Naturewise Grampians and Little Desert Walking Tour
Halls Gap, VIC

TOUR RATING
Moderate level of fitness

TOUR  LOCATION
The Grampians and the Little Desert National Park.

CONSERVATION IMPACT
Over 30% of Australia’s mammals and around 14% of birds are threatened or extinct in the wild. In the Little Desert region Conservation Volunteers and the FAUNA Research Alliance are ‘Rewilding the Desert’ – restoring wildlife habitat, protecting threatened species and reintroducing wildlife back into wild. This tour supports the Rewilding the Desert initiative.

ITINERARY
Day 1: Melbourne – Little Desert Nature Lodge

Depart Melbourne for the Little Desert National Park. Travel through the Greater Grampians region visiting Mount Arapiles. Afternoon arrival at the Lodge and a leisurely one-hour walk on our private conservation reserve to discover more about the wildlife conservation project. Walks: 3km, easy.

Day 2: Little Desert National Park

A full-day guided walk through the Little Desert National Park. Walking through an array of Desert flora and fauna, then descend to the Salt Lake Junction. Reach a small Mallee Eucalyptus oasis and our shady half-way rest stop. From here we continue into a section of yellow gum, where at 12.5km we arrive at the claypan flats, a natural waterhole great for springtime bird watching. Then on to Two Dams at 14.7km for lunch and bird watching. The last 5km section of the walk is through a denser new variety of vegetation (green mallee, violet honey myrtle, barbed wire bush). Walk: 20km, moderate.

Day 3: Little Desert – Grampians National Park

Continue our journey to the Grampians National Park, stopping on route at the Pink Lake. Lunch in Halls Gap and a half day walk starting at Brambuk Visitor Centre, crossing Fyans Creek to the base of the Mt William Range for a steady climb. Finish on top of Boronia Peak with panoramic views over the Wonderland Range and surrounding peaks. Walk: 5km, easy.

Day 4: Grampians National Park
Morning walk from the heart of Halls Gap alongside Stony Creek rising towards Wonderland. The imagery and the unique shaping of the rocks gives rise to features like the Elephant Hide and the Grand Canyon.  After lunch continue to Sundial Peak and to Rosea Campground. Walk: 11km, moderate.

Day 5: Mount Rosea Peak Walk
Today is a challenging yet rewarding morning walk to the peak of Mount Rosea. Final dinner at local hotel (at own expense). Walk: 13km, moderate – challenging.

Day 6: Mount William Walk – Melbourne
Morning walk to the top of Mount William – the highest peak in the Grampians. Look. Lunch at Halls Gap (own expense) before our return journey to Melbourne, arriving at approximately 5pm. Walk: 4-6km, moderate

DURATION
6 days 5 nights

DEPARTS
Melbourne 8.00am - Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) Office, 120 Roslyn St West Melbourne
or North Melbourne Train Station upon request

RETURNS
Melbourne, 5.00pm