The ‘Deserters’ go double-barrelled: exploration of Hattah-Kulkyne and Murray-Sunset National Parks with a bonus bit of Wyperfeld
Date and time: 9:00am, Tuesday 19 September to 1:00pm Friday 22 September 2023
Description: Please contact your trip leader if you are unsure of any of the following requirements for this trip.
The Deserters know that the high country is still ‘out of bounds’ for a couple more months. This gives us another good excuse to ‘desert’ to Victoria’s less explored desert areas.
The plan for the Deserters this time around is to explore the ‘double-barrelled’ Hattah-Kulkyne and Murray-Sunset National Parks, then sneak down into Wyperfeld National Park.
This is a midweek trip so it will suit those on school holidays.
Starting in Ouyen we will explore Hattah-Kulkyne (depending on residual flood damage) then turn our efforts to delving much deeper into Murray-Sunset. We will also aim to travel around the Wirrengren Plain, popping in to toboggan down Snowdrift of course and ultimately end up at Wonga Campground. Again we are aiming for MVO track access, so sign up quickly so the permit can be applied for.
Please carry all food and water for 4 days plus cooking and camping equipment.
Morning tea and lunches will be in the bush each day – byo simple, “on the move” lunches and morning teas.
Clothing and footwear for sandy, cold and possible wet conditions (depending on forecast).
No camper trailers, pets or firearms.
Reference: Meridian Maps – Victoria’s Deserts Touring Guide 5th Edn.
Accommodation: We will bush camp in designated National Parks campsites with drop toilets available.
Weather: Desert environment, potentially cold nights. Let us hope for some lovely Spring days!
Review the Underbool weather forecast leading up to the trip and bring appropriate clothing, footwear and camping gear.
Equipment: Below are the recommended vehicle requirements. If you are not sure if your vehicle is suitable for a trip, please have a chat with the trip leader.
Good off-road tyres (All Terrain, 60 profile recommended as a minimum), UHF radio (or one borrowed from the club), a well-maintained vehicle with low range (or equivalent), good ground clearance (200mm recommended as a minimum), recovery points, standard recovery gear including dampener, rated snatch strap and shackles, shovel. Drivers must have completed the RRCV club driver proficiency training or equivalent.
Additional Equipment required: Air compressor and tyre gauge, MaxTrax or similar sand recovery equipment. Each vehicle ought to bring a bag of firewood for our nightly group campfire. A toboggan or similar is handy at Snowdrift campsite if you have kids with you. :-)
Trip Standard: Medium - The sand tracks are straightforward, but there are a few sandhills and deeper sections of sand that require extra skill to navigate. Sometimes there can be a great deal of rain and boggy areas to traverse.
Fuel: Enough fuel from Ouyen for 400km. There are no planned fuel stops so please carry extra fuel as needed. For sand driving multiply your highway fuel usage by 1.3 to estimate fuel usage.
Distance: Melbourne to Ouyen 450kms. Ouyen to Wonga Campground 400km. Wonga campground to Melbourne 450km.
Duration: 4 days
Convoy limit: 10 vehicles
Meeting arrangements: We plan to meet at Blackburn Park, Ouyen (look for the big Mallee root) at 9.00am for our trip briefing. (What3Words reference https://w3w.co/premise.debunk.frail). We aim to finish by about 1:00pm in Wonga campground on the Friday.
Trip Leader: James Lawson, Phone - 0429265550, Email – lawsonj71au@gmail.com
