Location suggestions for 3 day trip in VIC

[jonaldieri]

I am new to Australia and am working a temporary job in Melbourne. I rarely get time off and want to spend these 3 days and 2 nights enjoying some time away from the city. I don't have a lot of gear (75L pack, boots, hammock, climbing shoes) so suggestions on gear hiring or places to stay will be great. More importantly, I am looking to you all for suggestions on places to go that are reasonably easy to get to by train/bus and that you have enjoyed. I am a little overwhelmed at the seemingly endless possibilities for nature excursion here and just want to make the most of my opportunity.

[bernieq]

Welcome to Australia and Melbourne.

There are a good few gear-hire places in Melbourne. If on the eastern side, you might try Outsports in Moorabbin (easy walk from the train station). There are 5 bushwalking shops in that immediate area (Outsports, Mountain Design, Kathmandu, Macpac, Snowgum).

As for overnight walks accessable by public transport, Lerderderg Gorge is one option (lots of references on this website). However, consider joining a bushwalking club - you would then be able to tap into local knowledge and get access to walks further afield in shared transport. Most clubs have gear that can be borrowed/hired as well.

Here is a link to Victorian clubs

[ErichFromm]

Yes - welcome buddy.

Not having your own transport is a little limiting. Some of the best places to hike are out north east way (Mt Hotham, Mt Bulla, Mt Bogong) and most of it is accessible by car only.

One option might be to get a bus up to Harrietville, up to Mt Hotham, across the Razorback and various paths, and end by walking back down to Harrietville via Federation hut. Maybe wait until the snow has cleared so you don't need specialist gear.

As Bernieq suggested - a club is always good. Or if you post early enough you could get someone with transport to go with you. I go every couple of months and wouldn't mind giving someone a lift...

[jonaldieri]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Some exciting advancements have come up. I now have 4 days and 3 nights off. And I'm seriously considering renting a car or RV with some friends (also might have a friend with a car) so that really is not an issue anymore.

[Hallu]

Having only a hammock and no sleeping bag, that's really limiting. You can get some 4 person tents for not much at Big W or K-Mart. They're rubbish, but if you don't want to invest in a big 600 $ tent because it's only gonna be for this time then it'll do the job.

Now you need to tell us when you intend to do this trip. Obviously you can't go to the Alpine area right now because you'd have to pay some fees to enter the resorts, many roads are still closed, and there's snow in the summits, not ideal for a beginner.

September would be a great month to enjoy the Mallee country. There is a 3 day walk in Murray Sunset national park, in semi-arid country. Plenty ,of kangaroos, emus etc..., magnificent pink lakes, and it's easy going as it's completely flat. You can also try the Little Desert discovery walk, here : http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Gr ... -Walk.aspx . Early spring is good for orchids/wildflowers if it has rained enough. Problem : it's pretty far from Melbourne. Little Desert is 4h30, Murray Sunset more like 5h30.

Now for coastal walking there are plenty of options. Croajingolong is, I reckon, the best one : it's wild, it's biodiverse, you won't see a soul most of the time. You could try and contact this fellow : viewtopic.php?f=37&t=14740 , because it's a one way walk so you need to arrange a pickup or dropoff. A classic of coastal walking is the South of Wilsons Promontory, several topics are open in this forum on the subject, and have a look here : http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets ... -Hikes.pdf you can do 2, 3 or 4 nights. It's easy navigation most of the time (the Northern circuit isn't), and it's close to Melbourne (2h30). But you certainly won't be alone, it's a popular destination (well, it still only means seeing a max of 10 people a day).

As for options in the Alpine NP I've only been there a couple of times and never did an overnight hike there, so I'll let the others fill you in. The Grampians would be obviously nice too, still close to Melbourne (3h) but I don't know of any 4 day hike, the main ones like Mitchell Plateau and The Fortress are 2 nights, some guys on the forum have done longer, but involving quite a bit of off-track sections.

The last option would be Lerderderg gorge yes, but for your first overnight hike, there's better to do. Lerderderg is nice because it's very close to Melbourne, but it's not the best scenery in the state, it's nowhere near the magnificence of Croajingolong, the Prom, the Grampians or the Alps.

[Dutchy]

As someone mentioned, needing public transport limits you quite a bit...
Grampians is an option, but even there public transport will only get you into town, not to the walking tracks. Fortress is still closed due to bush fire / flood damage....
You could have a shot at the Wilsons Prom, great walking straight from Tidal River.

If you can get a car and happy to drive 3 to 4 hours, your options are endless! Most of us here still havent done all the tracks we'd like to do!

[Lophophaps]

Jonaldieri, can you give an idea of your experience, and how comfortable you are navigating off tracks? I'm not suggesting that you leave tracks, but with good navigation skills you can go to more remote places on tracks with more confidence. Also, how fit are you? Do you want an easy walk or a walk where people die or wish they were dead?

Once you have an idea where the major walking areas are (western National Parks, Grampians, south west coast, central Victoria, alpine, south west coast, and East Gippsland) then you should visit a bushwalking club. Most have weekly, fortnightly or monthly meetings. A personal contact will most probably give you a better idea of where to go, and it's far quicker than describing it here.

Also, you may be able to join a trip. To this end, see if the clubs have walks posted on web sites, and select the one that appears to have a walk that appeals. Be aware that many clubs will not take a stranger on trust on a hard walk, especially for a long weekend. You will have to show that you have the fitness.

[jonaldieri]

Lets see, I am mostly just terrible at navigating off tracks, so that might get a little dangerous. I'm not hopelessly dumb, just don't have very little experience. I am pretty set on Wilson's Prom at this point. With one other person. Right now debating whether to rent a car and a hut, or a camper van and a campsite. Due to my temporary status here, we don't have the equipment for overnight walks, as much as I'd like to do a few, so I'll be keeping it to day trips. I'm pretty fit, but my companion might not be in the same condition. Easy walks would probably be best, as lame as that sounds.

To provide some context, this trip is coming up pretty soon, Sept. 22nd-25th.

I'll check out some bushwalking clubs, thanks for that suggestion.

[Lophophaps]

Most people started bushwalking and other related activites with easy trips. You are not going to wake up one day and decide, "I’m going on a hard multi-day off-track walk.” You need to build up experience gradually. I cannot agree with your self-description. Navigation can be learned. Lack of gear and lack of car make it a tad challenging.

If you can get a car then one obstacle is surmounted. Be wary of some hire firms. They hit you with charges for fabricated damage, that is, damage that was present when the car was hired. Take some pics of the car. There also may be charges for going on dirt roads.

See http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks ... ional-park for public transport and other details about The Prom. There’s an email contact for the park, and staff should be able to answer most of your questions.

[ryantmalone]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Some exciting advancements have come up. I now have 4 days and 3 nights off. And I'm seriously considering renting a car or RV with some friends (also might have a friend with a car) so that really is not an issue anymore.

If you're somewhat limited with gear, then maybe establish a base, and walk from there.

The Cathedral Ranges is accessible by public transport, and a few KM's walk, however with the weather at this time of year, you'd probably want to be better equipped.

The same with Lerderderg, although the real excitement there is deep within the gorge, and this time of year, the river levels are unpredictable.

I'd mirror what has been said already regarding bushwalking clubs. Definitely a very good idea, as they often have their own gear hire, and they arrange trips in groups so you don't need to worry too much about transport.