The spectacularly rugged mountain ranges and stunning wildflower displays of the Grampians National Park provide some of the most magnificent scenery in the country. The 167,000 hectare park was established in 1984 and is comprised of four main ranges: Mt William, Sera, Mt Difficult and Victoria Range. Rising to heights of over 1000 metres, they form the western edge of the Great Dividing Range.

The park is home to almost a third of Victoria's plant species. It's colourful display of wildflowers and abundant wildlife make it a natural wonderland.

Another great feature of the park is the presence of Aboriginal Rock Art sites. Aboriginal people camped and painted images of their life and law on the sandstone walls. About 60 known sites have been located throughout the ranges, although only a number are publicised for visiting. The best way to explore the Aboriginal cultural heritage and local rock art sites is to start with a visit to the exciting Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre.

Things to see and do

The Grampians National Park is a wonderful place for bushwalking, camping, fishing, rockclimbing and a host of other outdoor activities and is also a great place for scenic drives.
There are over 160kms of walking tracks from short strolls to challenging overnight expeditions for experienced bushwalkers.

Heritage

Aboriginal occupation of the Grampians dates back beyond 10,000 years and the area contains the majority of Aboriginal rock art sites in south-east Australia. In 1836, the NSW Surveyor-General, Sir Thomas Mitchell, named the ranges after mountains in his native Scotland. Graziers soon followed, attracted to the picturesque settings, while the region has also seen gold mining, quarrying and timber industries take hold.

Flora and Fauna

The stunning spring wildflower displays, best seen in October, are the outstanding feature of the park's flora but the vast array of over 800 indigenous plants is equally interesting. The vegetation ranges from stunted heaths to stringybark forests, redgum woodlands and luxuriant fern gullies.

Kangaroos, possums, gliders, echidnas and koalas are common, while nearly 200 species of bird life inhabit the park. Zumstein picnic ground is a popular kangaroo viewing area.

Koorie Heritage

While Aboriginal rock paintings are rare in Victoria and Australia they are not in the Grampians National Park. Five thousand years ago, the Koories who roamed the well stocked hunting ground surrounding Gariwerd as the mountain range was known to them, began recording their dreamtime legends and ceremonies on the recessed walls of caves, tucked away in rocky outcrops. It is a record of an ancient culture which was virtually destroyed with the arrival of European settlers.

Because these mountains provided a rich source of food and water, Koories were freed from spending long hours hunting and gathering. Spare time was dedicated to cultural activities, of which evidence may be seen today. Over 100 caves have been found where the rock faces are decorated by fine examples of Koorie art. You can visit about 10 shelters.

Nearly 4000 different art motifs have been recorded, although the major designs are emu tracks, human figures, hands, bars and straight lines. The oldest hand stencils are over 2000 years old, while the most recent where painted around the time Europeans discovered Australia.

Today, the Brambuk Living Cultural Centre, just two kilometres from Halls Gap, brings to life the rich history and culture of the Koorie communities of the Wimmera and south west Victoria. From a stone chimney, atop the Brambuk Centre, smoke lazily drifts upward, in a way reminiscent of a campsite fire. Inside there are rare displays of traditional Koorie art, clothing, weapons and tools. On the ceremonial ground you can experience traditional music, dance and cooking. Sample bush tucker Koorie style. Or let the people whose ancestors created this culture take you on an informed tour of the Koorie rock art sites.

A 70 kilometre drive south west of The Grampians National Park, at Lake Condah, is another significant Koorie site. Here you can see fish traps made from local basalt rock. The Koorie tribes relied on the rise and fall of the level of the lake to trap the fish. Around the traps you'll find the remains of more than 200 semicircular shaped stone houses which date back between 200 and 6000 years. Unlike most Koories, the tribe in this area had relatively permanent homes.

Nearby is the Lake Condah Aboriginal Mission, built by Europeans in 1867. Take a walk around the mission, through the ruins of the Mission House, bluestone cottages and the site of St. Mary's Church.

Sixty kilometres north of The Grampians National Park is Antwerp. Here you'll find The Ebenezer Mission station which today stands in ruins. Its pale pink stone buildings are surrounded by wheatfields and bush. A tiny cemetery contains graves of Mission Koories and Lutheran priests. An Antwerp Koorie, Bobby Kinnear, who won the rich Stawell Gift footrace in 1883, is buried here. His grave is marked by a Koorie monument erected in 1985 by the Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative to remember local Koories.

Another well known Koorie from Western Victoria was Johnny Mullagh. He was a famous cricketer from Harrow, who played with the first Koorie cricket team to visit England, in 1868. His memorial stands in the tiny village of Harrow, 70 kilometres west of the Grampians National Park.

How to get there

The 260 km drive from Melbourne along the Western or Glenelg Highways takes about 3.5 hours. There are approaches to Halls Gap (Vic Roads Touring Guide 56-A4) via Stawell, Horsham, or Dunkeld.

For more information on Grampians National Park, including facilities, camping, walking, and scenic drives, call the Parks Victoria Information Line on 13 1963 or visit Parks Victoria's website on www.parks.vic.gov.au

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There are two distinct land types in this 2695ha park- rugged granite peaks and gentle sloping open woodland.

Things to see and do

The park offers the visitor the opportunity for walking, driving and exploring in a relatively unspoiled area. There is a small picnic site among Candlebark Gums at the end of Kartuk Road, the main visitor access road.

Camping & Facilities

Car-based camping is restricted to the camp area at the end of Kartuk Road. Remote dispersed camping is permitted in the mountainous section of the Park. Camping beside Hidden Lagoon between the two peaks is popular. Please use minimal impact camping practices. Camp fees do not apply.
Langi Ghiran picnic and camping area provides toilets, fireplaces, tables, information and water.

Walking

An attractive walk showing many historic and natural features of the Park begins from the picnic ground along Easter Creek to the old Langi Ghiran Reservoir, then along the stone water race to a scenic lookout. In the southeast of the Park, the Lar-ne-Jeering Walking Track leads to an Aboriginal shelter displaying art unique to the area. There are opportunities for 'off track' walking in the mountainous section.

Driving

A drive along Langi Ghiran Track will reveal a variety of vegetation types and landforms.

Heritage

There is a great deal of evidence that Aboriginal people, the Ngutuwul balug or "mountain people" of the Dwab wurrung tribe, occupied this area. Four rock art sites, numerous shelters, scar trees and other artifacts have been recorded in the Park.

Major Thomas Mitchell climbed Mount Langi Ghiran, which he named Mount Mistake, on his 1836 'Australia Felix' expedition. The River Red Gum - Yellow Box open woodland was grazed by domestic stock from the early days, and is now recovering from this past use. Small mining and timber industries have also been part of the landscape however despite all the recent human activity, the park retains an unspoiled atmosphere which rewards the visitor with it's feeling of remoteness.

Flora & Fauna

River Red Gum and Yellow Box trees are scattered throughout the woodland while Messmate, Manna Gum and Red Stringybark inhabit the mountainous section of the Park. Yarra Gum and Manna Gum line the watercourses and Shiny Tea-tree, Veined Beard-heath and Langi Ghiran Grevillea occupy the higher peaks.

Eastern Grey Kangaroos inhabit the woodland and can often be seen from the roads. Echidnas, wallabies and a variety of birds are found throughout the Park. Powerful Owls inhabit the northern and eastern slopes and Wedge-tailed Eagles are often seen soaring the higher peaks.

Looking after the park

Help look after this Park by remembering these guidelines: All wildlife and native plants are protected. Fires may be lit only in fireplaces provided. No fires may be lit on Total Fire Ban days. Dogs, cats and firearms are not permitted. Please take your rubbish home. Remain on walking tracks where applicable to avoid damaging vegetation. Practice minimal impact camping in the remote sections of the Park. Horseriding is not permitted in the Park.

Precautions

Walkers should be aware that there is no water in most of the Park in the drier months so you must bring your own.

How to get there

Langi Ghiran State Park is situated adjacent to the Western Highway 195 km west of Melbourne and 14 km east of Ararat. Kartuk Road provides the main access into the Park. Melway Ref. 526 G3P. Vicroads Country Directory reference; Map 57, C7. Nearby Parks Grampians National Park. Mount Buangor State Park. Kara Kara State Park. Paddys Ranges State Park

For more information on Langi Ghiran State Park call the Parks Victoria Information Line on 13 196 or visit Parks Victoria's website on www.parks.vic.gov.au
 

 
Situated 375 km north-west of Melbourne, Little Desert National Park is a desert in name only. The three blocks of the park have a rainfall range of 400 mm per year in the north-east to 600 mm in the south-west. Taking a campsite along the Wimmera River with it's fringed banks of River Red Gums and chirping birdsongs of the Reed Warblers, are part of what make this park a national treasure. One of the best times to visit the park is between late winter and early summer when the temperatures are comfortable and the park is full of blossoms and wildflowers. The eastern block is the most accessible.

Things to see and do

Almost 600 km of tracks criss-cross all three blocks of the park, giving access to even the most remote areas near the South Australian border. Most tracks are too sandy for two-wheel drive vehicles but good signposting makes the park ideal for four-wheel driving.

One of the best ways to see the Little Desert National Park is on foot. There are three interesting self-guided walks in the eastern block: the Sanctuary nature walk south of Kiata, Stringybark walk south of Nhill on the Gymbowen Road, and at the Dimboola end, a short nature walk to Pomponderoo Hill. From the camping ground south of Kiata, walking tracks lead to a variety of places of interest. An area quite different from the rest of the park can be seen by strolling along the banks of the Wimmera River, or on the walking track at Ackle Bend. Long distance walkers can tackle all or part of the 84 km Desert Discovery Walk, where options of one to four days duration are possible.

Camping & Facilities

Basic facilities (fireplaces, tables and toilets) are provided at park camping grounds south of Kiata, and at Horseshoe Bend and Ackle Bend south of Dimboola. A fee applies to campers at these campgrounds. Vehicle-based camping away from the park camping grounds is permitted in the central and western blocks.

Heritage

In 1955, the Kiata Lowan Sanctuary was created. This was the first area of the Little Desert to be reserved, when 217 ha were set aside for the preservation of the Mallee Fowl. The area was increased to 945 ha in 1968 and declared as the Little Desert National Park. In December 1969 the area of the Park was increased to 35,300 ha. and by 1988 the park had increased in size to an area of 132,000 ha with the addition of the central and western blocks to the existing eastern block. The park now extends from the Wimmera River in the east to the South Australian border.

Flora & Fauna

More than 670 species of native plants have been recorded in the Little Desert, representing about one fifth of Victoria's indigenous flora. The eastern block contains extensive heathlands, with banksia, tea-tree and sheoak, and many spring flowering species. Woodlands of Yellow and Red Gum with Slender Cypress-pines, and swamps and clay flats of Bull-oak and melaleuca are of particular interest in the western block. The central block contains elements of the vegetation types of both the other blocks, with extensive areas of stringybark. Three plant species are considered rare or significant. Scattered throughout sandy areas of the park are ridges of iron-rich sandstones on which Broombush can be found

Apart from the elusive Mallee Fowl and rare Southern Scrub Robin, more than 220 kinds of birds have been seen. Parrots, wrens and currawongs are common, and honeyeaters feed on the flowering plants. Animal life includes Brushtailed Possums and Sugar Gliders, kangaroos, bats and many kinds of reptiles. Stumpy-tailed Lizards and Bearded Dragons are often found basking in the sun.

Looking after the park

All native plants and animals are protected. Fires may only be lit in fireplaces provided. No dogs or cats. No firearms, generators or chainsaws. Vehicles may only be driven on roads open to the public. Please take your litter home with you.

Precautions

During certain times of the year, some tracks may be closed to vehicles. Tracks in the western and central blocks are unsuited to two wheel drive vehicles. Carry water with you, as supply is limited.

How to get there

Little Desert National Park is 375 km from Melbourne, between the Wimmera River and the South Australian border (Melway 519 H9). A number of bitumen roads lead to the park from the Western Highway. The western and central blocks may be approached from Kaniva, the central and eastern blocks from Nhill and Kiata, and a good gravel road leads to the Wimmera River section of the eastern block from Dimboola. Similarly, bitumen road access is possible from the south via Mitre, Gymbowen, Goroke, and Edenhope or Booroopki.

For more information on Little Desert National Park, including details in walks and camping within the park, call the Parks Victoria Information Line on 13 1963 or visit Parks Victoria's website on www.parks.vic.gov.au