144 km walk in the Grampians : great walks in Oz ?

[peregrinator]

I think the whole point of the GPT is being missed here. It is not being built to create a great bushwalk for bushwalkers, it is being made to attract tourists and take as much of their money as possible. . .

I tend to agree with you, jimjim, but maybe there are some nuances you've missed. I've been trying to review the previous posts in the context of Hallu's original post. Apologies if I have made any incorrect interpretations.

Although I believe NNW is right about there being no great interest in multi-night visits in the Grampians at the moment, this could change in the future as infrastructure is developed. All in line with what's desired by managerial types who want to attract tourists, grow revenue, blah, blah and blah. One could extrapolate, again bearing in mind the ideas Hallu first raised, and substitute various other locations for the Grampians (including non-Victorian ones) when thinking about these matters.

In the views expressed so far in this thread, most people are either ambivalent or opposed to such infrastructure in places like the Grampians. Even more so in the other places Hallu discussed in the original post and subsequently, such as Croajingalong or Nadgee. But development of just a track alone is of course a different matter.

As NNW also noted in reference to the Overland Track, convenient access to locations off the track is useful by-product. (For the record, I've twice done OLT several decades ago but have no interest in returning. Yet if I lived in Tasmania and not Victoria, I'm sure I'd have been there many times since to get such access.) Hallu mentions the Grampians terrain and wondered whether "technical or vertiginous" tracks would appeal to most walkers. I think the route deliberately avoids anything too challenging. A good indicator is that it takes the eastern side of the Halls Gap-Dunkeld Road between the Major Mitchell Plateau and somewhere near Signal Peak, avoiding most of the Serra Range. Therefore the track, or parts thereof, could be theoretically attractive to both inexperienced and experienced walkers. So if some only want to do selected sections, is that a problem? (Other than for revenue-raising prospects -- see below.) If I intended to do walks in other states or other countries, I would plan those in the same way that I plan walks using sections only of existing longer walks in Victoria such as GSWW and GOW. And avoid the regimentation and paid bookings if possible.

Lophophaps and NNW queried the potential economic benefits. But this goes back to the matter of new infrastructure. That is, the kind of development which Nuts refers to which mainly happens at the perimeters, but possibly also close to the track at overnight stops. Here's what is anticipated: http://vnpa.org.au/admin/library/attachments/PDFs/Fact%20sheets/fact-sheet-grampians-peaks-trail.pdf. One would expect that once private accommodation is built at stopping points, other services could be provided on a drive-in delivery basis, like food delivered to order, and maybe someone might go around doing massages! Here's an example of a current itinerary (lots of ice-cream opportunities, Lophophaps, but probably no sales in July): http://www.parktrek.com.au/product/grampians-peak-trail/?doing_wp_cron=1435809797.3264770507812500000000.

Parks Victoria confidently asserted that the GPT will create $6.4 billion in revenue in the region by 2025. No detail about this is provided so that has to be somewhat speculative. That also applies to the figures cited for visitor numbers, which are very loosely defined and a bit variable across the various documents. If one is going to speculate further, if fires, floods and landslides continue to recur in the area, it may be 2035 before the track is completed -- how would that influence the profit and loss columns?

Hallu wrote about the idea of creating walks which gain international repute, resulting in people (especially those coming from overseas) wanting to do the entire walk. Ultimately does this come down to the kind of subjective judgements in the comment Nuts made about the OLT? (Sounds nice, but what does it actually mean?)

The OLT, quite deservedly, became popular on its intrinsic merit. “This must be a national park for the people for all time. It is magnificent and people must know about it and enjoy it.” More recent popularity is probably driven by the ticklist though overwhelmingly people finish the track with a positive review of the experience, partly (i'd say mostly) due to the indelible attributes of such unique and diverse landscape.

Could a Grampians track attain such status? I don't know and don't really care. Is the only significance of that status that it can be measured in financial terms? Pretty much, but not entirely because as Hallu also asked, referring to Croajingalong, but relevant to many other places, I'm sure:

Should we make sure everyone can visit it so that it'll be so loved no one will dare touch it?

The place that immediately comes to mind that "everyone loves" and is supposedly "untouchable" is Wilsons Promontory. But every now and then someone proposes something there to redefine "untouchable" as "untouchable-ish". E.g. in 2002: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/04/25/1019441281886.html. Sooner or later, it would be no surprise if such "development" was proposed again. After all, the last Victorian government's plans for Point Nepean have only just been rejected by the replacement government.

[Nuts]

The areas are already protected, problem with promoting walking track access to an area 'so they are so loved nobody dare will touch it' is that it opens the door to brownies using that catchphrase to justify further incursion. The OLT hut model was used as an example in the Vic direction statements and proposals for opening Vic parks to business. The OLT hut model was initially offered to and opposed by locals. The OLT hut model included 4 overnight accommodations. The next few years will see now, 10 huts and associated sprawling infrastructure.. ?? with, as it follows, a park service (or park service via political thumbscrews), growing obligation to the well heeled owners (and collateral damage concept).

[Hallu]

Regarding Wilsons Prom' I'm not a big fan of the peninsula. Not because it's not beautiful enough, but because people are crowded in key areas. Tidal River is often cited as one of the best campgrounds in Australia while it's utterly awful. Crowded, with no sea or river views, destructive wombats, and lotteries to see who gets a spot in summer... Squeaky beach feels like the French Riviera sometimes (I don't mean that in a good way), some walks are not well thought out (too many one way walks), and you can actually see jet skis on the shores (WT *$&# Victoria ??). It is popular and will stay like that, and maybe a Great Walk would scatter people around and bring back a more authentic national park politics instead of the "week-end getaway place for Melburnians" it is right now? The OLT became also popular because it's exotic : Tassie native flora, plenty of wombats wallabies and pademelons (maybe still some devils). Both the prom' and Croajingolong offer that as well, while the Grampians isn't exactly known as a hot wildlife spot. Plenty of roos and emus, sure, and some nice flora in spring, but nothing like the other 2.

As many other said, the Grampians is more suited to be a casual bushwalker paradise, with plenty of accomodation and nearby wineries, or a rock climber hot spot. With the Great Ocean Walk and now this, it feels like they've picked the 2 areas where it was already more about day walks with small towns a stone-throw away than anything else.

[MickyB]

Thought this video from Australian Geographic might be of interest.

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/ ... 10-part-1/

[scroggin]

Thought this video from Australian Geographic might be of interest.

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/ ... 10-part-1/

cheers for that, they like to lay it on thick

[jimjim]

Hi,

does anyone In The Know have any update on the progress of this?? It has all been fairly quite of late on the news front.

Cheers. Jim.

[MickyB]

The trail rich in Aboriginal culture is being constructed in stages over the next five years

http://www.greatwalks.com.au/news/stage ... ail-opened

[peregrinator]

Hi,

does anyone In The Know have any update on the progress of this?? It has all been fairly quite of late on the news front.

Cheers. Jim.

I'm not "in The Know". But I do know there have been a number of field trips to plan the route, with still a bit more to be done. Then extracting the necessary funding is probably going to be a slow process.

[Eremophila]

One section is open - a 3 day/2 night circuit out of Halls Gap:
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks ... eaks-trail

Bugiga Hiker Camp is noted as having a locker at each campsite, for storing gear.

[north-north-west]

Three days to do 36km on a Grampians track? *&%$#! hell, a proper walker could do that as a daywalk!

[andrewp]

Bugiga Hiker Camp is noted as having a locker at each campsite, for storing gear.

AFAIK the 'locker' is a cage built into/under the platform, but the lid is so heavy that a ranger injured his hand and they have been locked and unusable ever since. The cage is wire mesh, but the holes are large enough for mice or rats to get through. Brilliant.

[north-north-west]

Bugiga Hiker Camp is noted as having a locker at each campsite, for storing gear.

AFAIK the 'locker' is a cage built into/under the platform, but the lid is so heavy that a ranger injured his hand and they have been locked and unusable ever since. The cage is wire mesh, but the holes are large enough for mice or rats to get through. Brilliant.

Probably shouldn't laugh, but still . . .

[Eremophila]

Oh that's priceless.

I must admit I hadn't really looked at the distances. Day 3 sounds like it's mostly on fire trails too.

[Snowzone]

Scoping on the remainder of the route is still in progress and should be completed shortly. The entire track is due to be completed by September 2019. Feedback on the hiker camp at Bugiga has been noted.

[jimjim]

Thanks Snowzone.
Will the actual route be published soon?
I am curious as to where it will go, especially from Mt Staplyton through to Mt Difficult.
I was under the impression that funding had been committed in the last state budget.
Cheers, Jim

[Earwig]

Stage 2 is go! Not sure where it is going, but it is go ...
http://wild.com.au/news/grampians-peaks-trail-stage-two/?utm_source=Wild+-+General&utm_campaign=1462b844a4-Wild_Update_News_Dec_1112_11_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_74502b804c-1462b844a4-84524790
The press release includes some interesting figures: the track will generate $6.4million per year for the local economy with 86,000 visitor nights. That means that the track will attract an average of 236 people every day of the year and each person will spend around $75 every day. Do people spend that much locally when they go hiking? I, for example, tend to only buy fuel and maybe a coffee in the area where I walk - everything else comes from home.

Depends, I guess, on people staying in off-track accommodation and buying expensive dinners.

[neilmny]

236 per day.....on the track? That's one per 610 metres They better build bigger camp sites.

[north-north-west]

...and each person will spend around $75 every day. Do people spend that much locally when they go hiking? I, for example, tend to only buy fuel and maybe a coffee in the area where I walk ...

Track fees . . .