Desert Discovery Trail- Little Desert National Park

[safari]

Recent mid week wander of the sandy path in Little Desert:

A wad of Virgin points and uber cheap Vline fares kicked off my solo visit of the Desert Discovery Trail. I flew in from bitterly cold Launceston to bitterly cold Melbourne and utilised the train and bus -$5.30- to access Dimboola in Western Victoria. A 6.5km walk on lightly trafficked Horseshoe Bend Road lead to the beginning of the 70km+ loop walk. I took it easy and spent a night at Mallee Camp, then cut through on the Wallaby Track to Yellow Gums Camp and then back out to Horseshoe Bend and Dimboola on Day 3.

Amazing birdlife, beautiful river gums by the Wimmera River and emu's throbbing away with the deep drum beat were the highlights. I also experienced true dark skies and more stars than I can remember, a short bout of grateful isolation and a landscape quite removed from Tasmania which I am thoroughly bored of at times.

Track conditions: this is the contentious bit. Some of it is utterly ripped up by bogan dirt bike riders, some left alone. I chugged alone ok, no complaints. But the few 'no motorbikes' signs displayed were usually hard to see or broken and lying on the ground.

Water: after the recent rain the water tanks at both walk in camps were chockers.

Patronage: I was the first person in 10 days to sign the log books in the huts.

Anyway, just a few observations.
Somewhere I have been meaning to visit for years, ticked off. Thoroughly enjoyed my time in Little Desert.

Day 1: road walk + 13km to Mallee
Day 2: 13.5km to Yellow Gums
Day 3: 21km + road walk to Dimboola

Loads of time to enjoy solitary camp life and read by a small fire.

[ggorgeman]

Thanks so much for the report. Very motivational, definitely elevated now on my get-to list.