Trip Overview

Who would have thought our nation’s capital, a hub of politicians, bureaucrats and media personalities, would be a worthy place to visit for a bushwalking trip? Referred to as the ‘bush capital’, Canberra itself offers a network of walking paths and trails from lakeside parks to nature reserves and forests, all within close proximity to the city centre. Outside of Canberra, there are plenty of great walks in and around the ACT.

If you want a rest day or it’s too hot to walk, there are lots of attractions to keep you cool and occupied, including the Museum of Australian Democracy, National Gallery Australia, National Portrait Gallery, Australian War Memorial and more.

Accommodation

We have booked five nights accommodation in self-contained cabins at Alivio Tourist Park. Close to nature reserves, it’s about 5 kms drive from the city centre. Each cabin includes a fully equiped kitchen / living area, bathroom and two bedrooms with a double bed in the first and two or more beds in the second. There will be 3 people per cabin.

Once the accommodation booked by the club is filled, we may offer additional places on the trip to those who wish to book their own accommodation.

Itinerary and Walk Descriptions

Friday 27 December

Arrive in Canberra by your chosen means of travel and settle in to your accommodation.

Saturday 28 December

Mount Majura to Mount Ainslie Loop – 11.6 km, 500m elevation gain, Medium

This hike will take us to one of the iconic locations in Canberra – Mount Ainslie. We will get to have a great hike and get some great views of Canberra and the nearby hills and mountains. Expect to see plenty of wildlife.

Sunday 29 December

Tibinbilla Peak Loop – 14.8 km, 1000m elevation gain, Hard

This tough hike through the Tibinbilla Nature Reserve will take us through part of this nature reserve on the southern outskirts of Canberra. We will get to climb:

• Tibinbilla Mountain
• Tibinbilla Peak
• John’s Peak
• Camel’s Peak

Monday 30 December

Murrumbidgee Discovery Trail – 27 km, Hard

This hike will take us along the Murrumbidgee River to the west of Canberra.

Tuesday 31 December

Birrigai to Gibraltar Peak and Eliza Saddle – 14.6 km, 634m elevation gain, Medium

This hike will take us to a different part of the Tibinbilla Nature Reserve.

New Year’s Eve: Celebrate the new year watching fireworks at Lake Burley Griffin, or relaxing at our Tourist Park.

Wednesday 1 January

We check out of our accommodation and depart for the journey home.

Transport

Travel to Canberra:

Our Canberra accommodation is around 7 hours drive from Melbourne CBD (about the same time as the drive to Thredbo, where the club has been before).

Please indicate your transport requirements and preferences on the booking request form when you book in. If you don’t have a car, we can’t guarantee to provide you with a lift – this will depend on available drivers and their locations.

Other options are:

1)  Public Transport: Take the train from Southern Cross station to Albury-Wodonga, then coach to Canberra. Refer to the Journey Planner on the PTV Website.

2) Fly: Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin and Rex all provide flights between Melbourne and Canberra.

Travel to and from each day’s walk:

We will travel by car, or public transport/taxi, depending on the location of each day walk. If we don’t have enough cars, we may consider hiring cars if taxi will be too costly – if so, the cost will be shared amongst the group.

Car-Pooling Costs:

For car-pooling to/from Canberra and to/from each day’s walk, passengers must pay the driver their share of car-pooling costs as described on the Car-pooling page. Please discuss the preferred method of payment with your driver.

Booking

Booking is required for this trip. Please indicate what similar walks you have done recently (i.e. in the past few months) to give the leader confidence that you are capable of doing this one. Refer to Walking Grades which, in conjunction with the walk descriptions, will help you assess whether you have the required walking fitness and experience to do this trip.

The Leader will confirm your acceptance on the trip, or not, via email.  The leader will provide final details closer to the trip.

By booking into this event you acknowledge that you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct.

Trip Price:
Members:  $472 + Booking fee (nil) = $472.
Non-members: $472 + Booking fee ($12) = $484.

Payment:
Members and non-members are required to pre-pay the trip price for this event.
You can pay by Paypal. If you are not a Paypal member, you can use Paypal to pay by credit or debit card.

Cancellation:
If you need to cancel, please advise the leader as soon as possible, so that someone else has the opportunity.
We will only be able to provide a refund if we can find a replacement for you.

What to Bring

• All the equipment, clothing, food and water you will need for the walks and overnight stays (refer Trip details above).

• To help manage the Covid risk, the following may be useful: Hand Sanitiser, Face Mask(s), RAT test(s).

Refer to our Gear Checklist page for more details, or discuss with the leader.  If you are not properly equipped, the walk leader can decide not to let you participate on any of the walks.

Safety and Ambulance Insurance

We strongly recommend that you have Ambulance cover. If conditions are hazardous, the walk may be cancelled. If any doubts at all, check your emails the night before and the morning of the event. For more details refer to: Joining a walk and your safety

If you are Covid-19 positive, have any Covid-19 symptoms or are a contact of someone with Covid-19, please follow the instructions in the Coronavirus Victoria website.

Still have questions?

Check out What happens on a walk.

Check out Weekend and extended walks.

Contact the leader using the “Enquiry” button.

Follow us on

Facebook: @YHABushwalkingClubVictoria
Instagram: @YHABushwalkingClub.

Members who wish to submit photos for social media or Yeti should refer to Member Resources.