Camping in Victoria

Monday 11^th Jan - Day 203

It is 2.00 a.m and we are in the tent. There is a strange sound outside which sounds vaguely like rain falling but nothing is landing on the tent. I have a look outside and see that it is only the site maintenance team (about 50 large kangaroos) that are plucking up the longer tufts of grass and converting them into small black cylinders.

We are about 150 miles north-west of Melbourne. It is hot – 29 degrees today - and perfect for camping. The camp is full of wildlife - white cockatoos (correllas) who run the site, red and blue parrots that seem to be in charge but only until the correllas swarm in and take over.

There are thousands of butterflies – but only three different species as far as I can tell.

Our camp site is just outside Halls Gap in the Grampians, a small group of mountains that rise up to about 4000ft. We are five days in to our first stint of camping having bought about £200 worth of camping gear. We hired a car and drove west from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. With some trepidation as we had not camped for about 8 years and then only in very warm conditions in the south of France. We were uncertain as to whether our old bones would cope.

Our first night was very frustrating as every camp-site in Torquay (yes you will recognise a few place names) was full and we ended up in a cabin. It turned out to be a good decision as the cabin was very good and it gave us a chance to sort out our 'gear'. Torquay is the surfing capital of the world' – almost all Australian towns have some claim to fame such as this. For example, Kojunnup in West Australia was the 'first shire to have 1 million sheep'. Anyway, Torquay boasts the invention of the wet suit – I bet you didn't know that. Intriguingly, the inhabitants – as represented at the local supermarket – hardly looked like surfers. More like bouyancy aids.

Along the coast a little, past Anglesey, is the Cape Otway State Park where we found a very isolated site – just a few cabins and tents and a lot of Koalas in the trees above us.

Bimbi Camp Site

Koala on Beach

We also managed to do some hiking. A 12km walk along part of the Great Ocean Walk took us up to Airlie Inlet (not at all like coastal paths in the UK but very pleasant).

Airlie Inlet

We saw only one small snake – although other walkers said they had seen a big 'red belly' (I don't know what that is either but it sounds worrying). However, the national statistics show only a handful of deaths through snake bites in the last decade so it is hardly a big risk.

Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Road

Our journey along the coast took us past the 12 Apostles. These 13 (?) limestone stacks, isolated from the cliffs as the cliffs erode, are an outstanding visual experience. As ever, the photos can't really so it justice but give a flavour of what you see.

Our first full day here in the Grampians has been so good that we have booked two more nights. We hiked up to The Pinnacle this morning – setting off early before the sun was too strong. Stunning views but the walk up the creek to the top was equally spectacular. Every bit as good as walking in

Yosemite – and apart from the view point at the top, which is near a car park, equally empty.

The Pinnacle in the Grampians

18^th January

After another wonderful hike up Mount Rosea we moved on from the Grampians. We were pretty exhausted by the temperature at the end of the walk – 38 degrees – and a state-wide fire ban, with advice not to hike in the bush persuaded us to move on.

Mount Rosea

Fire is an ever present danger here although it is an essential feature in the life cycle of the forests. The Grampians were devastated by fire only 3 years ago yet the forest is once again full of large healthy trees. The nature of the eucalypts is such that the bark is burnt but the inner core of the tree survives and new limbs grow rapidly from the old trunk. Some trees do die in the fire but this only gives more light to these remaining.

Our journey to Castlemaine (no evidence of the 4X brewery if it ever existed), took us through Moyleston, a small town of about 200 people but with the claim to fame of being the birth place of Aussie Rules Football. In Maryborough the car's temperature gauge reached 44 degrees. Contrary to popular belief it is not just the English that state the obvious regarding the weather. Australians rarely miss a chance to tell you that 'it's a hot one today' even though the perspiration is running down your neck. We decided to an air conditioned cabin. Ours is more camping for softies with a limited range of suitable climatic conditions that exclude ridiculously high temperatures

We are now back in the hills but this time the Yarra Range north-east of Melbourne, and now with a campervan that we have rented for a week.

We have this fantasy that we might one day buy a campervan back home and drive along country roads all over Europe at low speeds irritating all other road users, so we thought we might try it out here.

We are on our second night and so far it has been pretty good. Although our 'van is quite small (2 persons with toilet and shower) it has all the essentials and thankfully we have not yet experience any campervan culture in the campsites. Our fear was always that 'experienced' campervanners would share their concerns for 'the reciprocated stop valve used in the grey-water by-pass system' (or something equally boring)

19th January

Today we reached Maryville and Lake Mountain high up in the Yarra Ranges. Wonderful butterflies, exceptional views. This whole area is the water catchment for Melbourne and closed tot he public - except for a few access road and trails.