Category: BTAC

About twelve volunteers commenced arriving at Mortimers Picnic Ground in Bunyip State Park from 3.00pm on Friday 11 July. Unfortunately, rain put a bit of a dampener on the evening, however a good campfire provided a focal point for socialising.

On Saturday 12 July the Supervising Vic Parks Ranger, Andy Musgrove, outlined the proposed work for the weekend and commence inductions for fifteen volunteers. The volunteers included two first time volunteers plus another volunteer who had recently gained her chainsaw ticket. One of the aims of this BTAC event was to train volunteers how to use track clearing hand tools correctly.

On Saturday we travelled for 20 minutes to the Kurth Kiln Picnic Ground where the objective was to clear the Tomahawk Creek Track and the Thornton Walk – a total of about 3km. The clearing of the tracks was completed by 3:30pm.

Ranger Andy proved to be a top BBQ Master and served the volunteers a very nutritious evening meal featuring lamb chops. This was a hit with the volunteers and there were encores for a repeat performance.

On Sunday, the fifteen volunteers were split into two groups. One group travelled to the Buttongrass Walk whereby 230 metres of gravel was transported and spread along the walk to facilitate all weather access. This group did such an excellent job that they fully depleted the gravel stockpile.

The second group travelled to the western section of the Tree Fern Walk. After the track was cleared stepping stones were hauled down the slope. Holes were excavated and the stones were placed into position. Near the end of the day the stepping stones installation was assessed by two hikers who commented that the work was perfect. Both groups returned to base at 3:30 pm.

There is still further work required to complete the Tree Fern steps and the paving at Buttongrass Walk but it may prove to be a good back up job if other planned BTAC events are cancelled due to fire concerns or other issues.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the event, everyone got on well together, the two new volunteers received excellent training on the tools and more of our senior volunteers experienced work that was other than track clearing. Also, Phoebe Nguyen was given one on one training by John Green on how to use the chainsaw safely and proficiently.

It was remiss of me not to thank the valuable assistance of Patrick Platt who accompanied me on the reconnoiter of the possible work sites.

The Mitchell River National Park which is jointly managed by Parks Victoria and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) is a favoured bushwalking area for the Ben Cruachan Walking Club. With sections of the 20km Mitchell River Walking Track from Angusvale to the Den of Nargun being a regular feature on their walk program. The track was in need of some serious attention as in many places the vegetation was forcing walkers to walk off the track. Last September BCWC supported by BTAC cleared 4km. Over the recent ANZAC weekend 20 volunteers, including eight from BCWC, worked in two teams. They checked out some 12 kilometres of the track and cleared vegetation from over six of them.

On ANZAC day afternoon 15 volunteers settled in for the weekend at the Echo Bend Camping Park, a lovely spacious privately run park with a variety of amenities including hot showers and shelters. Four BCWC members joined us for the day on Saturday morning. We divided into two teams with Patrick and John co-leading one team which worked north from Billy Goat Bend. John and Ken went out of their way to clear a large fallen tree about a km before Jurgenson Point. I lead the other team which worked north from Woolshed Creek near the Den of Nargun. After nine hours out in the field exhausted volunteers appreciated the hot showers and the BBQ meal cooked by volunteers but provided by Parks Victoria.

On Sunday morning a fresh BCWC member joined us for the day. We formed up into our teams with my team walking in to where we finished the previous day to continue clearing the track to the point where the crew finished off last September, 4km south of Billy Goat Bend. We did some light work on the Den of Nargun loop track on the way back.

Patrick and John’s team drove to Angusvale at the northern end of the track, walked in 2.5km and then cleared 750m of heavily overgrown track.

The weather forecast leading up to the activity suggested rain showers on both days, but Saturday was fine all day. There was some light rain at 6am on the Sunday but lightened to no more than a fine misty drizzle which persisted for most of the day and then got heavier when we were back at camp in the evening. Those that stayed over on Sunday night lit a fire, cooked and socialised in one of the camp’s shelters.

Thank you to all the volunteers for making the effort to get to Mitchell River and join the activity. Volunteers contributed 300 on the job hours and spent over 100 hours on travel to get to and back home from the activity. I was impressed with the willingness of people to help out with all the things that needed doing both on and off the job. Thanks also for the camaraderie which despite what the weather does makes these activities so rewarding and enjoyable.

Thanks to Patrick and John for leading the other team. Thanks to Parks Victoria for their support and the BBQ provisions which were very much appreciated. Thanks to Jullie and Geoff our hosts at the Echo Bend Camping Park and a big thank you to the Ben Cruachan Walking Club for picking up the camping fees.

Trail Hiking Australia commented on Facebook “The work you do is incredible and is greatly appreciated by all. Thank you”. The walkers and runners we met on the track agree with that.

Joe van Beek

BTAC Activity Manager and BCWC Tracks and Conservation Officer

True to form, whenever Bushwalking Victoria’s BTAC Volunteer Group and the Friends of Baw Baw carry out track maintenance and conservation activities in the Baw Baw National Park the weather has a say in what gets done.  Saturday was an ideal day for volunteer activities, but Sunday was a very wet day, and we finished early before everyone was completely drenched.

With 24 volunteers and two Parks Victoria Rangers attending we were able to split into 4 groups and tackle a number of priority jobs on this iconic section of the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT). The jobs included vegetation clearing, new board walk installation, drainage clearing and reinstatement and repairs to existing board walks.

In total the group contributed some 480 volunteer hours, 370 on the job and 110 travel hours. BTAC and FoBB volunteers travelled from all over the state to attend.

The vegetation clearing team cleared to Mushroom Rocks ensuring that this popular track is again a family friendly walk. This crew contributed 150 hours, future proofing the track for the next while, barring further tree falls.  The drainage crew which covered the largest distance did some 55 hours. The rain on Sunday tested their work and it stood up well. The board walk repair crew did 40 hours and made an impressive difference. The construction crew did 80 hours constructing and installing new boardwalk sections. Unfortunately, this team had to redo the installation plan as the previously placed location ribbons had all been removed by persons unknown. Ranger Mark’s excellent planning works had to be repeated before they could start. Well done to everyone.

One small and one large project remain.  The small project is to install one remaining section of board walk.  11 of the 12 sections were installed over the weekend.  The larger project is to return the Beech Gully Nature Trail to a walkable state and its former glory.

It was good to see how flexible everyone was to pitch in with the tasks as required. Thanks to Patrick, David, Peter and Mark for leading the teams and Simon for bringing his skills and tools to the construction work.

Thanks to all the volunteers for making the effort to get to Erica for this activity and for all the contributions towards the work despite the weather. The activity was safe and incident free. Thanks also for the camaraderie. It is the volunteers that make these events enjoyable, rewarding and fun activities, so thanks again. Thanks also to Parks Victoria for their support and provision of Saturday’s BBQ to feed the hungry volunteers. Thanks to the Parks Victoria Rangers for all the preparation work, leadership and contributions over the weekend. Finally, a shout out to Anthony and Janine of the Erica Caravan Park who provided camping accommodation for our volunteers at a very generous rate and to the FoBB who picked up the accommodation tab.

Joe van Beek, BTAC Convenor and FoBB Member

Peter Maffei, President FoBB and BTAC Volunteer

Thirteen BTAC volunteers worked on improvements to six kilometers of the Australian Alps Walking Track where it follows the Buenba Creek near the NSW border as follow up to the work completed in March earlier this year. The whole of the 12km section of the AAWT from Johnnies Top to Buenba Road is now a much easier walk.

Volunteers, including two from Canberra started arriving on Thursday afternoon, 12 Dec, to select and set up camp. They were joined by Omeo Ranger, Jo Durrant, on Friday morning. The key task for the day was to find and flag the alignment of the track and to identify and plan the work required. A team started on clearing logs and brush cutting.  Saturday and Sunday were devoted to track improvements which included, clearing fallen trees, cutting back vegetation impinging on the track, repairs to creek crossings, placing logs in damp areas, erecting markers and generally making the track easier to walk. On Monday a team of four volunteers accompanied the ranger on a recce of the 4.5 km section of the AAWT from Macs Creek Track to Dead Horse Creek. They flagged the alignment in preparation for a BTAC activity from 28 Feb to 3 March 2025.

AAWT walkers that were met on the track were most appreciative of the work being done. 300 work hours were contributed by the volunteers and they spent some 150 hours on travel to get to and from the site.

Although the early mornings were cold, warranting beanies and jackets, the days soon warmed up and each day got a bit warmer to somewhere around 30 degrees on Monday. Early starts and early finishes allowing for cooling off in the creek before the camaraderie of shared nibbles, meal preparations and socialising.

Parks Victoria Ranger, Jo Durrant, expressed her appreciation. “A very big thanks from Parks to everyone for another fantastically huge amount of work achieved. With only one Ranger in Omeo at the moment able to do this kind of work I really can’t stress how helpful these working bees are in keeping the track in a state for walkers to enjoy. I continue to be amazed by the BTAC enthusiasm.”

Thanks to Jo for her support and thanks to the volunteers for making the effort to attend, their considerable contribution and companionship.

Joe van Beek

BTAC Activity Manager

The Ben Cruachan Walking Club sought support from BTAC to help clear one of their favourite walking tracks. The Mitchell River Walking Track follows the Mitchell River for some 20km from Angusvale to Den of Nargun in the Mitchell River National Park, a park jointly managed by Parks Victoria and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC). 

BCWC made arrangements for BCWC and BTAC to volunteer to the park management to clear the section of the track from Billy Goat Bend towards the Den of Nargun. Some of the volunteers arrived on Thursday afternoon, 5 September, to set up camp at the delightful picnic and camping area at Billy Goat Bend with a magnificent view over the Mitchell River from the Amphitheatre lookout platform. A large tree fall on the approach road had to be cleared to reach the camp site. Two Park Rangers and a further volunteer arrived early Friday morning to get the clearing work started.

Friday was warm and windy. Rain overnight cooled the air and drenched Bob’s swag. A possum helped itself to Joe’s preprepared breakfast. Saturday was cool making for pleasant working conditions. Seven volunteers including three from BCWC cleared logs from 8kms and brush cut 4kms over two days, contributing over 100 manhours of labour and 40 hours of travel. Apart from volunteer labour, BTAC provided the tools and PPE while Parks Victoria provided fuel and transport.

The section of track does need further work. There are three kilometres still to be cleared to get to Woolshed Creek. In places the track needs to be reinstated onto its original alignment to stop it moving further and further downhill.

Thanks for the support from Parks Victoria and GLaWAC and thank you to the volunteers for giving of their time, the work put in and their companionship.

The Federation Walks Weekend for 2024, which marks the 90th anniversary of Bushwalking Victoria, is being held at Wilsons Promontory National Park on the weekend of 11-13 October. The event is being hosted at Tidal River by Bayside Bushwalking Club, ably supported by the Melbourne Bushwalkers, the South Gippsland Walking and Adventure Club and the Gisborne Bushwalking Club. On offer to participants are 20 unique walks ranging from easy to medium to hard.

On the weekend of 22-25 August twenty-two BTAC volunteers worked with Parks Victoria Rangers to tidy up some seven kilometres of walking track that will be used for several of the popular walks offered at Federation Walk. Volunteers arrived on Thursday to settle into the Lodge Accommodation kindly provided free of charge by Parks Victoria. 

After a briefing on Friday morning the volunteers worked in two teams to clear the track from Darby Saddle towards Tongue Point. After a well-earned rest overnight, on Saturday morning the volunteers divided into three teams: one to finish the Darby Track work while the other two teams worked on the Three Bays Walking Track. The weather although windy was great for working and objectives were met by mid-afternoon. 

As the forecast suggested rain on Sunday morning, it was decided not to attempt any work on Sunday, so all tools were packed up. It is not easy to forecast the weather for the very exposed Wilsons Promontory. Sunday morning was brilliant with the rain not setting in till late afternoon. Some of the volunteers opted to go for a walk while others recced a walk for a future club walk. 

Volunteers came from far (Sydney) and near (Traralgon). The volunteers included: three couples, three from the Essendon bushwalking club, a family group of three, three first timers and three from the Bayside bushwalking club who were also members of the Fed Walks 2024 organising committee. The volunteers contributed over 300 on the job hours and spent some 200 hours travelling to and from Wilsons Prom. 

Dan Rogers, Ranger – Team Leader for Wilsons Prom National Park, took great care of the volunteers providing them with the comfortable Lodge accommodation at Tidal River and ensuring their welfare and safety over the weekend. 

Thanks for the efforts, contributions and camaraderie of all who attended and to Dan and his team for all the arrangements and wonderful support. 

Joe van Beek

BTAC Project Manager