
This is a great short walk from Dunkeld Caravan Park. It follows the tree-lined creek from the caravan park into the Arboretum at the weir. From the Arboretum there are good views of Mount Sturgeon and Mount Abrupt.
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.
Thursday 26/10/2023 Horseshoe Bend Campground – Wimmera River – Desert Discovery Walk
Little Desert National Park, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
Nestled amongst the River Red Gums at Horseshoe Bend Campground we had been joined last night and this morning by masses of bird life. A pair of Kookaburras called in for a visit many times, along with sightings of black cockatoos, mallards, parrots, blue wrens and numerous species of other small, heath-loving birds.
Friday 27/10/2023 Kiata Campground – Campground Track – Salt Lake Track – Desert Discovery Track – Albrechts’ Mill & Water Bore
Little Desert National Park, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
Keen to walk in a different section of Little Desert National Park we drove further west to Kiata Campground, having spent the early hours of the day looking for wildlife around Horse Shoe Bend Campground. Yesterday’s cold change and 1C overnight minimum temperature were replaced by calm, blue sky conditions with the temperature already reaching the mid-twenties by our 11:00am start.
Tuesday 23/10/2023 The Pines-Centenary Park Campground – Grapples Lane – B240 – Natimuk – Lake Road – Lake Natimuk – Meyers Lane – Wyn Wyn Road – Rasmussen’s Road – Grapples – Grass Flat Road – C213 – Centenary Park Road
Mount Arapiles – Tooan State Park, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
Having picked up the Arapiles Big Sky Bicycle Trail pamphlet from Horsham Tourist Office we decided this afternoon was our big chance for a quiet mountain bike ride along a very flat route. We headed off from The Pines-Centenary Park Campground after lunch, having completed the gully loop through Mount Arapiles in the morning.
Tuesday 23/10/2023 The Pines-Centenary Park Campground – Central Gully Track – Bluff Lookout Road – Bluff Lookout – Mount Grapples Summit Road – Summit Picnic Area – Pharos Gully Track – Gully Loop Walk
Mount Arapiles – Tooan State Park, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
Mount Arapiles is a world-famous rock climbing destination. We found plenty of groups of people in the campground who looked to be settled in and ready to try out some of the routes on offer. Fortunately for non-climbers such as us, there is also plenty to see in the compact area around Mount Arapiles.
Wednesday 25/10/2023 Pink Lake
Dimboola Area, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
A short drive west of Dimboola you can find Pink Lake. Although not a walk it proved to be a remarkably interesting stop. Today it was cold and very windy. There were plenty of small waves that had formed on the lake as a result, all heading straight towards us. With a crusty white shoreline of crystalline salt, rows of waves almost parallel to the horizon and clouds with lots of character against a deep blue sky with dramatic clouds, this was a very special treat.
Tuesday 22/10/2023 Three Short Walks
Mount Arapiles – Tooan State Park, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report)
Tuesday 22/10/2023 Nature Walk off Mount Arapiles Summit Road
We completed this short nature walk and were left unimpressed. Although it is a very easy walk and there were plenty of spring wildflowers the track itself has fallen into a state of disrepair. In sections, you can’t see where it is supposed to go and the numbered signposts have no explanatory information available to go with them, as the entry box at the entrance was empty. I also think a lot of the things the signs were meant to be placed near have probably long gone from the landscape as it is today.
Tuesday 24/10/2023 Mitre Rock
Mount Arapiles – Tooan State Park, VICTORIA
Wotjobaluk Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report)
Our last, very short hike in Mount Arapiles – Tooan State Park was to Mitre Rock. We had earlier seen Mitre Rock from a couple of different viewpoints and were inquisitive as to how the views back to Mount Arapiles might appear from this perspective.
Tuesday 30/10/2023 Teddington Reservoir Campground – Upper Teddington Reservoir
Kara Kara National Park, VICTORIA
Dja Aja Wurrung and Barengi Gadjin Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
In a nearly deserted Teddington Reservoir Campground we found the local wildlife to be our only company. Flocks of screeching corellas flying overhead or chatting in surrounding treetops left us in no doubt as to who ruled here. There were also plenty of other birds such as rosellas, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and willy wagtails who made visits.
Monday 30/10/2023 Balconies Road Carpark – Reed Lookout – The Balconies Lookout
Grampians National Park, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
This is a very short tourist walk. Just off the carpark at Reed Lookout, there are excellent views of much of the Grampians Ranges. Moving further along the track there is one nice pedestal-style rock formation and nearby a notable section of mossy ground interspersed with some small flowering shrubs, which looks a little Arctic in nature.
Monday 30/10/2023 Mackenzie Falls Carpark – Mackenzie Falls Lookout – Broken Falls Lookout – Cranages Lookout – Mackenzie Falls – Mackenzie River – Mackenzie River – Fish Falls
Grampians National Park, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
We had left camp before 7:30am in an attempt to check out this area and The Balconies before meeting friends in Dunkeld at 1:00pm. Having such an early start to the drive ensured we saw lots of wallabies near the road and luckily for several of them we were driving very slowly. After some overnight rain, it was still heavily overcast when we arrived at the carpark and also quite cool.