Bruce and I have been talking about going on a hike for number of years, on and off. But that elusive hike never eventuated. So at the beginning of this year (1999) we decided the only way this was going to happen was to set and commit to a date and just go for it! The Austalia Day Holiday long weekend seemed like a good choice.

Now that we had chosen the date we needed to decide where we were going. We considered Wilson's Promotary, Brisbane Ranges, Bogong Highplain, The Otway Ranges and The Grampian. Eventually, after numerous cups of herbal tea we decided on The Otway Ranges. Next we had to pick the hike route. Luckily Bruce has a booklet called "Walking The Otways". This booklet describes many different hikes within the Otway Ranges. All we had to do was to pick a suitable one. Well it was easier said than done. But eventually we decided on the following hike route. The hiking party basically consisted of myself, Bruce and his son David. Initially Bruce invited few of his friends to join us. But at the end, for whatever reasons that didn't eventuate.

The Story of the Otways

The Otway National Park takes in some of Victoria's most spectacular and unspoiled landscapes. Reached via the Great Ocean Road, the 12876 hectare park is perfect for a wide variety of recreational and nature based activities.

The Otways were formed 150 million years ago when the great southern landmass known as Gondwana began to break up. Then, the most abundant vegetation types were ferns, mosses and liverworts. Nowaday the vegetation structures in the Otway National Park provide a diversity that contributes to the uniqueness of the area.

Day 1

We left Melbourne on Sunday at about 3pm. Our intention was to camp overnight at the Cumberland River Reserve and then start our hike early next morning. Unfortunately 'Mr.Murphy' was travelling with us. When we arrived at the Cumberland River Reserve we were told that the Reserve was fully booked and we had to find accommodation somewhere else. There were no other camping grounds nearby. It was getting dark and we didn't like the idea of sleeping in the car. This really challenged our lateral thinking ability. After some quick brain storming we came up with three possible alternatives:

1. Start the hike and look for a campsite on the way. (No go. Too dark and dangerous. We could easily get lost)

2. Drive back to Lorne & look for accommodation. (No good. If there was no accommodation in the Cumberland Reserve...)

3. Look for some flat ground not easily seen from the main road. (A definite possibility)

So we started heading back towards Lorne keeping an eye open for possible camping spots. Our first stop was the walking track to Sheoak Falls. Unfortunately the ground was too steep to camp on. So we continued our search. Our next stop was the St.George River. When we saw the flat ground with soft green lawn we were over joyed. But our joy turned into disappointment when David shone his torch on a sign "Camping Prohibited!". By now it was getting really dark and we were getting desparate. Then we noticed a road on the other side of the St.George River. When I drove on to the road we noticed there was a gate. It was a private road leading into the farm. Luckily the gate was not locked. Behind the gate was a flat piece of land just wide enough to pitch our tent on.

Day 2

We got up at the crack of dawn, promptly packed up our tent and headed back to the Cumberland River Reserve as quickly as we could - not because we were keen to start our hike, but we were dying to go to the toilet. It was quite a tricky business trying to use the toilets because the owner was cleaning the toilets and she recognised us from the night before. We tried to stay calm and cool and waited until she finished her duties. Inside we were bursting! Eventually she went back to the office and what a relief that was!

We started our hike by following the walking track alongside the beautiful Cumberland River. The weather was slightly overcast, perfect for walking. The air was still but the rich eucalyptus scense reminded us that we were entering into a different time, a different world. The bubbling river, the crystal clear water, the river rocks, the majestic gum trees .... all helped to sharpen our awareness of simple things and living in present time.

Half way up the Cumberland River just before the Cumberland Falls we took a right turn and found ourselves struggling up this very steep slope. At times we almost had to go on our 'fours'. This track eventually met up with the Garvey Track which took us to the Sheoak Picnic Area where we stopped for a well deserved drink and some snacks.

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In the picnic area we met up with a group of Scouts from Sunbury. They told us they were going to Henderson Falls but we noticed they were heading in a wrong direction. So we asked them to walk with us because we were going to Wonwondah Falls which was on the way. Wonwondah was a small waterfall framed by beautiful ferns. After saying good bye to the Scouts we headed towards The Canyon. The entrance to The Canyon was a magnificent Fern Gully with hundreds of giant tree ferns. As we decended into the Canyon we became awared of the chill in the air and the 'sound of silence'. There was a complete absence of wind noise and bird songs. At time it was a bit eerie!

After exiting the Canyon we picked up our pace mainly because our stomachs were grumbling. We planned to stop at the Phantom Falls for lunch. The way to Phantom Falls was relatively uninteresting and a bit hilly. Well, the hilly part we could do without.

On top of the Phantom Falls was an ideal setting for lunch. Beautiful scenery and easy access to water for cooking our instant noodles. I was wondering we most probably be lost without our instant noodles! After lunch, with a full stomach and feeling very satisfied we took our time to explore and enjoy the natural environment. For some it was just sitting quietly savouring the special 'flavours' which were often missing in our concret environment. For me it was time to explore and let my creative juices flow.

I was very fascinated by the rock pools created by the flow of water, I presumed over hundreds of years.

The Passing of Time

Nature's Handicraft

Carved in Rock and yet forever Changing

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It was difficult to start moving again after such a long lunch break. All the ache and pain seemed to be magnified many folds. Our destination was a campsite somewhere along the Cora Lynn Creek. Along the way we walked passed the Allen Dam, a water catchment dam supplying water to the surrounding coastal towns. We noticed workmen were using pumps to aerate the dam water. We could not work out why. After some rough walking on rocky roads we saw the welcoming sign: "Cora Lynn Creek".

Cora Lynn Creek was a really beautiful piece of water way. The track twists and turns in perfect harmony with the flow of the creek. The ferns, crystal clear bubbling water, mosses, fungi, shiny river rocks, rotting tree trunks etc. all added to the illusion of entering the prehistoric era, a jurassic park. Any second now a dinosaur might pop its head out of the ferns.

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When we reached the campsite it was almost mid afternoon. It was a very primitive campsite. There was no facilities except a small cleared area for camping. After setting up camp we were exhausted and sticky, desperately needing a wash. So we ventured upstream looking for a swimming hole of some sort. Eventually we found a nice spot but the water was freezing. What the hack! We only live once. That was a good enough reason to dive into that rather refreshing water. After the initial shock it was quite bearable, in fact quite enjoyable (look at David's big smile!). Back in camp it got dark fairly early because we were inside a valley. I had spicy Indian rice cooked on my Trangia hiking stove. It was delicious. We decided to go to bed early to avoid the anticipated attack of a big squadron vicious mosquitos.

Day 3

We had a good night sleep and got up fairly early next day. It was a beautiful morning. Everything was so crispy and serene. The return trip was a lot easier and quicker. We got back to the Cumberland Reserve about noon, ending a most enjoyable trip.

Autumn Leaf, Solitary Rocks
Gentle Breeze
Perfect Harmony

"Thank you Bruce and David for your Friendship"

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