Bogong High Plains
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The Bogong High Plains are situated in the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria, just south of Mount Bogong. This area forms part of Australia's Great Dividing Range and in winter is one of the largest snow covered areas in the country. It can be easily accessed from the ski resorts of Mount Hotham and Falls Creek. The area is very popular for both summer and winter time activities.
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[edit] Activities
The area is popular for ski touring and all types of cross-country skiing through winter months. A trail called Australian Alps Walking Track is popular for hiking in summer and cross-country skiing in winter. Mountain biking is also very popular in summer.[1]
Local towns and villages provide the best possibility for exploring the areas. Two ski resorts, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek are within this area and are open for both summer and winter activities. Towns like Mount Beauty and Harrietville are also very popular.
[edit] Huts
Alpine huts in the area provide accommodation for people out in the winter ski touring and those interested in hiking or other activities in the summertime. There would be tens of huts just in this area each different and equipped for different purposes. They were first built by European pastoralists moving in from NSW in the 1830's but are no longer used by pastoralists. Many are run by ski clubs but some are not regularly used or maintained at all. Here are just two examples:
Wallace's Hut is the oldest on the high plains the first part being built in 1889 but like most of the huts has been extended since. It has no modern facilities and so is not used for accommodation. It is only 4.5m by 3.7m.[2]
Bogong Rover Chalet was the first lodge developed in the area well before the creation of the ski resorts in Australia. It was started in 1938 by Rover Scouts from Victoria. It is now the best facilitated hut or lodge out of a resort in Australia with full comforts and amenities for 35 people. It has been expanded since the first building and also refurbished. It utilises solar power, gas, wood heating and runs its own electricity generators. It has a full kitchen, showers and runs 12 winter weeks for Rovers and Venturer Scouts.[3]
[edit] History
See Alpine National Park
The area was first settled and explored by graziers seeking pastoral land mainly for cattle. The biggest early development for the area was the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme in the 1940s. Since initial commercial schemes for use of the area, it has now become much more based around tourism.
[edit] Scientific Research
The Bogong High Plains has an important place in scientific research. It was here, in 1947, that Miss Maisie Fawcett [later Mrs S.G.M. Carr] set up two grazing exclosures to directly investigate the impacts of cattle grazing on Australian alpine and sub-alpine vegetation. These original plots have been monitored ever since, and represent the longest continuous series of ecological data of any site in Australia. Grazing was finally excluded from the area by the Victorian government in 2005, in part because of the compelling evidenced provided by this particular experiment.
In summer, large numbers of scientists conduct research in the area, including studies of hydrology, vegetation change, fire response, weed invasions, occurrence of native animals (Mountain Pygmy Possum, Alpine Skink) and introduced species (such as hares). The area is also home to a component of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), which investigates aspects of global climate change.
[edit] Bushfires
This area is prone to bushfires because of the large amount of native forest. The 2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires devastated much of the areas of forest. Many well-known huts were also destroyed. More recently the area was again threatened during the 2006-07 Australian bushfire season but due to good luck regarding the weather damage appears to be minimal in comparison.
[edit] Area Peaks
[edit] References
- ^ Parks Victoria Alpine National Park, Accessed 21/1/7
- ^ Kosciusko Huts Association Wallace's Hut, Accessed 21/1/07
- ^ Bogong Rover Chalet Accessed 21/1/07
