Camping In The Victorian Wilderness With A View Of The Stars

Make Plans For A Night-Sky Getaway In Victoria

The finest camping with star views in the Victorian wilderness will be found where light pollution is at a minimum and you are far enough from town for the night to put on a good show; look for open horizons. You will find your own take on it in such parks as Wyperfeld, Alpine or Murray-Sunset, the Grampians, Lerderderg, Hepburn and Kooyoora State Parks. Some provide high-country vantage points of the Milky Way, others the chance for some mallee bush camping out in the remote.

I am Isabella Marlowe. One learns in Victoria that a decent bit of stargazing does not call for the most elaborate of telescopes. More important is a clear night and an eye on the Moon phase, being there before dark and exploring stars in the Grampians, and having the sense to know a mozzie can put an end to what was a very noble plan for astronomy in thirty seconds flat.

Top Wilderness Areas In Victoria

There is a good selection of open-country campgrounds, forested reserves and national parks here. But the best of them will have a dark horizon, be a lawful spot to put up a tent and allow you to make your way back if the weather gets rough as guts.

What you pick is a matter of experience, how self-reliant you want to be and what vehicle you have. An old hand with a 4WD, fuel and recovery gear will be after something quite different from a family in a 2WD.

Area	Night-sky appeal	Access and facilities	Best suited to
Wyperfeld National Park	Very little in the way of artificial light, open mallee horizons	Designated campsites; see to it you check road conditions and facilities	Remote bush trips, the experienced camper
Alpine National Park	Ridgelines, high-country skies and winter air to crisp you up	Seasonal access; some routes need a bit of thought as to vehicle	Those who do not mind the weather and are well prepared
Murray-Sunset National Park	Dark skies over desert country	You are on your own for supplies; confirm access prior to going	4WD visitors and the self-reliant type
Grampians	From sunset to stars with rocky horizons and forest clearings	Walking access and popular campgrounds (closures apply)	Mixed-ability and first-time stargazers
Lerderderg State Park	Darker pockets but within reach of Melbourne	Rain can alter track and campsite conditions	Confident planners for a day-trip or short break
Kooyoora State Park	Open to view with a strong link to astronomy	Camp Kooyoora and other facilities; have your booking in order	Astronomy buffs, families and novices

Finding A Suitable Base

Kooyoora State Park and Camp Kooyoora are sensible options for a no-fuss introduction given their association with astronomy and the more by-the-book nature of the camping. Then there is the Grampians which is fine for a day of walks and using the campground amenities before turning to the stars post-dinner.

If you want unadulterated dark skies, you will not do better than Wyperfeld or Murray-Sunset, though they are less forgiving. Roads can be sandy or corrugated, phone reception is not to be counted on and misjudging your water or fuel can become the story of the trip.

Open Horizons At Wyperfeld

This is for the camper who prefers a wide and quiet landscape to a holiday park done up nice and tidy. The mallee country has broad sightlines and low light so you can see the sky go from a warm dusk to a thick scattering of stars. It makes for excellent tent camping in the wilderness as the horizon is seldom broken. The rub is that preparation is called for when you are remote; “we’ll be alright” is not a logistics plan.

Get There While There Is Light

Allow yourself time to find the site, put the tent on level ground and see where the water and fire arrangements are before it is dark. From Melbourne it is a regional drive of some substance, not something to be done in a hurry after work, so be liberal with your time for stops and the odd slow road.

Before you set off, consult a Parks Victoria map and see what the roads are like. A standard 2WD may not be up to some of the tracks after a rain. Take your offline navigation and a paper copy as well, food for an extra night and more drinking water than you think you will need.

Cold Air And The Alpine

In the Alpine National Park the stargazing is darker and more dramatic of a kind, provided the air is clear. You can have some fine views of the Milky Way from a high-country camp but the temperature has a way of dropping after the sun is down. Do not be tempted to improvise in the mountains, it is not a place for beginners. One must be prepared for the fact that weather has a way of turning on a moment’s notice and that in the colder months snow or ice can put an end to access. Tracks are not always kind. So make sure your pack is suited to the night ahead rather than the pleasant afternoon you have had.

Expect Weather To Win

I have a simple enough rule when it comes to alpine excursions: any doubt in the forecast and I will make ready for the coldest outcome one can reasonably anticipate. There is more value in a good sleeping bag, dry layers, insulated clothing, a dependable light and solid boots than there is in a sizeable telescope.

Do not set off without seeing if local warnings are in force or if there are seasonal road and camping closures. The Parks Victoria website is where to go for up to date information on the state’s national parks and reserves.

Desert Dark-Sky Alternatives

With some forethought the traveller in Victoria can make it to Murray-Sunset National Park, a suitably remote option for dark sky sites. There is little in the way of development across its wide landscapes so artificial light is at a minimum and you have all the space you need to see the Milky Way come up over the horizon.

For a shorter jaunt from Melbourne, Lerderderg State Park and Hepburn Regional Park are more readily available. They might not be as dark as you would find in far-western Victoria but on a clear night, well away from the town centres, the stargazing is every bit as good.

Know The Trade-Offs

Camping out in the wilderness of Victoria with a view of the stars has its appeal and it is free, but do not assume that makes it unmanaged or legal. Camp only where you are allowed to and abide by local conditions. And while you may find basic toilets, do not count on having shops, showers, mobile reception or water you can drink; facilities are few and far between in remote country.

If the object of the trip is astronomy then Kooyoora State Park is something to think about. You will have a better night-sky experience here than at some roadside pull over, but confirm what is on offer and make your bookings before you go.

Pick A Campsite For Stars

Forget the site that looks best in the day. When it comes to stargazing you want an open view and a safe spot to put in a sit down, one that is removed from trees and cliffs so as not to block the sky and with little lighting in the vicinity.

Then there is the Moon. In about 29.5 days it runs its course and during the new-moon phase the skies will be darker for making out fainter stars and the detail of the Milky Way. A bright Moon is fine but it has a way of washing out the dimmer ones.

Expectation Versus Reality

You may be expecting to put in the tent and have the perfect arch of the Milky Way on display. What actually happens is you have to step back from the camp lights and let your eyes take twenty minutes or so to acclimatising to the dark.

People tend to leave their lights on. Do not be that person. Put a torch to the ground, use a dim red light and do not direct a beam at the neighbouring campers. It is no fun for anyone to have a headlamp shone in their retinas.

Pack For Night-Sky Camping

Stargazing involves a lot of sitting and after a few hours outdoors the smallest oversight in your packing will show. A chair you can get comfortable in, a dry jumper and a warm mat are worth more than some specialist gadgetry.

Keep things simple so they can be handled in the dark. Binoculars and a star map, or even a phone with the relevant information downloaded, will serve a novice better than a telescope.

• Warm sleeping bag and mat, beanie and layers.
• A red-light torch with spares and offline navigation.
• Water, provisions, a first-aid kit and bags for rubbish.
• Sunscreen, insect repellent and the right footwear and clothing for the weather.
• And a telescope or binoculars if you can be sure of their safe transport.

Keep Light Under Control

Your white lights will impair the vision of those around you as well as your own. Shield your lanterns and put them out once you have finished cooking. Should you be taking pictures of the sky, do not do it right next to another tent.

And while a power bank is handy, it is not a replacement for a paper map, a sensible plan and a torch with a charge. Do not put your safety in the hands of a phone battery.

Choose The Best Season

Autumn is a good compromise of sorts, cooler in the evening and less of the heat. Winter in the higher or inland parts will give you transparency and crisp air but the short days and frost require you to be more prepared.

In spring the temperatures for camping are agreeable though you could be met with rain and mud on the tracks. Summer has its long evenings but also the heat and the risk of bushfire and total fire bans which can close a park. Check the warnings before you leave.

The Moon, The Forecast and a Good Match

To have the darkest of skies you will want to put in some planning for a time when the Moon is new or not there at all and go with the clearest forecast on offer. Do not think an absence of the Moon is enough; visibility can be put in its place by wind, smoke, haze or clouds.

One night only? Then make for a legal campsite where access is simple and do not be lured into the most out of the way spot. A clear sky in the Grampians, at Lerderderg or near Kooyoora is worth more than a hasty drive to some distant park that is under cloud.

Matters of Access and Safety

Enthusiasm and a tent are not sufficient for Victoria wilderness camping. You need to know if a permit or booking is in order, what the fire rules are and if the road is within your vehicle’s capabilities. Rain or a storm, maintenance work or even a fire event will alter conditions.

It is no place to find your spare tyre is for show, so in remote country take the necessary precautions: tell a person of your route and when you will be back and have an alternate way out. Put away food from wildlife, have fuel and water in reserve for any hold up and see to it that you leave with your rubbish.

1. Before you set off have a look at Parks Victoria for any alerts or restrictions on fires and bookings.
2. Be sure of 2WD or 4WD access to the particular road and not merely the park.
3. Put maps and forecasts on your device as mobile reception has a habit of vanishing.
4. Get to the campsite in daylight and put in no time driving unknown tracks once it is dark.
5. Make certain you have emergency supplies and an itinerary left with someone you can trust.

For Whom Is This

A traveller of the self-reliant sort will appreciate these trips for their basic facilities and the quiet they afford. They have a special appeal for the amateur astronomer or photographer, for couples and families with older children, or anyone inclined to listen to the mallee rather than a karaoke machine in close proximity.

Those who must have hot showers, powered sites, shops at hand and phone coverage will be better served elsewhere. And beginners would do well to try a one-nighter at a managed campground before venturing into the bush.

Five Questions One Might Ask

When making plans at a sunny kitchen table it is easy to miss the practical side of a stargazing trip. We have put together some answers to address the usual concerns, such as the necessity of a telescope or the meaning of “ghost camping”.

Best Spots In Victoria For Stargazing?

You will find them in Wyperfeld, Alpine and Murray-Sunset National Parks, at Kooyoora State Park and in parts of the Grampians. It comes down to a question of safety, access, darkness and how much you value a good campground over a remote one.

Where To Camp In Victoria?

The Grampians are hard to beat for accessible camping, walking and the landscape. For darker skies and open horizons there is Wyperfeld and Murray-Sunset; the high-country of the Alpine National Park is for the well-prepared.

Ghost Camping?

Some use the term to mean camping without a setup or outside of a proper campground but it is not applied consistently. Do not read into it as carte blanche to put up camp anywhere. Stick to the official rules and designated sites and stay clear of unauthorised roadside or sensitive areas.

Is There A Best Month?

Not really. The calendar is less of a guide than the phase of the Moon, the weather or smoke. You may get darker, clearer nights in winter and autumn whereas spring and summer are more agreeable but present other issues with access and fire safety.

Telescope Required?

Hardly. In the right conditions your own eyes will do for the Milky Way and the major constellations. Binoculars are a good start but a telescope means more weight and something to shield from dew and knocks as well as the time to put it up.

Make Of The Night What You Can

Realistic planning and a dark site are the ingredients for fine star viewing in the Victorian wilderness. Pick a park you can get to, be mindful of closures and let the sky have its way.

On a first outing it is best to be somewhere you can handle and be there before the sun goes down. Let the evening take its course. There is a pleasure in that whether you are in the Grampians or elsewhere in Victoria; the dinner cools, the dog has had his fun and the sky has a way of quietly taking over.