View Full Version : Calling all Aussie hikers !
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-14-2007, 00:34
Any other Aussie hikers out there ?? I'm feeling a bit AT-deprived & so a few of us from '06 are getting together in Sydney sometime in December. Would love to hear from any other hikers who would like to join us.
If you're an Aussie planning a thru-hike...get in touch... it would be great to meet you & we can help out with questions/planning etc.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
GAME '06
warraghiyagey
11-14-2007, 01:21
Any other Aussie hikers out there ?? I'm feeling a bit AT-deprived & so a few of us from '06 are getting together in Sydney sometime in December. Would love to hear from any other hikers who would like to join us.
If you're an Aussie planning a thru-hike...get in touch... it would be great to meet you & we can help out with questions/planning etc.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
GAME '06
Another way to cure the AT deprivity would be to come to Katahdin June 1st and do a SOBO!!!:) :)
Cookerhiker
11-14-2007, 09:18
Any other Aussie hikers out there ?? I'm feeling a bit AT-deprived & so a few of us from '06 are getting together in Sydney sometime in December. Would love to hear from any other hikers who would like to join us.
If you're an Aussie planning a thru-hike...get in touch... it would be great to meet you & we can help out with questions/planning etc.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
GAME '06
Hey Captain Kangaroo - I'm heading to Australia next week. My GF and I arrive in Sydney next Wednesday the 21st, flying to Brisbane to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and then driving to Alice Springs where we'll head down to Uluru. After that, we'll drive to South Australia and see what our time allows. Other than driving the Great Ocean Road, our plans are fluid. I'd love to visit Tasmania for the hiking but not sure we'll have time. Also want to see Kangaroo Island and perhaps Philip Island and Wilson's Promontory. We return to Sydney through the mountains and hike up Mt.Kosciuzsko. Our return flight is 17 December.
After some thought, we decided not to backpack overnight because we didn't want to deal with gear, stove, etc. So our vehicle is a camper van and we expect to spend most nights in caravan parks or national parks.
Any suggestions?
KK,
I lived in Melbourne for a few months last year and am planning my victorious return down unda by doing the Bibbulmun NOBO in March or April. Have you done it? Would there be any point in me bringing my hammock or will I need a tent?
Cheers,
Snarf
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-14-2007, 19:30
Wow Cookerhiker, that's quite a trip. That's over 4,000 miles of driving !!! Without knowing your exact itinery, here are some suggestions for places to visit,
South Australia - Flinders Ranges NP, Coorong NP, Kangaroo Island
Victoria - Port Campbell Coast, then from Melbourne (& Phillip Island) drive up through Alpine National Park to Mt Kosciuszco (make sure you do the Lakes Circuit walk rather than walk straight up Mt Kosciuszco, about a 13mile day hike, but awesome). Then head back to the coast & follow the coast road north to Sydney. Many small towns & beautiful beaches & small national parks.
New South Wales - the Blue Mountains National Park just west of Sydney. Maker sure you have a few days to look around Sydney...it is a fantastic city (I am totally biased of course !)
National Parks are managed by each state so each of them has seperate web sites with info, but here is a site that will get you started www.australiannationalparks.com (http://www.australiannationalparks.com). Just be aware that it does not list every park (even some of the most popular ones ????) so follow the links to the relevant states National Parks service for complete details.
There are a couple of spectacular short day hikes around Sydney Harbour. I would love to show you around if you have the time. Let me know if you have any time available in Sydney & I will send you my contact details.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-14-2007, 19:49
Snarf,
Haven't done the Bibbulmun Track myself, but your hammock will be fine. I use a hennessy myself when hiking over here in Australia (they are not very common though) The only challenge I sometimes have is finding trees small enough for the standard straps. This does not happen very often & just means I need to move on a bit to find another camp site. I assume that you have already checked out the Bibbulmun website with all the details. There are shelters on the track & the weather at that time of year will be pretty dry. (can be very dry....water can be scarce)
http://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
Cookerhiker
11-14-2007, 20:44
Wow Cookerhiker, that's quite a trip. That's over 4,000 miles of driving !!! Without knowing your exact itinery, here are some suggestions for places to visit,
South Australia - Flinders Ranges NP, Coorong NP, Kangaroo Island
Victoria - Port Campbell Coast, then from Melbourne (& Phillip Island) drive up through Alpine National Park to Mt Kosciuszco (make sure you do the Lakes Circuit walk rather than walk straight up Mt Kosciuszco, about a 13mile day hike, but awesome). Then head back to the coast & follow the coast road north to Sydney. Many small towns & beautiful beaches & small national parks.
New South Wales - the Blue Mountains National Park just west of Sydney. Maker sure you have a few days to look around Sydney...it is a fantastic city (I am totally biased of course !)
National Parks are managed by each state so each of them has seperate web sites with info, but here is a site that will get you started www.australiannationalparks.com (http://www.australiannationalparks.com). Just be aware that it does not list every park (even some of the most popular ones ????) so follow the links to the relevant states National Parks service for complete details.
There are a couple of spectacular short day hikes around Sydney Harbour. I would love to show you around if you have the time. Let me know if you have any time available in Sydney & I will send you my contact details.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
Thanks KK for the website link. I probably had it somewhere in my guidebook but this will help me. One thing I've learned with the decentralization of parks into the states is that there's no Australia-wide national park pass.
Some of your suggestions comport with our plans. In particular, your paragraph on Victoria is pretty much what we're doing after going to Kangaroo Island. I'd sure like to get to Tassie but we'll probably be out of time.
I found a good Australian travel chat room (http://www.australiaforum.com/travel-questions/). It's a small site member-wise but the moderator has been helping me with a lot of good information.
Thanks also for the tip about Mt. Kosciuszko.
Re. Sydney, well we're not planning much time there. But you never know. I'll send you a PM.
Thanks again & Gdday!
Cookerhiker
11-14-2007, 23:33
.........Victoria - Port Campbell Coast, then from Melbourne (& Phillip Island) drive up through Alpine National Park to Mt Kosciuszco (make sure you do the Lakes Circuit walk rather than walk straight up Mt Kosciuszco, about a 13mile day hike, but awesome). Then head back to the coast & follow the coast road north to Sydney. Many small towns & beautiful beaches & small national parks.........Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
KK, is that drive through Alpine NP on the Barry Way, Rt. C608? It goes to Jindabyne. Per my map, part of that road is unpaved. What condition is it in? My guidebook says it's unsealed and "can be rough."
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-14-2007, 23:58
Yep, the Barry Way. It is a spectacular road. The unpaved section is about 50 miles. I haven't driven it for a couple of years, but it is generally in good condition & I have easily driven it in 2wd vehicles. It's narrow & winding in places so it's a fairly slow trip, but worth it. The road can get cut up & slippery after a lot of rain, so you might want to check the road conditions with the National Parks Service before heading off. It's a pretty popular road for 4wd's to access some of the off road areas, so there is always someone around to pull you out of a hole !! ;-)
If the road conditions are bad you can go the longer way around on the paved road (Monaro Highway)
Cheers,
Kaptain
Cookerhiker
11-15-2007, 00:22
Great! Thanks! I don't mind if it's slow & winding as long as it's not deeply rutted.
Snarf,
Haven't done the Bibbulmun Track myself, but your hammock will be fine.
excellent to hear! yes, i have been doing some research on the track. from what i've heard it's considerably easier than the AT. thoughts?
how's your water down there? when i left melbourne a year ago they were starting to fret a bit.
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-15-2007, 02:32
Yeah, the Bibbulmun should be much easier than the AT. You might like to contact Waltzing Matilda, she hiked the AT in '06 & lives in Perth, she is a WB member (search the members list). I'm sure that she has hiked at least some of the Bibbulmun & might be able to give you some first hand info.
The drought just keeps rolling on... we have had a bit of rain in Sydney, but still need a lot more. Melbourne is still suffering & Perth supplies are on the low side too.
Cheers,
Kaptain
Kerosene
11-15-2007, 02:38
I literally just got off the plane(s) from Sydney back to southeast Michigan an hour ago! I took a new job with a tele-radiology firm who has a big office in Circular Quay right next to the Four Seasons. Next time I head down there I'll send out a shout for Aussie ATers to get together at the Lord Nelson!
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-15-2007, 05:35
Ha ha.... you must think Sydney is a pretty wet place..... Last week was the most rain we have had in 6 years.
Definitely post details of your next visit & we can catch up for a beer.
Kaptain
Cookerhiker
11-15-2007, 17:21
Yep, the Barry Way. It is a spectacular road. The unpaved section is about 50 miles. I haven't driven it for a couple of years, but it is generally in good condition & I have easily driven it in 2wd vehicles. It's narrow & winding in places so it's a fairly slow trip, but worth it. The road can get cut up & slippery after a lot of rain, so you might want to check the road conditions with the National Parks Service before heading off. It's a pretty popular road for 4wd's to access some of the off road areas, so there is always someone around to pull you out of a hole !! ;-)
If the road conditions are bad you can go the longer way around on the paved road (Monaro Highway)
Cheers,
Kaptain
The guy from the Australian chatroom advised me not to take the Barry Way because I have a campervan; he said it's too curvy & windy so I'll probably take the Great Alpine Highway.
Kaptain Kangaroo
11-15-2007, 18:06
Sorry, I missed your comment about your vehicle being a campervan. That would make me think twice about taking the Barry Way. I have only even driven it in smaller vehicles. It would most likely still be OK, but with your limited time I'm sure you would prefer not to take the risk of spending a day or two stuck out in the bush.
But, hey...if you did get stuck, at least you would have somewhere comfortable to spend the night ;-) (just pack a few "emergency" beers !)
Cheers,
Kaptain
Cooker, what kind of camper van are you guys looking at? Eurovan or something?
I may be in the market for one myself when I get back down there.
Cookerhiker
11-15-2007, 19:53
Cooker, what kind of camper van are you guys looking at? Eurovan or something?
I may be in the market for one myself when I get back down there.
Here are 2 websites for you. The site drivenow.com.au (http://www.drivenow.com.au/) is like Travelocity, Expedia, CheapTickets etc.. The site searches numerous rental agencies including some familiar-looking ones - Hertz,Avis, etc. I booked the van through them.
The vendor from whom I'm getting the van is Apollo (http://www.apollocarrentals.com.au/). I"m picking the van up in Brisbane (flying there from Sydney) and returning it to Sydney with no extra drop charge for a different returning location. Don't count on that, though; what helps me is I'm traveling in shoulder season.
Here's a description of the van (http://www.drivenow.com.au/details/campervan-hire/qld-brisbane/apollo-australia-on-request-hippie-camper-hippie-cam?vehicleType=2-berth) - I believe a photo is included.
Cookerhiker
11-16-2007, 11:50
KK,
I lived in Melbourne for a few months last year and am planning my victorious return down unda by doing the Bibbulmun NOBO in March or April. Have you done it? Would there be any point in me bringing my hammock or will I need a tent?
Cheers,
Snarf
Snarf, you may want to check out this website - Australia Travel & Living Forum (http://www.australiaforum.com/travel-questions/). It's a small site member-wise but the moderator is very helpful. The website setup is identical to WB so it's easy to navigate.