Melbourne Walks

OK, so Deb and I are not at all excited that our newest guidebook arrived in the post today. OK, I’m a lier.  I am VERY excited – my 6th book in and it still feels like getting a new puppy every time the real book arrives in my hot little hands. This one may well have been my favourite one to walk/research – it gave me an excuse to get out from behind the desk and into the beautiful bush of the Gariwerd-Grampians, which are just simply world class walking, and to do so with my great friend, Deb Heyes. We even had hiking legend Greg from @hikingfiasco come for a day out, sore knees and all. How good is that?  This one is just under $1 a walk, I guess – 28 walks for $24.99 and will be available in all good bookshops (online and in-store) and lots of outlets in and around the Grampians themselves, like Outdoor Adventures in Halls Gap.  Could there be a better Christmas stocking filler???  Inspiring photos, great maps and clear waypoints, and this time co-badged with Australian Geographic: all you need to bring is your legs and lungs!

It’s the first new guidebook for very many years in the Grampians, and includes many realigned walks ranging from 1-12km and easy to tough, with some multi-day walks for the more adventurous as well.  Here’s the hit-list, from North to South.

1. Mura Mura / Mt Zero
2. Guingalg / Mt Stapylton
3. Wudjub Guyan / Hollow Mountain
4. Gulgurn / Manja Shelter
5. Beehive Falls / Briggs Bluff
6. Wonderland Loop (of course – so spectacular!)
7. Grand Canyon, Silent Street and the Pinnacle
8. Venus Baths
9. Bim / Chatauqua Peak & Clematis Falls
10. The Balconies & Reed Lookout
11. MacKenzie Falls to Zumsteins
12. Barri Yalug / Fyans Creek Loop
13. Boronia Peak
14. Mt Rosea Loop (perhaps one of the best circuit day walks ever)
15. Tower Hill (the last walk we did for the book, and a cracker)
16. Silverband Falls
17. Sundial Loop (Greg’s guest entry)
18. Paddy Castle
19. Mt Wurgarri / Mt Sturgeon
20. Bainggug / The Picanniny)
21. Mt Murdadjoog / Mt Abrupt
22. Larni bunja / The Chimney Pots
23. Bilimina Shelter
24. Duwil / Mt William
25. Mafeking Historic Walk
26. Grampians Peak Trail – Central Circuit (3 days)
27. Major Mitchell Plateau (3 days)
28. Victoria Range Circuit (3 days)

We’re going to be doing a companion guide for the new Grampians Peaks Trail when it opens next year too.  Any excuse to keep walking there!  Let us know what you think as you walk the ones in this book – we’d love to hear back from you.