Halloween Hike

Halloween at Haunted Stream

Sat 31 Oct – Sun 1 Nov 2026 Tambo Crossing, VIC — East Gippsland High Country This is not a costume pub crawl. This is a remote Halloween bush trip through an abandoned gold-rush valley literally named Haunted Stream. We’re driving out from Melbourne on Saturday morning, getting to Tambo Crossing in the afternoon, and starting the hike toward Stirling, the old mining settlement at the heart of the Haunted Stream valley. Depending on conditions, pace, and daylight, we may be hiking into the night, camping in the bush, then continuing or turning back on Sunday before driving home. The route is roughly 30 km return if we do Tambo Crossing → Stirling and back, but this is remote, steep, wet forest terrain with repeated creek crossings, minimal phone coverage, and no easy exit points. The track follows Haunted Stream through a narrow forested valley and is known for its many crossings and rough, overgrown sections. The actual plan • Sat 31 Oct: Leave Melbourne early 4am/5am, resupply in Bairnsdale, drive to Tambo Crossing, begin hiking in the afternoon. • Saturday night: We may still be on the track after dark. Bring a proper headtorch this could be a genuine night hike, not a decorative Halloween walk. • Overnight: Bush camp in the Haunted Stream / Stirling area, conditions permitting. • Sun 1 Nov: Finish the hike, return to the cars, pack up, and drive back to Melbourne. Who this is for This is for people who are comfortable with: • Long, strenuous hiking on uneven, steep, potentially muddy ground • Multiple creek crossings and wet feet • Walking in the dark in remote bush • Camping without facilities • Limited/no phone reception • Carrying everything they need • Making conservative calls around water, weather, and darkness If you need certainty, phone signal, marked trails, or a guaranteed finish time, this isn’t the trip. Bring (non-negotiables) • Headtorch plus a backup light • Proper hiking shoes/boots you’re willing to get wet • Tent, sleeping bag rated for cold nights, sleeping mat • Rain shell and warm layers, the valley gets cold and damp fast • 2–3 L water capacity minimum, plus filter/tablets • Full day’s food plus emergency food • First-aid kit, blister care, personal meds • Offline maps / GPS track, power bank • Dry bags or garbage-bag protection for gear Safety reality • We check the Haunted Stream water level, weather, fire danger, and track/access closures before leaving. Rain can turn crossings from annoying to dangerous quickly. • If water is fast, discoloured, above the knees, or the bottom isn’t visible, we do not cross. • No one enters old mine shafts, tunnels, or unstable workings. • We stay together; nobody pushes ahead alone, especially after dark. • Turnaround is always an option. The point is coming home with a story, not becoming one. The atmosphere Stirling was once a small gold-mining settlement that boomed and then faded into near-abandonment. The “Haunted Stream” name is tied to a grim local murder legend, and the valley still has that isolated, forgotten-town energy: dark forest, creek noise, old mining history, and almost nothing around you. Costume accessories are welcome. Flip-flops, vodka Red Bulls, and “I’ll figure it out” energy are not.