The walk from Glydne to Seaford was not clearly defined as in there wasn’t a specific mapped out track you simply follow. We had a printed guide with instructions on where to go and things to look out for. We also had a compass to help us navigate when we turned up at forks in the roads or at T-intersections.

I’ve never been on a walk like this before with a compass and instructional maps but it is something I need to learn, especially the compass navigation. I would just go on a walk/hike and follow a path and not have a care in the world or which way to go next. So when others were navigating and shouting out instructions, it was kind of weird.

I’m also quite used to walking in the bush under a canopy of trees and up rugged mountains with stones or rocks you can slip on. So trudging through the English fields and climbing lush green hills without any tree cover was out of the ordinary. Luckily the walk wasn’t too boring as we went across fields, through small forests and also down along the coast.

We went through different towns along the way with recognized points of interests on the map – this being the pub. For lunch we sat in a garden in a petite town called Alfriston enjoying our rolls and some of us even headed to a pub for bangers & mash. Something very out of the ordinary – you usually enjoy a nice feast after the hike not during it but hey, whatever tickles your fancy!

The chalk cliff faces down at the Seven Sisters were amazing. Too bad my camera kept being a nuisance and not being able to focus due to the focus mirror occasionally popping out of place. After each shot I would have to put the mirror back into place and then take another shot. This got a bit annoying so I just ended up using my backup Canon compact digital camera.

We celebrated one of the walkers birthday on the train (happy birthday Colin!). We didn’t have much of an opportunity on the walk since we were required to get back to Seaford on time to catch the train as a few of us had priori commitments that evening. We handed out cake portions not only to all the walkers but a several people on board the train. It was rather amusing but quite enjoyable.

The hike from Glydne to Seaford was successful. After 23km and practically 7hrs in the sun, a little burnt and sore but nonetheless quite content that the walk (not hike) was completed injury free. I’m glad to say that my left foot is 100% healed after this enduring test.

I polished the great day walking with a big bowl of beef noodle soup at a Vietnamese restaurant down near Canary Wharf. It is out of the way to where I currently live but it was definitely worth the effort and wait in the queue. That place was rather popular and I can see and taste why!

I Have to thank the organizers of the trip and everyone who attended this pleasant day.

smiles

I have never done any snow treks apart from the Fox Glacier Hike in New Zealand. This track was covered in snow and there was barely any tree cover as you walk across the Razorback ridge which is a set of mountains along the way to Mt Feathertop.

The trek took 11 hours and covered a distance of 28km. You begin the trek from Hotham Village and walk along the road down to Diamantina hut. From the Diamantina hut you walk along Razorback Walking Track down to Twin Knobs then to The Cross. From The Cross you can see Federation Hut and this is where you start your ascent to Mt Feathertop Summit. Then you return the same way you came.

I brought my friend Varun along on this trip on his maiden hike. We left Mt Hotham village centre at 6.30am and made my way down to Diamantina hut. When we got there, we put on some gaiters and tried using the snow shoes. Unfortunately the snow shoes were missing a buckle so the snow shoes became useless even though the majority of the track was covered in snow.

We began the ascent to the top of Razorback Ridge with quite a bit of weight on my shoulders. Some parts of the track had snow that was knee-deep so I had to plow through that without any snow shoes. I’ve never walked in snow before but after a while my legs began to cramp up. Possibly due to the coldness or the lack of oxygen in my legs due to the gaiters and higher altitude.

We had several breaks on the Razorback Ridge to catch up on some needed rest. The closer we got to Mt Feathertop the more snow we encountered. Both my legs were beginning to cramp severely especially on the upper thighs. I asked Varun to lead and make some tracks for me so that I don’t fall into the snow and cramp even further. Basically I would follow in the footsteps of Varun if the snow was deep. From the top of Razorback ridge all the way to Mt Feathertop its stunning 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. A clear and sunny day just made the views even more spectacular with the snow capped peaks and snow covered trees.

Just before we reach Twin Knobs we walk through some rugged bushland with snow melting everywhere. The track is quite muddy once the snow melts, so ensure you have some sturdy and waterproof boots. Another rest was needed at this point so we sat under a tree for some shade and finished off our beloved Tim Tams, the best source of energy one can have (nice sugar rush). The walk along to The Cross is on the side of the mountain with plenty of snow cover. It is very easy to slip and slide down the side of the mountain so one needs to be careful of where you place your footing.

We arrived at the bottom of Mt Feathertop summit at about 11.30am and we only had 30mins to reach the summit before heading back to the chalet. So we quickly dropped our gear at the bottom and quickly scrambled up the summit. It was quite slippery up on the summit climb with frozen ice and with no snow shoes it made it a bit more difficult. We climbed on rocks and soft snow just to make it to the top. Once we were at the top, we knew that our hard mornings walk had paid off and we had conquered Mt Feathertop, the second highest mountain in Victoria. After taking some panoramas and various shots of the surrounding mountains it was time for the hard slog back to home and comfort.

The walk back was just as hard and since the entire day was quite sunny, a lot of snow had melted so the walk along the sides of the mountains and razorback ridge were quite slippery and extremely muddy. I ran out of water with about an hour to walk, I was tempted to eat the ice just to get some liquid but I managed not to. I couldn’t wait to get back to the Chalet because dinner was awaiting us. I was dying for some orange juice and of course the main meal of spaghetti Bolognese. A well deserved meal after a hard days walk. We arrived back at the Chalet at 5.30pm as it was beginning to get dark. The Bolognese was delicious complemented by a few glasses of juice. A perfect combination.

Sore legs and thighs, aching neck and shoulders, hunger satisfied after the great meal, the next best thing to do was to have an early night for a full day’s skiing the next day!

More photos can be found here.

We started from Sheoak Picnic Area and headed down to Shallow Cave, then we went down to Sheoak falls and then to the coast. From the coast we headed back to Sheoak falls and headed up to Castle Rock. From there we went along the Garvey track and down to the Upper Kalimna falls, down to the Lower Kalimna falls and then back to the car park.

We arrived at Sheoak Picnic Area at about midday and had some lunch in the Picnic area. Sam was enjoying his leg ham and coleslaw sandwich, praising how delicious it was. He was into his second sandwich until some trouble struck. There was a kookaburra sitting on a tree branch above us and watching us eat, there were also many magpies around also. Little did Sam know, that kookaburra was about to spoil his lunch. Sam was about to take a bite into his sandwich, when suddenly the kookaburra, followed by two magpies swooped down and took the sandwich away from Sam’s hands!!!

The kookaburra had actually glided down and cut Sam on the webbing between his finger and thumb and then stole the sandwich. The magpies were only there to scavenge what the kookaburra had left behind. Sam was not happy, and I was cracking up realizing what just had happened and the look on Sam’s face was priceless. I have never witnessed anything like this before in my life. The kookaburra was very brave and must have the nerves of steel to take away food from a hungry man. Luckily the kookaburra flew back onto the tall tree otherwise it probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day again.

After all that fiasco, we finally started our walk. The walk is quite easy and there are plenty of signs about so you would probably find it hard to get lost. The only difficult part of this track is if you detour up to Castle Rock. It’s a steep climb but once you reach the top, its pretty much plain sailing to Kalimna falls and back to the car.

It was very nice day today, sunny and we found it quite humid at the lower parts of the park. We had to remove a number of layers of clothing just to keep cool and drank plenty of water to replenish our thirst and re-hydrate. Summer is drawing near so the walks will become harder once the heat, humidity and sunlight gather momentum. We’ll need to walk with ice packs just to keep cool; they probably don’t exist but we’ll certainly need more water to cool down or perhaps jump into a creek, beach or sit under a waterfall!

We visited three waterfalls along this trek and there were about 5-6 more that we couldn’t visit because we simply had no time. The three waterfalls were all quite different and these were the first waterfalls we have seen on the treks up close and personal. I brought along my new Hoya ND4 filter to try taking some silky smooth waterfall shots and finding the shots to be quite spectacular. I really like this waterfall effect and can’t wait to see higher and more intense waterfalls.

More photos can be found here.

Organ Pipes National Park is situated along the Calder Freeway opposite the Calder Raceway northwest of Melbourne in a suburb called Keilor North. The tracks here are for beginners but there is one area which may be of concern to the walker. The organ pipe track is quite steep especially when you head back up, let those legs burn!

Just before you start the Organ Pipe track, head to the lookout for some valley views. After that head down the steep organ pipe track and head to the Rosette Rock, then to the Tessellated Pavement. From there head to the Organ Pipes and then keep heading left until you reach the creek crossing. Head back to the organ pipes and then finally back up the steep organ pipe road back to the car.

The Tessellated Pavement is just a section of rocks that looks like steps coming from the creek. The Tessellated pavement is in fact the tops of Basalt columns which were formed by lava flow which cooled and solidified over millions of years.

The Rosette Rock sits opposite the creek, it’s a circular rock formation protruding from the valley walls.

The Organ Pipes were formed through volcanic activity. They were created about a million years ago when molten lava flow down the valley which cooled and solidified.

More photos can be found here.

59 to go!

The trek today was close to around 16km and took us 7hrs in total. Today’s trek was grueling and it didn’t help getting lost a few times also. This state park was very sparse so the tracks were not very clear at certain areas hence we would go off track. This killed a lot of our time but the thing we learnt was to always backtrack if the track didn’t look correct.

We started from Mackenzie’s Flat Picnic area and walked along side the Lerderderg River up to Grahams Dam and then made our way to Lerderderg Tunnel and down to Long Point. From Long Point we went along Long Point Track and then back down Blackwood Ranges Track. From there we went down Link Track back to the river and then back through to Grahams Dam and then back to the car.

There were two major ascents and these were two of the toughest climbs I’ve done, it is relentless in its incline and there were literally no flat tracks. It was constantly up and up and it annoyed us somewhat but we eventually got through the pain barrier. From Grahams Dam to Lerderderg Tunnel Access Tack is a tough climb but the climb at Long Point track was the most punishing. It is only 2.2km but it’s about 1.5hrs of pain!

The most dangerous part of this circuit was at the Link Track. The trail here is not well defined and it is incredibly steep. We spent a lot of time here backtracking because some trails didn’t look like trails and some did but took us to the edge of the cliff. We had a real dilemma while we were on this track.

The sun was setting fast over the hills and we were still quite high in the woods but below us we saw the river. So we had to make a decision just to follow a track and then make our way down to the river anyway possible. The hill was steep and there were a lot of loose rocks so we had to be careful as we slid and climbed down the hill side. We had to be quick as well because there was still along way to go back to the car and the darkness was about to descend on us.

We did eventually get down to the river and we knew we were safe once we made it there. Even if it was dark, we could just follow the river back to the car. I believe hikers who get lost often panic and fail to think clearly about the best option to take. We instinctively knew that if we reach the river while light was still around, we would be safe. I’m not sure if hikers who panic would think of this idea.

By the time we got back on track, we were starving and dreamt of dinner that awaited us. We often talked about our endurance and how coped walking for so long, without much breaks or food!! We got to the car at 6pm, sore, cramped and relieved we had made it.

There are plenty of river crossings on this track so make sure you have sturdy boots. I fell into the water a couple of times but my boots kept the water out. The terrain differs greatly; it is very dry at the top, quite slippery from the loose rocks. The track along the river is soft and very easy to walk on. There is also a vehicular track which is blocked off and only allowed for hikers. There is even a dam and flood gates which is for the Melton region.

It was a hard days work, learnt many lessons and very rewarding to complete a very difficult hike. Remember to read the map properly, always bring some food or energy source, backtrack if you think you are going the wrong way and always keep an eye out for the markers.

More photos can be found here.

60 parks to go!!

Today we decided to do the Gorge Circuit which was 10km and said it will take 5hrs. Compared to national parks where the bush is very dense and there is plenty of overhead cover, this park didn’t contain much tree’s so if you decide to do this walk in the summer; it would be extremely hot and uncomfortable to walk.

The Gorge Circuit had two different types of landscape, walking across the top of the hills, it was very dry and baron but there is good views looking out at the farms and lush green valleys. As you descend from the steep hill you walk along side the Werribee river where there is plenty of rock scrambling to do. You can also check out the river and jump on all the rocks that sit in the river.

Sam invited his friend Dan on this TIU trip so we wanted to give him a taste of what to expect on TIU hikes. The day started off with some light rain and thick dark cloud cover which looked like imminent rain was coming down. We made our ascent from the car park to both viewpoints along the top of the hill, it was quite steep but manageable. We stopped by the Western Viewpoint for some lunch and that was when the rain came, along with the cold winds.

After the rain we made our descent to the bottom of the gorge circuit where we walked along side the Werribee River. It’s a very steep descent so you need to be careful you don’t slip on the rocks. Along the river side of the gorge circuit you can find a small beach, large rocks on the opposite side of the river which looked great for rock climbers and quite a number of large rocks sitting in the middle of the river which gives you good photo opportunities.

Just before you reach Meikles Point picnic area, there are ropes bolted to the side of the rocks which you need to grab a hold of to walk along the slippery rocks and narrow ledge. Just be careful you don’t fall into the river. I’ve never seen this feature of any of my walks so far so it was quite unique. After the rope climb, it’s an easy stroll along the Aqueduct then it’s the final ascent to the car park.

We ended up covering about 15km and completed the walk in 3.5hours with plenty of stops for some photographic opportunities, lunch and drinks break. Overall this track is quite good; it offers a wide range of different terrains and landscape. There are quite a number of things to see in this park so get out there. Ensure you have some adequate footwear as parts of this track require sturdy footwear so you don’t slip on the rocks.

More photos can be found in the here.

Carpark – Lake Mountain Summit 1.6km 30mins
Echo Flat Trail -> The Camp 4km
The Camp -> Jubilee Trail 6km
Jubilee Trail -> Woolybutt Trail 2km
Woolybutt Trail -> Upper Muster Trail 0.5km
Upper Muster Trail -> Royston Trail 2km

This week we headed up to the Yarra Ranges National Park to visit the Lake Mountain Resort. Normally you would go to Lake Mountain when it snows and do cross country skiing but we went to walk the entire resort and all the trails before it snowed. There was some snow on the mountain but only in patches and it was slowly melting away.

The trails are quite wide and soft, so its pretty easy to walk and hard to get lost. There wasn’t really anything difficult about this track but it was a good none the less. The first couple of kilometre’s was basking in the sun but as we approached the middle section of the trail, the weather started to turn really cold. We could see the fog and mist rolling in, so as we got to the lookouts and various vantage points we couldn’t see much of the adjoining mountains.

That was the only dissapointing thing about the walk is that we couldnt see much of the scenery. I took a few photos of the mist rolling into the trees, it was somewhat an eary landscape. When the snow falls and the whole resort is covered in snow, it should be much more scenic and quite spectacular.

Just before you reach the Roystan trail you will come across this red circular dome. At first we didnt know what it was but as we got closer we knew this dome was some sort of shelter. On the map it clearly shows this thing as a shelter for first aid, so i guess in blizzard conditions, and you are hurt, you would bunker yourself inside and wait for medics to arrive. Mind you it wasn’t very pleasant inside, so you would need to sit inside patiently and wait for help if you do get injured. Apparently the sign said its only open on weekends!

The circuit took us about 3 hours but we missed out on the Panorama Trail. So before we left we headed up to the Lake Mountain summit to see views of the surrounding mountains. The fog was too thick too see anything so we headed back down and made our way home.

Even though the walk is considered Easy, it would be difficult by doing the track with your ski’s. The trails constantly go up and down like a hump, it would be hard to drag yourself up the inclines with ski’s attached to your leg. The circuit would require alot of indurance and strength, especially in the snow and the cold climate. I might re-do this walk when Lake Mountain has a good downfall of snow and see how we go.

More photos can be found at the photo gallery.

This week i decided to drive down to Kinglake again to revisit the track that we rode our bikes on. The track is located at the Jehosaphat Gully Picnic Area and its a very easy walk and recommended for beginners. The track is very narrow and there are plenty of tree’s that have fallen over so you will need to climb over those.

This track doesn’t allow mountain bikes so do not bring your bike on this track. We happen to accidently cycle down this track because we didn’t see the NO BIKE sign at the start of the track, we only saw it at the end. So do not take the bike on this track, the bike track is located on the Mt Jerusalem Track.

I chose to do this track to do some photography and test out my Nikon D50 DLSR with a lens i had borrowed from a friend. The Nikon D50 was kitted up with the Nikon 50mm F/1.4 AF lens. Basically i wanted to use this lens to take some close up of different objects in the forest and see what results i could get. The lens was good in low light areas and it was good to zoom up on flowers, ferns and fungus on the trees.

The track was pretty damp when i walked along it, the mist in the mornings were quite spectacular. Plenty of ferns get in your way so just brush them off when you go along the narrow track. Once you reach the bridge, you are almost at the end of the track. The creek runs beside the track, so just before you reach the bridge you can go off-track and make your way down to the creek.

After the bridge if you decide to have a rest, its just another quick climb up to the top where the Mr Jerusalem Track starts. If you want, you can continue down this track and if you are prepared for a 6 hr trek around this part of Kinglake National Park then you should do the Everand Circuit which is a 22km track. We’ll be doing this sometime soon to explore this part of the National Park and do something more challenging.

Once you are at the top of the Shelley Harris Track, retrace your footsteps and head back down to the Jehosaphat Gully Picnic Area. Just before you head up to the car park, you might want to do the Lavers circuit which is just a short stroll before you head back to the car.

More photos can be found here.

Day 1
—–

Telegraph Saddle Car Park – Roaring Meg (Including South Point)
17km : 5hrs

Woke up at 5am friday morning and finalised some packing into the ruck sack. The ruck sack had about 30-35kg of stuff in there at least. It didnt feel heavy when i tested it but i could feel the weight over the couple of days at Wilsons Promontory. Picked up Sam and Vince together with their ruck sacks and gear and then ventured out to our first voyage by foot. Arrived at about 11am at the top of the car park along with other hikers who were brave and adventurous as us to take the long trek over easter.

The first leg of the trek took the longest, it was a good 18km but it was an easy-moderate track travelling along the vehicular track. It was quite sunny during the walk and there were plenty of views of the surrounding mountains and national park. As we approached half way hut, we began to tire (as you do) but this tiredness was contributed mainly with the large ruck sacks that we carried. Drank plenty of water, ate a few snacks and a couple of rest points eventually got us to our first camp site, Roaring Meg. After that dualing distance, our feet were literally on fire, it was probably a rush of blood but i could feel the feet blistering quite painfully. Luckily i invested in buying so Leukoplast which is a type of bandage tape to help with my blisters forming. This was definetely the best $10 i’ve spent and saved me from an entirely blistered foot.

After taping up, we unpacked the tent out of the bag and then set it up. It was such a crap tent that i borrowed from a friend. I should have checked it more thoroughly as one of the tent poles was tapped with cement tape which became a nightmare on the last night of the trip! It was still early to cook dinner after preparing the tent so we decided to go for a stroll down to South Point for some nice views of the southern point of the Prom. As we sat there on a boulder looking out to the sea, the weather suddenly turned nasty, and the rain started to bucket down. So walking back with no waterproof gear, we were drenched by the time we arrived back to camp. There were quite a few at this camp site and these were the people who were going to do the same track as us over the 4 days. We occasionally crossed them while they took a rest along the tracks or conversed with them at all the various campsites. Kudos to them!

We were fortunate enough to have the tent already set up so we took it in turns to get changed and stay inside the tent, which ended up being the whole night! We couldnt cook any food as we didnt have any covering for the rain so we ended up having a few biscuits and then went to sleep, this was about 7pm! During the night, things began to turn nasty (weather wise); we began to get water inside our tent, and very large puddles of it. Vince’s sleeping bag was wet, and my sleeping mat was soaked with water by the time i woke up. Little did we know that our tent was pitched between a path where the water from the higher grounds flowed to the bottom, bad mistake!

Day 2
—–

Roaring Meg – Lighthouse – Waterloo Bay
18km : 5.5hrs

It was still raining when we woke up and gingerly got out of our sleeping bags to the cold crisp air of the rain forest. We still couldn’t cook any hot food so we just opened a can of tuna and ate it with some bread as our breakfast and source of energy for the next leg of the trip. The moment it stopped raining we quicky unpitched the tent and put it back into the bag ready for the next camp site. Day 2 was definetely the hardest day of the trek and it was a very painful and long long long walk!

Headed out very early in the morning to the light house along the vehicle track. There was some steep climbs just before the lighthouse but it was manageable with all the gear we had and lack of sleep that we got. We took some good photos at the lookout points before the lighthouse against some very strong gale force winds. The climb up to the lighthouse was daunting, it was literally about a 60degree incline. The biggest mistake was to carry our ruck sacks up there, we should have left it at the bottom of the climb and then walked up there without any gear on our backs. No one will steal our bags anyway because they would have to carry such heavy things for such a long distance, they would think twice! By the time we got up to the light house, we all collapsed on the lawn of some of the houses perched near the lighthouse on top of the hill. We were absolutely spent and wasted!

With sore legs and sore backs, the next part of the hike was the most painful and difficult thing ive ever done. My ruck sack was beginning to feel like a tonne and as we walked up, down, up, up, up the hills and tracks from the lighthouse to Waterloo Bay, it seemed like the track was never ending and to us it was some pretty hard punishment. After hours walking through valley’s and hills, we had arrived at a beach (Waterloo Bay) and thought we were there but only to find out it was another 1hr walk (2.8km) which absolutely killed us. The beach was spectacular, white sandy beach with very nice blue water, it reminded me of Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays. But the water was ice cold and not as warm as its cousin. After sitting down to catch our breathe and feeling sorry for ourselves we had to push forward and finish off the 2nd day. It was such an extremely good feeling reaching Waterloo Bay Camping Grounds with so many tents pitched up and hikers eating, resting their tired legs and it was such a relief that the day’s walk had ended!

The weather had cleared up, so while Sam and Vince started pitching up the tent for the night, i started the stove and cooked our first hot meal. Mmmmm 2-min noodles with spam, tuna and bread. 1 serve was not enough to satisfy our hunger so we came round for seconds. We had run out of ‘fresh’ water to drink so we ended up drinking and cooking with creek water. The water would normally be filtered or boiled before drinking, but we didn’t have that kind of luxury so we drank straight from the creek. It tasted normal but with plenty of floaties in the water, i don’t even want to know what was in there. I was just happy it quenched my thirst and gave me enough energy to walk. The wind that night was calm, and it was 6pm before it was bed time. We were too sore to do anything else and too dark to do anything so off to bed we went. This time was consistent over the 3 nights.

Day 3
—–

Waterloo Bay – Sealers Cove (Including Lookout)
14km : 4.75hrs

I didn’t have such a good night sleep since my sleeping mat was bit damp and my sleeping bag didn’t have enough ventilation so it was very sweaty. I kept waking up at various points so it was not a very good rest after that gruelling day. The weather was a bit cloudy but still it didn’t rain which was a good thing. Before heading out for day 3 we had a hot breakfast with heated baked beans and also spaghetti. I didn’t want to eat the baked beans so i opted for the spaghetti. I should have said no to spaghetti as well because it was horrible, i was just eating tomato soup.

Next leg of the trek was to head from Waterloo Bay to Sealer’s Cove which was pretty much along the coast line with pictureous views of the rocks and white sandy beaches. The first 6.5km was a good walk even though i was pretty sore but of course i had to power on. We headed up to Refuge cove and had a brief look at the top of Kersops Peak. Kersops peak had about a 260 degree view of the promonotory and this was a good oppurtunity to take some photos and some panoramic shots of the entire forests of the southern part of wilsons promontory including the lighthouse.

Its a good idea to park your bags at the bottom of the peak, where the sign is and just walk up there without any gear, we have learned ouRefuge cove was dead calm, and that was where some of the yachts and boats had moored for the night to sleep. We had some lunch (tuna and squashed bread) at the Refuge Cove camping ground and took some time off before heading to Sealers Cove. Along the path to Sealers Cover is Refuge Cove North which was also another nice spot for boat moorings/anchorages and there was quite a few people wetting their lines to catch some fish.

Along the sealers cove path there were some nice lookouts looking back at refuge cove and the white sandy beaches at waterloo bay. From Refuge Cove to Sealers Cove took about 6.5km and 2 hours at least but by the time 1 hr had passed, i began to struggle with my legs cramping up due to the excessive weight of the ruck sack. I couldn’t unload any weight to the others as their bags were full so i had no choice but to lug it along. I was dawdling along while the others were far ahead but by the time i had completely lost all energy we had reached Sealers Cove, which was the best camping spot of the three. Its surrounded boulders, large and small, surrounded by the forest.

We were starving by the time i began cooking again only to find out the stove was broken so we had to resort to the lighter and gas. Usually i didnt need the lighter as the stove would light itself with a spark but the hose has been disconnected. On the menu tonight was our final packets of noodles and spam. This may sound disgusting but when you are hungry and there isn’t any food, everything you can consume taste’s the best.

While i was cooking, Sam and Vince pitched up the tent for the final night but after moments into setting up the tent, the pole where the cement tape was attached snapped so lo and behold, we couldn’t set up the tent with a broken pole. If we hadn’t find a way to pitch the tent, we would have decided to walk the last 10km in the dark. So what we ended up doing was cutting up the broken pole and attaching it to a secondary pole which was shorter and managed to get that to hold and be strong enough to hold the tent. The new pole was much better than the one that was taped so my friend who lent me the tent should be satisfied with this new tent pole.

After eating dinner, it was not 6pm yet so we headed down to the beach and took some photos of Sealers Cove with the tripod. We got some good photos of the mountains and the clouds on top of it as the sun set. As high tide swept through and no one was left on the beach except for the Park Ranger, we headed back to camp. After taking a few photos of the tent, i discovered rubbish all around our tent and realised what had happened since no one else noticed. We had found that a Wombat had being rummaging through our rubbish looking for food and ripping apart all of our rubbish bags. The worst part was that the wombat had decided to munch into our breakfast for day 4! We have yet to find the wombat who did this to us!

Day 4
—–

Sealers Cove – Telegraph Saddle Car Park
10.2km : 3hrs

The final night was another sleepless night, the ventilation inside my sleeping bag was getting worst so i didn’t have much sleep. All i could hear all night was wombats running past my head. We had to get up early on the final day to cross the creek. Unless you want to get wet, you need to cross the creek at low tide so after some morning beach photos of the sun rising, i got back to camp and helped the boys pack up the camp site and headed back to the car park. We didn’t have any breakfast that morning because of the stupid wombat eating all our bread the previous night.

This took a toll on Sam, as he was absolutely spent on the final leg to the car park. We had one can of tuna left so he dug into that for some source of energy to complete the final stage. The final day was only 10km and i was extremely energetic even without breakfast as i couldn’t wait to finish off the trek and was dying for the food at the end of the track. That was enough motivation for me to slug it out on the final 3 hours of the journey. The crossing of the creek was quite easy as the water was shallow and it was an easy few hops to get to the other side. After walking across the beach we headed up the swamp and walked along the wooden track for a good 45mins for our first break. We then headed up to the glades for our 2nd break and a further 20mins up to the windy saddle where we took a long break so Sam could regather his strength.

The last leg from Windy Saddle to the car park was a further 45mins and my legs began to cramp up especially on the down hill sections. The moment we saw the cars parked in the car park, we knew we had done it, completed it, conquered the southern part of Wilsons Promonotory. It was an awesome feeling to finally say we didn’t have to walk any further or camp another night. The trip had come to an end, and after 60km’s and 4 days in the bush, 3.5hrs drive from the city, we tucked into some well deserved pizza’s and jugs of lift!

Nursing sore legs, thighs, ankles, shoulders, back and blisters, memories of the past 4 days, the painful reminder of the trek and the achivement of conquering such a gruelling walk, one may ask, would you do this again? The simple answer would be, HELL YEAH!

More photos can be found here.

I thought this trek was going to be quite easy with not many climbs but i did underestimate it a tiny bit! I blame it on the ruck sack . We recently bought ruck sacks so we brought that along for this trip just to test out how comfortable it would sit on our back and see if we could keep it on for the entire duration of the trek. I’ve got a 70L ruck sack so instead of carrying an empty bag, i filled up a 5Litre container of water just to give it a bit of weight so i could wear it around and give myself some training.

We started by walking along Wallaby Trail and then took a left turn down to Running Creek Track, a right turn would have led us to the Masons Falls. But we left the waterfalls as a reward when we finished the trip! The track is pretty wide and you could easily ride a mountain bike down this track (maybe the entire track) but i think mountain biking is limited to only a portion of the track. Walking down the Running Creek Track, there were some nice little rivers running along the side with slow streams.

Since the depth of the water is shallow, we took the opportunity to take some photos of the water ways. The three main water/streams are the Femy Nook, Hazel Glade and the Tryst. All of which you pass during your trek down the Running Creek Track and they are visible by searching for the signs.

Theres some nice views of the valley and dense bush filled with plenty of lush green ferns overhanging parts of the track. As you reach closer to Sugar Loaf Road, the track starts to become relatively rocky and the climbs get much steeper. Even though you have plenty of shade from the overhanging tree’s, once you reach the top you will be soaked in sweat and hanging for so much needed water.

At this point, it was just about 15mins till we reach Mount Sugarloaf and we were looking forward to a nice view. The climb up was pretty easy but once we reached the top, it was a very thwarted lookout. It wasn’t even a lookout, it was just a bunch of tables and a sign that said ‘Mount Sugar Loaf 550m Above Sea Level’. Who Cares? The only thing you could see is just the silhouette of the Melbourne City through a mirage of trees. This was the most unrewarding trek to the top of a mountain and so after succumbing to the disappointment, we started heading back down for the much anticipated waterfalls and hoped it was more exciting then this sign!

The walk down along the Sugar Loaf Ridge Track was quite easy. We trekked through some rugged bush but it had some nice views of tree’s mixed with ferns and various other shrubs. We took this opportunity to take more photos while the sun was out. Once we reached the Rangers Office, we were back to where we started, usually that would be the end of the trek but we had to do the whole circuit, the entire leg of this area and say we have conquered all the tracks at this place.

Our final leg of the track was Wallaby Trail which goes around the back of the National Park and sits opposite a farm with herds of cows running around. The sun was setting fast and we saw plenty of kangaroos. There were some fairly large ones skipping into the bush. We even encountered a Lyre bird which scooted across the walking track and into the bush trying to hide from us. It was getting quite dark and we were literally starving.

Got back to the rangers office at 6pm, only to find out that the National Park was meant to close at 5pm so the ranger luckily waited an hour for us so he could close and lock the gate! No where did it say the opening and closing times of a National Park. Why would you lock the gates? Im sure some people might want to do some night bush walking.

We left pretty early in the morning with all the camping gear required for the 3 days we were going to stay at the Grampians National Park. Tents, foldable chairs, pocket knives, portable gas stoves were just a few of our equipment that were listed on the ‘things to bring’ list. The only thing we were missing and most crucial was of course the food.

Took us about an hour or so to drive to Ballarat where we stocked up on food for the 3 days. On the shopping list were noodles in a box, assorted types of tuna and bread. From Ballarat it was another hour to Ararat and then about 40 mins or so to Halls Gap.

After arriving at the Halls Gap caravan park, we pulled out the tent and started to assemble what was going to be our sleeping quarters for the 2 nights we were there. The tent was a 3-man annex tent and it took us quite a while to pitch it up, as it required so many pins to keep it secure and stable if the winds decide to play up which it eventually did on night 2. The ground where we pitched the tent was quite dry and the surface was quite hard so sleeping on it wasnt very comfortable. Your back will feel very stiff in the morning, thats why people normally bring along air mattresses or just a foam mattress.

It was a really hot day that day and the sun was out and about with not much cloud in the sky, so i thought we’d head to Mt Arapiles for the rest of the afternoon to see why these rock climbing mountains were so famous. Mt Arapiles were about 1.5hr away from Halls Gap and it lies between Melbourne and Adelaide, i would say its about half way. Just before heading to Mt Arapiles, we decided to go to Reeds lookout to have a take a few photos of the surrounding Grampians National park. In order to get some good shots, we had to break some rules and jump the lookout fence and climb to the adjoining rock ledges.

I brought along my new Nikon D50 camera for this trip just to capture some nice landscape photos, and upon arriving to Mt Arapiles, i knew i was in for a treat. The mountain was quite specatacular with plenty of walls and rock faces to climb. Plenty of enthusiastic climbers were camped in the area and it was definetely the place to be for a rock climber.

While watching a few people climbed, we took many photo’s and couldn’t help ourselves but to climb up to the top without ropes or climbing gear. We headed towards a small track which lead to a bunch of rocks and few boulders which looked like a nice easy climb, well it was. Sam encountered what was the biggest spider web ever, it was about 1.2 metre in diameter and in the middle sat an orange spider with a white back, possibly a white tail spider. I’d need someone to i.d for me. This of course blocked our way on some of the climbs, i guess it was a warning to say ‘do not pass this point!’ so we ended up heading the opposite way. As we ascended higher to the top, the climbs started getting a bit more challenging especially without ropes but it was all worth it with a nice view from the top.

Of course that wasn’t enough so we headed back down to head to the other side of Mt Arapiles where the extreme rock climbers were. They were scaling very large rock faces and climbing into caves, which looked like a lot of fun and got me revved up. We approached the main mountain and rock face where the climbers would usually ascend/descend from in order to climb the difficult parts of Mt Arapiles. However to reach the particular climbs at the top, it was not easy, in fact it is hairaising since you had to climb the face without ropes for a good 60-80m to reach the top before you can walk through a valley and reach climbs that are somewhat more challenging. We met two climbers going down the rock face and chatted to them for a bit.

They graded the climb without ropes quite trivial so of course I attempted it because i wanted to get to the top and take some nice photos. Sam without hesitation didn’t want to do anything with it so he went for a walk around the rock faces to explore, while i made my way up the rock face without any gear whatsoever. There are parts of the climb where chains are bolted to the rock, in order to get across you need to hold on to the chain and pull yourself up and across the rock ledge. Its very dangerous but it got the blood pumping and the adrenalin going. I found it to be quite fun, especially on the climb down, you can just see over the rock face and its very hard to see your next foot hold is, so you need to find a good rock to grab on to and just be careful!

As the sun decided to set over the peak of Mt Arapiles, we decided to pack up the camera and head straight back to camp. We insisted on making some noodles for dinner but was just too tired to whip out the stove, so it was just bread rolls and tuna, mmm mmmmm!

— Day 2 —

The next day was upon us when flocks of cockatoos screamed in angst so early in the morning and kookaburra’s laughing all morning even before the sun rose. My back was ruined as i slept on a rock all night and i was starving, so i decided to get up and start digging into those noodles boxes. After breaky we headed down to Mt Abrupt for our first proper trek. Mt Abrupt was good 3-3.5hr walk with magnificent views of the Grampians. Plenty of walkers on the track and even though it was a 38 degree day, it was quite cool up there with the howling winds. Luckily the sun was tucked away behind the clouds so it made the trek a bit more comfortable.

The climb to Mt Abrupt was rated medium-hard with plenty of rock scrambling to reach to the top. Took plenty of photos at the very top of the valley, the mountains and the dry farms. My boots were nice and sturdy but the front of the shoe is starting show scuff marks, too much kicking the rocks!

Headed back into Halls Gap and headed straight to the information centre to find out if there are any waterfalls opened that can be walked to. Remember the Grampians was recently burnt out with a massive bushfire so a large portion of the forest was char grilled and road access to certain places have been closed off, regarded as too dangerous. No waterfalls were opened even though theres about 14 so we decided up to head up to Hollow Mountain for the afternoon to see the rock formations and caves.

The drive to Hollow Mountain wasn’t easy, it was a 30km orange, rough, dirt track that was punishing on the car, especially the tyres and suspension. Lucky it hadn’t rained yet or else the car would have been quite dirty.
Hollow mountain was a 1-2 hr trip depending on what you want to see and explore. The start of the climb is purely sand and the remainder of the track becomes a rock climb. You climb boulders and walk on rock ledges to reach the very top. There are a few caves you can walk into and have a look at but the rock formations and views are excellent. Theres also plenty of chalk marks on the rocks and inside the caves signalling that some climbers have been here and tried to boulder. After a rainfall the rock pools on the mountains would look magnificent but its been so dry lately that the rock pools are just full of sand and dirt.

The weather on the way back to camp wasn’t looking very good. It was very dull and cloudy. Imminient rain was upon us but it was only a matter of when. The wind gusts began to pick up and it was a ghastly reminder of how scary the winds can be. Upon arriving at base camp things began to get nasty, the winds were screaming at about 100km/h and sand storms were blowing hard, picking up rocks, sticks and anything in its path. Tents were being toppled and many people decided that enough was enough and decided to pack up and head home, a wise choice indeed!

Being the adventurers that we are, we decided to stay and battle the elements. I had forgotten to close my tent that day (well the inner layer) so when the wind gusts pick up the sand and hammer it into the tents, plenty of sand filled my tent. It was basically a pit of sand by the time i had realised that the tent was still opened. So instead of sleeping on the sand, i covered some parts of it with a towel and just slept on it for the night. During the night the winds toppled the tent and by morning it had collapsed and pretty soak with rain. Sam didn’t want to sleep in the sandy tent so he slept in my car.

— Day 3 —

Packing up the tent was a nightmare. The previous night had rained about 6mm and the winds just blew so much sand on to the tent so everything became muddy. We pulled out about 20 pegs and slowly began to fold and wrap up the tent. This was going to be a nightmare to wash so its still in its bag and awaiting to be washed if it ever will be!

Straight after packing the tent and cleaning up we headed up to Mt William, the highest point at the Grampians with 360 degree views of the national park. It takes about 45 mins to walk up to the top with plenty of views once you arrive. Heaps of people were walking this track as it was just a road track but no cars allowed up there. Since it was an easy climb we decided to do it in our thongs. Once you arrive at the top there is a plaque which tells you which mountains are which and in which direction they are. The 360 degree view was splendid but it was a bit cold up there and it was a very overcast morning. Worth the trip up there to take some landscape photos of the Grampians.

Before leaving the Grampians we decided to have a look at Bellfield Lake and take some final photos. The lake looked a bit dry and there wasn’t much going on. It’s too cold to swim in the lake and you weren’t allowed to do any boating in there. You can see the entire lake from the walking track to the quarry. The track is about 1km in length and has good views of the valley towards the Northern end of the Grampians.

Overall it was quite a good trip and we covered alot of the Grampians even though it was badly burnt out. We were a bit dissapointed in not seeing any waterfalls and also the Grand Canyon. All waterfall accesses were closed and the Grand Canyon track were closed. We took over 400 photos and climbed many mountains so it was an excellent trip.

More photos can be found below.

Grampians AND Arapiles

We started at Fingal Picnic area and started to head towards cape Schank. Seeing that the track was easy we decided to be more adventurous and detour off the track and climb down the mountain to look at the beach and rock formations. The sign clearly said “Warning : Eroding Cliffs Access Beyond Here Can Be Dangerous”. To Sam and myself it only meant one thing, it meant “if you climb down this area, you will see some spectacular rock formations eroded by the wind and waves”. It was a very steep descent and quite slippery since its just dirt. We took about an hour to explore the rocks and caves, and watched the thunderous waves pound the rocks. It’s pretty scary the amount of power a wave can produce. There is no chance you could survive if you fall into the water, the waves and current would smack you senseless against the rocks. We headed back up and it was very punishing indeed. We met a friendly bushwalker Dominic and his friend Lily and we spent about 10 mins talking to him. He had great insight on Pythagorus and Buddism and enlightened us with his philosophy.

After that quick education we went back on track and headed towards Cape Schank for the board walk and some well needed lunch. This time I made rolls with three different types of ham covered in salad and mayo. There was a kiosk just before the start of the board walk so we got some cold drinks as a reward for adventuring down towards the rock. The board walk joins about 3 small mountains together and it extends down towards the beach and rock pools. Takes about 10 mins to trek down and there were quite a crowd around enjoying the scenery. We saw a seal perched on a rock, I thought it was dead but Sam thought otherwise as it winked at him. Poor seal looked weak and was slowly dieing.

To get away from the crowds we decided to walk on and around the rocks and made sure we didnt get too close to the thundering waves that hit the rocks every few seconds. We arrived at quite a splendid paradise with gorgeous rock pools everywhere which occasionally were refilled by a huge washing machine where waves crashed and white water receded. It was quite a view. Since the rock pool was so nice, i had no other choice but to take off my gear, get changed and took the plunge! The water was really nice, not as cold as i expected, Sam looked a bit jealous as he didnt have any spare change of clothes or any snorkelling gear at hand.

It was getting quite late into the afternoon and there was still a section of the track that we hadn’t walked yet so we set off down to Bushrangers Bay to look at some more rock pools and to see the beach. Along the way to the bay Sam almost stepped on some sort of creature along the side of the track, after a close look at the creature, it turned out to be a SNAKE. Luckily he didn’t get bitten otherwise we’d be in serious trouble especially for Sam. The rock pools at Bushranger Bay was much more exotic then the ones we had encountered earlier. They were much deeper and bigger. I could do with one of these natural swimming pools in my back yard.

By the time we headed back and retraced the same route we were both awfully sore around the legs. I was worse off with 2 blisters on both heels and 2 underneath both feet. Sam suggested we jog the entire trip back because ‘it works different muscles of the leg’ but of course i couldn’t walk let alone jog so that idea was thrown down the cliff. After walking so long with poor choice of shoes, these blisters would have appeared to be my downfall but i powered on for another 2hours before reaching and retracing the initial route. We got to the car at about 7 and both were clearly ruined with the extremely long trek. I wonder if our long easter trek will be as demanding!

More photos can be found here.

It was a bright sunny day and having packed delicious chicken rolls we were looking forward to reaching the summit of Mt Donna Buang for lunch. On the way there we saw a Suburu Forrester catching on fire at Healesville. There were heaps of bike riders around but they were oblivious to what was happening, only motorist driving by could see the undercarriage of the car catching on fire. We took this fire incident as a sign of things to come on the trek up to Mt Donna Buang as it will be literally punishing on the legs (calfs and ligaments on fire) as previously experienced at Cathedral. More signs of things to come were the amazing rainforest/tree view coming up to Mt Donna Buang, it looked pictureous like something out of Canada, with its dense bush covering the horizon as we made our way into the heart of the trek.

Sam couldn’t wait for the Rainforest Gallery walk, which was basically a canopy tree top walk extending to another board walk through the rainforest with information signs around briefing us on the rainforest and really stupid nature quotes. It wasn’t anything spectacular so it was a big dissapointment. After tucking in a tuna roll and some don kabana, we headed to the mouth of the walk, checked the time and started out descent to the summit.

The terrain of this track was very soft and damp, as the track is tucked in the middle of the rainforest. With large ferns covering the track, ancient tree’s towering over us and a creek flowing down beside us we were looking forward to this track as we were surrounded in the midst of a lush forest. We realised this track hasn’t been explored by anyone for some time because of the amount of spider webs that were in our way and on all the ferns. We had to use a stick to wave around so we could destroy the webs to continue the trek to the summit. Sam kept on jumping backwards because of the size of the spider webs. It was a very steep climb to the top, we were constantly ascending with no flat surfaces so it was punishing on the legs. We were sweating bucket loads because of the humidity and using so much energy to tackle the steep climb. There were many ancient trees blocking our path that have crashed down to earth because of old age, so we had to climb over them or crawl under them.

After a good hour of climbing we reached a section of the track which was just full of bush and plants. You could hardly see the track. Sam was leading from the front and since he had shorts on, all you could hear was him screaming and swearing because of the plants pricking him. There were these plants which were purple in color and had some thorns sticking from the stems. After running and brushing these ferns we both were stung and felt a very strange sensation for about 5 mins. Its a bit of a sting with a mix of numbness and some pins and needles. That section of the track should really be cut down, the ranger should bring in the WHIPPER SNIPPER! The track became fairly flat after that section and there were no more really steep climbs beyond that. Having reached the summit we arrived at this metal structure which was a viewing platform which you can climb and see all the mountains in a 360 degree view NORTH, EAST, SOUTH and WEST. There were quite a few families around but we felt they cheated because they drove up to the summit rather then walking it. Those lazy bastards!

We took a few panaromic shots of all the mountains on top of the viewing platform, ate our chicken rolls and rested for a bit. We weren’t looking forward to walk back down the track to those plants but we had no other choice! We were constantly surrounded by big ass March Flies giving us the shits. They were probably attracted to our sweat but they were irritating so instead of walking down the steep track, we decided to run down some parts of the track. We didn’t think anything of the walk down but instead thought about the reward at the bottom, a bottle of berry ice powerade and a peters icecream. Just before reaching the car I brushed my forearm on a fern and somehow it burnt my arm (thats what it looks like) with the shape of an arrow. I still have the mark on my forearm so its my battle scar for conquering Mt Donna Buang!

You can view the gallery as well.