On-Line Donations
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Want to protect you climbing future right now? You can donate online to the Victorian CliffCare Trust through our new secure facility provided by "ourcommunity.com". Donations over $2 are tax deductible. Your donation will help us to protect the places you love to climb. Just click on the button on the right!!

Some important roads have been opened recently, which allows access to some more cliffs.
The roads are Rose Creek Rd/Zumsteins Track and Redman Rd.
The VCC has also worked with Parks Vic to identify the tracks from the roads to Cherub Wall, Barbican Wall and Barbican Rocks.
The fires have been significant in these areas. There is a “cliff” before Barbican Wall which can be mistaken for the true cliff, which we did again during the exploration trip. All accounts are that it is of little climbing value. The lines are very broken and short. The rock is really loose and may have been before the fire. However, it is really black from the fire and shards of rock have exploded from the face. The rock in all bush fire affected areas should be treated with extreme care and be considered to be loose.
The fires have made access to the cliffs really easy, if you know the way. If you don’t it is difficult to find the way, as the tracks indistinct. The other benefit, from a climbing point of view, is that the “heavily vegetated” climbs are now, quite often, clean lines.

The roads and tracks are open. The access descriptions as per the guide are accurate.
There are two large cairns on each side of the Wallaby Rocks Track, 4.3km from the Roses Creek Road.
Follow the yellow taped trees and cairns to the access gully. If you loose track of yellow tape or cairns, back track and look sideways as well as straight ahead.

The guide references a “huge boulder” on the south side of Redman’s Road 3.3km from the Halls Gap-Dunkeld Rd. It is still there. The Car park is very indistinct and 50m west (back toward Halls Gap-Dunkeld Rd). There is now a cairn on top of a largish boulder on the cliff side of the track. Take the track to the right of the cairn. Zig zag up the hill following the rough pad and yellow tapes.

Stop just before the road crosses the creek and park on the left. The track starts on the west of the creek. The guide say north, but this was when parking was after the crossing and you had to step over the creek.
After the bush fires, the description of the raw track leading steeply up the hill, has little meaning, as the track cannot be seen because the vegetation that was on the sides of the track is not there. Therefore, you cannot see the track. It appears there is a multitude of ways to get where you want to go.
Unfortunately, some of these ways will not be attractive when the ti tree grows back. We have marked (in red tape) a preferred way of zig zagging up the hill to reduce erosion and minimise future bush bashes through the ti tree.

These areas are well and truly worth a visit.
If you do, call in to Halls Gap and get some ice cream or the award winning vanilla slices They are great and the locals need the business.
Remember that bush camping is still not allowed in the fire affected areas, so you have to use established sites.

Most of the closed tracks at the bottom of the Atriadea and Organ pipes have had themeda triandra (kangaroo grass) planted on them on durring the recent working bee on the 17th of July. This involved breaking up the compacted track with a backhoe (to allow the seeds some purchase and a chance to take) and sprinkling them to a density of about 60 grams per square metre. All in all about 35kg of seed was sowed. Then straw was placed over the seed to simulate its natural germination process. Ideally local sourced themeda straw would be used but due to the drought this became a non-option and local wheat straw was used. This can introduce its own set of problems but we will be on the look out for them. In October we will be removing the straw hopefully to find grass seedlings. Obviously they will be extremely fragile at this point so please ensure that you keep off these closed tracks and help inform people about the project. I will keep you informed about future Arapiles projects as we have some funds left over that need to put to good use. My thanks to all involved that have helped to make this project successful.

After various invetsigation, rangers have infomed the VCC that climbing is definitely not permitted at Tongue Point. This is very disappointing as John Stone (the previous VCC Access Oficer) and others worked very hard at getting Tongue Point included in the Climbing management plan that Parks was putting together some years ago.

Climbing is allowed at five sites within the park, these areas being; Elephant Rock (Mt Bishop), Mt Oberon Summit area, Trackside Wall, Turtle Rock and the Squeaky Beach Boulders. A map showing the location of these areas is avilable here. Climbing at all of these sites, except Squeaky Beach Boulders, requires a permit, which cost nothing and are available from the Ranger's Office. I am interested in hearing from climbers that have visited Tongue Point (and other areas in the Park) so I can ascertain the volume of climbers visiting these sites. Thanks to those that have already sent me information. Hopefully there are enough climbers interested so that Parks can be swayed into rethinking the closer to Tongue Point. You can contact me via details at the top of this page.

This is a list of areas where climbing is banned. It is in no way conclusive so please don't automatically assume because an area is not listed below, climbing IS allowed. In most of these areas climbing is banned due to fear of litigation or environmental concerns, however the exact reason in each case has not been researched extensively (due to time constraints). The only thing that climbers need know is that it is banned, not why! If it was your property would you need to explain to trespassers why they can't cross it? The reason for not listing why (apart from the work involved in researching it) is that climbers may then try and use the reason to justify allowing themselves to go there because they; (1) They don't think they will have an accident and therefore won't sue anyone and; (2) they are aware of the environmental concerns and so will take action to minimise their impact. Each VCC guide also identifies which areas within the coverage of the guide are banned.

Banned climbing areas include:
· Cumberland River
· Lal Lal Falls
· The Organ Pipes
· Hanging Rock
· Barfold Gorge
· Plenty Gorge
· Daintrees Cliff, Pyramid Rock, Junction Hole & North Side (all in Werribee Gorge)

If you go climbing up at Tallarook you'll find the access road had been blocked off and many signs posted on trees stating: 'Trespassers will be prosecuted'. The land (including all of Tallarook rocks) has been purchased by a new owner (Ron Milanovic), and whilst he is happy for people to climb there, his main concern was stopping the idiots who dump cars there.

The owner, Ron Milanovic, has requested that all climbers contact him on 0413 402 744 before climbing on his property. Just park at the fenced-off area and walk in, only about 100m away from the cliff. Also it would be wise if no bolts or anchors are placed or replaced without the owners authorisation.

A new fence and access gate will be installed on the property boundary. Hopefully this is a win for climbers. Ron is checking into the liability issue with his insurance company so hopefully they don't spoil the party.

The rockclimbing routes on the North Wall of the Gorge that were closed due to the safety issues associated with the damage from the January fires, have now been opened (30th September, 2003).

David Chitty - Adventure Guides Australia, has been into the bottom of the North Wall and advises that the area is safe and recovering well from the effects of the fire. This information combined with positive discussion between Ranger staff regarding the stability of the rock faces, recovering burnt vegetation and exposed soils, and walking track access into the base of the climbs has led to this decision.

Parkweb will reflect this information in the Mt Buffalo NP page.

Access Update
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Due to the new landowners refusing access to the general public to cross their property, and Victrack closing all private crossings along the new fast rail project, there is a new access route to reach Falcon's Lookout (Werribee Gorge). Although the walk is now more up and down (but ½ km shorter) it is quite beautiful and makes a good, change from the boring paddocks.

May news: I have been informed that the new access trail is complete and has been sign posted at either end. I haven't visited the site yet but Tony Morris (Ranger in charge) has said that DSE crews should have put the signs in place about 2 weeks ago. He has informed me that most of the feedback by users has been positive, saying that although the walk is now steeper it is much more enjoyable. Thanks to all who took the time to provide some feed back to Parks Vic, Friends of Werribee Gorge or myself. Apparently a mound of earth from when the road was graded has been pushed up and is partly blocking the carpark entrance, Tony said he will be rectifying the problem soon.

The new trail follows an old railway worker trail part way down the first gully then follows the creek bed before heading up a ridge and following a spur into the trail on the other side of the fence. A map can be downloaded here, or is displayed in the window of the Ranger station in Bacchus Marsh, which is located on the corners of Main St and Lord St on the Melbourne side of Bacchus Marsh.

1. Let him know first.
2. Do not park in front of his gate or on the road (chain across road).
3. Keep away from the house and livestock.

You access the cliffs from Oak Valley Road. The track to Jon's property is opposite Chalmers' restaurant. You can follow this to the Y-junction with the saddle area up to the right. Parking at the end of the road is a bit of a problem. Two-wheel drive vehicles may be able to park off the road when it is dry but in the wet you may have park further out and walk in. Also, Peregrines nest on the Magic Block, Jon asks that you don't climb there from August to early December.

There is a nice campsite in the bush on private land at the other (western) end of Teneriffe. Ring Jon on 0419 563 733 for details."

Parking at Sparrow Slabs
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Anyone who has visited Teneriffe from the Sparrow Slabs end will know that there is little space to park on the narrow access road. Fearing a threat to access that might follow a climbers’ car accidentally blocking the road for a local farmer, the VCC Committee approved spending around $300 for a small road widening exercise. There is now space for 3-4 cars. Please use it, and keep road space for passing traffic.