Friday 8/03/2024 Irby Boulevard Carpark – Razorback Ridge Track – Anniversary Bay Circuit – Broadview Hill Track – Broadview Hill – Rocky Cape Coastal Route – Banksia Grove Circuit – Lee-Archer Cave Track – Lee-Archer Cave – Wet Cave
(pinmatik) Rocky Cape National Park, lutruwita /TASMANIA
Tangdimmaa Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
It was a bit cloudy this morning so we had a slower start, enjoying morning tea at the cafe with fellow Trakkadu (our campervan brand) travellers John and Sue.
Tuesday 27/02/2024 Lake Dobson – Pandani Grove Nature Trail – Urquhart Track – Snowgum Track – Tarn Shelf Track – Robert Tarn – Mackenzie Tarn – Johnston Tarn – James Tarn – Backhouse Tarn – Lake Newdegate – Newdegate Hut – Twisted Tarn – Lake Newdegate Track – Twilight Tarn – Twilight Tarn Hut – Lake Webster Track – Lake Webster – Eagle Tarn
Mount Field National Park, lutruwita / TASMANIA
Palawa Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
Our start was a little slow this morning after our big Mount Anne walk yesterday and decided to change campgrounds to Mount Field National Park (first in gets a spot). After organising a lovely spot by the river we headed up the road towards Lake Dobson, only 16km but about half an hour on a winding dirt road.
Tuesday 20/02/2024 Maingon Lookout – Remarkable Cave – Mount Brown Track – Cresent Bay Track – Cresent Bay
Tasman National Park, lutruwita / TASMANIA
Palawa Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
Our first objective of the day was to get out for a run, preferably one with some views. We decided on a trail run out towards Mount Brown from the Remarkable Caves Carpark. Before heading out we walked down to Remarkable Caves for a peek. It is really impressive as you walk along the boardwalk and staircases to descend first across a deep gully and then down into the end of the “blowhole”. In front of you a large, long tunnel with the ocean visible beyond. Large, highly rounded stones below making a rocky, tinkling sound as each wave ebbs and flows past them. Very well worth the short walk from the carpark.
Tuesday 13/02/2024 Mount Amos Summit Carpark – Mount Amos Track – Mount Amos
Freycinet National Park, lutruwita / TASMANIA
Paredarerme country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
We decided to try to get an early start with the predicted maximum being 33 degrees by the afternoon. We arrived at the track head around 7:30am with plenty of parking available. Other groups were arriving but it seemed that they were mainly heading to Wineglass Bay.
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Geri Louis, John Louis
Departing from Narawntapu National Park Visitor Centre Parking at 1:10pm we first headed along the road towards Bakers Beach. Being just past low tide on a clear, calm day we had very easy walking on firm sand. Here, there were lots of seashells along the high water mark, interspersed with cuttlefish remains and fragments of seaweed. There were also interesting wind ripples in the dry sand creating artistic patterns where the highest wave of the morning tide had partially wet the sand. John and Sue powered ahead as Geri and I lingered, looking for the most interesting, intricate ephemeral details.
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.
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.
Saturday 28/10/2023 Mount Zero Picnic Area – Mt Zero Walk – Mount Zero
Grampians National Park, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
This was our second attempt at this walk, on the 20th we had driven to the start after lunch but decided against it as it was already 32C, calm and cloudless, a little too hot for our liking. At least for this 3:00pm departure, it was only 25C and breezy.
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.
Thursday 19/10/2023 Troopers Creek Campground – Dead Bullock Creek – Gar Waterfalls Walk –Grampians Peaks Trail – Briggs Bluff Track – Gar Campsite – Mount Gar (Mount Difficult)
Grampians National Park, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
We made our start today by 8:30am, as we had a long walk ahead of us. As this started with an ascent, we thought it would be expedient to get at least some of the climbing behind us before it got too hot. The first couple of kilometres is a gradual ascent through forest along a sandy track, following Dead Bullock Creek upstream. Four waterfalls are encountered along the way, progressively increasing in the height of their drops as you progress. The first barely counts but the last two especially have very decent drops. Today there was just a trickle falling over each, making each more like a weeping wall than a waterfall. Much more interesting today was the colouration of the cliff walls behind these waterfalls, with vertical bands of black, various reddish tones, through to light tans and greys, some broad and others narrow, reflecting the long-term water flow from above.
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
On our way back from our morning walk to Mount Rosea we pulled into Sundial Lookout Carpark, set to complete our day with the 2km walk out to Sundial Lookout (also known as Lakeview Lookout). A glorious blue sky day with an occasional very light breeze saw us leave the carpark around 2:00pm. A hundred metres in, Sue sighted a very dark Singleback lizard basking in the sun trackside. After briefly observing it we moved on. Continue reading →
Tuesday 17/10/2023 Rosea Carpark – Mt Rosea Track – Gate of the East Wind – Mount Rosea (1009m)
Grampians National Park, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
We were very pleased this very chilly morning to see nothing but blue sky, after five days of cold, heavily overcast and windy weather this was a pleasant change. Our first target today was Mount Rosea, starting with a twenty-minute drive from Halls Gap. We were at the Roses Carpark and walking by 9:30am with no one else or any other vehicles in sight. The first couple of kilometres of this gravel track is relatively level, wide and easy walking through a forest with a heath understory. It then gradually changes into a rougher track with plenty of rocks and slabs as it begins its climb to the ridge above. It was along this section I spied three small yellow canary worms on the track.
