Vango Helium 200 - Equipment Review - Tent -

Equipment:
Vango Helium 200 2 man tent.

Intro:
The hybrid tunnel design, ease of pitching and watertight seams make the 2 man Helium 200 a welcome shelter at the end of a day on the hills. TBS® Pro and pre-bend poles offer exceptional stability, end vents allow for a through flow of air reducing condensation build up and its light weight and compact pack size make the Helium ideal for short trips without compromising comfort.
The main reasons for purchasing were for a very lightweight tent at a reasonable price.
At 1.3kg for $A329 on ebay this is about as good as you can get weightwise for the price.
I now have the flexibility of a spacious 1-2 man tent to go with the Exped Sirius 2-3 man tent.
                   
Features:

• All in one pitching
• TBS® Pro Tension Band System
• Protex® 5,000HH SPU ripstop nylon 20D
• NEW 40D breathable ripstop inner tent
• HD nylon groundsheet
• Force Ten FlexLite poles
• Flat pole sleeves
• NEW Dyneema guylines
• Pre-angled poles
• O shaped inner door
• Flysheet door can be opened as a vent
• Rain stop flysheet door
• Multiple reflective points
• NEW flysheet vents with mesh covering
• Part mesh inner door
• Lightweight stuffsac

Review:
Tested the Vango tent on the Freycinet Peninsular / Wineglass Bay / Bay of Fires hike.
Easy to carry, nice and small so easy to put virtually anywhere in the pack.
Need to practice some more on setting it up, couldnt get it as tight as I liked especially since it was likely to be wet overnight on the first night.
Overall was a little bit disappointed with it. I like a bit of space both inside and in the vestibule to protect your pack and other items that dont need to be inside. The Vango vestibule only just covered my 60L pack with boots and bottles.
I am 6ft tall and couldnt really sit up straight without my head touching the roof, there is no flat ceiling area inside, just a peak at chest level laying down and the roof slopes its way down at about a 60 degree angle to the feet where its about a foot tall in the middle apex.

Theres not much height to stick items at the feet end without them getting wet from any condensation off the ceiling overnight.

 I had condensation in the morning both in damp and dry conditions even though there seems to be plenty of ventilation. The sacrifice for extra few 100 grams of weight for the lack of that extra space probably isnt worth it.

Two Bays - Mornington Peninsular - VIC

Walk:  Two Bays Dromana to Cape Schank

Distance/Type: Hike 21km / One Way
Terrain/Rating:  Hilly and undulating countryside
Start Time:  11am
Start / Finish Location:  Arthurs Seat / Bushrangers Bay

Trip Detail Summary: 
This was just a surveillance walk/drive to get info on the track and any good overnight campsites along the way.  Start at Arthurs Seat Carpark, walk along various tracks and finish at Bushrangers Bay.

Trip Details:

Firstly had a look at the Arthurs Seat chairlift at the bottom of the hill. This chairlift has been shutdown for over a decade now after a few accidents due to lack of maintenance.  The chairlift VicParks are looking for a new operator to rebuild the .

Arthurs Seat chairlift.

The official start of the Two Bays walk is actually from Dromana beach and then head up Latrobe Parade to the corner of Latrobe Parade and Bunurong Track.  There's a small dirt carpark here which could take about 6 cars snuggly. 

Two Bays track start at Bunurong Track.

Walk across Bunurong Track, through the gate the path winds uphill for about 1.5km until you reach the Seawinds Gardens.  These gardens are accessible by car and a nice rest spot for this walk with picnic tables, water and toilets.

Seawind Gardens.

Continuing through Seawind Gardens the track heads slightly downhill with nice sweeping views of the bay.

At 3.5km into the walk we arrive at the junction with the Kings Falls circuit walk.  Not that you should need water yet, but there is a dam at this junction behind the mound on the East.

Seamist Drive dam.

The Kings Falls circuit walk takes a leisurely hour to do but would only recommend for a short day trip rather than as a side trip here. At the time of walking it was closed off due to storm damage with a few fallen trees across the track and damaging some of the boardwalks along the way. None of these made the track dangerous or unpassable but care is needed.

Kookaburra on the Kings Falls track.

The Kings Falls themselves had minimal water flowing and would only be of interest after some decent rainfall.

Kings Falls lookout.

Kings Falls.

Once the circuit is finished turn left back at the junction and head down Concept Spur track. Travelling down the track you get great views of McLaren Dam and the Rosebud Golf Course.
After 2km you pass the Bowls Club and McLaren Dam before reaching Waterall Gully Road.

Track at Waterfall Gully Road.

This next section is the "suburbia" part of the walk passing many houses. Turn right down Waterfall Gully Rd, turn left at Goolgowie St and head thru the reserve on the corner of Avalon Drive.

  

Goolgowie Reserve.

At the other end of the reserve you turn right and head down Yambil Ave. Turn left at the roundabout opposite the Peninsular Sands Estate and head down Duells Rd. At the T intersection turn right on Gardens Road and over the stile away from civilisation. The track is well signposted thru the streets.

Unfortunately the battery on my camera went flat from here on.

Yambil and Duells Rd roundabout intersection.

After about 1km of walking along the road reserve between farm land you cross over Browns Road and head on for another 1km before reaching the Greens Bush section of the walk.

Map:

http://www.visitmorningtonpeninsula.org/pdf/05_0289.pdf
 

I haven't check the track between Browns Rd and Boneo Rd but having a look around the Highfield/Long Point area you could camp near the Highfield buildings, Long Point next to Lightwood Creek or the unofficial/official halfway campsite, Lightwood Creek. The creek itself had a reasonable flow of clear water but as you are surrounded by farmlands if you had to drink it, I'd boil/treat it.  The Highfield buildings have toilet blocks but they may not be open. This looks like some sort of school camp setup so for most of the year it will be locked up and empty. You should be able to find yourself a water tap there. 

If you cut the walk slightly short, you could probably do this hike in a day with a daypack and a car shuffle to the Boneo Rd/Highfield car park.

If doing the full walk, the track continues across Boneo Rd and uses the track to Bushrangers Bay which takes about 30 mins. It then heads for 30 mins along the coast to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse.   There are toilets, water and a small kiosk here.

Badger Creek Weir - Healsville - VIC

Walk: Badger Creek Weir.

Distance/Type: 4km / Return  
Terrain/Rating:  Flat / Easy / No wheelchair access to weir.
Start Time:  11am
Start Location:  Badger Creek Picnic area.
Trip Detail Summary: 
Please note that in 2016 this area was completely devastated by a storm. All amenities were destroyed and as of 2018 trees were still down and virtually nothing has been done to clean it up.

Walk from Badger Creek Picnic area, crossing bridge and head up Lyrebird track along the creek before crossing back over the creek, heading up Coranderrk Track to the weir.  Head back to Picnic area completely along the main Coranderrk Track.
Trip Details:
Came across this little gem of a picnic ground and short walk park by accident.
Originally heading towards Marysville via the Maroondah Hwy I had to divert to Warburton due to the highway being closed just north of the Maroondah Reservoir.
Badger Creek is a little town about a 5 minute drive south east from Healseville along Don Rd.
The main attraction is the Weir which is reached by turning left up the Badger Creek Weir Rd.

Badger Creek Weir entrance

There are plenty of undercover seats and tables and bbqs scattered around the park and a reasonable toilet block.

Badger Creek Picnic area.

Having no real idea of the walks in the area I headed to the weir via what looked like the longer more scenic track to the left along the creek called Lyrebird Track.

Track across creek to Lyrebird Track.

With a huge amount of rainfall in the surrounding hillsides recently there was a huge flow of water in the creek.  I assume normally it would've been just a trickle with previous drought conditions.

Just after crossing the creek theres an intersection where Lyrebird Track heads off to the right. 

Lyrebird Track slightly flooded.

The track then follows the creek for about 10 minutes before crossing back over the creek and joining up with the main path called Coranderrk Trk.

Coranderrk Track.

After travelling a few more minutes down the Coranderrk Track theres a track on the left which leads down to the weir.

Badger Creek Weir bridge.

All in all a nice easy 40 min hike that you could take the family on.

Badger Creek Weir

Steavenson Falls - Marysville - VIC (Post Bushfire)

Walk:  VIC - Marysville - Steavenson Falls walk (Post Bushfire)

Distance/Type: 2.4km / Return

Terrain/Rating:  Short stroll along foot path / Low.

Start / Finish Time:  11am- 11:30am

Start / Finish Location:  Steavenson Falls Carpark.

Trip Summary:
The beautiful hamlet town of Marysville in the central highlands of Victoria was one of many towns devastated by the widespread bushfires on Saturday the 7th of February 2009, known as Black Saturday.
Having driven past the town a few times to go to various other bushwalks, today I decided to check out Marysville and how the main natural attraction, Steavenson Falls, is coming along. The day prior we had some record rainfalls so this would be as good a time as ever to see the falls at their capacity and take some pictures.
The devastation of the forests in the area is obvious well before entering the town with most trees affected, either being dead or showing signs of regrowth. The undergrowth is amazingly green with tree ferns and saplings in abundance due mainly to surprisingly good rainfall over the last 2 years. The state has been very lucky that the rainfall has arrived as we had been stuck in drought conditions for over a decade which led to the tinder dry bushfire prone conditions in the first place.
Having walked the area pre-bushfire I was amazed at how the views are so much more extended due to the lack of tree and bush foilage. Previously you wouldn't have been able to see much further than 100 metres in any direction, you would not see much of the river or the waterfall from the track until you were within 50m of them, but now the views were open all over the river valley and hillside.

Trip Details:
June 2010:
The falls are reached by driving along Falls Rd which runs east from the main street in Marysville. After driving about 1km you reach a gate with signs telling people not to enter.   Currently the last 2kms are under construction with works machinery onsite.

Falls Rd to Steavenson Falls

The road has nearly been completed to the carpark area with bitumen down and street lighting to be completed.

Open views of Steavenson River.

The walking track runs off the end of the road and looks like it is still a few months away from completion. There are trenches with electricity cabling and water pipes still uncovered. The plan for the walking track looks to be to have lighting all the way to the falls. Amazingly, with all the surrounding devastation, the original spotlight that was used to light the falls at night still stands and one assumes will be reconnected.

Lower track to the bottom of falls. The original spotlight still standing.

A new viewing platform with seats has been constructed on the original falls dam wall.
The new platform appears to be a major improvement on what was here originally.

New viewing platform.

There used to be a side track that you could take up to the top of the falls where there was a viewing platform as well. The start of the stairs to this side track is still there but had tape closing it off shortly further up.  In my brief short walk along it, it is well covered with undergrowth and with the huge trunks of trees and rubble lining the hill above Hard to know if this track will be re-opened. If so it will take quite a long time before its cleared enough to walk again.

Update 1: This walk was officially re-opened 2 weeks later on the 18th Sep 2010, with the road opened to the carpark, walking tracks sealed and a new toilet block constructed.

Update 2: Dec 2012. The track to the top of the falls and Bennisons Lookout are open.

Previous Marysville walk prior to the bushfires  here.