Australian Alps Walking Track
Track Updates

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This page will detail major updates to the 2009 guide book - it will not contain all minor corrections but will have all important ones needed for walking the track  Some of the notes below will detail recent track clearing - unfortunately we expect parts of  the track will need to be cleared two or three times over the next decade as regrowth from the 2003 and 2006 fires has been prolific so expect changes in scrub cover. As an example, since the 2003 fire,  T Spur on Mt Bogong has been already cleared twice.

NOTE - some have become confused because the track alignment on our maps and other maps do not agree. We provide maps in the book for navigation on the AAWT as they are the only maps that show the correct location of the track. Many other maps have errors as to the tracks location - we recommend you carry and also use other maps as they show more area than a book page can. They are very useful if you lose the track, need to leave the track early or want to identify points of nearby interest such as mountains. All this has been stated on page 32 in the first paragraph on maps.

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Page 23-25 Food. For recipe ideas read 'The Outdoor Gourmet' by Michael Hampton. Its available from Open Spaces Publishing www.osp.com.au
Page 52 - Thomson River - log bridge broken, there are alternative logs downstream or at high water levels cross on the Easton Dam wall 1km upstream
Page 60 - Black River. The 2006 fires severely burnt this valley and the river is a huge log jam, to avoid the desperate walk along the river use the alternative route on page 60. Also on page 63, the climb to Mt Shillinglaw has no track and some very dense regrowth scrub. Expect 3 to 5 hours scrub bashing for the 3km from the river to the vehicle track near the saddle
Page 69, Maps, the Bush Maps Victoria map is now a 1:50,000 scale map.
Page 92 - at 838942 ensure you swing north to avoid a very old closed track to the south
Page 93 - Barry Mountains Water Tank leaks - do not rely on it. New water tank placed on Selwyn South at GR 907995 (installed June 2010)
Page 98 - on 2nd last line in Southbound, turn east should be turn west
Page 100 - new water tank west of The Twins at GR 036019 (installed June 2010)
Page 101 - line 5, from Diamantina Hut its south-east not south-west
Page 126 - 5th line, the Mitta Mitta is the lowest point north of the Baw Baws (the Thomson River is actually the lowest point on the track)
Page 200 - 516.5km - line 1 south-west should be south-east, 4th line north-west should be north-east.
Page 207 - side track to Four Mile Hut is now signposted.
Page 214 - 557.4km Route across the open plain of Dairyman Creek has now been marked with AAWT markers
Page 216 - dont try to follow the 'old fire track' shown on the map as its becoming overgrown. It was put on the map so walkers would realise it was not the AAWT
Page 219 map and page 221, 599.1km - 'Harris Hut Road' has now been renamed with signposts as 'Blue Waterholes Trail'
Page 224 map - the toilet at Pocket Hut has been removed
Page 229 - 614.3km - line 5, A steep descent then leads 'westward' should say 'eastward'
Page 236 - map, grid markings for eastings should range from 82 to 87 (not 62 to 67)

Transport - No regular public transport, charters with private operators are possible. For Walhalla, try the general store, they can sometimes help. For Mt Hotham and the Bogong High Plains try the taxi at Bright (tel 0408 589370) or the taxi at Mt Beauty (tel 0409 573909), for access from Omeo to Omeo Highway, Benambra-Corryong Road and Buenba Hut try O'Connells Bus Services (tel 03-5159 1377), for access from Cooma to Perisher, Guthega and Kiandra try Hummingbird Charters (tel 02-6456 4425).

Current Track Conditions

It can be difficult to keep this up-to-date as storm damage and scrub regrowth from fires is unpredictable and also rangers and others may clear tracks without telling anyone else about it. This will be a summary of the latest I have heard about the condition of parts of the track and also planned track clearings.
Note - these changes all effect track times, if it has been cleared then expect to take less time and if a section is currently ovegrown expect it to take much longer. Its impossible to update track times as conditions keep changing and its hard enough just finding out what has recently changed.
Mt Baw Baw plateau - most of the plateau has been recently cleared of scrub, the last 3km section was cleared from March 4th to 8th 2011 and this should make the track better than its shown on page 49.
Black River - badly effected in 2006 fires and trees are regularly falling, use the alternative route on page 60. Black River to Mt Shillinglaw - currently no track and VERY DENSE regrowth scrub on climb from river. Apparantly track clearing is planned soon for this section.
Mt Sunday - the old vehicle track from the summit to Low Saddle has been cleared
Catherine Saddle to Barry Saddle - currently lots of treefall and VERY DENSE regrowth scrub, much slower and essentially no track at present for this entire section
Barry Saddle to Harry Shepherds Track - old track currently scrubby.
Van Damme Track to East Riley Road - overgrown with some treefall - slow going, improved recently but expect to take longer.
Mt Bogong - Duane and T-Spur have both been recently cleared again.
Gill Creek - page 128 - has been cleared and currently fairly easy.
Buenba Hut Site to Dead Horse Creek (page 140 to 146) has all been recently recleared and remarked, it should be fairly easy to follow for a few years.
Next track clearing for volunteers -2 clearings in 2011/12 summer, one on Baw Baw Plateau to do a final cleanup, the other will be at Mt Wills to reduce re-growth from 2006 fires
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John Chapman, PO Box 5042, Laburnum, 3130, Australia
Photographs and text are copyright 2007-2011 John Chapman
Last updated : December 19th 2011