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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday 17/10/2023 Sundial Lookout Carpark – Sundial Lookout
Grampians National Park, VICTORIA
Gariwerd Country
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