20th to 26th December 1999 (Week 51)

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Monday was the last day we spent in the Grampians. We drove from the Central Grampians through to the Southern Grampians here we walked up to Mt. Abrupt. His name about describes the steep ascent to the peak. Over the last 4 days we walked around 35 kilometers. Some of the walks were pretty tough and our bones felt like they needed a rest. Basically the Grampians are a walkers heaven, there are over 650 kilometers of beautiful walking tracks in the biggest nationalpark of Victoria. So there are still around 620 kilometers left for us to walk and discover nature.

We payed our next visit to the 12 Apostels along the Great Ocean Road towards Melbourne. The twelve apostels are limestone columns that were carved out from the mainland by sea over thousands of years. Further along the Great Ocean Road we paid a quick visit to Otway Nationalpark. A little pocket of rainforest along the Victorian Coast.

From there we drove inland towards the Alpine Nationalpark. Mainly through vast Farmland plains. The Alpine Nationalpark is very big and stretches from Victoria (AlpineNP) to New South Wales (Kosciouszko NP) and into the Australian Capital Territory (Namadgi NP). Some of the mountains reaching heights of up to 2200 meters. We only visited a little part of it. We started out with the Mt. Buffalo Nationalpark and then drove though some of the high planes. Along the way we visited as well Mt. Hotham and Thredbo which are Australia's best known Ski Resorts. Sadly the weather turned nasty and it rained for 3 days without stoping once.

by the way
a merry christmas and
a happy new year


christmas tree

Grampians: Victoria Ranges Grampians: Chimney Pot Grampians: Serra Ranges from the Victoria Ranges Grampians: Serra Ranges from the plains Grampians: Mt Abrupt
Grampians: Signal Peak from the walk up to Mt. Abrupt Grampians: Finally we made it, on top of Mt. Abrupt Grampians: View from Mt. Abrupt Port Campell NP: Beach at Loch Ard Gorge Port Campell NP: Muttonbird Island
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels Typical Landscape in the Otway NP Straw bales near Ballarat Beatiful violet flowers Its almost Christmas, Santa in Trentham
Sunset on the Campground in Bellana Another Santa in Oxley Landscape near Myrtleford Lake Buffalo Mt. Buffalo NP: The Horn, 1723m
Mt. Buffalo NP: View from the Horn Mt. Buffalo NP: View from the Horn Mt. Buffalo NP: The Hump Mt. Buffalo NP: Feeding Ducks Alpine NP: View from Mt. Blowhard
Alpine NP: Mt. Hotham Skiresort Alpine NP: Bogong High Plains Lake Hume Kosciouszko NP: Landscape in the rain
Grampians: Victoria Ranges
Grampians: Chimney Pot
 
Grampians: Serra Ranges from the Victoria Ranges
Grampians: Serra Ranges from the plains
 
Grampians: Mt Abrupt
Grampians: Signal Peak from the walk up to Mt. Abrupt
 
Grampians: Finally we made it, on top of Mt. Abrupt
Grampians: View from Mt. Abrupt
 
Port Campell NP: Beach at Loch Ard Gorge
Port Campell NP: Muttonbird Island
 
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels
 
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels
 
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels
Port Campell NP: The famous 12 Apostels
 
Typical Landscape in the Otway NP
Straw bales near Ballarat
 
Beatiful violet flowers
Its almost Christmas, Santa in Trentham
 
Sunset on the Campground in Bellana
Another Santa in Oxley
 
Landscape near Myrtleford
Lake Buffalo
 
Mt. Buffalo NP: The Horn, 1723m
Mt. Buffalo NP: View from the Horn
 
Mt. Buffalo NP: View from the Horn
Mt. Buffalo NP: The Hump
 
Mt. Buffalo NP: Feeding Ducks
Alpine NP: View from Mt. Blowhard
 
Alpine NP: Mt. Hotham Skiresort
Alpine NP: Bogong High Plains
 
Lake Hume
Kosciouszko NP: Landscape in the rain
 
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Last Updated : 26th of December 1999


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