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Environment, news, culture from the Australian Alps

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The Bayindeen fire and Snow Gum forests at Mt Cole

Snow gums (generally E. pauciflora ssp. Pauciflora) are the iconic tree of the Australian high country. While they are best known for their dominance of higher elevation areas in north eastern Victoria and the Snowy Mountains of southern NSW, it grows in woodland along the ranges and tablelands, in cold sites above 700 metres, in a long stretch from the far south-east of Queensland, through New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and Victoria, to near Mount Gambier in South Australia and Tasmania.

Snow gums also exist as isolated pockets well away from the higher mountains. For instance there are 53 known remnant Snow Gum sites within a 40 kilometre radius of Ballarat, Victoria. A  large proportion of remnant vegetation in the area occurs as small patches or isolated paddock trees, often on private land.

However there are also some important Snow Gum forests on public land in central and western Victoria. A well known example is on the upper slopes around Mt Macedon. Although these forests were impacted by the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, the Mount Macedon Snow Gum population have been assessed as being in relatively good health (despite a recent proposal to clear some sections of the forest around the Memorial Cross at Mt Macedon)..

There is also a really important community of Snow Gums growing across the higher hills of the Mt Cole state forest.

Continue reading “The Bayindeen fire and Snow Gum forests at Mt Cole” →

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The Zorali story

If you spend any time out walking or camping in national parks or other natural places, you will have noticed the rapid rise in the presence of Zorali gear over the past few years. The brand has a particular aesthetic, a commitment to sustainability, and has been active in encouraging people to get into the Big Outdoors.

With the loss of several key Australian brands over the last decade or so (for instance Snow Gum going under, Mountain Designs going online only) and strong awareness campaigns from US based brands such as Patagonia, Arc’terex, The North Face and so on, there are fewer Australian companies active in the outdoors business landscape nowadays. So Zorali, which is epitomised by its cheerful and energetic founders Elise and Cam, is a welcome addition to the outdoors scene.

Who are they and what is their mission? Here is a bit of a chat with founder Cam.

Continue reading “The Zorali story” →

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Review: Snow, Fire and Gold

We often see mountain environments as being wilderness: remote and wild country with few signs of human impact or habitation. But, of course, the mountains are a peopled landscape, rich in memory, history and personal stories. Many First Nations stories are now gone, lost with the people who were murdered or displaced. The cattle grazing families who followed occupation tend to dominate popular culture when it comes to the mountains, and most of the others barely get a mention. But there were generations of explorers, miners, loggers, skiers and hikers, hydro workers and road builders, people who built the ski resorts or managed to farm in the higher areas who have also left rich stories. Snow, Fire and Gold written by Stephen Whiteside is a wonderful book about Bill Spargo and Evelyn Piper and their long connection to each other and the mountains around Hotham.

One obvious sign of the human story of the Alps are the huts that dot the landscape. These include old cattle family huts, cabins attached to fire towers, huts connected with government agencies, the hydro schemes, recreation groups, or public infrastructure. They all tell a story of what happened before, or about our enduring connection to place. A rare few hold cultural treasures that speak to other times – the informal museum in the hut at Twilight Tarn in Mt Field national park in lutruwita/ Tasmania is one that comes to mind. Most of these huts were seasonal residences or provided short term shelter for workers or travellers. A rare few were long term homes for people. Spargos is one of these.

You can read the review here.

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After the logging: what areas must we protect?

In May 2023, the Victorian government announced that logging of native forests on public land would end in the state by January 1, 2024. This was six years ahead of the planned end of logging and was welcomed by environmental groups and ecologists.

The government announced that there would be a process for the community to contribute to decision making about future forest management, and the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement commenced its community engagement program to look into possible management options for forests in Victoria’s Central Highlands.

In July 2024, consultation on the Central Highlands closed. The Eminent Panel is currently preparing its recommendations to government on the future use and management of these forests. These are expected to be announced before the end of the year.

The next stage: the north east and Gippsland

On 1 April 2024 the Victorian Government announced the next stage in process for determining the future of Victoria’s state forests, with the appointment of a ‘Great Outdoors Taskforce’.

Continue reading “After the logging: what areas must we protect?” →

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The world’s most charismatic tree (*)

If you visit this website, you will probably have noticed that I have a bit of an obsession with Snow Gums.

Snow Gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) are the classic tree of the higher mountains of south eastern Australia. Interspaced with Alpine Ash at the lower end of their distribution, much of the forests and woodlands at higher levels across the Alps are dominated by this wonderful tree. They are profoundly different to the trees found in mountain areas in other parts of the world, and give a uniquely Australian sense to our high country. I am always amazed by the remarkable diversity in form that is possible within a single species. From grand tall elders in sheltered zones to wind pruned Bonsai sized trees on the treeline, the Snow Gum has a dazzling diversity of forms.

Continue reading “The world’s most charismatic tree (*)” →

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Regional reads

I started Mountain Journal back in 2010. Hiding from the mid summer heat, I drew inspiration from Mountain Gazette, a long lived magazine from the USA, and started turning out a few stories under the general themes of ‘news, environment and culture’ from the Australian Alps. Almost a decade later I finally managed to produce a printed magazine, which is now in its 4th year of production.

Somewhere along the way I wrote “people do want to read well crafted content that comes from *somewhere*. Place still matters, and mountains are some of the most compelling environments, drawing us mountain lovers in, helping to form the communities and cultures we develop as we try to make sense of each place.”

Most of what I read is online nowdays. But I do love the experience of print. Finding a sunny spot under a tree and diving into a magazine or book remains a very different experience to sitting on some kind of electronic device. We all know that print is hard – its expensive to produce and distribute. But it has an enduring charm and many people still love the substance and feel of paper-based reading, be it magazine or book.

Continue reading “Regional reads” →

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Solidarity on the Slopes: possible union action in VIC resorts

Across the mountain towns of Victoria’s high country, many people are employed through Alpine Resorts Victoria (ARV) which is a statutory authority which manages the state’s ski resorts. It was created in 2021 by merging Victoria’s four alpine resort management boards (Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller, Mt Stirling, Lake Mountain and Mt Baw Baw resorts).

ARV staff carry out many roles that allow the smooth functioning of the resorts, for instance road clearing, ski patrol, rubbish removal, communications and marketing.

In recent months, there have been negotiations between ARV staff and the authority over a new employment agreement that will cover working conditions. This has been happening as a result of the merger of the different resorts, and aims to ‘harmonise’ the various agreements into a single agreement. According to the union (the Australian Workers Union, or AWU), issues raised in these negotiations ‘have included inadequate conditions, lack of weekend penalty rates and the need for compensation for extreme weather shifts’.

Continue reading “Solidarity on the Slopes: possible union action in VIC resorts” →

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‘It was hard, beautiful, scary, mountainous and stunning’. A journey along the AAWT

The 2024 edition of the Mountain Journal magazine (available here), had a focus on human powered crossings of the Australian Alps. Of course many of these focused on the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT). Since then, more people have been sending stories about their journey along the AAWT. It has been wonderful to hear about their experience along the trail: the challenges, the special times, the hardships and lessons learnt.

This is from Tanya Deer and is her tale of walking the AAWT with her husband in January 2023. There are some lovely reflections and a good reminder that the AAWT is a trip that is well outside regular walking: its multiday nature allows you to go deep as you travel through an ever changing landscape: ‘I am full of gratitude for the experience, for those I love, for my body and for the environment I am in’.

Continue reading “‘It was hard, beautiful, scary, mountainous and stunning’. A journey along the AAWT” →

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A chat with Smitho from Wollangarra

Wollangarra is a wonderful outdoor education centre located on the Macalister River near Licola in the foothills of the Victorian high country. Like Mittagundi, it is known for its long commitment to offering life changing experiences for young people in a gorgeous environment.

Smitho and Katie are the directors at Wollangarra and see the place as being in a time of building its profile:

Smitho: “We took on the directorship at Wollangarra this year. I was previously on staff. We really see value in broadening the Wollangarra community, getting more people involved and widening the reach of our programs. We are working to build the profile, bring in more fundraising and increase our ability to do the value giving stuff we do well.”

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VIC backcountry festival 2024

The first Victorian backcountry festival was held at Falls Creek in 2018. It is now a significant annual community event, based at Mt Hotham – and touring the surrounding mountains – and draws several hundred people each year.

The 2024 festival will happen over the last weekend of August (three days from August 30 until September 1). There is a new convenor this year, Ryan Miles, and a larger organising team. It is a 100% volunteer effort, by the community and for the community.

While we are still working out the details, and the format will be slightly different this year, it will be along the same lines as previous years: built around a great program of tours, there will be workshops and events happening on each night – Friday to Sunday – including great speakers and films.

Keep an eye on the website for updates and announcements on ticket sales and the touring program.

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VCAT appeal against development on Rocky Valley foreshore

There is a proposed development of the Rocky Valley Lake foreshore above Falls Creek, which is focused on the old Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) shed, which needs to be renovated to be usable.

The proposed developments are intended for year round use, meaning that the clearing of the Bogong High Plains road (which currently ends at the gate near Windy Corner) will be extended through to the Lakeside site. This will result in loss of crosscountry skier access, which FCARMB says will be ‘offset’ by an upgraded track to Nordic Bowl and beyond.

The new development will have a number of businesses, parking and public facilities and act as the staging point for winter backcountry touring on the east side of the High Plains.

Now a traditional owner group (Jaithmathang TOBOO ) and the Cross Country Skiing Association of Victoria have lodged an appeal against the notice of decision to grant a permit for the Falls Creek ANARE Shed Redevelopment at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). A local resident is also listed as an objector. Jaithmathang TOBOO have expressed concerns about lack of consultation on the development proposal.

Continue reading “VCAT appeal against development on Rocky Valley foreshore” →

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Wild Places and the social media ‘positive feedback loop’

I have lost track of the number of times I have stumbled into one of those ‘instagram is killing the places we love’ conversations but, after a busy summer in the mountains, its hard to ignore the ever growing numbers of people out on the trails.  I saw this recently in Outside magazine:

If you’ve talked to any longtime outdoor enthusiasts in the last few years, you’ve probably heard some grumbling about how crowded the campsites are and how difficult it’s become to find trailhead parking. And they’ve probably attributed the uptick in popularity of outside activities to social media, where widely shared photos of beautiful sites draw crowds.

Continue reading “Wild Places and the social media ‘positive feedback loop’” →

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