North Prom closed

[Drew]

I was due to head down to the North Prom with a friend tomorrow but have just been told that they've closed it due to a number of walkers getting lost in the swamp and requiring rescue in the past fortnight. The woman I spoke to (who clearly wasn't very familiar with the area) said that two separate groups have been rescued, with one person being taken to hospital by helicopter with severe dehydration. She said they were very experienced walkers and were shocked at the overgrown scrub and very surprised to find themselves in trouble.

It sounds like they might be planning to do some serious track work in the next few months to make it easier to navigate the swamp. There goes the wilderness area...

She gave me the option of just going in to Johnny Suey Cove and back out the same way. 30km of road walking! No thanks!

Now to come up with an alternative plan...

[north-north-west]

It sounds like they might be planning to do some serious track work in the next few months to make it easier to navigate the swamp. There goes the wilderness area...

It sounds more like they're planing to do some fuel reduction burns, when the weather is suitable.

[Drew]

You could be right. I got the sense though that they might be planning some serious track upgrading to make the swamp easier to get through. Anyway, I'm off to Helicopter Spur and The Bluff instead.

[Sandbars]

There is track work planned for this weekend. Sadly we are unable to join in the fun, but maybe the track will be easier afterwards?

[Out_Walking]

https://au.prime7.yahoo.com/v3/news/a/-/local/29722153/busy-morning-for-rescue-crews-at-wilsons-promotory/

Mm... I wonder what the go is with the bloke who left his pack behind?

[PedroArvy]

Interesting how when things get popular there is a tendency for them to get abused and then we all suffer

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I like the Northern Prom but figure Easter is the best time to go after the summer sun has dried the swamps all out. At least the Northern Prom is not over run by bogans the way the southern Prom . often is . I love the Prom but of late I have been heading for parts of the Alpine N. P. instead.
The Friends of the Prom do have Northern Prom track works working bees. I know one of the people in that mob.

[scoha]

The great beauty of the Northern Prom is exactly the mystical, beautiful, hard to get through swamp - make that easy then its just a swamp.

Would be great shame to dumb it down.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Even if Chinaman's swamp was easy to navigate and had less head high scrub bush bashing , the Northern Prom circuit would still keep the bogans away because of the 20 kms per day pack carry distances.

[icefest]

Now that the park is open again, is there anyone who will be able to guess as to how difficult water will be to find?

[Drew]

I did the North Prom circuit over 3 days on Cup weekend. They have done a bit of good track clearing in some sections, just some taping in other sections and nothing at all in other parts.

We lost the track for a little while in the swamp so endured some rough scrub bashing, but overall it was fairly easy to follow. Parks staff told us that it would be very overgrown between 5 Mile Beach campsite and Johnny Suey Cove but that section was fine. As the tide was low we went around the rocks at Johnny Suey Point and Three Mile Point. We expected that section to be overgrown so I think that was a good choice - easy rock hopping and nice views. The creek crossings in the swamp were only ankle to calf deep. The mozzies all through the swamp were horrendous. Fine when moving but as soon as you stop they descend on you. I wouldn't recommend camping at Lower Barry Creek for that reason.

Along 5 Mile Road water was flowing at Barry Creek, Chinaman Creek and a little bit at Sugar Basin Swamp. Water was flowing from the spring at 5 Mile Beach (not very strongly). There was a trickle in the creek at the southern end of Johnny Suey Cove and plenty of only slightly brackish water in the lagoon a bit further up the beach (probably best to treat it). The creek at Tin Mine Cove was flowing reasonably well. There was also fresh still water just into the dunes where Tin Mine Track meets Chinaman Long Beach (probably best to treat this too). The creek at Lower Barry was flowing quite well. A lot more water than we expected to see after a very dry start to spring.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

It is good that you went around Johnny Souey Point and Three mile point by way of the low tide rocks. You are a lucky biped.. There was no track nor markers along there when I did it during Easter 2015 and you avoided the horrific bush bashing we did in April 2015.I mean there was an arrow pointing into the scrub at the end of the beaches in the general direction. It was a kind of practical joke .
There was not a problem with biting insects nor any water in the swamp area when I did this trek . Lower Barry Creek was quite nice really for camping. I like the Northern Prom.

[damoprz]

It is a bit of a shame, we went through the swamp at the beginning of August. It involved a reasonable amount of bush-bashing but with a compass and map navigation wasn't a problem. Even with the swamp being easier the loop will still be hard, I don't think this will effect the numbers too much.