Walkers: Mabel, Dianne, Val, Liz C., Helen, John and Glenda, Karen
Photos:
Report:
Val, myself, Dianne and Liz drove up to Wyperfeld on Friday afternoon, arriving at Wonga Hut Camp Ground at about 6pm, in time for dinner. There were a lot of happy campers and it was soon discovered that Dianne’s friends from the Ballarat Walking club were set up over the road. Lucky for us as they had a roaring campfire going which kept us warm till it was time for bed, and a good nights sleep – interrupted by a bit of snoring which kept us amused trying to work out who was and who wasn’t snoring.
The next morning was quite crisp. We had breakfast and set off on a loop walk along the Black Flat Track through the Maiden Swamp and Black Flat. We spotted eight emus from the sand dune lookout at the camp ground. Further on near the swamps we surprised a few kangaroos. The landscape varies a lot here, red gum and black box open forest opens up to dry lake beds and swampy ground. Through the forest you could just see the sand dunes covered in porcupine grass and shrubs. It’s a haven for birds although there weren’t as many about as last year when we were here. We did see various parrots, emus, the usual galahs, cockatoos and corellas and could hear smaller wrens and finches in the bushes.
At the Black Flat, we decided to do the Tyakil Nature Walk and get back on the Meridian Track which led us further on to the Everard track. We didn’t mean to keep adding bits to the walk but it was such a nice day we didn’t want to cut it short. The Everard and Meridian Tracks led through more forest and past another dry lake - Lake Brambruk. There had been rain a few days before so there were tiny shoots of green coming up through the barren dirt. The scenery changed again on the Discovery Track which led us through the Devils Pools and lots of sand dunes. On checking the map we walked about 16km – this was our short morning walk!
When we arrived back at the camp ground, Mabel, Helen, John and Glenda were there to greet us. After a quick lunch we took another walk along the Discovery Loop to have a proper look at Lake Brambruk. It is really picturesque along this track, there are the sand dunes covered in delicate shrubs, open areas around the swamps and dry lake beds and then the light open gum forests. We saw some water on the lake and decided to take a closer look (in case it was a mirage). Yes there were a couple of pools of water. Many happy snaps were taken and then we returned via Mount Mattingley and the scenic lookout. It is a great view from here, and it is amazing just how green and healthy the landscape looks despite the lack of rainfall.
We all settled in to preparing dinner for the night. It was a lovely night too, clear, not too cold and with everyone helping, we were able to put on a camp oven roast to rival Lothar's efforts. We had the meat, vegies, nibblies, lots of wine and Val’s yummy chocolate swirl cheesecake to finish off. It took a long time for everyone to leave the camp fire and take to their beds.
The next morning we awoke to rain, 3 hours of it, just enough to soak our tents and make breakfast a little damp. By the time the group returning to Warrnambool had packed the rain stopped and the sun came out. We all decided to do the Desert Walk loop – 7km (near the park entrance). This walk takes you around the sand dunes for close ups of the plants and up to various high points for the distant views over the park. Sign boards point out the various land forms and ecosystems in the park as well as giving information on the smaller ecosystems within the park.
After a couple of hours we were back at the cars. Four of us farewelled the rest of the group who were staying another night. Mabel’s groups were going to walk the Eastern Lookout track later that day. I hope they have some tales to tell.
It was a lovely weekend, with lots of great company, food and walks.
Karen
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