On Monday 29 August Parks Victoria (PV) released for public comment draft designs for the four accommodation nodes planned for the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing (FHAC), a 4-night 5-day walk between Falls Creek and Mt Hotham (see previous article).
PV is keen to hear from key stakeholders and the community and, while Bushwalking Victoria (BWV) will continue to represent the interests of all bushwalkers through its representation on the FHAC Strategic Advisory Committee, BWV strongly encourages clubs and their members to have their own say on the draft designs.
Detail of the draft concept designs is available by visiting www.engage.vic.gov.au/falls-to-hotham or by attending an online community information session:
In the last few weeks Parks Victoria has publicly released two important documents that completes the initial planning work for the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Project (FHAC).
The Business Case is an independent in-depth analysis of the project that investigates its viability, implementation, operating costs and benefits. Government departments and agencies typically only publicly release a summary version of business cases, however for the FHAC, while some information in the document has been redacted for privacy and commercial reasons, as much information as possible has been retained to show the decision-making criteria and process undertaken. Information that has been redacted includes commercial information that may influence procurement and operational processes; personal information such as names, and internal working documents.
For more information, please refer to this document.
In late July, Bushwalking Tracks & Conservation (BTAC) volunteers carried out maintenance on four of the FedWalks 2022 tracks. The team enjoyed seeing the national park and giving the tracks some TLC (and some enjoyed their recce of one of the local wineries!)
Eighteen members contributed 379 volunteer hours over the two-day project. Many of the FedWalks participants who walk in the Warby-Ovens national park will benefit from this fantastic effort! Here’s a more detailed report from the project leader, along with additional photos.
Image: Jim Harker. BTAC volunteers at Kwat Kwat Lookout, Warby-Ovens National Park.
Most bushwalkers recognize that Victoria’s natural areas are a valuable and fragile resource. ‘Tread Softly’ has become embedded in the bushwalker’s code: we understand the importance of low-impact walking and the need to conserve and protect our favourite places.
We can become even more environmentally sustainable walkers by adopting new habits and continually making low-impact choices – when choosing a walk and outdoor clothing; when choosing, purchasing and packaging food; when choosing where to pitch a tent; by practising the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Lots of walkers (and their dogs) love Queenscliff. Public feedback is being sought on how erosion at Dog Beach should be managed. If you’d like to contribute, here’s a link to Engage Victoria’s Dog Beach Coastal Adaptation Plan. Submissions close 10 July.
Community feedback is influencing the location and design of the Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail, which would link the Surf Coast Walk to the Great Ocean Walk. Existing tracks will be utilised where possible. Public consultation closed on 27 June, but you can learn more about the trail alignment, its new suspension bridges and the cultural heritage and natural values of the area here.
Bushwalking Victoria representatives were extremely pleased to welcome members to the annual Leadership Forum & AGM on 18 June. It was wonderful to meet face to face after two years of enforced Zoom activities.
The 43 participants included representatives of 23 member clubs, along with six individual members. All contributed to a day of networking, sharing of ideas and discussion on issues facing our organisation and its members.
President Mike Grant opened proceedings with an update of BWV activities throughout the year and acknowledgement of all the volunteers who support Bushwalking Victoria, its members and the wider bushwalking community.
The Keynote speaker was Matt Ruchel from the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA), which is celebrating 70 years of service. Matt provided an informative and interesting update on current conservation issues in Victoria, focussing on the threat to protected areas, threatened species and other wildlife caused by development and logging activities in our parks.
Conveners of our Bush Search & Rescue and Bushwalking Tracks & Conservation volunteer teams provided an update on their valuable activities. The program also included interactive workshops, with participants encouraged to join in discussions on three key areas:
Safety and Risk – working through issues which affect club safety practices
Club Development – how to attract and retain members, develop leaders and support committees
Engagement in Conservation – using the online consultation platform Engage Victoria to keep abreast of planned developments that could impact bushwalking activities.
After lunch, an open forum allowed members to raise issues for discussion. These included: succession planning and getting involved with BWV; the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing project; Covid-19; dual club memberships; who pays for helicopter rescues; and future hosting of the Federation Walks event.
The day concluded with the Bushwalking Victoria AGM. The Annual Report was presented to members and a new Board elected. A number of Board members are continuing their service and one new member has joined the team. The Board looks forward to continuing to support our bushwalking community during the coming year.
If you would like to find out more about joining Bushwalking Victoria as a member club, or getting involved with our volunteers, please contact us at admin@bushwalkingvictoria.org.au
Engage Victoria is the Victorian Government’s online consultation platform. You can join the conversation on Wilsons Promontory Revitalisation to protect the Prom’s unique environment and biodiversity, and to shape visitor experiences for future generations. Consultation closes 15 May.
When completed, the new Murray River Adventure Trail – a long-distance walking, cycling and water-based trail – will stretch from Lake Hume to Mildura. The State Government has invested $10.3 million. Parks Victoria will undertake cultural heritage and environmental assessments. The initial section of the project is expected to be completed in 2024.
Citizen science plays a critical role in protecting threatened species, including through the Conservation Regulator’s Forest Protection Survey Program. This program protects animals, plants and habitats that are threatened or of high conservation value in areas of state forest that are scheduled to be harvested.
Parks Victoria is challenging walkers to explore 18 lesser-known parks with their ‘Your Autumn Unseen Places Nature Challenge’. With each visit, you can enter a prize draw to win a nature experience. This promotion closes 31 May.
The new Trail Hiking Australia website has been launched. It will appeal to all outdoor adventurers, featuring over 3,200 trails across Australia to hike, walk, run or ride.
The Victorian Government has released a new feature on the Get Active Victoria website to assist Victorians to find places close to home where they can exercise – Places | Get Active Victoria. There are more than 500 trails, parks, exercise stations and playgrounds listed.
Images: Engage Victoria; Forest Protection Survey Program; Parks Victoria; Get Active Victoria
Bushwalking Victoria’s popular Federation Walks event finally came to fruition in Licola on 25-28 March. It was an overwhelming success, with over 200 participants enjoying a wonderful weekend of walks in perfect weather in this remote part of Gippsland. Originally planned for November 2020, the event had to be rescheduled twice due to COVID restrictions.
Participants from 32 member clubs selected from a smorgasbord of walks, with the ‘classics’ – the Crinoline, Kellys Hut, Mt Howitt and Bryces Gorge – proving popular. Special overnight walks included Lake Tali Karng, Wonnangatta Valley and Bryces Gorge, with the Macalister 4WD club assisting with logistics support. An experienced team of activity leaders guided the groups and shared their local knowledge of the area.
Mike Dower, Area Chief Ranger, welcomed participants to Gippsland’s Foothills and Southern Alps, and Councillor Carmel Ripper welcomed walkers to the Wellington Shire on Friday evening. Entertainment was provided by guest speaker Beau Miles, a Gippsland local, on Saturday evening and by local singer Courtney Jane on Sunday afternoon. The Licola Lions Village accommodated all attendees and provided excellent facilities in a spectacular location.
A wonderful time was enjoyed by all. Praise goes to the organising committee, members of the Ben Cruachan and Strzelecki clubs, for their diligence and persistence in delivering a successful event. Thanks also to the Wellington Shire for their generous support.
We were happy to welcome two visitors to the September Board meeting: Merilyn Liddell (Melbourne University & Alumni Bushwalkers) and Trevor Rosen(Melbourne Walking Club). Although many Board members have only met on Zoom, we’re working well as a team to support and represent Victoria’s bushwalkers.
Of the numerous issues discussed, the following might interest you:
COVID-safe plans for clubs: the President, Mike Grant, has recently spoken with many clubs regarding their questions and concerns about group sizes on walks and at meetings, whether walkers should be required to be double-vaccinated and whether walkers should car-pool.As current restrictions change regularly and are different for Melbourne and the regions, it seems unwise for BWV to develop its own COVID-safe plan for clubs to access. Our advice is that clubs adhere to the density limits proscribed by the managers of their meeting venues and, above all, refer to the publically-available material on the State Government website.Over coming weeks, the advice from the State Government regarding requirements for recreational groups will become clearer.
Mountain Bike Trails: Whilst many bushwalkers are also mountain bike riders, we’d all agree that the safety of walkers in the bush and the conservation of ecosystems and natural landscapes are vital. Complaints about the joint use of tracks is common, as is concern about environmental and heritage site damage. Bushwalking Tracks and Conservation (BTAC) is working on a position statement on Mountain Bike Trails; once complete, it will be sent to clubs for feedback.
New Individual Supporter Members: Eight new members joined our association this month. Welcome aboard! Anniversary of the formation of the Federation of Victorian Walking Clubs with BWV members, old and new, in 2024. We look forward to celebrating the 90th.
Risk Management: Risk assessment and mitigation is high on the “Help!” list of many clubs. A new BWV working group has been established: as well as researching legislative requirements, the group hopes to gain a better understanding of what guidance clubs want from BWV. They will also investigate what happens with club incident reports and analyse incident and injury trends.
International Women’s Day focus on women-only bushwalking clubs
We have three member clubs who are women-only bushwalking clubs and many women are members of our other 59 member clubs as well and we are celebrating each one of you today!
The main photo is of Suzie Hale, president of The Victorian Mountain Tramping Club (VMTC) who did a solo trip of the 4,280km Pacific Crest Trail which she completed in 153 days last year. Other major accomplishments on her impressive walking CV include leading a VMTC group who completed the Australian Alpine Walking Track in 42 days.
The first women-only bushwalking club we would like to introduce you to is Escaping Your Comfort Zone. Not only are they trailblazers in many ways, they have just won a Victorian Sports Award for the Outdoor/Active Recreation Initiative of the year!
Loey Matthews, Volunteer Walk Leader for Escaping Your Comfort Zone, shared this about their club:
If you’ve never been on one of our hikes before, you might wonder what makes Escaping Your Comfort Zone (EYCZ) different from other bushwalking clubs, and what “body positive” hiking is all about anyway? Let’s break down what drives us, and what you can expect at a body positive hike that’s different from other hiking groups.
Escaping Your Comfort Zone
What is body positivity?
Body positivity is a tricky concept to define, but there are some things that we can all agree on.
We live in a society where there is immense pressure to conform to a certain size, shape, and have other physical characteristics that are considered “good looking”. When people don’t fit that size or shape, it is expected that we should diet and exercise, and use makeup, hair product and even surgery until we do fit that expectation.
Body positivity comes out of the fat acceptance movement, and aims to help people overcome dissatisfaction with their bodies, so they can lead happier and more productive lives. At Escaping Your Comfort Zone, we are all about accepting that our bodies are unique and realistic, and furthermore, they are amazing and powerful just the way they are.
We want to throw out the guilt of “good” and “bad” food, throw diet talk in the bin, and take away any obligation that you might feel from “having” to get active.
We want our members, and everyone else, to know that we are not broken, our bodies are enough. They are whole, and powerful and capable of amazing things. We are not a project to be fixed. We accept you all as you are.
The outdoors doesn’t care what you look like, and neither do we!
So what is different about body positive hiking?
We aim to be an open group for every woman and gender diverse person who wants to get outdoors but doesn’t know where to start. Many groups are fantastic places for people who are already hiking or having outdoor adventures regularly to meet each other, but we aim to be a starting point.
The majority of our hikes are beginner friendly, and usually take between 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours to complete. We don’t focus on how many kilometres you’ve done, because more often than not, our hikers are capable of much more than they think!
We always go at the pace of the slowest hiker, and there is never any rush to the finish on one of our hikes. We expect and plan for lots of stops along the way, to take selfies and point out the mushrooms and animals we meet along the trail. I’ve heard from some of our members that when they’ve been on hikes with other groups, the hike was promoted with the expectation that they would support the slowest hiker, but found themselves rushed along. At EYCZ we take the need to support everyone at their own pace really seriously – you’ll find a leader at the rear of each of our hikes, chatting to the person who is taking their time.
We enjoy the experience of being outdoors, caring for our physical and mental health through reconnecting with the natural world. It means we build friendships with people we would never have met otherwise – one of the things I cherish most is the diversity of age in our group, and the ability to connect with people way outside my normal social ‘bubble’.
Escaping Your Comfort Zone hikes want you to feel that no matter your size, skin colour, where you were born, your religion, your favourite song to dance to, who you’re attracted to, your disability or anything else, your body will never be seen by us as a problem to solve, but rather as an individual person who is on your own journey and wants to have adventures along the way.
They hike multiple times a week all over Melbourne, Geelong and beyond, and also have groups in Gippsland, Canberra and Sydney. You can get all the details at www.escapingyourcomfortzone.com. Or find them on Facebook @escapingyourcomfortzone or Instagram @escapingyorucomfortzone
The Melbourne Women’s Walking Club is an active club for women walkers of all ages and includes both metropolitan and country members. Their program covers a wide range of activities, however the club’s primary focus is bushwalking with walks of various types, gradings and distances frequently scheduled.
These activities include daywalks, backpacking, base camping and accommodation trips. Members can also participate in urban walks, cycling, canoeing and conservation work. They have regular social gatherings throughout the year and a training program in bushwalking skills.
You are welcome to join the club as a guest on one of their walks if you would like to give bushwalking a go! Contact Jane Matthews here.
The idea for the women only club was mooted at a large Girl Guide Camp. Many of the leaders were bemoaning the fact that they had no like-minded women to walk with. Consequently the club was formed, a walk planned and a cake made! Many of their foundation members are active in the Girl Guides but membership extends to all women who love walking, talking, laughing and dare we say it, eating!
Members come from all over Victoria, communicate and plan by email only and meet for the Annual General Meeting each June. At this meeting, walks are decided, leaders volunteer their services and decisions are generally decided by consensus.
Their annual itinerary of walks includes monthly walks, which often are walks from a weekend base. Twilight walks, pack carries, interstate and overseas walking trips are also included throughout the year. Each year a ballot is conducted for the best walk of the year and ‘Ned’, a replica of their mascot is awarded to the leader of this walk. Ned hitches a ride on each walk.
Overseas trips have included trekking in Sapa, Vietnam, and hiking from the source of the Thames to the sea along the Thames Path. This was not as everyone suggested a lengthy pub crawl, but an historical and educational ramble! The Bushrangers Womens’ Walking Club Inc goes from strength to strength each year with a growing membership of women who love the bush. The can be contacted here.
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Citizen science plays a critical role in protecting threatened species, including through the Conservation Regulator’s 
Parks Victoria is challenging walkers to explore 18 lesser-known parks with their ‘
The Victorian Government has released a new feature on the Get Active Victoria website to assist Victorians to find places close to home where they can exercise – 
