Mt Cole/ Buangor State park

[mudnut]

G'day, all. Anyone interested in a weekend at Mt Cole or Buangor State Park?

On the weekend, Mrs mudsane and I took a detour up there from our trip to my parents place.

We checked out a few free camps on Saturday in the eastern side of the park. They are first in best dressed and not very big.

On the way back home, Sunday, we checked out the Buangor part of the park. There is a fee of around $25-29 for the large beautiful Middle Creek Camping ground. This is a shame as it is the best camping ground of the park IMHO.

There is also the option of staying at the free Greenhill Lake camping ground near Ararat. This is would suit those with youngsters that didn't want to go for a drive in the mountains. There is the lake for boating and fishing as well.

There will be some seasonal track closures starting in June.


Apart from the weekend of the 15 of June I am flexible for any dates.

[AB]

Keep us updated mate, my weekends are usually tied up with kiddies but planets may very well align on whatever weekend you head up!

Organising our last trip it would've been easier to line up a space shuttle to the bloody international space station!!!

[mudnut]

https://www.parkstay.vic.gov.au/book-your-stay/results

Type in Buangor and the number of adults. Its restricted to 6 adults per campsite, so it won't get too expensive.

[jack]

If anyone is interested I can really recommend Mt Cole/Buangor.

It's pretty close to us and I'd probably go up there every couple of years. Caters for everyone with easy sight seeing tracks and difficult challenging ones depending on what you're looking for. A few years ago we did a pretty extensive trip the day the tracks were opened in early November, certainly one to remember especially as I was the only Patrol with two 80 series cruisers. One of the highlights was two Sambar crossing in front of us being as surprisedas we were.
We've also been on a few sight seeing trips, until I hit a powerline track! My wife still thinks it was deliberate. There was a 4WD convoy at the top debating if they should try it, interesting looks when a couple of old codgers crested the hill.

I'd be on this in a flash but we're heading of on a bit of an extended trip pretty soon so won't be back till Sept. (if I get my way), but this dependant on circumstances out of our control at the moment.

[Plasnart]

Eversley Sugarloaf track is a doozey. Did that a few years ago and it's not for the faint hearted. It's not 35" territory though, but rocky and pretty challenging.

I love Mt Cole State Forest/Mt Buangor State Park. Red Rock lookout is my favourite spot with expansive views west out to the Grampians.

The place has everything from beautiful temperate rain forest to eucalypt forest and tracks ranging from mild to pretty wild.

Check these files with park maps:
https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/26281/FS0048-Mount-Cole-State-Forest_Oct-2012_final.pdf
https://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/315604/Mt-Buangor_Web0912.pdf

And just to the north is the Pyranees State Forest which also has some excellent tracks.
https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/26277/FS0036-Pyrenees-State-Forest.pdf

IMO an under-recognised 4x4 destination.