BushwalkBushwalkText and photos Ryan Cho
Sunset Remote Walking Track
As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to hiking, the more pristine the environment, the better. Add the word “remote” to the name and voila – you have my full attention. The prospect of hiking in the Australian outback has always fascinated me. When people think of hikes in the outback, the first name that often springs to mind is the Larapinta Trail. While I haven’t had the pleasure of completing this world-class hike, I’m sure it will be a cracker when I eventually get to it. In the meantime, I’ve taken on more achievable weekend jaunts that suit my busy schedule, yet still offer a taste of the “soft outback”.
Roger chugging along at the end of a 45 kilometre day
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Rise and shine at Lake Hardy
To my knowledge, there are two recognised overnight “desert” hikes in Victoria – the 74 kilometre Little Desert Discovery Walk (Little Desert walk) and the 66 kilometre (or 57 kilometres according to AllTrails) Sunset Remote Walking Track (Sunset walk). Both trails are relatively unheard of and certainly receive much less attention when compared to the usual suspects like the Great Ocean Walk and the Grampians Peaks Trail. I solo hiked the Little Desert walk – around 90 kilometres in two days (including road walking from and to Dimboola) in late November 2021, after a relatively long hiatus from hiking, or any other form of cardio. I had initially planned on hiking the Sunset walk as it looked more interesting to me, but settled for the Little Desert walk as I did not have a car and it was much easier to access. A combination of a lack of fitness, poor food/gear choices and the heat made the Little Desert walk more challenging than expected, and the result was a four kilogram post-hike weight loss (weight taken after a full plate of dumplings and a few litres of water!). Truth be told, I found the scenery to be quite repetitive and uninspiring for large parts of the journey, and so needless to say, I wasn’t in a rush to do more desert hiking any time soon.
By July 2022, having checked more overnight hikes off my list, I was once again seeking another novel adventure. The plan was to do my first snow hike – a winter ascent of Mount Feathertop, but I was forced to postpone the trip due to inclement weather. I completed it weeks later, in what is probably my favourite hike of the year so far. As I went down the list of overnight hikes on AllTrails, I realised that the Sunset walk was calling out to me once again. At last, I had recovered from the trauma of Little Desert, and I was ready for another round!
I was joined by three mates for the Sunset walk – Nat, Jack and Roger. We left Melbourne on a Friday evening and made the six hour drive to Murray-Sunset National Park, setting up camp at around midnight. We got our first glimpses of the surrounding landscape the following morning – flat and almost featureless terrain as far as the eye can see. It’s easy to see why they call this a place for stunning sunrises and sunsets. Chances are you will see one even if you weren’t trying to find it, regardless of where you are in the park.
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Day 1: Lake Hardy to Mount Jess Camp, 45 kmWe enjoyed a leisurely breakfast as we watched the sunrise from Lake Hardy, the smallest and pinkest lake in the park. We had planned on covering the Pink Lakes area through short day walks, driving in between each walk but were left with no choice other than to walk the entire way due to a car malfunction. As we walked along the shore of Lake Hardy, we were able to better appreciate the pastel pink colour of the lake up close. A walking track takes you around the lake but it didn’t look too dissimilar from the start of the trail, and having found ourselves behind schedule after a late start, we decided to keep going. Next up was Lake Crosbie and Lake Kenyon. It was mesmerising just to observe the gentle waves along the shore, and the pink salt crystals glistening in the sun. “It’s like Himalayan pink salt,” said Roger.
While poking around at some of the decaying relics nearby, something caught our attention. “That looks like a tiny watermelon. Surely bring it along for later!” said someone. We completed the day walks shortly after, and walked on to Lake Becking, where the Sunset walk officially begins.
When we stopped for our next break, Nat decided to whip out the watermelon so we could have a taste. He sliced it in half and opened it up to reveal its pale green interior. “Surprise – it’s not a watermelon! Or maybe it’s just not ripe,” Nat exclaimed. He took a bite out of it. A look of disgust flashed across his face as he spat it out almost immediately. “Why did I even carry this?” he sighed. Naturally, we all came over for a taste. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had but it did taste extremely bitter and unlike anything I’ve had. Thankfully, it wasn’t difficult to wash down the horrible aftertaste with some chocolate. On further reading, I learned that said fruit is commonly referred to as “paddy melon”. From what I could gather however, this is a misnomer, and more accurately refers to a toxic variant that is smaller – around the size of a golf ball. The one we found was apparently a different wild (and harmless) variant of the watermelon that is common in these parts.
Paddy melon
"
A look of disgust flashed across his face as he spat it out almost immediately.
Pink salt crystals
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Bushwalk.com notes and maps on webpage, GPX and PDF
This map is © Bushwalk.com and is created using data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sunset Remote Walking Track
0 km 1 2 3 4 km
Start of the walk
Drinking water
Campsite
Toilet
Parking
Lookout
Pink Lake Salt Museum
Road, four-wheel drive track, walking track (treed)
Main track, side trip, alternate route
Cliff, major contour line, minor contour line (20 metre interval)
Lake, river, waterfall or creek
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We had planned on hiking around 45 kilometres that day, so we still had some ways to go. Most of the hike is on sand so it was a slog at times, especially after each short spell of rain. As we approached sunset, the team was starting to tire from a long day of hiking, but we tried to keep our spirits up through conversation and Nat’s eclectic selection of music.
There were sections where we hiked through vast plains. As I watched the sun setting behind the trees in the distance, I wondered if this remotely resembled the savannas of Africa. Perhaps not. Nevertheless, it’s still unique country, beautiful in its own way.
It was 10 pm by the time we reached Mount Jess Camp, which meant we had spent 14 hours on the trail. There were a few groups camping there that night, which was unexpected given that we had only seen one other party up to this point. It rained throughout the entire night, but I managed to stay dry, and slept comfortably under my trusty poncho tarp.
Day 2: Mount Jess Camp to Lake Hardy, 23 kmWe were treated to more beautiful skies the following morning. Another 25 kilometres or so to go. The scenery and experience on Sunday was quite similar to that of Saturday. Before we knew it, we arrived back at our car shortly after lunchtime, having hiked 68 kilometres (inclusive of walking around the Pink Lakes area from Lake Hardy to Lake Becking) in 1.5 days.
All in all, the Sunset walk is very well maintained. It is extremely well signed and it would be very difficult for one to get lost. The facilities were fantastic; from what I could tell from the logbooks, water tanks are filled, and toilets kept spick-and-span by park rangers every five days or so. It is advisable to hike this track in the cooler months and contact the local park ranger regarding water availability prior to commencing your hike. Temperatures in July 2022 were 15-20 °C during the day and just over 10 °C overnight. Due to the mild conditions, we didn’t need to carry more than two litres of water per person at any time.
Morning skies at Mount Jess Camp
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This hike is not for everyone. There are no grandstand views, the scenery may seem repetitive, and it can feel like things are dragging on if you are not used to how time passes on a longer hike. These are probably reasons as to why the Sunset walk is not talked about more in many hiking circles. That being said, I’d say that it is a worthwhile experience if you are someone who:
loves hiking for reasons beyond the amazing scenery;
has already done many of the other classic hikes around Victoria or Australia; and
is looking for something a bit different.
I certainly fall into this category and I had a good time.
I was able to enjoy this hike far more than the Little Desert walk, and I reckon it’s not just because I’m now fitter and more experienced, but also because I found the Sunset walk to be a more varied and unique walk. Desert heathland would transition, sometimes suddenly to lush, green fields or forests, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself hiking through desolate landscapes, seemingly devoid of life.
Bonus tip – don’t miss Lake Tyrrell if you are in the area. We did some astrophotography there after our hike, and witnessed an amazing moonrise and sunrise over the reflective lake. More photos and videos can be found on my Instagram page @rc_hikes, where I post most of my hiking content. Happy trails!
The squad: Roger, Jack and Nat
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