Cottontree Creek Campground, Victoria.

Next stopover planned was to be Cottontree Creek Campground in The Mount Granya State Park. We stayed for two nights and a couple of high energy spend days. After hiking to The Scout Hut and The Granya Falls, a warm up hike for the big one tomorrow, we met up with Dave and Jan. We had a lot of laughs with them, people of our own heart. Tomorrow we are going to tackle a 5.2 km hike to the Fire Lookout Tower atop Mount Granya. Not too far but apparently very steep.

Saw Dave and Jan off then began our walk in great spirits. We started off walking a bush track for about 1 km, going past The Scout Hut and Granya Falls once more. We broke out onto a 4wd track and soon met up with a wild dog baiter. He gave us some invaluable information then left us with the knowledge that it is a long and arduous walk. The Wild Dog Baiter also told us that the burnout areas we could see were caused by lightning strikes. Strangely, signage in the State Park was stating that burn-offs were instigated to reduce fire risk. Not the usual National/State Park Procedures! After a 2 km easy walk along the 4wd track, even though we were continually climbing all the way, we came to the next section of bush track. In fact this is a deer pathway. Walkers follow the way deer navigate their way around the mountain. There are a few orange triangles to mark the path but mostly it is just following the deer droppings and it is fairly obvious. We met another walker, he was coming down from the summit. He advised that it took him 1.5 hours to do the 1.8 km to the summit and in the end it was extremely steep and hard going. After a short break and a snack we set forth, the further we went the steeper the track got. After about 1.25 hours we were 'buggered'. We were so near the summit but had to turn back, very frustrating! Probably less than 20 minutes and only a few hundred metres to go but it was extremely steep and we were broken. We still had to walk back to base as well!!!

Our great, grassy camp spot. Wrens were continually hoping about checking us out.

The Main Information Board in the camp.

BBQ and Picnic Table in the Day Park. There were identical facilities in the camp ground.

The Scout Hut has survived many seasons and is still serviceable.

Not much in the way of furnishings on the inside!

We could hear water trickling at The Falls but nothing was visible.

Another angle of The Falls Escarpment.

Before we reached the level were we had to stop the climb, we had this view of Lake Hume in the back ground. Unfortunately looking into the sun so it's a bit washed out.

A broken man having 'forty winks' before the walk down the 4wd track and back to camp.

Jude is a tad red in the face and that is not a smile, it is a grimace! But she is still standing! That little arrow on the sign board says it all, straight up, vertical!