Parks Victoria and hard-working local volunteers are celebrating the end of a long journey back from the Black Summer fires at Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park.

On Sunday 25 May, Parks Victoria and the Friends of Murray Mountain Parks will hold a grand opening of Bluff Falls to showcase the new lookout and facilities.

Located in the scenic Upper Murray, the National Park protects two picturesque mountains with very different micro-climates and vegetation home to a wide variety of native species. Popular with the local community, the park received more than 10,000 visitors a year before the fires.

Bluff Falls, a spectacular waterfall plunging 30 metres through the forest, is particularly beloved.

The bushfires of December 2019 and January 2020 burned 95 per cent of the park, destroyed almost all the visitor facilities and left major safety issues in their wake, including unstable slopes and hazardous trees.

The park was reopened in 2021, but the sheer scale of the damage and ongoing severe weather events hampered efforts to rebuild the facilities.

Thanks to the efforts of contractors, community volunteers and Parks Victoria rangers, campgrounds, walking tracks, viewing platforms, steps, signs and toilet blocks have all been replaced, once more enabling visitors to enjoy the magic of this special place.

At Sunday’s celebration, visitors will be able to enjoy a barbecue and refreshments provided by the Friends of Murray Mountain Parks, with funding support from the Corryong Community Recovery Committee.

Access is via Cudgewa Bluff Road and Bluff Falls Road. Parking is limited at Bluff Falls, and a small bus will be available for transport from Bluff Creek up to the Bluff Falls Lookout. Visitors should arrive at 11am, bring a hat, water and something to sit on.

Quotes attributable to Parks Victoria Ranger Team Leader Kelton Goyne

"Sunday will celebrate everyone’s hard work over the last five years and showcase what has been achieved.  It was important we took the time and effort to make sure Burrowa-Pine Mountain has a better and more resilient visitor experience.”

“It’s been wonderful to see the native trees, plants and animals in the park recover from the fires over the last five years, and visitors will get to see how much has changed.”