Victorian Government Announces New Parks and Reserves
Three new national parks as well as new conservation parks, nature reserves and bushland reserves (more than 75,000 hectares) in will be created in Central West Victoria by 2030.
These changes, announced by the Victorian Government, respond to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s (VEACs) 2-year Central West Investigation of our public land estate. All the details are here.
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Damage to Parks in Central Gippsland
Flooding and tree damage has closed most of the regional parks in the Central Gippsland region. Parks Victoria and other land managers are working hard to assess the damage through aerial reconnaissance and other safe means. Along with the assessments Parks Victoria is working to make areas safe by placing barriers at high-risk sites and restricting access to damaged infrastructure. This will take some time. Parks Victoria asks for your patience with recovery works.
Updates:
For park restrictions and closures, visit: https://fal.cn/3gb9W
For closures in state forests, visit: https://fal.cn/3gb9X
Below is an overview of the initial status:
| Park/Reserve area |
Impacts |
STATUS as of 18th June |
| Morwell National Park |
Heavy timber and silt deposits around Billy’s creek area. A number of footbridges have been damaged or completely washed away. A significant amount of tree fall, damage to BBQ, bollards and picnic tables, and neighbor’s fences. |
Closed |
| Dowd Morass |
Tree fall, damage to tracks, damaged culvert |
Open |
| Holey Plains State Park |
Countless fallen trees blocking tracks, significant scouring to tracks throughout the park, damaged culverts, significant erosion. |
Closed |
| Tyres State Park |
Tyres Bridge Day Visitor Area - tree fall damaging bollards and barriers, erosion, and instability. |
Open – (some local assets closed) |
| Mount Worth State Park |
Significant tree fall, damage to track and walking bridges. |
Closed |
| Tarra Bulga National Park |
Tree fall blocking tracks, scouring of tracks, damage to toilet block roof (from a fallen tree). |
Closed |
| Walhalla Historic area |
Landslip, heavy timber fell, track scouring, and significant erosion. |
Technically not closed but visitors advised to stay away |
| Alpine National Park |
track scouring, localized impacts, minor assets damaged. Seasonal Gates now closed. |
Open (some local assets closed) |
| Moondara State Park |
Localized tree fall, track scouring, and impacts to the toilets. |
Open – some assets closed |
| Lakes National Park |
Further impacts to the road, seasonal gates now closed. |
Open – 4WD only. |
| Mirboo Regional Park |
Heavy timber down and the full park has not yet been assessed due to access issues. |
Close |
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Plenty River Trail
A large investment in Plenty Gorge Park on Wurundjeri Country will include providing a link in the Plenty River Trail ($19.3million), upgrading Hawkstowe Picnic Area ($800,000), and uplifting Nioka Bush Camp ($383,500). The investment into Plenty Gorge will offer visitors diverse experiences to walk, ride, play and stay in this beautiful bushland to Melbourne’s north. More information here and in the video below. You can have your say on this project until 11 July.
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Warburton Mountain Bike Destination - Project Update
The ideas, issues and concerns raised by locals and visitors have played an important role in shaping the planning of this world-class mountain biking facility. Our Bushwalking Tracks and Conservation (BTAC) team contributed to the consultation phase:
- to ensure bushwalker safety,
- the protection and retention of walking rails,
- reiterating that we do not support the joint use of single track trails
- the development of clear protocols for the joint use of non-single track trails, and
- traffic management.
See the June update on the project here.
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Remember to choose your walks for Fedwalks 2021
A reminder that our annual Federation Walks, a member-only event, will be held in the Gippsland Foothills and Southern Alps, based at the Licola Wilderness Village from Friday, 12 November to Monday, 15 November 2021.
The Fed Walks 2021 website is now live. Registrations open on 2 August.
Visit the website soon to browse the wide and wonderful selection of walks (including three overnight walks) before registrations open in order to have your preferences ready to go when registrations open.
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Australian Adventure Films for Winter Evenings
Peter Hall from Melbourne University Alumni Bushwalkers put this list of extraordinary Australian adventure films together for us.
Everest: Sea to Summit
Michael Dillon’s film is the most internationally awarded adventure documentary ever made, with, among other awards, nine Grand Prizes and three Best Alpine Films.
Ocean to Sky, Michael’s 2020 film of Hillary’s “best journey of them all” is now challenging that record. You can view the trailer here and here, but better still you can get the full cinema experience on Monday, 5 July 5 at Victoria Gardens, Richmond. For tickets go here.
For the people of India, it was a pilgrimage led by a hero of almost god-like status and millions lined the river to watch him pass in his ‘miraculous’ jet boats.
For Sir Edmund Hillary and his 22-year-old son, Peter, it was a healing journey, as they came to terms with the recent loss of Sir Edmund's beloved wife, Louise and daughter Belinda, Peter's sister.
For the film crew and the support team of friends, it was a thrilling ride through the heart of India aboard three of New Zealand’s iconic Hamilton Jet Boats.
Driven by the son and grandson of the inventor, and Hillary’s friend and Hindu scholar, Dr. Jim Wilson, the boats navigated the Ganges’ tiger infested delta, crossed its vast, fertile flood plains, struggled up gorges guarded by fearsome rapids towards the holy River's sacred origins among the peaks of the Himalaya.
Then, near the Ganges’ snowy source, the unthinkable happened. The first man to climb the world’s highest mountain succumbed to severe altitude sickness. The story of the desperate race by his friends and son to save his life has never been told. Yet, to Hillary, Ocean to Sky always remained “the best journey of them all.”
Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
Mountain (2017) – A Multi International Award Winning Feature Film – Heart-Stopping, Funny and Deeply Moving, The Ultimate Adventure. An experience about the highest peaks around the world Jennifer Peedom (Director), Willem Dafoe (Narrator)
See the trailer here
Sherpa (2015) Jennifer Peedom (Producer, Director, Writer) 5 awards & 11 nominations
A fight on Everest? It seemed incredible. But in 2013 news channels around the world reported an ugly brawl at 6400 m (21,000 ft) as European climbers fled a mob of angry Sherpas. In 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay had reached the summit in a spirit of co-operation and brave optimism. Now climbers and Sherpas were trading insults - even blows. What had happened to the happy, smiling Sherpas and their dedication in getting foreigners to the top of the mountain they hold so sacred? Determined to explore what was going on, the filmmakers set out to make a film of the 2014 Everest climbing season, from the Sherpas' point of view. Instead, they captured a tragedy that would change Everest forever. At 6.45am on 18th April, 2014, a 14,000-ton block of ice crashed down onto the climbing route through the Khumbu Icefall, killing 16 Sherpas. It was the worst tragedy in the history of Everest. The disaster provoked a drastic reappraisal about the role of the Sherpas in the Everest industry. SHERPA tells the story of how, in the face of fierce opposition, the Sherpas united in grief and anger to reclaim the mountain they call Chomolungma.
See the trailer here
Robson Green's Australian Adventure (2015) TV Mini-Series - Robson Green embarks on an epic series of adventures across Australia. His aim is to understand what life is really like away from the familiar and famous destinations, by venturing into the outback and beyond.
Browse episodes
Stephen Tompkinson's Australian Balloon Adventure (2010) TMV Series
Stephen Tompkinson's Australian Balloon Adventure is a documentary series that follows Stephen and balloon pilot Robin Bachelor as they explore Australia's rich and diverse landscape and wildlife. They also take part in the country's largest balloon competition, the Canowindra Balloon Challenge.
Watch three episodes on Prime Video
A Little Bit Mongolian (2009) - The heart-warming story of one boy’s determination to make his dream come true. - Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
A pack of children gallop at full tilt across the northern Mongolian steppe. In the thick of the action is a lone foreigner. His name is Angus Paradice, he’s 12 years old and he’s from Australia. A Little Bit Mongolian is the heart-warming story of one boy’s determination to make his dream come true. Read more and watch the film here.
Click here to watch the film
Solo (2008) - Solitary Endeavour on the Southern Ocean David Michôd, Jennifer Peedom (Directors)
Andrew McAuley attempted what many believed was impossible - a solo kayak expedition across the world's most treacherous ocean.
See the trailer here
Australia (2008) - adventure drama film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
A character story, set between 1939 and 1942 against a dramatised backdrop of events across northern Australia at the time, such as the bombing of Darwin during World War II. Set in northern Australia before World War II reached Australian shores, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot.
As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience, firsthand, the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces.
See the trailer here
Alone Across Australia (2002-03) - Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
Alone Across Australia (trailer)
Musical Mariner: Tahiti (2002) - Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
Musical Mariner: Tahiti
Marvels of Madagascar (2001)- Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
Marvels of Madagascar
Base Climb (2000) and Base Climb 2 (2002) – II DEFYING GRAVITY ABC-TV. National Geographic Television. Co-cameraman
Website reference
Railway Adventures Across Australia (2000) – TV Series Scott McGregor (Actor & Producer
Watch on Youtube
Sir Edmund Hillary: Beyond Everest (1999) – Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
DVD on Amazon (currently unavailable)
A Glorious Way to Die, Siberia (1994) – Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
A Glorious Way to Die, Siberia
Fishing Adventures (1991-2004) TV Series – Rex Hunt hosts this fun and informative fishing show.
Facebook page
Everest: Sea to Summit (1990) - Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
In 1984, Tim Macartney-Snape summited Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. It’s a feat that less than 200 have ever attempted, let alone achieved. But afterward, friend and trip filmmaker Michael Dillon wasn’t impressed. Tim remembers him saying: “Look mate, you did a pretty good climb, but you didn’t climb it properly. The mountain is measured from sea level, and so to climb it properly, you’d really have to climb it from sea level.” Everest: Sea to Summit is the story of that epic and never since repeated climb.
Click here to watch Everest: Sea to Summit French trailer
Australia: The Eye of the Storm (1998-99) - Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
Australia: The Eye of the Storm
Those Wonderful Dogs (1987) - Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
Those Wonderful Dogs
Everest: The Australian Assault (1984) – Michael Dillon (Cinematographer, Producer, Director)
See the trailer here. Read the article here.
A list of 56 Australian action-adventure films can be found here on Wikipedia
A full list of 38 films by Michael Dillon can be found here.
Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB, Michael Dillon films and others.
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Good tips on what to wear when bushwalking.
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Bob's Monthly Safety Tip
 Advanced Mobile Location
Late last year a new feature was introduced to Australian mobile phones when phoning 000. The phone’s operating system (Android or IOS-Apple) recognises when a 000 call is being made and activates the location services on the phone. In the background, the phone sends an SMS with the location to 000.
This feature is in widespread use overseas for calls to emergency numbers.
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Dates for your calendar
Click here for dates and events for your bushwalking calendar.
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Bushwalking Manual
Find the Bushwalking Manual here - a handy go-to resource for bushwalkers! You are welcome to provide feedback on the manual content and/or offer suggestions using this form.
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BTAC (Bushwalking Tracks & Conservation)
Our BTAC team of volunteers participate in track maintenance and conservation projects all over Victoria. BTAC works closely with the land managers of our national parks and forests to schedule around ten projects a year. More information here.
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BSAR (Bush Search & Rescue Victoria)
BSAR is a dedicated volunteer search and rescue service. They participate in land-based search and rescues for persons lost in bush and alpine areas under the direction of the Victoria Police. More information here.
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Follow us on Facebook for news, updates and inspiration! |
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Discounts for club and individual supporter members are available from:
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"No one will protect what they don’t care about,
and no one will care about what they have never experienced."
- David Attenborough
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