3 Day weekend from Melbourne: Mallee or Croajingolong?

[Jennifer]

Hi everyone,

We're doing a 3 day weekend base camping trip next weekend and want to check out a new area a bit further from Melbourne than we typically do on normal weekends. My requirements are:

1. Campfires allowed (this is the main reason why we're base camping rather than doing an overnight/multi; I definitely want a campfire)
2. Close to good day walks, 10-20 km
3. No snow -- we don't have the right gear/experience
4. Quiet if possible, though I know it's never a guarantee. I don't mind people being around at all, as long as they aren't loud partiers.

I'm thinking either the Mallee or SE Gippsland. If anyone cares to share their experiences in these areas, I'd love to hear it.

Mallee -- I'm thinking either Wyperfeld or Pink Lakes at Murray Sunset, since I get the impression they have fewer motorbikes than in Little Desert. I'd love to see the birds and a totally new kind of environment, but I'm worried that after several days the flatness will get boring, and also make for less physically challenging walks, or that long walks would mostly be on 4WD tracks. Also, would it be too early in the year for wildflowers? Is one (Wyperfeld or MSNP) much better than the other in terms of interesting/varied landscape or chance of seeing birds? Any particular areas you recommend?

SE Gippsland -- either Cape Conran or Croajingolong (Thurra River or Shipwreck Creek camps). I'm temped by Cape Conran just because it's closer, but is Croajingolong significantly better? Again, the biggest draw would be decently long day walks with interesting and varied landscape (I don't want to walk 15 km on the beach to be honest) as well as birds and other wildlife. Any camping areas or day walks that are particularly great?

The weather could make our decision for us, but right now they both have decent looking forecasts.

Thanks in advance!

[peregrinator]

Yes, the weather might decide this for you. Some rain forecast on Saturday in East Gippsland.

Wyperfeld has some good walking tracks, but I'd avoid the Desert Walk which was badly burnt when I was there one year ago.

See: http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/wyperfeld-national-park/things-to-do/nature-walks

There is also a loop walk near Casuarina Camp. Note also that there are many MVO tracks which are very pleasant walks. E.g. Meridian Track, Everard Track, Cameron Track circuit from Black Flat carpark.

http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/315825/Park-note-Wyperfeld-National-Park.pdf

[Jennifer]

Thanks peregrinator. It's good to know that the 4WD tracks are nice for walking -- I wasn't sure if that would be the case. That definitely expands the possibilities. And thanks for the heads up about the Desert Track.

The current rain forecast for East Gippsland is within this Seattle-ite's tolerance, but I might still decide to head northwestfor (relative) sunshine anyway, especially if the forecast worsens.

[peregrinator]

I forgot to mention the walk to Western Lookout Dune, also via a MVO track. Go west on Cameron Track from the Tyakil circuit walk.

Wyperfeld is also very good for off-track walking, being fairly open country; so you can easily invent your own routes. Unlike Croajingalong where you're mainly confined to existing tracks due to denser vegetation.

[Hallu]

Both the Mallee and Croajingolong are my favorite places in mainland Australia. For the Mallee, you shouldn't base yourself in one area. I'd do at least 2 parks. Wyperfeld is very diverse in vegetation (river red gums, mallee type gums, wildflowers, sanddunes, forests, ancient dry lakes etc... ) with plenty of birds, emus and kangaroos. The Pink Lakes are gorgeous, and camping there is a must. Unlike Wonga campground in Wyperfeld which can be popular (mainly families and grey nomads, no bogans), the pink lakes are quite secretive, never seen more than 2 spots taken there. As for Little Desert, Horseshoe Bend is full of bogans and yes they have motorboats on the river, so not ideal. Hattah Kulkyne is nice too, especially when the lakes are full, but the walks aren't that great, it's on 4WD tracks mostly and they don't go near the lakes.

As for Croajingolong, it's less simple. Indeed, it's like a haircomb park : you have the A1, and several turnoffs to access the different inlets. Wingan Inlet is very wild, not many people camp there, and the beaches are gorgeous, although you need to walk to get there it's not right by the campground. Point Hicks campground is better looking, right by the river, with better nearby walks (the dunes, the lighthouse, the beaches...) but is of course more popular. Then you got the Mallacoota area, the inlet is huge and gorgeous, and Shipwreck Creek has a campground, and is a 20 min drive to Mallacoota if you need supplied etc...

Cape Conran is nice too, it's more for easy walking, it's a more open area as it doesn't have the huge and thick forested area of Croajingolong. Marlo is lovely too, the mouth of the Snowy River is something to see for sure.

Either way there's no perfect spot, for camping the mallee is better, for walking Croajingolong is better. Birds can be found in both : in both you have parrots and cockatoos, the coast has the small birds typical from coastal bushland, while the mallee will have emus. However the weather would probably be a lot better in the mallee in winter (careful : temperatures reach freezing point at night).

Campfires are usually allowed, they have pits in the campgrounds, but you need to bring your own wood. You need to book in advance for many campgrounds now, so check the Parks Victoria website. It's an absolute shame that Wonga campground is now 35$ per night, it was 15 $ when I last stayed here in 2012.... At least the Pink Lakes are still free.

[Jennifer]

Thanks very much for all the information, peregrinator and Hallu. (Hallu, I've seen your name quite a bit while googling both places!) I'm thinking we'll base ourselves at Pink Lakes but also visit the north side of Wyperfeld, maybe do our longest day walk there.

Right now there's rain in the forecast for the Mallee mid-late week with clearing up over the weekend. If that holds it should be great conditions there.

A friend is visiting from the US in November and is keen for a bit of car camping; I'll plan on doing Croagingolong then.

[peregrinator]

Your requirement No.4 should be well satisfied by walking in the northern section of Wyperfeld. Not that it wouldn't be in the other locations mentioned, just that there are some extra tracks in the north that are not on the Parks Vic map. There are disused tracks you can use to link up with mapped tracks and/or walk off-track and be most unlikely to be bothered by hordes of marauding motorcycles, etc. Send me a PM if you'd like some further information. Some but not all of these tracks are shown on maps you can create from this site: http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/topo30maps.jsp

[Hallu]

You can see the Northern part of Wyperfeld here : viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15009#p199324 It is quite desolated and flat, I must admit I prefer the variety of the Southern section but I haven't gone very far in the North, just to the junction with nine mile square track and back to Casuarina. If you do long day walks to the dried lake beds West of Casuarina, or go South all the way to Lake Brambuk and back via Meridian Track it might be a lot better. But that's all 4WD tracks (sandy ones usually), be prepared. Once you're 1 or 2 km away from the campgrounds you probably won't see a soul for the rest of the day, bring plenty of water, 3 L per person, there's no water there.

[peregrinator]

You can see the Northern part of Wyperfeld here : http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... 09#p199324 It is quite desolated and flat, I must admit I prefer the variety of the Southern section but I haven't gone very far in the North, just to the junction with nine mile square track and back to Casuarina. If you do long day walks to the dried lake beds West of Casuarina, or go South all the way to Lake Brambuk and back via Meridian Track it might be a lot better. But that's all 4WD tracks (sandy ones usually), be prepared. Once you're 1 or 2 km away from the campgrounds you probably won't see a soul for the rest of the day, bring plenty of water, 3 L per person, there's no water there.

Hallu, I enjoyed your photographs very much the first time around, so nice to see them again today. Several of them show one of the Mallee's most attractive features (for me, at least): the vast skies and beautiful clouds.

Here's a very poor photograph taken on a drab June day with none of that, but proof the "flat earth" description is not always accurate. This is Pirro Dune, easily climbed from Meridian Track.

Pirro Dune, Wyperfeld

Water consumption might get up there in spring when you (and the flies) were about, but one's likely to need much less at this time of year.

[Jennifer]

Thanks you guys. Peregrinator, that website is awesome! Hallu, I thought I'd thoroughly searched the forums for Mallee and Croajingolong, but I somehow missed that post of beautiful photos. That's definitely got me excited about my trip. Now I'm thinking I might plan a route including both North and South Wyperfeld. We'll have to see how much my desire to See All the Things balances against my desire to not drive all weekend.

[Jennifer]

We had a lovely weekend car camping trip. Friday night we camped in Kooyoora State Park and had the place to ourselves. Saturday we drove to Pink Lakes and did some walking around there and camped at Lake Crosby. There were a few caravanners there but it was very quiet and peaceful. One end of the campground seemed to be designed for car-and-tent campers, so we stayed there.

Sunday we drove to the Wonga campground at Wyperfeld. Once again we had the place to ourselves -- in fact the only person we saw at there the whole time was a ranger who waved from his truck before heading home for the evening. We did a couple of walks: the Discovery Walk and the Tyakil walk, both of which we extended a bit to include some 4WD tracks. Wyperfeld was a very interesting environment; the whole Mallee is unlike anything else I've seen but I particularly liked the open flats of river red gums and short grass (e.g., Lake Brambuk). Sadly our camera battery died before we left Pink Lakes (I suspect I left it on all night ) so I don't have any photos to upload, just what my partner took on his phone.

We saw fewer birds than I'd hoped but still managed to at least catch glimpses of many new-to-me parrots, namely regent parrots and red-rumped parrots. We saw dozens of eastern rosellas on the drive home but none in the Mallee. We also saw some emus and quite a few western gray kangaroos. All the animals were much more shy than I'm used to in the Otways, Grampians, Wilson's Prom, etc. I concluded that if I really want to get into birding I need a pair of binoculars.

One pleasant surprise about the trip was that I really enjoyed the driving. My partner doesn't drive so it was up to me the whole way, and I was imagining a vast flat boring landscape for much of the trip. It turned out there were lots of varied and pretty landscapes and I saw quite a bit of Victoria I hadn't seen before, which was great.

[peregrinator]

Good to read you had such an enjoyable trip, but pity about the camera. Now you'll just have to make a return visit.

There's something very appealing about the contrasts in scenery in the Mallee. E.g. descending to those grassy flats with River red-gum and Black Box (and Regent Parrots, if you're lucky) after being in dunes with numerous spiky shrubs and half-dead Cypress-pines.

Unfortunately, bird numbers are declining just about everywhere. This link gives a brief indication of the sad situation.

http://birdlife.org.au/images/uploads/e-news/soab/soab.pdf

[Jennifer]

Thanks for sharing that report, depressing as it is. And I agree about the scenery contrasts -- the difference between the flats and the dunes in Wyperfeld in particular was really something to see.