Mt Baw Baw in summer

The Baw Baw Plateau is a special place on our doorstep. The 80 km² plateau is separate from the rest of Victoria’s high country and juts south-east toward the Latrobe Valley. The environment consists of montane forest, rainforest gullies, snow gum woodlands and grassy high plains.

Much of the plateau is contained within the Baw Baw National Park.  The park was gazetted in 1979 but the history of the area goes back much further. Aboriginal presence is thought to be principally in summer for gathering the Bogong Moth, a food prized for its high fat content. The earliest ‘white’ evidence is a map submitted to Governor Latrobe by Charles Tyers in 1844.  Baron von Mueller first visited the area in 1860. 

Mts Whitelaw, St Phillack, St Gwinear, Baw Baw, Tyers, Kernot and Erica are all situated on the plateau. Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort is an unincorporated area under direct administration by Alpine Resorts Victoria of the Victorian State Government. At an elevation of 1567m, Mt Baw Baw is not within the top 50 highest peaks of Victoria.

The climate of the Baw Baw Plateau is sub-alpine. Soils are shallow granites, average rainfall is about 1900mm and snow can cover the ground from July to September. Mt Baw Baw is one of the wettest places on mainland Australia.

The ‘Friends’ spent a few hours at the Baw Baw Village and summit recently and took home some great memories. (Click on images for a larger view or open in a new tab/window)

Alpine Daisy-bush is a woody, low shrub that is found in swampy tracts in the alpine regions. Although not listed as threatened in Victoria, its distribution is thinly spread but it can be locally abundant.

Alpine Trachymene is an endangered (F&FGA Victoria) ground-hugging herb found in damp regions above the snowline. It is also found in the high country areas of Tasmania and NSW.

The Australian Pipit is a widely distributed grassland bird. It can be found from the coast to the alps. Most of the lowland pipits are sedentary but the alpine ones are probably altitudinal migrants.

Flame Robins breed in the summer in the higher country. During winter, they mostly descend to the ‘warmer’ lower zones. On Baw Baw, Flame Robins often live up to their scientific name petroica which means rock-dweller – they are regularly seen on top of mossy rocks.

Macleay’s Swallowtail is the most southern of the graphium butterflies, even reaching parts of Tasmania. Mostly they fly high, but on Mt Baw Baw in early summer, they can be found feeding on lower vegetation. They offer a bit of a challenge to the photographer as they dart quickly between flowers and feed with quivering wings. 

The Mauve Leek-orchid is quite common in scattered locations on exposed slopes of the plateau. It flowers mostly throughout early summer. The species can have small variations between different populations.

There are six species of small, brown Xenica butterflies found in the higher country – and sometimes lower down. The Silver Xenica is a widespread and variable species mainly found between elevations of 700 to 1500 metres.

The amazing Trigger Plant gets its name from its unique means of pollination. When an insect lands on the flower in search of some nectar, a club-shaped ‘trigger’ with a pollen packet on the end, springs explosively up from under the petals and strikes the insect. The pollen deposited on the insect is used to help pollinate the next flower it visits. A white form of Trigger Plant is far less common.

The snowfields of the Baw Baw Plateau are a popular winter playground for skiing enthusiasts. In summer they are an amateur naturalist’s delight.