2014 Trip Note

Track Maintenance: 28-30 March 2014 - Track Maintenance weekend: Alpine National Park

Contributor: Rod Novak

Source: "The News", May 2014

Photogallery: Track Maintenance weekend: Alpine National Park

On Saturday morning we started with a Job Safety briefing from our two Parks Victoria Rangers (Iris and Rudi) and then were given the bright yellow safety ‘volunteers vests’. As a group we surveyed a good location for a new seat on the Black Cockatoo walk and then dug it in (with lots of exertion in getting some hard to shift rocks out). It has a great vantage over the creek and is an ideal place for a reflection and/or ponder with the babbling brook. After a quick morning tea, we then split into three groups: - shrub pruning along the Shady Gully nature track, one group repaired bridge access steps and loose chicken wire, and the third group cleaned all the Picnic Ground signs (they were covered in mud and lichen).

After a long lunch in the sun with the Rangers giving us an update on ‘what’s new in the park’ we then tackled the Staircase. We worked in teams of three with rake hoes, mattocks and shovels to clean out the ‘spoon drains’ along the first 1.5kms of the Staircase Spur walking track. We cleaned 54 drains in total and make a great visual impact and greatly improved the track water drainage. Many of the descending day walker summiteers gave lots of positive feedback to the volunteers.

On Saturday night we enjoyed a great campfire with lots of bushwalking and travel yarns and then early to bed with many tired people.

On Sunday, we woke up with heavy rain on the tents and after checking the radar on the Ranger’s Smart Phone we cancelled the planned activities and joined the Rangers at the Tawonga General Store for a well-deserved coffee and cake. On the road trip home we again met up for a great lunch and camaraderie at the Euroa Café.

Many thanks to Deb, Raf and Mark for coming along and making a valuable contribution to the Alpine National Park.