GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK walks

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 11, 2013

Allambee Beek Falls,
Saturday or Sunday, 15-16th June

A 2.4km slip-slither-and-slide along atrocious Curtis "Road" (it was appalling early in May, and is now reported to be a "colossal mud bath") to a flagged turn-off into rainforest. Our walk then descends gently for 1.8km through vigorous growth and dark rainforest ending at a sharp drop to the creek, after which we meander along moss and lichen-covered rocks and ledges to A B Falls — grandstanding in its cool, open and serene amphitheatre.

• Meet Forrest Brewery 9.30am (also the place for post-mortem afterward).
• Lift available from Geelong (2-3) leaving 8.00am. PM or SMS me for starters by 8pm Friday please.

*** Be prepared for very wet conditions ***

AB Falls

tony lockerbie · Jun 12, 2013

OOh, good luck with the rainforest this weekend....at least the waterfall should be full

SMBooth · Jun 12, 2013

Actually weather for weekend in that area looks pretty good, going to get a gut load of rain tomorrow though. Pity I'm out, have to catch up on home duties after being away weekend gone.
For those thinking its a good walk, and the pubs a winner. Take spare shoes, pants.

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 12, 2013

I have read a few minutes ago a huge 100mm+ dump is heading for the Otways which could put a big question mark on road access, already advised as "slippery" by Parks Victoria. Will get in touch with the local yokels in Forrest for updates up until Friday evening.

http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/take-care-in-parks-and-forests-with-heavy-rainfall-predicted

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 12, 2013

tony lockerbie said:
OOh, good luck with the rainforest this weekend....at least the waterfall should be full

Possibly too full...

mrsmiggins · Jun 12, 2013

OK, if we don't get washed out, I'm interested (mad?).
Excuse my ignorance but where's the Forrest Brewery?
/Frank...

mrsmiggins · Jun 12, 2013

....ah! 26 Grant Street, Forrest, Victoria 3236, by chance?

SMBooth · Jun 12, 2013

yep, only brewery in Forest.

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 12, 2013

Frank,
The brewery was for a long time a decrepit service station that ceased operations in the mid-1980s and lay in shambles, a vermin-infested heap. There was nothing much of interest to attract people to Forrest then unless they were into mountain biking, and for most people it was a town that you would miss if you blinked. The transformation has been astounding yet Forrest retains its slow and sleepy pace (and it's true that's how the locals like it) despite the substantial visitor influx afforded the town from the brewery. People have travelled as far as Byron Bay to visit the place!

_____________________________________________________

The timing of this walk might be a tad awry, me thinks.
111mm of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours at Mount Sabine
and still another 100 or so scheduled today and tomorrow...

mrsmiggins · Jun 13, 2013

Thanks Gary,
That explains the odd looking building in Google street view!
/Frank

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 13, 2013

mrsmiggins said:
Thanks Gary,
That explains the odd looking building in Google street view!
/Frank

Well, that's a quite an improvement over what it was. On the right of the photo are two vats waiting to go in (at the back, derelict floorboards were ripped up, the ground raised and a huge concrete footing with drains laid down to hold the brewering section). I can see that Google dated the photo 2010 which is about right. The brewery's presentation now is far removed from Google's stickybeak way-back-when.

Meanwhile, Parks Victoria has put up my pic of Allambee Beek Falls from 2007. A nice gesture.
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/great-otway-national-park#images-area_582677

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 13, 2013

UPDATE
This walk (Allambee Beek Falls) postponed until weekend of 22-23rd
to allow heavy rain to clear the system and road conditions to settle down.

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 15, 2013

Allambee Beek & Staircase Falls Circuit
-----------------------------------------
RESCHEDULED: Saturday 22nd June
-----------------------------------------

Meet 9.30am Forrest Brewery, 26 Grant Street, Forrest.
15km drive along Benwerrin-Mount Sabine Road to Curtis Road gate.

Be prepared for very wet conditions, and especially the quagmire that is now Curtis "Road".

Bring lunch and some flesh for the leeches. Post-mortem at the Brewery, pm.

Staircase Falls (John Piesse/ORWTA)

mrsmiggins · Jun 21, 2013

Is it still on?

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 22, 2013

Possibly next week. Don't expect easy conditions after so much rain, but you should expect some pretty scenes.

GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK walks

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