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Human Impact on the Arapiles/Tooan State Park 11-May-2010 At 9:35:51 AM jrc

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I agree with getting in touch with Louise; she has a real love for Arapiles and acts as a helpful guardian of the crag. Also the Cliffcare folks.

I first went there in 1974. 30 December. No posts around the pines. No fire bans. We just drove our Holden under the pines and put our Paddy Pallin 'Glen' tent up. Made a fire using pine needles. Ate sausages and drank beer. Walked to the cliffs in Volleys. Very Aussie. Iain Sedgeman drove up in his Holden a day or so later; he has a wonderful memory for minitiae. Given the sad demise of Chris B, Iain would be good to talk to as someone who would remember the detail of what the place was like before it became well known.
That said, Araps is hardly that popular (thank heaven there is no lake, beach or river right next to it) and the few simple measures to control camping activity, use the defined walking paths and pave high traffic areas like D-minor seem to work pretty well in preserving Arapiles much the same as I remember it nearly 40 years ago (I was last there in Jan this year - but not in the Holden).