Hi. Your correspondent in the field went to stay in Hall's Gap and go for a some day walks in Western Victoria's Grampians / Gariwerd N.P.. There was no snow or skiing involved but some spring adventure was to be had walking the rocky and sometimes remote terrain. The Asses Ears walk and the Staplyton Loop hike were the highlights .These were wild and not quite so over populated and "nanny stated " as the usual tourist friendly walks to the The Balconies, Mackenzie's Falls, Paddy's Castle and The Pinnacle happen to be. The view from The top of Mt Duwil ( Mt. William) on a clear day is always worth the walk up the service road and overall the weather was rather good. Also with me was my lady friend from N.Y.C. She is not a hill walker, trekker, XC skier, cyclist , surfer or distance swimmer. She did huff and puff going up these hills but she seemed to appreciate the wildlife and wildflowers and the wide open spaces.
Day 1. MacKenzie's Falls,The Balconies, Asses ears walk, Burrong Falls and Paddy's Castle. A day tour in the Tee mobile with short walks starting from on 2 WD and 4 WD dirt tracks as well as on black top roads. The Tee Mobile was fine on those 4 WD sections. They are not for 2WD street cars with street tyres at all. Only The Asses ears is still like the Grampians were for walkers like me 25 years ago. No signs, slightly over grown, no risk averse warnings, no hand rails, no metal walkways, no steel staircases and only a series of cairns marking the foot track from the 4 WD track to the top . Somebody did a good job with the cairns and so the route has a real wilderness feel. http://www.fedwalks.org.au/files/2016_Walk_Sheets/Walk_Description_-_Asses_Ears.pdf In decades gone by we used to sit on the ledge/Jaws of The Balconies. One day it seemed it would collapse what with so many tourists seeking to take a photo with themselves perched on that precipice .So Parks Vic. Have fenced it off and avoided the prospect of ambulance chasing lawyers getting anywhere near the scene of the would be accident.
Scenes from the Asses Ears walk. http://www.fedwalks.org.au/files/2016_Walk_Sheets/Walk_Description_-_Asses_Ears.pdf The small headwaters of Rose Creek were flowing near the trailhead which is marked with two big cairns by the roadside, so water was not far away if you happened to require water.
Day 2. The Pinnacle walk including the Grand Canyon and Silent street, Lake Bellfield and Mt. Duwil( Mt. William).We started early up the Grand Canyon and were possibly some of the first of many walkers to arrive there. Later in the day the foot route and the car park were both crawling with people.
Day 3 While Ms. NYC stayed in Hall's Gap I went off to do some proper bushwalking away from the crowds. The photographs show :The Mt.Zero Road ; Manja Cave /Indigenous people's art site and the Staplyton Loop. Early in the day it was cool and clear and I saw an emu cross the dirt road. The Staplyton loop is about 13 kms in total. The first 6 kms going anti clockwise were more challenging with the track becoming hard to find in places, rock scrambling , bush bashing and some fallen trees etc. to slow down progress. Once on the well marked summit trail it was simple to follow . The Cave where I took my lunch offered a very scenic vantage point while offering shade and solitude. The final return route past the Bird Rock, The Taipan Wall and The Mount Of Olives was easy to follow and walk on . The weather was becoming quite warm nay hot for walking on all those rocks with no shade . I completed the walk in 5.5 hours and was back at the car at Staplyton campsite at 1515.I found the water tank at the campsite was dry/empty and I had consumed nearly all of my 3 Litre water bladder . The drive back to Hall's Gap was very scenic and dusty.
Day 4. Heading home. Views of the Southern Grampians from the Hamilton to Ballarat Highway near Dunkeld in SW Vic. Ms. NYC saw an Emu on the drive just outside of Hall's Gap. She was pleased. The Grampians in Spring have much to offer.
