View from the back paddock.

[Roy]

My daughter & I took the dogs for a walk this afternoon & I grabbed a few shots on the way back.

 

[Jon in SW Ohio]

Now that's a view!

 

[JeanLux]

very nice countryside!! looks as if you have a lot of hills for walking! What species is that tree??? Jean

 

[Roy]

Jean, only the tourist are silly enough to walk in those hills. There the Park Rangers who do it but they are paid.
BTW, in 2006 those hills were all on fire and lots more to go with it.
The tree is a River Red Gum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis.

 

[Heather]

Gorgeous! How lucky are you?!!!

The tree shot reminds me of going to see Phish at Maggie's farm in Maine (I think it was Maine) and there was this big tree, out standing in the farmland, that just looked like a huge head of broccoli. That was cool trip. (no, not that kind of trip!) :rollhappy:

 

[tocarmar]

Woo Hoo, I just went to Australia!!! Very nice Roy!!!
Roy, Want some company??

Tom

 

[goldenrose]

Isn't there's one thing missing? ....... where's the roos?

 

[Roy]

Rose, if you drive along the main road outside our place there are plenty of dead ones on the side. Plenty of damaged cars too.
Actually, the roos haven't been close to here yet, need the summer to come & they will be here. We have a family of Emu as constant visitors. Always seem to come back even with their young.
True story, I was working in the back shed one day with the radio on & the Emus were standing at the fence listening to the music. Honest truth.

 

[SlipperFan]

Jean, only the tourist are silly enough to walk in those hills.

Educate me, please. Why???

 

[Roy]

Dot, there are very few tracks to walk in the Park that are user friendly to every one. Most are very steep, rocky and have a big drop to the bottom on one side. There is no water anywhere & in summer many walkers don't take any or enough water & suffer dehydration. We would average 2 major rescues a week in summer because someone has heat illness or fallen down a cliffe. Many have to air lifted out by Chopper because of their injuries, once they have been rescued and taken to a suitable chopper landing location. Probabaly get one LOST person search a week also because there is very little signage and if you walk off the beaten track too far you cant see where you are. Because of the terrain, there are few roads so if you walk down many of the tracks and get lost, you may not hear cars or other walkers and mobile phone don't work in 99% of the park. Its usually human stupidity that causes the problems. Includes car crashes, 2 crashes on one of only 2 major roads in the park on Saturday, requiring all major services, the roads are narrow and people drive on them like they would a multi lane freeway. As part of the local Fire Brigade, I've been to 2 fatal crashes in there.
The Grampians cover 167 000 hectares.
http://archive.bigben.id.au/victoria/maps/pdf/grampians.pdf

 

[Scooby5757]

that's really beautiful.

 

[JeanLux]

Dot, there are very few tracks to walk in the Park that are user friendly to every one. Most are very steep, rocky and have a big drop to the bottom on one side. There is no water anywhere & in summer many walkers don't take any or enough water & suffer dehydration. We would average 2 major rescues a week in summer because someone has heat illness or fallen down a cliffe. Many have to air lifted out by Chopper because of their injuries, once they have been rescued and taken to a suitable chopper landing location. Probabaly get one LOST person search a week also because there is very little signage and if you walk off the beaten track too far you cant see where you are. Because of the terrain, there are few roads so if you walk down many of the tracks and get lost, you may not hear cars or other walkers and mobile phone don't work in 99% of the park. Its usually human stupidity that causes the problems. Includes car crashes, 2 crashes on one of only 2 major roads in the park on Saturday, requiring all major services, the roads are narrow and people drive on them like they would a multi lane freeway. As part of the local Fire Brigade, I've been to 2 fatal crashes in there.
The Grampians cover 167 000 hectares.
http://archive.bigben.id.au/victoria/maps/pdf/grampians.pdf

Roy, you made me google a bit!! official tourist info does not sound bad however!!! Jean

The picturesque mountains of The Grampians cover 1000 square kilometres and form the southern extremity of the Great Dividing Range. The Grampians is Victoria's largest National Park, comprising of outstanding landforms, dense rainforests, unsurpassed mountain peaks, sparkling waterfalls and superb lookouts. ....There are well over 50 walking tracks catering for everything from the casual stroll to the overnight trek. The Grampians region is also home to an enduring wine growing district.
...... Superb water stretches include Lake Bellfield, with 12 reservoirs and lakes which form the heart of massive water supply system. ...... These lakes are a fisherman's haven (with redfin, rainbow trout and blackfish) and the forests are home to a variety of Australian wildlife including koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, emus and many native birds. Over a thousand different species of plants are found in the Grampians, including almost 100 varieties of orchids. Twenty of these species are found nowhere else in the world.

http://www.oztravel.com.au/travel_mall/destinations/The_Grampians_VIC1.html

 

[Roy]

Jean, what you have read & written is true, very true. Its as I noted, the idiot tourists that come here to do all the things you have said but are totally unprepared to do it. Generally speaking, the Park is very safe and enjoyable provided you go prepared for what you want to do, like the walking tracks, strong boots, water, sunscreen, hats, emerency 1st aide kit and leaving your schedule with the Park Rangers or Police AND staying on the actual walking track. BTW, the tourist brochures don't mention the number of poisoness
snakes in there either. There are a couple of place that used to mined for Gold and Copper, there are the odd few OPEN shafts as well which are deep and are usually hidden by the undergrowth.
The wines in the district are very nice !!!!!
So is the bush tucker ( food ) like the Kangaroo & Emu steaks, stir fries & burgers.

 

[NYEric]

Is that little pond where you keep the poisonous brown snakes!?

 

[Roy]

Is that little pond where you keep the poisonous brown snakes!?

Nope, they only visit there to get the odd frog on their way around. That depends on the Tiger snakes and what they are doing also.

 

[NYEric]

Sounds like a party!

 

[Roy]

If I see them they a "holey feeling". Things go off with a bang!

 

[NYEric]

Can you eat them, I bet your daughter would have great stories to tell!

 

[Roy]

They can be eaten, haven't tried them. The daughter likes the bush tucker, particularly Crocodile in the way I do it.

 

[NYEric]

Mmmmmmmmmm. I could have a great time there; and chickies w/ sexy aussie accents too!! Ooh lala!