‘Don’t make me come rescue you’: Unwary day trippers taxing the SES

Just a few minutes walk into the Lerderderg State Park the sounds of the city fade to silence, leaving just bird song and the insects’ chorus.

This popular hiking destination is only about an hour west of Melbourne’s CBD and just beyond suburbia. But the steep, rocky landscape feels so much more remote – and it’s easy to get in over your head.

Tanya Mauff from the Bacchus Marsh SES unit.Credit: Jason South

On warm weekends, particularly Sunday afternoons, local emergency volunteers know to expect their phones to ping or pagers to sound. There is a strong likelihood it might be another call-out to a rescue operation in the bush.

In the past year, the Victorian State Emergency Service has had to perform significantly more rescues, which are also becoming increasingly complicated. The Lerderderg and Werribee Gorge state parks are among the busiest for SES crews, alongside Mount Buffalo, Cathedral Ranges and Grampians national parks.

In the car park at Mackenzies Flat Picnic Area in the Lerderderg State Park, a sign warns there were 16 SES rescues in 2024 alone at the site.

Bacchus Marsh SES volunteer Tanya Mauff tries to hike there several times a week, so she is well acquainted with its walking tracks. But she knows the dangers and understands how quickly hikers can lose their bearings or run into trouble.

Mackenzies Flat Picnic Area at the Lerderderg State Park, which is popular with hikers and day trippers. Credit: Jason South

“There are steep gradients. You’re scrambling over rocks,” she said. “The further in you go, the trickier it is.”

Just before Christmas, she participated in five rescues in just 10 days involving hikers and motorcyclists in the wider area.

In December last year, a woman drowned at Mackenzies Flat, where people often go swimming. The SES reported it was the second drowning there in 12 months.

Mauff, who works in the fitness industry, said she often saw day trippers heading into the bush severely unprepared – carrying little water on hot days or wearing thongs. She regularly stops bushwalkers and asks if they are carrying sufficient water and food.

Wild goats negotiating steep terrain at the Lerderderg State Park.Credit: Jason South

“I’m always on the lookout,” she said. “I do say to people, ‘Don’t make me come out and rescue you later’.”

Mauff said it was common for people to set off hiking without downloading maps, unaware there might be limited mobile phone reception. She also knew of instances where walkers became lost after accidentally following animal tracks into dense bush, having mistaken them for established walking paths.

“It’s easily done if you don’t know the area.”

Mauff said social media was drawing more attention to sites close to Melbourne.

SES rescue crews are often called to the Lerderderg State Park. Credit: Jason South

“People go out and want to explore these places they see on social media, but they’re not aware of the dangers.”

She typically takes bananas, nuts, lollies, protein bars and plenty of water and electrolytes as well as a personal locator beacon when hiking. She prepares to be stuck overnight should something go wrong even on a short walk.

In December, the Victoria State Emergency Service reported the increased call-outs included high angle rescue support or assisting Ambulance Victoria with “patient carry-outs”.

The Bacchus Marsh SES confirmed 2024 was its busiest year in a decade, responding to 57 rescues and 47 requests to assist other emergency agencies. The rescues increased 50 per cent compared to 2023.

Mauff, Jordyn Mace and Markace Knight from Bacchus Marsh SES practise a rescue in Lerderderg State Park.Credit: Jason South

Bacchus Marsh unit controller Michael Schembri said his crew had attended 319 jobs in total last year. His unit covers Lerderderg, Werribee Gorge and Wombat State Forest, among other locations.

He said day trippers should not underestimate the difficulty of these popular bushwalking destinations just because they were close to the city.

“It is probably some of the toughest terrain between Melbourne and Stawell,” he said. “Because it is only an hour from Melbourne people assume it’s not going to be as steep and difficult as it really is.”

Schembri said these locations also received increased visitation when they appeared on lists in mainstream media. And booming populations in nearby outer suburbs were also contributing to rising visitor numbers.

About half the rescues his unit attended involved injuries. In other rescues, volunteers were often required to search for lost walkers. Schembri said weekends – particularly Sunday afternoons – were the busiest for rescue call-outs.

Lost hikers often can often trigger complex and resource-intensive rescue operations. “They end up effectively in the wilderness, and they can be quite difficult to find.”

While Schembri has not attended any fatalities in the bush during his decade of volunteering with the SES, he has been called to many people suffering broken legs and ankles and some head injuries.

The dangers of hiking in Australia made headlines over summer after 23-year-old hiker Hadi Nazari survived a fortnight lost in the Kosciuszko National Park. His friends sounded the alarm when he went missing. Nazari says he survived by eating berries and two muesli bars he found in a remote hut.

Bushwalking Victoria president Robyn Shingles saw a rescue mission up close several years ago when a woman she was hiking with got lost and had to spend a night alone in the bush after becoming separated from the group.

The woman, who was an experienced bushwalker and well-prepared, was found the next day. But the rescue effort took more than 100 people, food trucks and crews coming from Melbourne.

“It’s not something I want to see again,” Shingles said.

She said hiking was a healthy activity and encouraged people to participate. But Shingles noted her organisation, which includes a search and rescue team, had also noted an increase in people needing to be rescued.

“I think there’s just more people out bushwalking generally,” she said. “It’s become a lot more popular.”

Shingles urged people to join a bushwalking club to gain experience, particularly before undertaking challenging or multi-day hikes on their own.

She said hiking trails, particularly in the Victorian alpine regions, required preparation for overnight walks, even in summer.

Shingles said wet weather and thermal clothing were essential, as well as a tent that could withstand rain and wind.

“You’ve just got to be prepared even though it means carrying a little more weight.”

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