Budawangs

The original intention for this walk was to follow a long used track starting at the Endrick River entrance on the western side of the Budwangs area of Morton National Park. However, this entailed crossing private property and the owner has recently blocked access. So an alternative from the same starting spot was taken, via the Alum Track. It is written up in a guidebook and although part was marked on the map as a route; I assumed that plenty of walkers would have gone this way and a reasonably easy to follow pad, possibly with markers would be there. No sign of a pad existed when we reached the Flat Top Mountain area, so we followed the notes to the top where the view down to Running Creek was enough to cause serious doubts about heading to an area of several creek crossing with unknown scrub. The guide book did mention open sections, but they have either overgrown or we could not locate them; except for a very short wet one. The scrub at the creeks was thick and slowed our progress down even more. Several heathy sections were easy enough to negotiate by weaving through the most open bits. Fortunately when we reached the Square Top Track it was not long before we reached an upper tributary of Running Creek that was living up to the name. A nice clearing was close by too, so we were able to set up camp and cook before dark set in.
It was over 2.5 k to the junction with main track near the Foster Mountain turnoff. We climbed Foster, where we got the first views of the cliffs of the mountains of the Budwangs. The previous day was mostly fine, except when a period of showers arrived during the afternoon, but today and the next two were delightfully sunny and mild. Back on the track it became narrow and at times there was a bit of scrub ducking and weaving, plus a couple of scrubby creek crossing. For most of the afternoon we were out on plains with a number of tree belts and the views were superb. The cliffs of Mount Hoddle were impressive with huge cave like chunks within them, whist Quiltys and Sturgiss Mountains were equally dramatic.

Photo album Part 1

Budawangs Part 1 Fosters to Styles Creek

 

 
The campsites at Styles Creek were described as a bit degraded, but perhaps they now get less use, for they seemed in good order. Perhaps this and time may have healed things. The track from there north was better than what we had been on the previous day, until we encountered lots of fallen trees. Hidden Valley was the first diversion for the day and this was a track that wound a way through a gap in Sturgiss Mountain to a small valley surrounded by cliffs. Our notes indicated that a track should continue through to a clearing, but we found it took a while to find the last bit of pad and were unable to locate any clearing amongst the scrubby interior. On the other hand the pad to the aboriginal Bora ground on Quiltys Mountain was quite obvious and easy to follow. From here we also had views down the valley of the Kilpatrick Creek to Pigeon House Mountain and the huge buttresses of the mountains in that direction.
A wide track through forest was followed through The Vines region to meet the first crossing of the Endrick River after which a suitable campsite was found. The final day was a three hour walk with an ever widening valley and plenty of flowers to the second crossing of the Endrick and then a short walk to the car.
 

Photo album Part  2

 

Budawangs Part 2 Styles Creek to Endrick River

Kangaroo Island and The Mallee

 

Kangaroo Island

Cape Borda

We heard the wind howling during the night at Cape Jervis and were a little worried about the crossing to Kangaroo Island, however the trip over was not too bad at all. On the north coast is Stoke Bush Garden and it a most pleasant couple hours was spent there. Our stop for the night was at a cottage at Cape Borda lighthouse station where we had the place to ourselves.

Ravine des Casoars

The western end of Kangaroo Island had been ravaged by fire in 2007 and prolific regrowth was everywhere, including our Ravine des Casoars walk.

Ravine des Casoars

 

Flinders Chase

Another historic cottage was used for the next three nights,; in this case the diminutive Postmans Cottage in Flinders Chase NP. A morning walk was made to Rocky River followed by an afternoon to the lower part of the river where it entered the Southern Ocean. This was quite a photogenic walk with the river having many rock features and flowers.
The popular features of Admirals Arch, with lots of seals, and Remarkable Rocks were visited late in the afternoon.

Rocky River

Hanson Bay

Our longest walk on Kangaroo Island was in the Kelly Hill Reserve through nice bushland to Grassland Lakes and onto Hanson Bay.

Hanson Bay

Murray Lagoon

To start with this walk on the way to catch the ferry at Penneshaw looked like it might be quite uninteresting, because of the farm like start, but flowers and close views to the birds (mostly swan) on the lagoon lifted it somewhat.

Murray Lagoon

 

Mallee Country

Gluepot and Hattah Kulkyne

The hills of the Fleurieu Peninsula included a stop at Hanhdorf before they suddenly ended with a view of flat plains. A stop for a couple of nights in the mallee at the bird reserve at Gluepot and then over the mallee country at Hattah Kulkyne in Victoria for a night there. From there it was the long drive to Canberra.

 

Mallee Country

South Western Victoria

On approaching Hamilton many of the farms had dry rock walls surrounding paddocks, rather than wire fences; it was amazing the work that must have gone in to it.
First walk was to Mount Napier, which is the site of a volcano and at the summit there is the remains of the crater. More impressive though was Budj Bim also known as Mount Eccles National Park, for here one of the craters is filled with the waters of Lake Surprise and as well there are old lava canals snaking over the land.
A photo album of the Budj Bim park

Budj Bim - Mount Eccles

We arrived on the coast at Portland, and not far from there is the Cape Nelson State Park. On driving there the first dramatic feature was the numerous wind turbines right up to the boundary of the reserve. Once we started walking the swishing sound of the turbines was quite noticeable; at first we thought it was a plane flying over. The walk was a circuit through the mallees to the cliff edge then along the edge to a lighthouse. The track continued on before crossing through a tunnel of vegetation back to the car.
A photo album of the Cape Nelson park

Cape Nelson

Northern and Southern Grampians

After the Victoria Range we went on the Halls Gap where the highlight was climbing Mt Garr.

On the way to Mt Garr

Cliffs of Mt Garr

 

Climbing  to Mt Garr

Summit ridge of Garr looking to rocky tor

We also went to Chinamans Wall where there were obvious signs of rockclimbing hardware (bolts dried in walls and white powder marks)

Domes Chinamans Wall

Finally it was down to the southern end of the Grampians and a climb up Murdajdoog (Mt Abrupt)

 

Signal Peak from Mt Abrupt

On the way to Mt Abrupt - Murgadjoog

Western Grampians Area

From Canberra we travelled south west to cross the Murray River at Barham, where the river was to the top of the bank.

River Murray at Barham

Our first park to visit was Djurite (Mt Arapiles) where we were surprised by the large numbers of rock climbers camped there. Apart from the cliffs it is a place of nice flowers.

Mint bush below cliffs at Arapiles

Rock climbers camp at Arapiles

Next came Burrunj (Black Range) again featuring cliffs and wildflowers.

Burrunj cliffs

In the Victoria Range is the spectacular Fortress

Fortress

Fortress

And a little further south on the range is the Chimney Pots

Chimney Pots cliffs