Bogong High Plains

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Typical winter scene in the Bogong High Plains

The Bogong High Plains are a mountain range in the northeast of the Australian state of Victoria. They are in the Alpine National Park south of Mount Bogong. The area is part of the Great Dividing Range and is one of the largest in winter snow-covered areas in the country. From the ski areas on Mount Hotham and Falls Creek is easily accessible. The Bogong High Plains are very popular with climbers in summer and in winter ski tourists.

In the winter months there can operate all types of cross country skiing and ski tours. The Australian Alps Walking Track is used for summer hiking and in winter for cross-country skiing. Mountain biking and cross-country hiking are there the usual summer sports.

• 3.1 vegetation

History

The area was first explored vonHirten, the pastures, mainly for calves examined. The first major development program was the dam project on the Kiewa River. In the 1940s began with the construction work necessary for this purpose. There emerged two reservoirs, the Pretty Valley Pondage and the Rocky Valley Reservoir. There were also a series of aqueducts, lead the creeks in the catchment of the Kiewa River. The McKay Creek and West Kiewa Power Stations supply most electrical energy. After the end of the hydroelectric project flourished tourism, especially the ski tourism in winter,.

Scientific research

Systematic ecological investigations began in 1947. Miss Maisie Fawcett (later Mrs SGM Carr) put on not grazed areas to explore the influence of pasture on the development of the alpine and sub-alpine vegetation. These areas have since been observed consistently and delivered the longest range of environmental data of all similar projects in Australia. A little later they banned the Pasture at altitudes above 1,500 m. Finally, the Victorian government forbade 2005 Pasture in the entire area, partly based on the results of this experiment.

It continues to provide the Bogong High Plains an important area for scientific research dar. In summer, many researchers are conducting studies in the area by, for example, in the fields of hydrology, the change in the vegetation, the fire sensitivity of the entry of weeds, the occurrence of native animals (eg Bergbilchbeutler ) and imported animals. There are in the field and a component of the International Tundra Experiment ( ITEX ), which aims to demonstrate aspects of global climate change. It tries to predict the future impact of higher temperatures.

Forest fires

Because of the large natural forest areas, the area is very forest fire risk. The large forest fires in 2003 have already destroyed a large part of the forest. Many well-known mountain huts were destroyed. Also in the fire season 2006/2007 the area was hit again, but due to favorable weather conditions kept the damage within narrow limits.

Mountain cabins

Mountain huts provide accommodation for ski tourists in winter and hiking in summer. In the Bogong High Plains, there are ten cottages, each equipped differently from them and intended for other purposes. At first they were of European pastoralists who migrated in the 1830s to New South Wales. Today they are no longer used by the pastoralists, but operated by the Ski Club. Some of them are not used regularly and maintained.

The Wallace Hut is the oldest in the Bogong High Plains. It was built in 1889 and, like most houses, since enlarged several times. She has no modern facilities and is not used to stay. Their size is 4.5 m x 3.7 m.

The Bogong Rover Chalet was the first lodge accommodation in the area and still set against the expansion of winter sports areas in Australia. It was built in 1938 by the Rangers and Rovers of Victoria. She has provided the best facilities of all the huts outside of resort areas in Australia and is designed to accommodate 35 persons with all comfort. Since their construction, it was renewed and expanded. It uses solar energy, gas and wood heating and has its own electrical generators. It is equipped with a complete kitchen and showers. In winter it is 13 weeks long for the Rangers and Rovers and the ' Venturer Scouts '' available.

The Cope Hut was built in 1929 by Ski Club of Victoria.

The Fitzgerald Hut was one of the older cabins. In 1991 it burned down after use by a school class and was built in 1993.

The Roper - hut burned down in a forest fire in 2003 and was rebuilt in 2008.

The Wilkinson Lodge - called Wilky - was built by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria before the construction of the dam project Kiewa River as a shelter for hydrological measurements. The cottage was later sold to a ski club, but without the land on which it was built. In 1962, she earned members of the Melbourne Bush Walkers and gave them their club. She was entertained by the club and served in winter as a starting point for ski tours. Throughout the year, it was used extensively by other groups for scientific study or leisure activities. The forest fires of 2003, she survived, but burned a year later, in January 2004, as a result of an accident in the kitchen from when they had just hired non-members. What remains is only a wooden crate. The National Parks Service, which manages the country has not given permission to rebuild.

The Batty Hut fell in 2006 a forest fire victim.

The Cleve Cole Hut at Mount Bogong was built in 1938 to commemorate Cleve Cole, who was killed in a ski tour on Mount Bogong. Actually, the Mount Bogong not one of the Bogong High Plains. Also on Mount Bogong are the Michell Hut on Eskdale ridge, which was rebuilt in 2003 after a forest fire again, and the Bivouac Hut on the Staircase ridge.

Other cabins are the Tawonga Huts, the Young's hut, the Ryder huts, Cope Saddle Hut, the Pretty Valley Hut, the Edmondson Hut, Johnston Hut, the Buckety Plains hut that Faithful lodge and the Langford Gap cabin.

Ecology

Vegetation

The Bogong High Plains contain a mixture of different vegetation types. About half of the area is covered with heath land that some of the steeper and wind sheltered locations covered. The soil is generally thin and contains many stones. About a quarter of the area is grassland, the more likely to exposed sites and gentle slopes occurs because it resists wind and frost more. The most fertile soil is found in the wetlands, which cover about 10 % of the Bogong High Plains. As wetland locations are defined, in which a year is found at least one month waterlogging. Waterlogging usually results in soils with high organic content, resulting from the disintegration of plant material. The mineral content of these soils is rather low. Snow patch herbs surfaces can be found in places where snow remains remain are the most of the summer. They are very rare in the Bogong High Plains.

Summit

Mount Bogong, the highest mountain in Victoria, located north then to the Bogong High Plains and is separated from them by the valley of the Big River. Mount Feathertop is the prominent peak in the western Bogong High Plains. Because of its proximity to Mount Hotham he is a popular destination for hiking, but can also be reached from Harrietville from.