Walks

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 or Julie Hurley on 5472 5082.

Bushwalks 2012

18 March   Muckleford Forest
Chris Johnston, author of Muckleford Forest blog, and Frances Cincotta from Newstead Natives Nursery will lead walkers through their favourite part of the Muckleford Forest including areas that were burnt in fuel reduction burns in Spring 2011. We hope the walk will promote discussion of the importance of monitoring flora and fauna pre- and post- burns, and who should do it. c. 6km. For more information contact Frances Cincotta on 5476 2691.

15 April   Geological Mysteries
Where did the gold come from? A question to solve in a 5km ramble in the Chewton/Forest Creek area exploring hot springs, west/north west fracture and other geological features. For more information contact Julian Hollis on 5470 5002.

20 May   Chewton
We’ll go over the Monk and do a circuit taking in Cobbler’s Gully, the Herron’s Reef diggings and possibly the Crocodile reservoir. There’ll be plenty of heritage interest and natural features to take in. c. 10 kms. For more information contact Lionel Jenkins and Barbara Guerin on 5472 1994.

17 June   Yandoit
The McKinnon property at Yandoit has historically been heavily grazed by sheep but over the past 15 years more and more areas have been fenced to exclude stock. The area of some 1100 acres is therefore a useful study of revegetation strategies. c. 5km. For more information contact Malcolm Fyffe on 0427 766 291.

15 July   Tarilta Gorge
Walk along the south end of Tarilta creek near Mt Franklin through a very remote area that has a wilderness feel about it. We will walk along parts of Hunts water race, an amazing piece of engineering that delivered water to the dry diggings and Browns Gully area. Finish on Porcupine ridge with great views from Mount Misery. 10-12 km. For more information contact Doug Ralph on 5470 5407.

19 August   Muckleford Forest
The area between Mia Mia Track and Spring Hill Track is a hotspot for threatened woodland birds including Crested Bellbird, Spotted Quail-thrush, Hooded and Red-capped Robins, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Painted Honeyeater and Diamond Firetail. This walk will ‘promise’ to hear and/or see at least three of these cryptic and elusive woodland bird species plus a show of early spring wildflowers. 3-4 km. For more information contact Geoff Park on 0418 138 632.

16 September   Coliban Channel
Exploration of the Coliban Channel water system and the interesting head works and tunnel around the Springs Road area. c. 6km. For more information contact Muriel Sovar on 5472 1709.

21 October   Fryers Ranges
This walk will be in the Fryers Ranges State Forest and the Fryers Ridge Conservation Reserve behind Taradale. An easy/medium walk through some of the best wildflower areas in the Mount Alexander Shire. c. 12km. For more information contact Richard Piesse on 0448 572 867.