Donkey mountain open in June?

[Petew]

Hi,

It seems that we folks in NSW will be allowed to move Around from June 1st.

Anyone know if donkey mountain will be open by then?
I have emailed national parks. I believe it's shut currently due to covid 19 and not because of fire damage?

Tbh I'm not even sure it's in a national Park.

Cheers,

Pete

[FatCanyoner]

The current closures for Wollemi NP are pretty vague and unclear. There is no specific mention of Donkey Mountain, but nearby areas like Newnes and the Glowworm Tunnel remain closed. If I were you, I'd call the Mudgee office of NPWS on 02 6370 9000. They will be able to give accurate advice, and may have a time frame on reopening the area.

***EDIT*** Donkey Mountain in in Gardens of Stone NP, not Wollemi NP (my dodgy recollection failed me). The entire Gardens of Stone NP remains closed following the Gospers Mountain fire. This is actually a really clear-cut closure, with nothing unclear about it.

Asking bushwalkers to predict when areas will open is pretty pointless. These things are complicated decisions made by National Parks staff taking into account a range of factors.

[wildwanderer]

Also wondering more broadly if all the closed parks will be reopening on 1st June.

They have been closed for post bushfire regeneration, safety (fallen trees etc) and COVID for months now.

The rest of the state is lifting restrictions it's time for NPWS to do the same on June 1.

[Petew]

I spoke to someone at national parks and they weren't sure it was even in a national Park.

I also called the Emirates resort and the nice lady there told me that donkey mountain got hammered by the fires so probably not open for a while. Insert sad face here....

Fatcanyoner, thanks for the contact info. I was asking in case anyone here had already been in contact with the relevant authorities to save me doing so.

[Petew]

I spoke to Greg? In the Mudgee office and he told me to call Blackheath.

I left a message with them so if I hear back about donkey mountain I'll post it here.

[Petew]

Just spoke to Blackheath. They'll get back to me regarding Donkey Mountain tomorrow once they've spoken to the local ranger.

They also said that the Grose valley is shut for the foreseeable future but that the Mt Solitary walk may be opened up again sooner...no date given.

[wildwanderer]

I wonder what's keeping the Grose closed..

damage to the stairs at govetts leap and other entry points perhaps..

Though.. several other routes into the valley that don't require stairs..

[Petew]

The parks lady said infrastructure damage (stairs/toilets) letting the bush regenerate and the possibility of trees still to fall.

[Petew]

Just heard back from the ranger. Donkey Mountain was severely damaged by fire and in their words will be shut for quite some time.

[Petew]

Also, just got this email from them:

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your email.

National Parks & Wildlife Service welcomes the announcement that the state-wide ban on holidays and camping will be lifted from 1 June 2020, enabling more people to enjoy the natural environment.

NPWS is working through these changes and conducting risk assessments to ensure that the resumption of holiday and camping activities can be conducted safely.

NSW National Parks are monitoring the situation, any updates or changes can be monitored using our website.

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/

If you have any questions, please visit our website or contact us on 13000 72757 (13000 PARKS).

Kind regards,

[FatCanyoner]

I just realised I gave an incorrect response higher up when I said the closure status was unclear on the National Parks website (I'd forgotten that Donkey Mountain is actually in the Gardens of Stone NP, not Wollemi NP). A good note to double check the topo map, because park boundaries aren't always logical. (Tom Brennan's maps are quite handy for this: http://maps.ozultimate.com/).

The entire Gardens of Stone NP remains closed following the Gospers Mountain fire, which burnt pretty much the entire park.

For anyone hoping to explore Donkey Mountain, make sure you check the Gardens of Stone alerts page (https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/vi ... cal-alerts). The current status is: "This park is closed due to fire and flood damage. Do not enter this park. Penalties apply for non-compliance."