APUG Grampians adventure!

[Poisson Du Jour]

That might possibly be related to:



Meanwhile, hope the surgery goes ok and you don't lose your good focussing eye, lest you be forced onto AF equipment...

Very funny!
All came out well after a 10 minute snooze under propofol and a laser seal. No patch this morning. And I do use an EOS 1N with AF (or no, depending on the lens...). Can focus Pentaximus now, which is a very real relief.

Meanwhile, I am investigating my YHA option of using a comfy room at the Halls Gap YHA which I have used before. Very good and central. Camping is my first preference but not if the weather is dodgy. So it seems we are not going to be in any one single place for a communal chin-wag, but scattered all over the place at any one time? So where are we going? Are we going there as a group or what? Is there are a dinner? If so, where? There don't seem to be many details firmed and the clock is ticking.

 

[Joachim_I]

Gary is right, we need to coordinate the meeting. I remember the last APUG meeting in Williamstown that was badly coordinated and therefore hardly a success. People arrived and left randomly without even talking to others. Those of you familiar with the area (I am not), please come forward with suggestions where to meet. We arrive on Friday evening, I am happy to meet on Saturday morning. Also, we should at least plan in some drinks after the shooting or maybe even better, a joint dinner.

PS: Gary, glad to hear you had a successful treatment. No excuse now to leave the Pentax at home.

 

[munz6869]

To get this rolling then, why don't we all meet at 10am on Saturday, somewhere central in Halls Gap, like Halls Gap Bakery (99-101 Grampians Rd, Halls Gap)?

I'm totally for dinner - what's there? Is there a pub?

Marc!

 

[hoffy]

I wish you guys all the best! I would love to come, but I am going to the Flinders the following weekend with the family!

Just a note, we did the Grampians last school holidays (we stayed at 'Old Dadswell Town' - an interesting place and a bit too far out of the way from the action...). From what we saw, there was still quite a bit officially closed off, due to the last bushfires. It may pay to do some research before heading off.

CHeers

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Yes, research on what parts of the Park are still closed, there is a fair bit of it still out of bounds, which is very disappointing.
Meanwhile, I am put my much-loved boudoir up in the studio, still a little damp from a recent sojourn to the North-East; not much room to move around now. Afterward, when I have played with my new toy (an SMC Pentax 67 75mm f2.8AL lens) I will test the Velvia-coloured fairy lights...

 

[Joachim_I]

Marc, 10am works well for me.
Gary, great lens. I use mine a lot at short focus distance, gives you 1:2.8 magnification.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

What'll we be doing in the Bakery??

 

[Mick Fagan]

What'll we be doing in the Bakery??

Getting you out of that Ultra Large Format changing tent you have set-up in your studio!

Then probably trying out a vanilla slice or three.



The best restaurant in the area is in Horsham, or to be precise, on the Melbourne side on the outskirts, they even have a tram inside the restaurant.

As long as the cost is reasonable, the food is edible, then pretty much anywhere, also as long as it's family friendly for Joachim we should be happy.

1000hrs at the bakery is good enough for us.

We may be there earlier, as in Friday, as we will be coming from Canberra via some circuitous route.

Mick.

 

[munz6869]

Well, I've booked me a tent site at Halls Gap Caravan park for the Friday and Saturday evenings... What could possibly go wrong?

ALSO - here's the current list of trails that are open - where do people want to go? http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/621246/Grampians-National-Park-Update.pdf



Marc!

 

[Dr Croubie]

Well, it will take a miracle for the travelwide to be here in time, so looks like it's either M645AF or Hasselbladski for me. Still taking the 4x5 and maybe 8x10 for shots within a few hundred meters of the car.
So I'm have-camera-will-hike. It's been so long since I was anywhere near there (and not driving past) that I'm easy as to destination, it's all new to me.

Just on the 'closed' bits. Are they 'closed' closed get in trouble closed? Or just walking trails may not be up to scratch for grannies but fine for the fit-and-able closed?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Well, it will take a miracle for the travelwide to be here in time, so looks like it's either M645AF or Hasselbladski for me. Still taking the 4x5 and maybe 8x10 for shots within a few hundred meters of the car.
So I'm have-camera-will-hike. It's been so long since I was anywhere near there (and not driving past) that I'm easy as to destination, it's all new to me.

Just on the 'closed' bits. Are they 'closed' closed get in trouble closed? Or just walking trails may not be up to scratch for grannies but fine for the fit-and-able closed?

Closed for rehabilitation / reconstruction works post-bushfires; the Seasonally Closed roads and tracks (closed to vehicles but usually accessible to walkers) would probably be reopened at the end of September. For MacKenzie Falls post-bushfires, rehabilitation and reconstruction etc would be a very significant and intensive effort. I'm hoping a few more of the better-known places are re-opened that side of September if there are no heavy rain events, but the pretty (in Spring) northern section is pretty much closed altogether. We'll just have to hold out / wait and see what the next few weeks bring regarding changes in access. Silverband Falls is nearby, and the bushland below Mount William (and the walking trails around) is attractive in Spring. If no big rainfall we shouldn't expect uber-pretty falls, MacKenzie Falls being the exception in any conditions.

 

[Yamaotoko]

Well, I've booked me a tent site at Halls Gap Caravan park for the Friday and Saturday evenings... What could possibly go wrong?


Marc!

How much did that set you back Marc?

 

[munz6869]

Alarmingly, $90 for the North campsite area... Unpowered sites are NOT what they used to be

Marc!

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Alarmingly, $90 for the North campsite area... Unpowered sites are NOT what they used to be

Marc!

How much!!?? :eek:
That is truly shocking. But then you have plotted this weekend smack-bang in the school holidays/peak period...

 

[Dr Croubie]

Wow, for about the same price I'm getting a cabin...

 

[Yamaotoko]

What??!!!! Two words: Holy Cannoli!

 

[Molli]

Wannon Crossing is the cheapest place at $11.70 per night for two people, either a tent or camper trailer or caravan. We often stay there as it's really quiet and well away from the madding crowd. The road, which is nearby, drops right off as darkness falls; too many roos. Takes about 15 minutes to get to Halls Gap, plus it's on the best route from Geelong.

Would this mean that it's $5.85 for one (relatively small) person?

Assuming I can get my head together and finally sort out the logistics of getting there, Wannon Crossing is more within my budget than the Halls Gap Caravan Park. That being the case, to whom would I be handing over money to stay there? Aside from setting up a tent on friends' properties, I've not been camping since I was young enough to still have my mummy and daddy holding my hand!

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Would this mean that it's $5.85 for one (relatively small) person?

Assuming I can get my head together and finally sort out the logistics of getting there, Wannon Crossing is more within my budget than the Halls Gap Caravan Park. That being the case, to whom would I be handing over money to stay there? Aside from setting up a tent on friends' properties, I've not been camping since I was young enough to still have my mummy and daddy holding my hand!

Ranger(s) from Parks Victoria will visit these campgrounds, generally early in the morning or the evening. If you can chat up the Ranger you just might get the single person discount!

I've noticed that the Lakeside park 3.5km further out of Halls Gap offers two nights' unpowered camping for $58. Kind of think Mr. Marc was screwed somewhere along the line coughing up $90, as the same Park quoted me $72 unpowered for two nights...

 

[Molli]

Gary, I think you're wildly overestimating my charms if you think I can sweet talk anyone into giving me a discount! But I thank you for the flattery

As to Marc's campsite, did you not know that $90 gets you someone to wash your feet and present you with a vanilla slice upon waking, lay out your clothes for the day, schlepp your gear hither and yon and general butler-ing duties such as announcing guests and brushing dandruff flakes off your cashmere sweater??

 

[munz6869]

I really hope they set up the tent for me...

Marc!

 

[Molli]

I really hope they set up the tent for me...

Marc!

If they do, can I borrow them? I've a choice between the tent I bought when I was thirteen or something my sister left behind when she moved interstate. The latter is far better but I'm not convinced that the poles left in with the packaging actually go with that tent.

Damned if I can figure it out, and I usually like puzzles!

 

[Mick Fagan]

Molli, we have a few tents you could use.

One is about 40 years old and really is almost beyond it. The second was bought new in 1975 and was brilliant, heavily used through Europe, NZ and of course Oz, getting on a bit now. The third available is the youngest and is a generic small three man tent, sort of dome set-up with front and rear little annexes, one of my nieces has borrowed it for the Great Victorian bicycle ride a couple of times and liked it.

We will be leaving next week so if you would like to borrow it, not a problem but we would need to move on it a bit.

As for payment, Parks Victoria have gone online now, apparently you have to make payment in advance online, or via telephone, do a search.

Mick.

 

[Yamaotoko]

As for payment, Parks Victoria have gone online now, apparently you have to make payment in advance online, or via telephone, do a search.

Mick.

I've just looked that up, not entirely happy with that new system, I like to travel around and get a feel for the area before I commit to a camp site. I was thinking of heading to the Brisbane Ranges after the Grampians, on their site, three nights will cost over $100! ...what happens if I book that, then turn up and the place is full of bogans running genny's playing stereos all night?!

 

[LJH]

Lot to be said for driving 200 metres up a dirt track and chucking up the tent...

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I've just looked that up, not entirely happy with that new system, I like to travel around and get a feel for the area before I commit to a camp site. I was thinking of heading to the Brisbane Ranges after the Grampians, on their site, three nights will cost over $100! ...what happens if I book that, then turn up and the place is full of bogans running genny's playing stereos all night?!

The last couple of lines is oh-so-true (at Boar Gully in Brisbane Ranges!), and is also a common problem at Johanna Beach in Great Otway National Park: those that did book recently arrived to find their sites taken up by beer-swilling yobs and surfies there on a "free ride", with no Rangers in sight to sort out the mess. Nobody is happy with this system; it is an affront, and a very costly one at that. Be it noted you will also get the loud mob populating the caravan park in the town playing music all night (check Trip Advisor for not-so-rosy reports). Gosh, things were so different 38 years ago: none of us would have known what a yobbo or bogan was back then!

When I was at Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park recently, I spoke with Scott Thompson, Ranger-in-Charge of the Upper Murray Region of Parks Victoria and he acknowledged there would be problems with the new booking system, especially for travellers 'on the fly', and very especially that with peak times in summer. It is "a discretionary matter" for the Rangers as to what to do. It is also now prohibitively expensive for a great many more people (especially Tidal River at Wilsons Prom in off-peak as well as peak times!). The Grampians is one of the worst places to get into in peak times and this trip is plotted in the school holidays. NO surprise to me if Wannon and other campsites are booked solid with people who have the same ideal as so many others: to drive around, find a nice campsite amidst the scrub, pitch the tent and go carefree walk-about. Prepare to be hit for six.