Bushwalk Australia

Prior to a new track being cut up Mt. Buffalo in the 1880s which the present sealed access road still closely follows, access up the mountain was via the indirect route of Goldies Spur to the south of the massif.

The Goldies Spur track is now more or less a transmission line inspection track, and although I reckon I can see where the old track would probably have gone from the top of the spur, none of the maps I can find show the old route with any degree of accuracy.

I haven't walked Buffalo since the '60s and would like to walk up Goldies Spur, then across the massif's plateau, and down the unnamed spur that runs east from the Mt. McLeod Remote Campsite to join the Big Walk track a km or so south east of Rollasons Falls.

Does anyone know where Goldies Spur track makes its way up the Back Wall or the South Face, which is the bit I can't work out?

Also, the Park Notes don't tell you whether or not bush camping is permitted at other than at formed campsites, and as there are no formed campsites in the southern part of the plateau, we'd need a camp there. Does anyone know the bush camping rules for the remoter areas of Mt. Buffalo?

I found this when searching remote camping National Parks on Parkweb
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/search/?query ... nt+buffalo
The second item that came up is "Camping In Victorias Parks" and has a link to a pdf that states the following on Page 3 -

"How you camp in Victoria’s parks is up to you.
Hitch up a canvas equivalent to home and
surround yourself with the creature comforts
you’re used to, or pitch a two-person tent in
a remote site far from any sealed road."

"Roughing it
Bush camping areas require
campers to be entirely
self-sufficient and well prepared
for emergencies. Toilets may not
always be available and access
is generally more difficult, either
on rough tracks, by foot, or boat.
Campers should carry in water
or be aware of how to make
untreated water safe for drinking."

This would suggest that bush camping is OK not forbidden.

Page 5 expands even more on "Minimal Impact Camping"

"Leave no trace: if you’ve carried
it in, then carry it out. Don’t
burn or bury rubbish."

Doesn't specifically say "go right ahead" but definitely not saying thou shalt not!

Thanks for that. It certainly does seem to encourage bush camping, but I reckon there'll be devil in a detail somewhere.

In general, dispersed bush camping is permitted anywhere in Victorian NP's, unless specifically prohibited.

Looking in more detail at the Buffalo National Park Management Plan http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/313359/Mount-Buffalo-National-Park-Management-Plan.pdf page 20 of the pdf shows that walk-in camping is allowed in all areas except the Reference Area. Page 55 has a map of the zones - the reference area is west of Anderson Peak. The only conditions I could find attached to camping is that many areas seem to prohibit fires - but fuel stove only requirements are pretty common in alpine areas.

Thanks Madmacca that brought back some memories. I started with Agriculture Victoria in March 1996 and we joined with the Department of Conservation Forests and Lands to become DNRE a month later. Seemed like a good idea at the time to integrate production, conservation and environment departments, but it only lasted a few years - I think the competing interests got in the way. My guess is that this 1996 document would have been superseded when PV came into being. I retired two weeks ago, but I'll go into work (past tense) tomorrow and have a talk to the Parkies about the current state of affairs and let you know if it's changed from the 1996 document.

The only places where you are allowed to camp in Mt Buffalo National Park in summer are lake Catani, Mt Mcleod and Half Day Bridge. You need a permit for the last two.
I'm told that the ridge down to Rollesons Falls has terribly thick regrowth.

JamesMc

This segment of the Buffalo River sheet shows the ascent up to Buffalo from Goldies Spur Track.



Can't vouch for its accuracy though.

JamesMc wrote:The only places where you are allowed to camp in Mt Buffalo National Park in summer are lake Catani, Mt Mcleod and Half Day Bridge. You need a permit for the last two.
I'm told that the ridge down to Rollesons Falls has terribly thick regrowth.

JamesMc

James,

Do you have a source for this advice? It seems to contradict what is published in Buffalo NP's own management plan. There is a difference between 'established camp sites' and 'areas where dispersed bush camping is allowed'

madmacca wrote:

James,

Do you have a source for this advice? It seems to contradict what is published in Buffalo NP's own management plan. There is a difference between 'established camp sites' and 'areas where dispersed bush camping is allowed'

look at the table on page 24 of the Management Plan or phone the Park Office.


JamesMc

I did ring Parks and spoke to Tammy.
She told me that the only area where camping is permitted in the Mount Buffalo National Park is Lake Catani.
Page 24 would suggest more places but it is a 1996 document.
She also said that it was perfectly OK to camp in the abutting State Forest provided that the various fire rules and so on are complied with.
The info I refered to in a previous post was a 2006 document.
It's complicated with so much conflicting and vague info but I guess a call to 13 1963 is the quick and sure way to get it right.

I sent an email to Parks Vic and got the following reply about camping on the plateau. It came from Scott Cunningham, one of the Mt. Buffalo PV rangers.

He said we could bush camp anywhere on the plateau and that human waste needed to be buried to at least 15cm. He also commented that my proposed route off the plateau via the spur that runs east from Mt. McLeod is almost impenetrable regrowth down towards the lower reaches of the spur following the 2006 fires. He suggested if wanted to still go down the spur, to sidle north ish near the bottom and cross the creek near Rollason's falls.

Well you've got it in writing from a Mt. Buffalo Ranger ............... this brings us back to the 2006 version of the situation.

........ "How you camp in Victoria’s parks is up to you.
Hitch up a canvas equivalent to home and
surround yourself with the creature comforts
you’re used to, or pitch a two-person tent in
a remote site far from any sealed road."....................

Maybe take a print of that email with you when you go....................I'd go with it.