Bushwalk Australia

Hi folks,

Hope everyone is getting pumped to get out hiking this extra long weekend. Looking like some pristine hiking weather before the daylight really starts to fade!

My partner and I are hoping for some advice about this plan i've come up with to spend 3 nights up in the hills (2 1/2 days and 2 full days)

Day 1: plan to leave melbourne early Friday AM to Harrietville. Walk from there to feathertop up the Bungalow spur
Day 2: Fed hut to Westons via Diamantina spur (down and then straight back up again!)
Day 3: Westons to Diamantina hut via Machinery or swindlers spur
Day 4 Cruise/fall down bon accord (steep!) to Harrietville and leave to Melbourne.

We're not too fussed about getting home to Melbourne late.

Would love to hear your thoughts, reckon it will be a struggle but might manage to get it done. We're not as fit as we have been but have walked the south coast in tassie without much difficulty (if that helps for comparison. My wife isn't so speedy on the downhill due to a little fear of heights (bon accord looks ok but diamantina looks a little scrambly in places which will make it slowish going)

Much appreciated in advance folks!

Oooofff looking at these hills I reckon we might go to blair or dibbin hut instead and skip westons on day 2

I did a similar loop few weeks ago and I'd suggest the following.
Day 1. Drive to Harrietville hike to Fed hut
DAy 2. Fed Hut - Feathertop - down Diamantina- Blairs hut for lunch - Dibbins hut by early arvo
Day 3 Dibbins - swindlers spur to Hotham - Along the Razorback to Fed Hut
Day 4 Back down Bungalow spur and drive home

Diamantina spur is steep at the bottom but nothing that requires scrambling. Hard on the quads if you haven't done much as my mate found out. Day 3 was about 20km but the Razorback is worth doing plus you can't camp at Diamantina hut.

The walk as stated is pretty hard. It waill take about four hours to get to Federation Hut, and maybe a bit longer after that to get water if the tank is dry. Prepare to camp elsewhere, as there may well be hordes of people. The second day is viable, but I don't see the point. Westons is okay, but only as a stopping place, rest or overnight, on a through journey. There's on scrambly section, no need for a rope, turn this on the left (north) side if need be. The day to Diamantina Hut is quite long, and there's no water at the hut. The last water is a long way back. Maybe go to Hotham Heights and pick up water there. Bon Accord is okay as a last day.

Drummo62's walk is much nicer. If you get caught by bad weather you can attempt to get a lift down the mountain from or near Hotham Heights.

It would have been better to ask about this walk a few weeks ago.

Lophophaps wrote:Drummo62's walk is much nicer.

Agreed. There may still be some water from the spring before Fed hut on Bungalow spur but some good rain fell last weekend so the tank at Fed hut may have some water. Dibbins to Harrietville via Bon Accord doable in a day but it will be a big one and water will be the issue as stated so going back to Fed hut could be your best option for the night then it is a short walk down to the car and home in good time. The Razorback would be a nicer walk than Bon Accord. When camping at Dibbins stay at least 100m from the camping platforms to avoid the fee if someone happens to come out to check. Unfortunately you will have to carry a heavy load of water up Swindlers spur but it is not as hard as others in the area.

The spring below Fed hut was running 4 weeks ago.

To give you some idea of time we took the following each day - including breaks. We are active 50+ year olds but my mate was pretty slow after blowing up his quads going down Diamantina spur
Day 1 - 3:45
Day 2 - 7 hours
Day 3 - 8:20
Day 4 - 3:20

Xplora is right - you need to carry enough water from Dibbins for the day and the first 1km of Swindlers is steepish but it eases as you get higher.

Hi all, thanks for all the excellent advice.

Day 1. Drive to Harrietville hike to Fed hut
DAy 2. Fed Hut - Feathertop - down Diamantina- Blairs hut for lunch - Dibbins hut by early arvo
Day 3 Dibbins - swindlers spur to Hotham - Along the Razorback to Fed Hut
Day 4 Back down Bungalow spur and drive home

Looks great thanks Drummo

It would have been better to ask about this walk a few weeks ago.

Why? I only found out I wasn't working this weekend on Tuesday...not all of us get a guaranteed Easter off mate

I have snow camped at Diamantina hut after coming up the Bon Accord spur in late white season 2015 and running out of daylight. It can be done if need be, but it is not an ideal camping spot. Descending to Harrietville from the Razorback via Champion spur is a tougher , steeper alternative rather than walking the Bungalow spur again. I have yet to walk along Champion spur. I do plan to do it before my knees start to say NO MORE.