Sunday, 3 May 2026
Temp: 6.9C
Distance 12.6km
Up 457m Down 700m
Time 5:47 hrs Moving time 3:38 hrs
Wind gusts up to 83kmh
33mm rain
Shelter – Enclosed shelter, no doors
Food: Breakfast, Pick up Lunch and Dinner at Jimmy Creek

What an eventful night. The rain started again as we were having dinner at about 6.30pm and didn’t stop all night. It was torrential and we also had a very close thunderstorm, lightning and thunder very close together in the first instance and then moving slowly apart. There was apparently 33mm of rain in the last 24 hours. The wind and wind gusts were extreme (83kmh). The tent shook all night long. We slept considerably well considering the nights weather events.
We woke early but decided not to start packing up until about 7.30am as the BOM indicated rain would stop at about 9am. Which was pretty true to its word. Some of our fellow campers were freezing, as they packed up early in the rain and weren’t dressed for the very cold, wet conditions (ie tshirt, very light wind jacket, short shorts and ankle socks, she was freezing). It was very cold by the time we had packed up the tent, so we were probably happy with the short uphill climb as we left at 9.30am.

This was then followed by a long 6km downhill stretch descending about 450m elevation. We saw a pretty faced wallaby on the way down and enjoyed the most amazing views. It was a fairly easy trail, although downhill often presents its own issues. We arrived at the food pickup point at Jimmy Creek Rd water tank to find no food drop waiting for us. We waited about 20 mins then sent them a polite message to ask if the food drops were still coming today. Only a few minutes later they arrived. A tour guide had seen them in the shop and realised they hadn’t been dropped off, so he brought them straight away. This delayed us longer than we had hoped and by then it was lunch time, so we ate lunch by the water tank, filtered some water and were on our way.

The next section was straight up 300m, with a couple of ups and downs after that. Most of the day was a relatively easy trail until the last section which was a bit of a scramble with difficult rocks and lots of them. There were still some lovely views, no rain and the wind wasn’t so bad today.

We arrived at camp at 3.15pm which is the earliest so far, which was great as we had a wet tent to dry and some repairs to be done from last night’s wind. This was painstakingly slow and by the time the repairs were done I was freezing. I was lucky we had a door-less, almost enclosed shelter. I went and sat inside within my sleeping bag to warm up whilst David did the rest of the set up. I got to know our new camp buddies who had been friends since year 7 at Epping High School. Paul the family law lawyer, Murray the chiropractor and Matt the marathon runner. We enjoyed some good company whilst having dinner and then went to bed about 8.30pm hoping the wind forecast of gusts building up to 74kmh during the night would not arrive. Fingers crossed our tent repairs survive, otherwise we may have to abort the walk tomorrow. It is a lot colder as well tonight.

National Parks notes
Day 9: (C5) Durd Durd Hike-in Campground – Yarram Hike-in Campground
Start: Durd Durd Hike-in Campground  
Distance: 11.9km 
Grade: 4/5
Key elevation points:  Durd Durd 1,167m, Durd Durd Hike-in Campground 855m
Elevation: 510m up, 740m down
Names and meanings: Durd Durd = ‘Durt Durt’: stars. Yarram = ‘Yarram’: big.
Highlights: Wildflowers, landscape views to the east and west.
A new landscape unfolds as you descend from the highest mountain peaks down into sheltered woodland valleys. Passing through previously untracked areas of the lower Mt William range, it offers up some of the most rugged ridgeline rock walking and jagged Serra Range views. This section is fantastic for late winter and spring wildflowers. Watch for the red “spider flowers” of Flame Grevillia, typically in bloom between April and November. To the east is the area’s farmland and scattered lakes and wetlands – important habitat to wildlife, including threatened species such as Australia’s largest flying bird, the Brolga.
Important safety information:
– Rainwater tanks at Durd Durd and Yarram Hike-in Campgrounds
– Serviced water tanks at Jimmy Creek Rd Crossing and Jimmy Creek Campground

Saturday, 2 May 2026
Temp: Max 7.5C
Distance 15.5km
Up 781m Down -793m
Time 6:18 hrs Moving time 4:57 hrs
FB Bad left big toe
Wind gusts up to 104kmh
Average wind speed 43kmh
8mm rain
Shelter – Open wind shelter
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We had a very windy night, with enormous wind gusts. At one stage I thought I was going to lift off like Dorothy and end up in Munchkin Land. So needless to say, sleep wasn’t great last night.

We knew we had another huge day and the plan was to try to get to camp before the rain which we thought was to arrive about 4pm. It didn’t rain overnight nor was it raining when we woke so the plan was to move fast. Unfortunately, I had a bad morning. I lost my hat and spent about 20 minutes searching for it, to no avail. I even fully unpacked my bag. Then we were on our way by 8.25am, then 200m up the track I thought I had left something behind on the table, so I headed back again. Then, off we went, yet again. We were at just under 850m elevation and the trail headed straight up. We went out onto a bitumen road which went straight up for the next 3 km to the summit of Mt William (1167m). We then headed straight back down, the day was like a roller coaster, the only problem was there were a couple of big dipper descents and ascents, it felt neverending. The views were amazing and ever changing. Rocks, cliffs, blackened trees and lots of boulders. It was a day of ups and downs, and it was very windy on the ridge, summits and the plateau. We just powered on as we were racing the rain. We had a short, early lunch at First Wannon campground in the gully out of the wind. Then off we went again and it started to drizzle. We used our umbrellas, a little unsuccessfully due to the wind. It wasn’t long before I had my rain gear on. Then the sun came out, but not for long. Then we walked across the Mitchell Plateau in howling wind, across metal platforms (sometimes uplifted by the gusts) and undulating terrain, then headed up to Durd Durd (1167). Then we went on to Banksia Hill (1103m), then more rock hopping along the ridgeline. Then down we go again. The rocks were relentless. There was some clambering on boulders, on and off little rocks, rock hopping and climbing up and down a zillion steps. It was a big day.

We finally made it to camp at 3pm. It was still drizzling. We set up camp and for the first time in 8 days, I had an afternoon rest inside the tent out of the drizzle, whilst David perfected the tent, as the wind was still howling and the gusts felt like we would take off. We sat at the open air tables for dinner, sort of in between showers. David finished his dinner under his new little umbrella. It will be a very long night as we were in bed by 7.30pm. Hopefully it rains itself out tonight.

National Parks notes
Day 8: (C4) Duwul Hike-in Campground – Durd Durd Hike-in Campground
Start: Duwul Hike-in Campground
Distance:14.5km
Grade: 4
Key elevation points: Durd Durd Hike-in Campground 855m
Elevation: 800m up, 850m down
Names and meanings: Duwul = ‘Duwil’: the mountain. Durd Durd = ‘Durt Durt’: stars.
Highlights: Mt William (Duwul) summit; 400m. The park’s highest mountain with views of the Serra Range and Victoria Ranges.
Climb to Mt William (1167m) then head south to Boundary Gap (878m) separating Mt William from the Major Mitchell Plateau. A challenging ‘big dipper’ that must be endured. The Major Mitchell Plateau undulates across rocks and steel mesh walkway, passing First Wannon Creek and reaching the highest point on the plateau, Durd Durd (1167m), marked by a rock cairn. Continue south to Banksia Hill (1103m), across the banksia ridgeline where the trail rock-hops across large boulders before descending to an open grassy woodland, reminiscent of an alpine meadow.
Important safety information:
– Rainwater tanks at Duwul and Durd Durd Hike-in Campgrounds
– Serviced water tank at Mt William Summit

Friday, 1 May 2026
Temp: 16-21°C
Wind gusts up to 78kmh
Distance 13.69km
Up 1011m Down 525m
Time 7:36 hrs Moving time 5:08 hrs
FB Bandaid right big toe
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Shelter – Open wind Shelter with picnic tables and chairs

After a lovely social night with Molly and a really good sleep, we made an effort to get on our way early today. We started getting organised about 6.30am and thought we would be going by 8am, unfortunately it was almost 8.30am. This is a lot earlier than the 10am or later we started some days. The first 500m was down hill and then it was up for the next forever. We saw about 5 Gang Gang Cockatoos including a beautiful male one, it was early as they were eating their breaky. We also saw a few wallabies. It was a tough day climbing to the top of Redman Bluff with an elevation of 1017m. It was lots of rock hopping, boulder climbing and rock platforms which were all going up, up and up. It took us 5:12 hours to walk 9.8km and it was tough. From Redman Bluff the wind started blowing as we walked along the ridge, the views were amazing and then it was time to go back down. We walked through blackened forest just coming back to life. The grass trees, gum trees and banksia were all shooting new growth but the damage from the summer 2024/2025 was extensive. It feels like all the bugs and flies were killed in the fire as we have only seen a couple of flies and 1 mosquito since we started walking the trail. It was a long day of walking with only a short break for an electrolyte drink mid morning, lunch and photos. Once again the last 2km was back up again, just to see how much resilience we have. David was so patient. He could go so much faster but he gets to the top of a hill and just waits for me to get there. We arrived at camp at 4pm, so we had hiked for 7.5 hours which was way less than the 9 hours suggested time. Yeehah!

We met another couple tonight who had walked in from Mt William Rd. Then at about 7.30pm another 4 hikers came in from Redman Rd. A tough last stage for them to hike in the dark. Both parties are heading to Durd Durd camp tomorrow.

The tent will get a bit of a workout tonight as the wind is howling. We are in bed early as we need to start early again tomorrow to try to get to camp and set up before the forecast rain at 4pm tomorrow. Wish us luck.

National Parks Notes
 Day 7: (C3) Barri-Yalug Hike-in Campground – Duwul Hike-in Campground
Start: Barri yalug Hike-in Campground.
Distance: 13.2km
Grade: 4
Key elevation points: Barri-yalug Hike-in Campground 375m, Mt William 1167m, Duwul Hike-in Campground
Elevation: 940m up, 470m down
Names and meanings: Barri Yalug = ‘Parri yalook’: running river. Duwul = ‘Duwil’: the mountain.
Highlights: The biggest elevation change of all the GPT: Barney Creek (320m) to Redman Bluff (1017m).
Climb toward Seven Dials passing a section of historic raised water-fluming held up by dry stone pillars, large open rock-covered areas and moss beds. Descend Seven Dials and climb towards Redman Bluff (1017m high), marked by an historic rock cairn. Walk down from Redman Bluff and watch for a picturesque tea tree surrounded pond located at a small plateau. Hike a small corridor between the Mt William Road and the cliff edge before reaching Duwul Hike-in Campground.
Important safety information:
– Rainwater tanks at Barri-Yalug and Duwul Hike-in Campgrounds
– Serviced water tanks at Redman Rd Crossing and Mt William Road 2.

Thursday, 30 April 2026
Temp: 10-21°C
Distance 16.49km
Up 540m Down 7.49
Time 6:50 hrs Moving time 4:34 hrs
FB Bandaid left big toe
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Shelter – Open wind Shelter + tables

Today was a big day. Suggested time from Bugiga to Barri Yalug is 5-6 hours with 14.7km distance. We thought we would be on our way by 8.30am but unfortunately it was 9.22am. Hopefully, we can get better as the next few days are big ones.

Last night was very warm only getting down to 10°. It was quite balmy. Today started with a beautiful sunrise, unfortunately I missed the best part and only caught the tail end of the colours. The first three kms was along fire trail and then single trail with a sandy track which we covered in about an hour and saw an eastern grey kangaroo right at the start. Then the rocky trail and ascent began. First was rocks amongst the dirt trail and then it became a rock platform, then it was scrambling up rocky boulders and manicured stairs as we weaved through the larger rock formations along the ridgeline. We saw some lovely colourful flowers, burnt trees and my favourite—fungi. There were some microscopic ones and some larger ones, colourful ones and plain ones. We continued up and up, on our way to Mt Rosea which had an elevation of 1006m. We stopped and chatted with a few groups along the way. A men’s group called “9 White Men” but one man said and a caramel koala. David reached them first and they asked him his philosophy of life. He was put on the spot and felt a little intimidated. They were a meditation group, very friendly and also shared some fresh grapes and dried mango with us. We would have spent at least 30 mins with them.

As we headed towards Eagle Rock (a magnificent collection of rock formations on the ridgeline) we met another young nurse from Melbourne on a few days break away from the real world. She works in the cancer ward in Melbourne. She was lovely and we talked to her for a while. David later stopped to help a lady who needed super glue to repair both the soles of her shoes which were coming apart. We then continued up some more to the summit of Mt Rosea. When we stopped for lunch, we had spent almost as much time stopped talking and taking photos as we had walking. We enjoyed lunch at the summit with a view of the valley, as it was too windy to sit at the summit overlooking Lake Bellfield. We met 5 girls from Adelaide who were here to celebrate one of the girls 23rd birthday.

We started the descent at about 1.10pm with 9km to camp. The first 2km was difficult rock hopping down hill, along with many rocky stairs and platforms. It also involved squeezing through large rock formations and narrow gaps. It took about an hour to go 2km. The next 7 km was still downhill, so hard on your knees, but a lot softer due to the trail terrain being normal dirt single trail. We saw a couple of pretty faced wallabies. The last km was uphill again with a little rock hopping. We arrived at camp just after 4pm, found our tent pad and went about the usual setting up activities.

We shared dinner with Molly, a 25 year old kiwi who had just moved to Melbourne. She has a degree in environmental science and was working on green house gas emissions in New Zealand. Her partner comes from Azerbaijan. She was shocked that we knew where Azerbaijan was. We chatted with her for hours after dinner. She was good company. She came from the south of the trail and had done our next 2 upcoming sections in one day but she went hard from 7am this morning and arrived about 5pm at camp tonight. That is definitely out of the question for us. It is a big 8.5 hour day tomorrow, so hopefully we can get moving earlier. We are off to sleep now 😴

“The 2024–2025 summer bushfires burned about 135,000–136,000 hectares in and around Grampians National Park, which was estimated to be nearly 80% of the park. The fires occurred in two major phases: Yarram Gap Road fire (started 17 December 2024) and burned more than 76,000 hectares. Wallaby Rocks fire (started late January 2025) and burned more than 59,000 hectares. Combined, the fires severely affected biodiversity, walking tracks, cultural sites, tourism infrastructure, and adjacent farmland.”

National Parks Notes
Day 6: (C2) Bugiga Hike-in Campground – Barri-Yalug Hike-in Campground
Start: Bugiga Hike-in Campground
Distance: 14.7km
Grade: 4
Key elevation points: Bugiga Hike-in Campground 625m, Mt Rosea, 1009, Barri-yalug Hike-in Campground 375m
Elevation: 550m up, 810m down
Names and meanings: Bugiga = ‘Bukika’: Unknown – refers to Mount Rosea (Bugiga-mirgani = ‘Bukika-mirkani’). Barri Yalug = ‘Parri yalook’: running river.
Highlights: Wet tall forest with a rocky steep climb through boulders to the Mt Rosea (Bugiga-mirgani) ridgeline. Cross the bridge at the Gate of the East Wind.
Climb through tall forest and onto the slopes of Mt Rosea. After reaching the summit, a long descent through tall forest leads to a footbridge over Fyans Creek next to Borough Huts, a great place for a cool-off. Workers lived at Borough Huts and maintained Stawell’s water supply in the late 1800s. The ingenious, elevated steel flume carried gravity-driven water along the Mt William Range before passing through a hand-hewn tunnel and on into Stawell. Cross Grampians Tourist Road and walk through forest and onto rocky slopes to Barri Yalug.
Important safety information:
– Serviced water tank at Bugiga Hike-in Campground
– Rainwater tank at Barri-Yalug Hike-in Campground

Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Temp: 12-21°C
Distance 10.52km
Up 631m Down 220m
Time 5:32 hrs Moving time 3:20 hrs
Shelter – Semi-open

After a lovely dinner we should have slept well but the ominous weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday had us making plans in our head all night. Before going off to sleep I researched what shelters are at the camps to come. It appears that tonight has a semi open shelter, then the next five nights are open air with just wind breaks. This will include the rainy Saturday and Sunday nights, so that had us rethinking a few things. The last two nights have enclosed shelters so we are hoping the bad weather blows out a few more days. Fingers crossed. I made a few adjustments to my pack besides adding 4.5 days food, I changed my ultra light rain jacket to a longer more robust one (Kathmandu NX2.5), I have also taken on the tent footprint and pegs and added two purple garbage bags. I weighed in at 13kg with 2 litres of water. This was 1.4kg heavier than it started 5 days ago. I decided to ditch 500ml water and used my hiking poles (350g) instead of carrying them in my bag. I am not quite sure where the extra weight came from but I will have to look in to it as 13kg is too heavy for me.

Today we are hiking from Halls Gap to Bugiga camp via Venus Baths, Splitters Falls, Stoney Falls, Grand Canyon, Echo Rock, Silent Street and the Pinnacles. It was a very tough first few hours on rocky trail and rock faces, up enormous slopes, through tiny gaps, up many many stairs until we reached the Pinnacles. We passed and chatted with many people as the section of the trail to the Pinnacles is a popular day walk. We stopped at the Pinnacles for lunch and enjoyed further chats before we finally left as we still had 2-3 hours to go and we both felt a little ordinary after lunch. Creaking knees and a bit uncoordinated. Just 4km to go, one foot in front of the other. Thankfully the trail changed back to mostly dirt trail although it did continue up some more before the final downward hill to camp. We arrived quite early for us at just 3.30pm.

We were the only people here at a lovely tent pad site with an open ended shelter. It was a lovely spot in the gully. It was the start of the central section of the park which was impacted by the 2024/2025 summer fires. The undergrowth was very minimal and many of the trees had either fallen or were very blackened by the fire. The grass trees were just regrowing and we didn’t see as many flowers today. We set up camp and were joined by one other hiker just before we enjoyed dinner as the sun set. Off to bed early tonight as we are both exhausted.

National Park Notes
Day 5: (C1) Halls Gap to Bugiga Hike-in Campground
Food: Breakfast at Halls Gap, Lunch, Dinner
Start: Halls Gap Trailhead (caravan park) 
Distance: 8.9km  
Grade: 4
Key elevation points: Halls Gap 230m, The Pinnacle, 715m, Bugiga Hike-in Campground 625m
Elevation: 760m up, 340m down
Names and meanings: Bugiga = ‘Bukika’: Unknown – refers to Mount Rosea (Bugiga-mirgani = ‘Bukika-mirkani’).
Highlights: Stony Creek, Grand Canyon, The Pinnacle.See fascinating sandstone gorges and gnarly, weathered rock formations in the Wonderland Range. Near Venus Baths are views of Elephants Hide and, in the background, Chautauqua Peak.
The sculpted rock shapes in the Grand Canyon and Silent Street will intrigue you before you exit up and out towards the Pinnacle Lookout, passing the Cool Chamber and Bridal Veil Falls on the way. Hike from the rocky ridges down through forest towards Sundial Carpark, through to Devils Gap and on towards Lakeview Lookout and past Sundial Carpark. Arrive at the stunning Bugiga Hike-in Campground, looking up towards the rugged cliff-line of Mt Rosea.
Important safety information:
– Serviced water tanks at Sundial Carpark and Bugiga Hike-in Campground

Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Temp: Low 10-20°C
Distance 14.86km
Up 209m Down 695m
Time 6:19 hrs Moving time 4:16 hrs
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner at Halls Gap

A good night’s sleep, warm and comfortable with windy conditions during the night. It’s always great to wake up to a dry tent. The campsite had a couple of tour group huts and a camp fire pit but it was locked. We packed up and had a lovely leisurely morning chatting with Chloe and Tiffen. Chloe suggested the Western Province of the Solomon Islands for canoe adventures. It is pristine and amazing. Needless to say our 9am departure time ended up being 10am. Oh well! As we always say it is always about the journey and meeting new people along the way.

Today’s hike is 13.5km with a suggested time of 6.5hrs. Let’s see how we go!
The day started with beautiful views of Lake Wartook in the west and walking along the ridgeline with views on either side of the ridge. Three lakes on one side and one on the other. We took the side track to the lake Wartook lookout where we saw two lakes (Lonsdale and Fyans Lakes). It was very rocky for the first 2 hours with many steps mostly going up. Once again there were the most amazing rock formations that I often found a shape of something ie. a dinosaur or turtle or today’s one I remember was Pluto the cartoon character. There were also lots of flowers and scenic views to photograph so we didn’t get very far. Only 6km in the first 2.5 hours.

We stopped for lunch on a ridgeline with a beautiful view of the plains, another mountain range and three lakes. From north to south they were called Lake Lonsdale, Lake Fyans and Lake Bellfield. After lunch the trail changed and was much better on our legs. It was mostly downhill along single trail with a few ups in there to keep us on our toes. Thankfully the trail was also mostly dirt/sand with a few sections of rocks and many staircases. There were a few rocky sections as well but not continuous like the previous three days. We saw a couple of pretty faced wallabies on the trail, some fungi and some more flowers. As a huge bonus, when we reached the junction to Halls Gap and Chatauqua Peak we were very lucky to see the Gang Gang Cockatoo, which David has never seen before so he was pretty excited. We saw both the male and female (apparently they are monogamous for life, they were both grey in colour but the male has a bright red head and the female has a muted red almost salmon chest. It was amazing to watch the birds so close.

We then climbed to the top of Chatauqua Peak which was a bit of a tricky rock scramble. This overlooked the town of Halls Gap and Lake Bellfield. We then continued down the trail where we took the short side track to the dry Clematis Falls and then we were on the homeward straight. Only 2kms to the trail end at Halls Gap and another 1km back to the car at the Visitors Centre.

That is the first third and northern section of the trail done and dusted.
Day 1 – 13.95km 5:58 hrs Down 514 Up 528
Day 2 – 11.99km 5:38 hrs Down 133m Up 605
Day 3 – 16.79km 8:08 hrs Down 515m Up 565
Day 4 – 14.86km 6:19 hrs Down 695m Up 209
Totals – 57.59km 26:03 hrs on the trail Down 1,857m Up 1,907

Stay tonight is in the comfort of the Kookaburra Lodge Motel with a well earned shower and bed, with a beautiful dinner at Flame Brothers Cafe Restaurant & Bar.

National Parks Notes
Day 4: (N4) Werdug Hike-in Campground – Halls Gap (own arrangements)
Start: Werdug Hike-in Campground
Distance: 13.0km
Grade: 4
Key elevation points: Werdug Hke-in Campground 750m Lake Wartook lookout, Halls Gap 230m
Elevation: 240m up, 750m down
Names and meanings: Werdug = ‘Werdook’: his shoulder, a reference to the shoulder of a mythical ancestor.
Highlights: Sweeping views, rocky gardens and a descent through tall wet forest and winter/spring wildflowers.
Lake Wartook Lookout (829m) is one of the highest points in the Mt Difficult Range. Climb to Lake Wartook Lookout, before meandering across the escarpment passing rocky gardens and descending steep stone steps. They herald the first major vegetation transition as you leave the dry, open rocky northern area and move down through the wetter eastern slopes. Listen for birdlife in this area as you hike through tall forest and an open understorey with ferns, grasses, wattles and tea trees. Chautauqua Peak gives views over the town before the final descent past Clematis Falls (seasonal rains) and through the Botanic Gardens on the approach into Halls Gap.
You need to book your own accommodation (off-trail) for this night. Halls Gap offers a variety of accommodation for walkers, for further information go to [Visit Grampians](https://www.visitgrampians.com.au/stay/grampians-peaks-trail-day-4).
Important safety information:
– Rainwater tank at Werdug Hike-in Campground. 
– Fill with extra water at Werdug Hike-in Campground as there are no serviced water tanks along the trail until you get to Halls Gap.

Monday, 27 April 2026
Temp; Low 11-18°C
Distance 16.79km
Up 565m Down 515m
Time 8:05 hrs Moving time 5:13 hrs
Bandaid FB right big toe
Enclosed shelter at Werdug
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we hiked from Gar to Werdug. 14km with about 500m ascent. I had thought about getting up in the dark and climbing to Gar summit for sunrise but wasn’t sure of the difficulty level and David wasn’t keen unless he was awake when I left. I had a bad night’s sleep and therefore didn’t wake in time. When I got up the fog or cloud was very low in the valley. It was beautiful. We decided to add in the Gar summit (or otherwise known as Mt Difficult) on the way today. This added an extra 2.6km in distance and 99m elevation, making for an extra big day. I started out at 9.25am whilst David finished a few things, as I am a little slower and he wasn’t sure if he was going to do the summit trail or not. After 300m you turn off the main trail and head 1.3km up to the summit. I passed Tom along the way, who said the last little bit was very steep and he crab crawled on all fours back down. Along the way it was the usual rock ledges, rocky paths and then a very steep ascent. It was worth the climb though, 360° views of the Grampians mountain range, the plains in the distance and the beautiful view of Lake Wartook. The lake was the most amazing blue with green and rust brown edges. It was magnificent. I got to enjoy the view whilst I waited for David to arrive. Lucky me, 35 mins of beauty.

We then descended and I only had to crab crawl a little way. Then back to the main trail. By this time it was 11am and we still had 14km to go. It was a long day. We walked around Lake Wartook from a distance and tonight ended up on the other side of the lake. It was once again difficult rocky terrain, angled slopes, loose rocks, rocky steps and boulder hopping with the occasional short lived sand base. The sand paths seemed to last five seconds. It was a lot of up and down today. We enjoyed lunch with a beautiful view of Lake Wartook. After lunch we still had 10km to go. Ouch! We set off at about 1.30 for the afternoons challenge. Whilst walking we enjoyed some beautiful views of the escarpment, some amazing plains in the distance and more views of the lake, as we made it around to the other side. We had another quick stop for running repairs (a bandaid to my right big toe), as it was getting a bit warm which is the first sign of a new blister forming. This offered relief which was great. We continued on and on and on and up and down and up, and up and up some more. With only 2 km to go we stopped to refuel with a snack and filter some water from the tank as we had both drunk 2 litres today. The last 500m, I was a little slow. We arrived at camp about 5.30pm, 8 hours after we left this morning. We chose our tent pad and then joined the others at the little glamping huts (no guests here tonight) and watched the sunset from their verandah.

I learnt some more about the girls. They are both 27 and studied political science at university. Tiffen is from Brittany and is now a political diplomat in Azerbaijan (a little country between Russia and Iran), so a very interesting place to be at the moment. Chloe is from Normandy and is a foreign aid worker, based in Melbourne but she travels to the Solomon Islands and Tonga helping them navigate the effects of climate change. We also talked with Bernie and Andrew about their next adventures as they are having a year off work. Then everyone hit the sack early as we were all exhausted. Time for me to go to sleep too.

National Parks Notes
Day 3: (N3) Gar Hike-in Campground – Werdug Hike-in Campground
Start: Gar hike in campground 
Distance: 14.0km 
Grade: 4
Key elevation points: Gar Hike-in Campground 700m, Werdug Hike-in Campground 750m
Elevation: 690m up, 650m down
Names and meanings: Gar = pointed mountain. Werdug = ‘Werdook’: his shoulder, a reference to the shoulder of a mythical ancestor.
Highlights: Mt Difficult (Gar) summit, open rock slabs, elevated ridgeline views from the backslopes of the Mt Difficult Range.
A day hiking around the horseshoe shaped mountain range encircling the Lake Wartook basin below. The trail rises and falls over highpoints, dipping through saddles and crossing bare rocky slabs on its way to Long Gully Creek. Werdug Hike-in Campground is perched on a high knoll with clear day views down into Lake Wartook and across to the western Mt Difficult Range.
Important safety information:
– Rainwater tanks at Gar and Werdug Hike-in Campgrounds
– Serviced water tank at Mt Difficult Rd Crossing (North) shortly before Werdug Hike-in Campground 

Sunday, 26 April 2026
Temp – Low of 11-21°C
Distance 11.99km
Up 605m Down 133m
Time 5:38 hrs Moving time 3:39 hrs
Enclosed shelter at Gar
Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

It was a very balmy night last night and only reached as low as 13°. We had a leisurely morning just packing up, enjoying a chat and breakfast. We finally left camp this morning at about 10am.

Today was a big climbing day, 720m up over 11km, it is a big up day. The terrain was varied again, but a lot of rocky walking on angles again, some amazing well hand made steps that went up, up and up some more. There were some beautiful sheer rock cliffs that after rain would have been lovely waterfalls. There was also some beautiful green bushland. As always the intricacies of nature blows my mind. The fine details of all the seed pods are amazing. There were scenic views aplenty, these were actually continuous views for a lot of the day. We were on the trail for 5 hours today and I feel as though I handled it a lot more comfortably today.

We arrived at camp about 3pm and were gobsmacked at the sheer beauty of the location. It was on the edge of a cliff ridge with each camp having its own private entrance that walked straight out to the most amazing view. It is incredible that they haven’t put a safety rail for OH&S purposes, but we are grateful they haven’t. The camp shelter had a great setup again. We had a few less people tonight. Andrew and Bernie from Brisbane, Chloe and Tiffen from France, Tom and Leah (2 ICU nurses) from Melbourne and 3 young men.

We setup camp and then enjoyed the beautiful sunset view of the escarpment before heading in for a social dinner in the shelter. Many stories were told and shared by others of previous or upcoming hiking adventures, as the group slowly gets more comfortable together. It is really quite interesting how everyone eventually starts to share there stories, from where they have been to what there packs weigh, to life in general. It is a lot cooler tonight, we are at 700m above sea level.

National Parks Notes
Day 2: (N2) Barigar Hike-in Campground – Gar Hike-in Campground
Start: Barigar campground 
Distance: 11.3km 
Grade:4
Key elevation points: Barigar 230m. Mt Difficult (Gar), 806m, Gar Hike-in Campground 700m
Elevation: 700m up, 230m down
Names and meanings: Barigar = ‘Parigar’: mountain stream. Gar = pointed mountain, Bar = river, hence mountain stream.
Highlights: Seasonal waterfalls (after rain), a heath covered plateau, Mt Difficult (Gar) mountain summits.
Hike uphill from Barigar passing through grassy woodland. A final switchback up rock steps brings you to a ridgeline with extensive views of the Mt Difficult Range, and an easy descent to Roses Gap Road. Spring wildflowers, Yellow Box eucalypts and Grampians Thryptomene feature on the lower slopes. A steady hike follows Dead Bullock Creek up the imposing Mt Difficult Range escarpment. Enjoy stunning waterfalls after rain. The trail gets harder as it steepens, zig-zagging upwards on steep rocky steps, close to cliff edges and below massive rock walls before reaching the Gar Hike-in Campground. Gar = ‘big mountain’, is the highest on the western side of the Range.
Important safety information:
– Rainwater tanks at Barigar and Gar Hike-in Campgrounds
– Serviced water tank at Gar Trailhead (Roses Gap Rd) 

Saturday, 25 April 2026
Temp 29/13°C
Distance 13.95km
Up 528m Down 514m
Time 5:59 hrs Moving time 4:06 hrs
Bandaid FB left upper arm – rub from phone pouch
Enclosed shelter at Barigar.
Food: Breakfast at Hall Gap, Lunch, Dinner

Today was the start of a new adventure. The Grampians Peaks Trail. 160km with about 8000m elevation to traverse over 13 days. After a little more organising we met the Grampians Peaks Walking Co at the Halls Gap Visitor Centre at 9am to be driven on their bus to Mt Zero trailhead. This was about 50 min drive through scenic fire trail roads. We had a full bus – a family of 5 from Melbourne doing a 3 day walk. Another couple (Andrew & Bernie) doing the whole trail end to end in 10 days, and 2 girls from France (Tifenn & Chloe) doing 4 days. Our driver Kayla was a young girl who worked with the Co in the hiking season (autumn and spring) and usually went travelling in the winter. This winter she is doing 9 days on the GR20 in Corsica and 13 days in France on the Tour Mont Blanc. We had a great chat about hikes we have both done and the time passed by quickly.

After sending out our messages we finally started the hike about 10.40am. Today’s distance is about 12km with elevation of about 600m which started immediately, straight up a rocky slope platform. Up, up and up some more. We continued for about an hour following the yellow markers enjoying the most spectacular views until we came to the Mt Stapylton side track. We took off our heavy packs and started the climb to the summit. This started out quite easy until we came to a lookout which we thought was the summit. It was a spectacular view. We then realised it wasn’t the summit, so we continued on, following the red arrows which became more of a scramble and then some climbing. As we haven’t been doing much scrambling/climbing of late, I hadn’t grown my rock scrambling legs yet, so I reached my limit about half way up , so I sat and enjoyed the view whilst David climbed to the top. This gave him 360′ views of the area. I was a bit sad I didn’t go to the top but I will look at his photos later. We then headed back to our bags, had a quick snack, 5 mins rest and started on the main trail again. We still had about 10km to go and it was already 12.20pm. The rest of the trail didn’t disappoint with some amazing views. When it wasn’t single trail going through bushland similar to home with a few little flowers, it was walking up and down rocky plateaus which were often on a camber of anything from from 10-45° and most often very angular. This was a little taxing on your body. We kept walking until about 2.30pm when we stopped in a little clearing for our gourmet lunch of a peanut butter wrap, small bag of chips, a snickers and a hydralyte. After a short break we were on our way again. We continued on for another 2 hours and walked another 7.5km. The last hour was long. Our first day had been about 6 hours with a 12kg pack for me and 14kg for David, so a tough day at the office.

We arrived at the camp at about 4.30pm, the camp had fantastic facilities (enclosed shelter with tables and benches, stainless steel cooking bench and locked rodent proof cupboard for food bags, 2 drop toilets and 2 water tanks) . We found our tent pad (no. 3) and set up our tent. It was the first time we have set the tent up on a wooden suspended tent pad but we were happy it was relatively easy. I set up everything inside whilst DB filtered some water for dinner and tomorrow. We then headed to the enclosed shelter to cook our delicious dehydrated dinner. We met Bernie and Andrew who at the speed end to end hikers who have just completed 39 days hiking the Alpine trail. There were also 5 mums from. Ballarat who had joined forces to get away from life’s stresses and do single overnight hikes together. We also met Lucas and his daughter Frankie who was 6 and 3/4. She had walked in from Gar trailhead which was about 6km. Amazing effort fopr someone so youngf. She carried a backpack with some of her gear. I started with soup and then a honey soy chicken with some new added vegetables this time. They definitely improved the taste. Day 1 of 13 done and dusted and we went pretty well. We are in bed and off to sleep at 9am. Yeehah!

National Parks Notes
Day 1: (N1) Mt Zero – Barigar Hike-in Campground
Start: at Mt Zero Picnic Area.  
Distance: 12.1km 
Grade: 4
Key elevation points: Mt Zero Carpark 250m, Mt Stapylton 518m, Barigar Hike-in Campground 230m
Elevation: 600m up, 610m down
Names and meanings Barigar = ‘Parigar’: mountain stream. Gar = pointed mountain, Bar = river, hence mountain stream.
Highlights: Ridgeline hiking, Taipan Wall, Mt Stapylton viewpoint and seasonal rockpools and waterfall.
A day of ridgeline hiking around and under boulders and crossing open rocky slabs. Expect views of Stapylton Amphitheatre, Mt Stapylton (Gunigalg) and the magnificent orange wave of Taipan Wall. Watch for the aptly-named Bird Rock and early season spring wildflowers. Hike through low forest and dense shrub to Golton Creek and on to Coppermine Track. From here climb to exposed rocky battlements then hike downhill towards a high wind-blown cave and creek crossings over open rock slabs dominated by boulders with small seasonal rockpools. Look ahead to the dramatic Mt Difficult Range. A steep descent to a scenic seasonal waterfall (after rain) heralds your arrival at Barigar Hike-in Campground.
Important safety information:
– Serviced water tanks at Mt Zero Trailhead and Coppermine Track Crossing
– Rainwater tank at Barigar Hike-in Campground 

Friday 24th April 2026
Today we headed off on the last leg towards Halls Gap for the start of our adventure.

We were on the road about 9am and travelled through beautiful countryside. The roads were varied, from single lane to two way with bigger highways a little of the way. We passed through many little towns with the old pub and we stopped for morning tea at St Arnaud. Wow! This doesn’t happen very often. A cuppa, a biscuit, some yoga and a walk through the botanical gardens. It was a lovely little break. We then headed to Halls Gap through Stawell, the place of the Stawell Gift sprint race.

We arrived at Halls Gap about 1.30pm, checked in to the Kookoaburra Motor Lodge and unpacked. We then headed to the Grampians Peak Walking Co to drop off our food drops, get some last minute instructions and we were organised, sort of.

We went back home to the motel to do some more organising and shuiffling. A few more decisions.

We headed to Roccalto Pizza for dinner. It was very yummy! Then a bit more reading for me and some last minute organising for DB.

I had a bad nights sleep but I had so much go around and around in my head.