Wyperfeld National Park

Wyperfeld contains 800,000 acres of fascinating mallee lands. Located 280 miles (450 km.) northwest of Melbourne, the park can also be reached from Adelaide to the west. The best time to visit is during the Australian winter, say June to November, but if your only opportunity is during the hot season, don't hesitate to go—we did and it was one of the most fascinating pair of days in almost 6 months traveling around the world!

Facilities and accommodations are limited. Go prepared. Petrol, in the Australian vernacular, and supplies are available in the nearby towns of Yaapet, Hopetoun and Rainbow, but this region is isolated so you might not want to rely too much on the current inventory. The park has a camping area beside Lake Brimin. You can find picnic tables, toilets, and some welcome shade under the River Red Gums. But watch those falling branches. We pitched our tent under one, not knowing any better, and weathered the nights without mishap. You might not be so lucky! We have been told accommodations are also available in the nearby towns.

Water is available but supplies are tight. We advise you to TAKE YOUR OWN WATER!. During our visit, the rangers were relying on a catchment area to collect dew at dawn.

The park rangers operate an information center by the campground. The displays can educate you about the mallee environment and you can check with the staff on current conditions.

If you can stand the heat, lots of activities can keep you entertained: natural history, hiking, biking, and scenic drives.

National History and Human History
Over 450 species of plants, 200 species of birds, and a variety of mammals and reptiles make the park their home. You cannot miss the kangaroos, emus, cockatoos, galahs, and parrots. You will have to be a bit luckier or more diligent to spot the elusive Mallee Bird. But the park rangers can probably direct you to a mound, and they have been known to erect screens behind which you can observe (or at least test your patience).

Despite the forbidding climate and terrain, human habitation dates back to prehistoric times. Aborigine nomads left the remains of campsites long before Europeans reached the continent. By the 1840s, the westerners were settled enough in the country that they made their way to Wyperfeld. James Clow, a grazier, made his way down Outlet Creek to Lakes Brimin and Wonga, then established the Pine Plains Pastoral Run. A homestead reputedly stood beside Lake Brimin near the campground.

Walks
The park has a variety of walks and rides within easy access of the campground. These are described by length, shortest first. Peruse a map of Wyperfeld and you will see plenty of tracks into remote sections. Check with the rangers if you want to venture far afield.

Lake Brambruk: About 6 kilometers round-trip, this nature walk is an easy stroll from the eastern end of the campground to Lake Brambruk. It is a great trail for observing flora and fauna as you pass from the flood plain through Cypress Pine woodlands and into mallee scrub. Plan on 2 to 2.5 hours.

Tyakil: Another 6 kilometers round-trip, this walk begins at Black Flat car park, 4 kilometers from the western side of the campground. The destination is Round Lake. Plan on 2 to 2.5 hours.

Lake Brambruck-Everard-Freeway-Eastern Lookout Loop: This 8-kilometer loop follows the Lake Brambruk nature walk. At the lake, it turns right onto the Everard Track and continues clockwise along the Freeway, then Eastern Lookout Tracks back to the start. Great track for passing through Wyperfeld's floral zones—mostly mallee with a heath community in the clay soil along Freeway and River Red Gums by Lake Brambruk. Plan on 3 to 3.5 hours.

Nine Mile Square: The Square provides an 8-kilometer circuit, starting at the Nine Mile Square car park along the entrance road. Shortly after the walk begins, you can take the left fork onto the Desert Track for Big Desert views. The Desert Track eventually reconnects with the Nine Mile Square Track, which you can follow through mallee and pine woodlands back to your start. Plan on 3 to 3.5 hours.

Lignum Track: A 10-kilometer route, this track traverses the center of the Eastern Lookout driving circuit and offers a loop of its own to eliminate too much backtracking. It culminates at Eastern Lookout, a rise offering the best vista of the surrounding country. Plan on 4 hours.

Black Flat Circuit: This 12-kilometer loop begins at the Black Flat car park west of the campground. It takes you a little farther into the backcountry along the Meridian Track, then connects clockwise with the Everard and Cameron Tracks back to the start. The first section is through sandy mallee country. If you make it through that stretch, you are rewarded with a little shade from Gums and Black Box trees as you circle back. Plan on 4 to 5 hours.

Scenic Drives
The Eastern Lookout Drive is a great way to spend a hot afternoon, particularly if you need a respite in an air-conditioned vehicle. It traverses 15 kilometers along a good all-surface road. The route covers just about the full range of terrain and ecology. Starting in the flood plain, you will pass through the "wetlands" Gum and Black Box trees, the mallee, the pine woodlands, the dunes. The high point, literally, is Eastern Lookout, where a short stroll gives you a broad view of the area.

Drive slowly and look closely, or stop often and get out, because keen eyes will detect the amazing variation within the mallee. The coloring, shapes of leaves, and forms of buds are tremendously diverse in the mallee eucalypts. And watch out for those kangaroos and emus—that roo guard may protect your fender but it can do a lot of damage to nature's creatures.

Plan on 1 to 2 hours at a leisurely pace.

Biking
Wyperfeld offers some great biking, but make sure you choose a route with solid ground. The sandy soil on some tracks creates nothing but a bog for those bike wheels.

The Eastern Lookout Drive is one great loop for the cyclist. At its farthest point, the biker can branch off onto the Dattuck Track heading east, which has a firmer clay surface than many others. The Lowan Track turns off the Drive just south of Dattuck and heads south, another firm surface for riding.

Closer to the campground, the route following along Outlet Creek has a good pedaling surface.

Closing Notes
Like all wilderness, Wyperfeld is extraordinarily fragile. Don't roll your wheels, vehicle or bike where they don't belong, leave the features in their natural state, and avoid fires.

Wyperfeld National Park
Yaapeet, 3424
(053) 95-7221

North Western District
36 Firebrace St.
Horsham, 3400
(053) 82-4544

Melbourne
240 Victoria Parade
East Melbourne, 3002
(03) 651-4011