Our walks are on Sundays. We meet at 9.30am outside 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine (Continuing Ed.) and carpool to the start of the walk.  Bring water, morning tea and lunch for all walks. Walks normally finish mid afternoon.  Non-members welcome. No cost. 

Walks are cancelled on Total Fire Ban days in the area. For more information ring Bronwyn Silver on 5475 1089.

21 March White Gum Track – Railway Dam
We’ll wander through a few curious gullies near the headwaters of Fryers Creek, and over a ridge to the much depleted Railway Dam. Not a long walk, but there are a few steepish bits. We’ll come back along the abandoned water race. c. 8 km. For more information ring Bernard Slattery 5470 5161.


Bush near Railway Dam
Photo: Noel Young, March 2010


18 April    Walk Against Want
Join the FOBIF contingent on this year’s Walk against Want. The walk will be through bushlands north of the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens and there will be delicious soup and bread in the gardens afterwards. 10km. Meet at the Botanical Gardens at 10 a.m. For more information ring Bronwyn Silver 5475 1089.

16 May     Working Bee on the Loddon River
This walk will be a short one to a section of the Loddon River upstream of Glenluce. It is possibly the only section of the river in pretty good condition, with some large waterholes, steep rocky sides, wildlife and rare plants such as Clover Glycine. We will do some weed control work to remove Cape Broom and other weeds. Bring gloves and weeding tools. For more information ring Doug Ralph 5470 5407.

20 June    Garfield Wheel & Welsh Village, Castlemaine Diggings NHP
Come on a walk you can do without getting in your car. We’ll find a little bit of history and a little bit of bush as we walk across country from Castlemaine to the Garfield Wheel and Welsh Village. 8-10 km easy walking. For more information ring Deirdre Slattery 5470 5161.

18 July    The Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve
This reserve is a small area of public land south of Newstead renowned for its rich diversity of birds and understorey. The Newstead Landcare Group with assistance from Parks Victoria has developed a fascinating nature trail in the Reserve that highlights its flora and fauna, geological and cultural history. Short easy walk, 2 hours. For more information visit the Natural Newstead blog at
http://geoffpark.wordpress.com or ring Geoff Park 0418 138 632.

15 August    Walmer
A walk through the diverse and rapidly-evolving landscapes of Walmer taking in revegetation sites, remnant bush and farmland in transition, farm forestry projects, heritage places, high-value roadsides and a nature reserve. c. 10 km. For more information ring Paul Hampton 5474 2189.

19 September Mount Alexander
We will travel to the Toilet Block/Picnic Area adjacent to the old Koala Park on Mount Alexander. The walk will follow the southern end of the West Ridge Walking Track, a section of the Great Dividing Trail and tracks inside the old Koala Park. The walk features glorious views, many huge eucalypts and marvelous granodiorite boulders (and also a detour to an amazing grassy valley). c. 9 km. For more information ring Richard Piesse 0448 572 867.

17 October Fryers Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve
A range of native plants, creekline vegetation, interesting rocks in the bushland behind Taradale. c. 8 km. For more information ring Barbara Johnson 5423 2773.