Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Hi folks - Has anyone any experience of riding in the Hattah Kulkyne National Park or the roads between Mildura and Mungo Lakes?

I am having a think about a tour in spring this year that loops from Swan Hill to Hattah Lakes - Mildura - Mungo - Banarald and back to Swan Hill...

Thinking some of the tracks in Hattah might be sandy and know nothing of the roads in and out of Mungo...Any thoughts welcomed

Cheers

The main track through the Hattah Kulkyne NP, mostly along the Murray, has a small length, odd sections for a couple of km, of softer stuff towards the southern end but is always rideable. 95% is great firm clay. Fantastic to camp right next to the river.

Two photos which I can't just upload:
http://www.cycletrailsaustralia.com/7b- ... ences-bend
http://www.cycletrailsaustralia.com/7b- ... sar-island

Mungo, no experience there and, well, I believe you have a real problem with water, ie, none.

Many of the Hattah access roads have recently been upgraded due to works on a new regulator to get water into the lakes system. So they are currently in reasonable nick. Sand is not uncommon but I don't have much grief with it on the local river tracks - keep the wheel pressure down and the weight to the back and you are usually good to go. A great place to go riding.

The Arumpo Road is not something I would normally consider riding. The first 18km from the turn off the Silver City Hwy is sealed and in good nick (the local roadies use it all the time). Past there, it is all unsealed - almost 90km. It is a local legend for its often surprising changes in conditions from quite fine to quite scary for the average automobile - there are sandy sections on the higher red ground (the timbered ground on Google Maps between the wheat paddocks in the west and the dry lake beds (starting with Lake Arumpo) in the west). The road is quite busy during the Spring and Autumn. Water is non existent - there's not much drinking water available at the NP either. Most of the properties along the way have no-one living on them. The only possible services between Buronga and Mungo Lodge is Turlee Station Farmstay which is about 8km off the Arumpo on the road to Balranald - however, this station is currently on the market and there's no assurances that any new owner will continue the farmstay. Mungo Lodge isn't always open either...

Another option is to take the tar up from Burongo via the Fletchers Lake and the Pooncarie Roads and come down via the unsealed Top Hut Rd - it's longer (160km ) and equally remote but 100km of it is sealed. Mind you there's a good bit of red sand on that road but I've always found it hard packed in the 2wd car...

Once you get into the park though...the tourist loops are mostly 4x4 only and there's a bit of soft sand. Plus the tourist loop is not a short one and there's not a scratch of service on it either...

Thanks to you both for your advice here...looks like quite a bit of local knowledge would suggest that the Mungo leg is a fair old slog...might need to re think the route.

silentbutdeadly you're from this region/area from the sounds of it. Do you (or anyone else for that) have other suggestions of where to head to after Hattah? I would like to avoid the main connecting highways and get into a bit of Mallee country

GJ did you ride much through Calperum Station and Chowilla - I did some vegetation surveys there 15 years ago and found it a really interesting place.

Thanks again for your advice re Mungo NP...

From Hattah...you can ride along the River pretty much all the way to Mildura...there's an almost continuous strand of informal trail from Robinvale right through to Mildura. You will have to follow you nose in some places and there will be times when the sand might get a bit much but they 'should' be few and far between. Google Maps will be your friend in planning as some of the images have been updated. Even more useful may be http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/about-dse/interactive-maps" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and pick the Forest Explorer map. Once in go to the base layers and select transport, enhanced detail...

On the other side...you can start on the main road to Balranald but then turn off south down the Tapalin Mail Road and into the mad network of roads and tracks but again...beware the lack of services down that way. You'll pop out at Euston eventually!! Same story after that towards Swan Hill though the Murrumbidgee will get in the way