Mount Arapiles – Tooan State Park

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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.

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Mitre Rock

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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.

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Teddington Road – Stuart Mill Road – Centre Road – Fisherman Hut Track – Teddington Road – Teddington Hut – Upper Teddington Reservoir

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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.

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Balconies Road Carpark – Reed Lookout – The Balconies Lookout

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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. 

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Mackenzie Falls Carpark – Mackenzie Falls Lookout – Broken Falls Lookout – Cranages Lookout – Mackenzie Falls – Mackenzie River – Mackenzie River – Fish Falls

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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.

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Mount Zero Picnic Area – Mt Zero Walk – Mount Zero

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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. 

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Stapylton Campground – Mount Stapylton Loop Walk (Upper) – Grampians Peak Trail – Mount Stapylton – Taipan Wall – Mount Zero Picnic Area – Mount Stapylton Loop Walk

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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.

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Troopers Creek Campground – Dead Bullock Creek – Gar Waterfalls Walk –  Grampians Peaks Trail – Briggs Bluff Track – Gar Campsite – Mount Gar (Mount Difficult)

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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.

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Hollow Mountain Carpark – Hollow Mountain Walking Track – “Hollow Mountain Cave” –  Wudjub-Guyan (Hollow Mountain) – Wall of Fools

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Friday 20/10/2023   Hollow Mountain Carpark – Hollow Mountain Walking Track – “Hollow Mountain Cave” –  Wudjub-Guyan (Hollow Mountain) (409m) – Wall of Fools                                                                                                                          

                                     Grampians National Park, VICTORIA

                                     Gariwerd Country                                  

Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies 

The fine sunny, calm day was beginning to heat up as we got underway at 10:20am. Initially, the track is along a broad, sandy, yellow path, with wooden-faced steps appearing as a gentle ascent begins. This passes through flowering heathland where we noticed a considerable variety of species including Banksia Serrata (Old Man Banksia), Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Grevillea and Xanthorrhoea. The track then transitions into an increasingly uneven and steepening tree-lined route as it approaches the cliff line. Behind us, as we climbed, we noted more eroded sandstone cliff faces topped with a very jagged skyline. 

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Halls Gap Holiday Park – Grampians Road – Wonderland Loop Walk – Stony Creek – Venus Baths – Splitters Falls – Wonderland Carpark – Turret Falls – Grand Canyon – Cool Chamber – Silent Creek – The Pinnacle – Gate of the West Wind – Relf Peak – Halls Gap to Pinnacle Track – Mackays Peak

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Monday 16/10/2023   Halls Gap Holiday Park – Grampians Road – Wonderland Loop Walk – Stony Creek – Venus Baths – Splitters Falls – Wonderland Carpark – Turret Falls – Grand Canyon – Cool Chamber – Silent Creek – The Pinnacle – Gate of the West Wind – Relf Peak – Halls Gap to Pinnacle Track – Mackays Peak

                                        Grampians National Park, VICTORIA

                                        Gariwerd Country                                   

Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies 

With a longer walk planned for the day, we walked out of Halls Gap Holiday Park at 9:40am following the Grampians Road to the Botanic Gardens. Walking quickly through the gardens we followed the well-formed yellow, crushed stone Wonderland Loop Walk along Stony Creek. This passed through a low forest with heath in flower and other wildflowers. There were also views of the colourful walls and slopes of surrounding sandstone hillsides.  

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Halls Gap Holiday Park – Boronia Trail – Fyans Creek – Mt Ida – Fyans Creek Loop – Brambuk National Parks and Cultural Centre – Fyans Creek Loop – Tandara Road – Grampians Road

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Sunday 15/10/2023   Halls Gap Holiday Park – Boronia Trail – Fyans Creek – Mt Ida – Fyans Creek Loop – Brambuk National Parks and Cultural Centre – Fyans Creek Loop – Tandara Road – Grampians Road

                                        Grampians National Park, VICTORIA

                                        Gariwerd Country                                  

Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies 

Greeted by a fairly cold, breezy, heavily overcast morning with passing showers we didn’t get out until 11:20am (except for Sue who snuck in an early morning run). With the low cloud cover blanketing the tops of all the surrounding hilltops we opted to stay low and take a minimum of gear. Heading out from the NRMA campground, Halls Gap Holiday Park, we turned left just before the Fyans Creek Bridge onto Boronia Trail which follows Fyans Creek to the south along its eastern bank. At first, the trail had wet overhanging ferns across the trail but beyond a couple of hundred metres the track was clear. At least the depth of the colours of everything was enhanced by all the moisture on them.

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Halls Gap Sports Reserve – Chautauqua Peak Walk – Clematis Falls – Chautauqua Peak – Barneys Creek – Bullace’s Glen Walk – Stony Creek

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Saturday 14/10/2023   Halls Gap Sports Reserve – Chautauqua Peak Walk – Clematis Falls – Chautauqua Peak – Barneys Creek – Bullace’s Glen Walk – Stony Creek

                                          Grampians National Park, VICTORIA

                                          Gariwerd Country                                    

Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies 

We departed after lunch for this short walk, having stayed in Ararat overnight in order to take part in their parkrun at 8:00am this morning. With clouds still hanging around the higher peaks and the occasional shower passing through we decided on this walk straight out of Halls Gap. Being breezy and only just above 10C was to make for pleasant walking conditions. Initially, we followed the road to Halls Gap Sports Reserve where the trail begins. Our first destination was Clematis Falls which is a short detour off the Chautauqua Peak Walk track.

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