Mt Arapiles is located about 7km west of Natimuk, a small Wimmera town (pop. 500) which is itself 22km west of Horsham, a major western Victorian city, located on the Western Highway about 300km from Melbourne and about 400km from Adelaide.
Three campgrounds in close proximity to each other and suited mainly for tents, are located in the government run State Park. Camping fees apply and are amongst the lowest in the country. Toilets are provided along with a small facility for washing dishes. Camping is prohibited in the remainder of the park.
December to February can be very hot with temperatures sometimes up around the high 30s. Climbing early and late in the day or choosing shady gullies and walls lessens the effects. However, equally true is that often the days are just warm and pleasant.
Rainfall is far less than, say Melbourne, so generally the weather is fine but even in summer a storm can bring an inch of rain (25mm) or so. By far, March to May and September to November are the best months, though even through winter the area has some campers there, and more on weekends, when it is more likely to have better weather than cliffs around Melbourne or the Grampians, generally speaking.
Note: In Victoria when the temperature gets very high, such as into the 40s and often when coupled with other conditions such as strong wind, then total fire bans are often enforced. This is to ensure that the risk of a catastrophic bush fire is minimized. This means that often over summer, perhaps on several different days all fires, stoves and things like matches are banned. So you have to go to Natimuk or Horsham to eat hot food. Lighting any kind of stove or even matches can cause you to get hefty fines or jail. A fire-ban day is indicated by a prominent sign put up near the park entrance. Read this note again, it means you are not allowed to even put a Primus stove on to make coffee!
Three campgrounds in close proximity to each other and suited mainly for tents, are located in the government run State Park. Camping fees apply and are amongst the lowest in the country. Toilets are provided along with a small facility for washing dishes. Camping is prohibited in the remainder of the park.
December to February can be very hot with temperatures sometimes up around the high 30s. Climbing early and late in the day or choosing shady gullies and walls lessens the effects. However, equally true is that often the days are just warm and pleasant.
Rainfall is far less than, say Melbourne, so generally the weather is fine but even in summer a storm can bring an inch of rain (25mm) or so. By far, March to May and September to November are the best months, though even through winter the area has some campers there, and more on weekends, when it is more likely to have better weather than cliffs around Melbourne or the Grampians, generally speaking.
Note: In Victoria when the temperature gets very high, such as into the 40s and often when coupled with other conditions such as strong wind, then total fire bans are often enforced. This is to ensure that the risk of a catastrophic bush fire is minimized. This means that often over summer, perhaps on several different days all fires, stoves and things like matches are banned. So you have to go to Natimuk or Horsham to eat hot food. Lighting any kind of stove or even matches can cause you to get hefty fines or jail. A fire-ban day is indicated by a prominent sign put up near the park entrance. Read this note again, it means you are not allowed to even put a Primus stove on to make coffee!