• Camping in Victoria
  
  
• the most popular time for camping in Victoria is at Easter with the milder temperatures, less likely to be windy and wet.
• summer camping tends to be mainly in Alpine regions (if there are no bushfires) and coastal regions.
• see info on snakes
• see also Bushwalking tips
• bring sufficient drinking water to most camp sites as water supplies cannot be guaranteed.
• don't camp under large tree branches (especially River Red Gums) as they may drop unexpectedly and kill.
• prevent bushfires by ensuring any camp fires are appropriate, controlled and not left unattended. Camp fires are not allowed on days of Total Fire Bans.
• see ParkWeb for details and booking if needed. Parks Victoria ph: 131 963.
• favorite camping sites:
  • Gippsland:
    • Tidal River at Wilson's Promontory - book well in advance - beaches, hiking, river, wombats, wildlife
      • ballot for sites at peak season between Dec 23-Jan 27th with minimum 1wk stay during these times, otherwise 1st in, best site.
    • Croajingalong National Park - far east of Victoria, beautiful coastal scenery
      • 4 camping grounds, main one is at Wingan Inlet between hills and shores of an estuary
      • bookings over summer essential via Mallacoota Parks Victoria office ph: 5161 9500
    • Buchan Caves Reserve - hot showers, lawned camping area
      • Wilderness Retreats - hotel style luxury on a camping ground
      • must book during summer holidays - ph: 131 963
    • Snowy River National Park
      • north of Buchan;
      • McKillop's Bridge campground; no grass; open woodland on a slope above the Snowy River. Pit toilet; steep approach is not suitable for caravans.
      • short drive to Victoria's deepest gorge - Little River Gorge.
  • Otway Ranges & surrounds:
    • Johanna camp site - adjacent a very rough surf beach
    • Ryans Den campsite - on a ridge top
    • register via greatoceanwalk.com.au
    • Blanket Bay near cape Otway
      • circle of 22 camp sites in coastal scrub with 19-22 being the best but 16 & 17 almost as good.
      • ballot for sites over Xmas/NYr period; not suitable for caravans.
    • Cumberland River Holiday Park near Lorne - great for families; river bank sites adjacent a beach.
    • Lake Elizabeth - near Forrest, grassy sites in tall timber and fern setting; must park car short distance above it. Pit toilets, water tank, shores of a lake.
  • South-western Victoria:
    • 9 drive in camp sites along the Glenelg River in the limestone region of Victoria's far west.
    • must book via Nelson Visitor Information Centre ph: 8738 4051
  • Grampians:
    • Hall's Gap - 2 commercial sites
    • Stapylton camping ground is arguably the best of the rest - pit toilets, room for caravans, views across the sandstone walls of the Mount of Olives and a short stroll to Aboriginal rock art of Ngamadjidj.
  • Pyrenees:
    • Kooyoora State Park near Inglewood - once a hideout of bushranger Captain Melville
      • one of the few parks that allows dogs.
      • tangled landscape good for orienteering challenges
      • toilets and wood BBQ's.
  • Echuca and Surrounds:
    • lots of camping sites along the Murray River just watch out for the mosquitoes (they carry an encephalitis virus) and the deadly dropping of large River Red Gum tree branches (don't camp underneath them).
    • Barmah State Park
    • Ulupna island
  • Mildura:
    • downstream on the Murray River. Perhaps too hot for summer camping. see comments above for Murray River.
    • Lake Hattah campground
      • good walks  but can be dusty and hot
    • Murray-Kulkyne Park - on the Murray River
  • Marysville & surrounds
    • Cathedral Range State Park - koalas and lyrebirds
  •  Warburton & surrounds
    • Upper Yarra Reservoir Park - hot showers, camp kitchen; must book at peak season ph: 131 963
    • Warburton camping ground - commercial

Looking for koalas?

• these are much harder to spot in the wild than kangaroos - you have to look up!
• koalas do not normally share trees, and, in prime quality habitat, have territories ranging from 1.2 to 1.7 hectares.
• koalas are nocturnal animals, and are most active just after sunset, and their calls at night can be very loud and intimidating to campers, although harmless if left alone.
• avoid trying to pick up injured wildlife such as koalas as you may get injured from their claws - call the experts to assist on 136 186 or phone Wildlife Victoria's 24 hour animal rescue service on 13 000 WILDLIFE (13 000 94535).
• Victoria has the highest population of koalas in the wild in Australia (and the world)
• koalas need certain types of Eucalypt trees for nutrition and thus their distribution is restricted
• in the 1830s, koalas were rarely encountered by European settlers. By the 1860s, koalas were increasing in population, possibly due to the decline in aboriginals who hunted them. By the early 1900s, koalas were heavily hunted by European settlers for their fur, which was exported to Europe. Consequently koala numbers crashed to very low levels.
• from 1919 to 1924, eight million Koalas were killed for their furs.
• koalas were almost wiped out in the 1920's but since then, sustained management programs have seen them occupy most available habitats in the state, to the extent that in some areas, there are too many placing strains on supply of suitable Eucalypt sources.
• areas of over-population include Mt Eccles National Park, Snake Island, French Island, Raymond Island, and parts of the Otway forests.
• of course, you can guarantee seeing one by visiting local zoos and wildlife centres such as Healesville Sanctuary or the Melbourne Zoo.
• see http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/

Looking for fairy penguins?

• the best place to go is Phillip Island where each night you can watch the penguins swim ashore and walk to their nests.
• this is one of Victoria's top tourist attractions.

Looking for kangaroos?

• in many parts of Victoria, kangaroos are prevalent in the wild and pose a threat to cars at risk of hitting them as they jump across the road, this risk is highest at dawn and dusk, but also in the evening.
• many golf courses have resident wild kangaroos that co-exist with golfers (eg. Anglesea in the Otways)
• popular holiday spots with kangaroos nearby are the Grampians, the Otways, Phillip Island and places along the Murray River.

 

This is a few of the photos I took of a mob of kangaroos that were grazing near our camp at the Grampians Gardens Tourist Park, on our arrival yesterday.

Going for a drive in the Grampians tomorrow and plan to do a few easier walks. http://www.grampiansnationalpark.com/grampians/national/park/drives.asp

There is an abundance of wildlife in the Grampians, you do not need to leave the caravan park, here at Grampians gardens, to see a lot of it. 

Reg and I enjoyed our one week stay at Fernholme, Tarra Valley Tourist Park. It is a beautiful place, friendly management and picturesque setting beside the Tarra River. 

Reg and I have spent a few days at with his family in Gippsad then with our family near Melbourne and we are picking up the new tyre for our caravan today and heading off to Halls Gap in the Grampians in the morning where we will be staying at the Grampians Gardens Tourist Park for one week.  So looking forward to that :-)

Mangroves are trees and shrubs that live in salt water. The mangroves are an essential part of the life cycle of the oceans.  These are the mangroves we saw at Phillip Island.

I have almost purchased a recliner/riser chair for my husband Reg, several times. He turns 70 this year and is amazing. He has had arthritis since he was child, and had been given, a prognosis of being in a wheel chair before he turned thirty and while he sometimes feels his age; he still makes an incredible effort to be as fit as he can be.  He has pain, yet he was in the pool with me moving around and walking along the beach today aJ.  I am not ‘gentle with him’J, no cosy recliner, a caravan seat, eco therapy, and encouragement to ‘move it or lose it’, is what a tough cookie who loves him, 'dishes out.'

Just the same, I still keep my eye out for a good buy on one of these special mobility aid chairs. There have been times one would have been useful, for me as well as my man. Lol maybe ‘Darby and Joan’, side by side, recliner lifter chairs one day. Before I do buy, I will become, well informed. I found the website of mobility compare when I was searching for some,  mobility products  for a friend and it has information that will help me decide what type of recliner riser chair I will need.....when that time comes.  For now, Reg and I are loving, our gray nomad years and pushing off the frail elderly years for as long as it is humanly possible to do so. J.

Caravans away... we are heading north to the warmth, before the cold weather arrives in Victoria. That is our favorite mobility aid for now.

 

Western Port, Victoria’s second largest bay, is a biological treasure-trove. Largely concealed behind a shoreline veil of marshland and mangroves, its waters contain expansive tidal flats, meadows of seagrass, deep channels, rocky reefs and sandy plains. The result is an abundance of marine life. Numerous small animals live in the mud and seagrass beds. Fish gorge themselves on these animals and waterbirds feast on them all.

The tides are the key to understanding Western Port’s marine life. With every low tide, some 270 square kilometres of shallow mud flats are exposed in Western Port’s northern reaches, revealing a feeding ground for thousands of wading birds. As the water streams off these flats on an ebbing tide, it flows into deeper channels carved in the soft mud. These channels gradually join together and flow into the deep channels that flank the eastern and western sides of French Island. As the tide turns and the channels fill and spill across the exposed flats larger fish, such as trevally, whiting and Dusky Morwong, move back out across the tidal plains to forage and hunt.

The marine national park system protects the essence of Western Port. The serene waters of Yaringa Marine National Park, in the north of the bay, preserve the connection between mangroves and mud flats, so important for roosting waterbirds. The French Island Marine National Park, in the centre, protects extensive seagrass beds that have largely disappeared elsewhere in the bay. The Churchill Island Marine National Park is representative of the south, influenced in part by the nearby open coast. This park hosts beds of lamp shells, a primitive ovoid shell that can occur in large numbers in sheltered sites with strong water flow. Pipefish and sea-hares abound. All three parks contain significant roosting sites and foraging areas for waders and other waterbirds.

 Western Port is recognised as one of the world’s precious areas for wading birds. Lured from a Siberian winter by sunshine and food, over 30 bird species make the journey from north Asia to Western Port annually.

Woolamai Beach

Natural Attractions - Phillip Island

Beautiful deserted beach in Woolamai – In-the-know surfers flock to stunning Woolamai Beach, located on the southern coastline of Phillip...

Features & Details | Location Map Pyramid Rock

Phillip Island Natural Attractions - Phillip Island

An area of incredible natural beauty – Pyramid Rock is the name given to a basalt formation located offshore at the end of Pyramid Rd,...

Features & Details | Location Map Phillip Island Penguin Parade

Ventnor Natural Attractions - Phillip Island

A truly memorable experience – The award-winning Phillip Island Penguin Parade, one of Australia’s most popular wildlife...

Features & Details Seal Rocks

The Nobbies Natural Attractions - Phillip Island

One of Australia’s largest fur seal colonies – Phillip Island is also well known for the amazing Seal Rocks, which is home for a colony of up to...

Features & Details | Location Map

Over five acres in area, Seaberry Creek Park forms a stunning feature at the entry to Seagrove.

A bridge link through the open space ensures the wetland is central to people’s experience of the site. This is further reinforced by extensive boardwalks suspended above the wetland, and walking trails linking a series of open spaces designed to accommodate a range of unstructured activities, from ball play and kite flying to exploration of rocky waterways or simply sitting and taking in the view.

A strong motif of overlapping leaf forms has driven the wetland design and created the opportunity for a rich pattern of stepped wetland cells that provide the water quality treatment function. Porous and non-porous gabion walls help define the wetland shape, providing a defined, but nevertheless soft, form.

In the north-west corner of the park, a striking picnic shelter echoes the leaf motif of the wetlands.

Southern 80 Visitors Urged to Play it Safe While Having Fun

 

With thousands of people expected to flock to the Southern 80 in Echuca this weekend, Parks Victoria, The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and the CFA are asking visitors to play it safe while having fun on the Murray.

 

Parks Victoria’s Ranger in Charge at Echuca, Kane Weeks, said rangers and Victoria Police will be patrolling the river between Echuca and Torrumbarry Weir, offering advice and assistance to campers.

 

“It should be a great weekend to enjoy the river so we’ll be talking to people and giving them information about safe and sustainable camping,” Mr Weeks said.

 

“We are fortunate to have access to many beautiful beaches along the length of the river – as well as campsites and picnic areas. By looking after these areas we ensure they are protected for everyone to enjoy in the future,” he said.

 

Parks Victoria has a ‘carry in carry out’ approach to litter so campers must take their rubbish to either a local waste disposal location or home with them. 

 

When camping, all toilets must be set up at least 100 metres from the river.  All toilet waste, including toilet paper, must be buried.

 

DSE North West Land and Fire Area Manager, Rob Price, said people must be aware of the potential fire risk while camping in the bush.

 

“Small portable gas bbqs are encouraged but if you do need a small fire for cooking or warmth use a constructed fireplace where provided,” Mr Price said.

 

“Otherwise, you must build a trench 30 centimetres deep, make sure there is no flammable material like grass or leaves within three metres and never leave a campfire unattended,” he said.

 

CFA North West Area Region 20 Operations Manager, Stuart Broad, said people should also monitor the weather conditions and keep informed about fire danger ratings during the event.

 

“CFA and DSE will have fire fighting resources on stand-by but we’d prefer to not have to use them,” Mr Broad said.

 

“Remember, too, that a car in long grass can start a fire quite easily so please be careful while you’re camping this weekend,” he said.

 

For information about camping along the Murray River, go to www.parkweb.vic.gov.au

For i www.dse.vic.gov.au

 



nformation about fire danger ratings and total fire bans, go to www.cfa.vic.gov.au

For information about campfire regulations and campfire safety, go to www.dse.vic.gov.au