Walks

BUSHWALKS 

Our walks are on Sundays, they are free, and non-members are welcome. We meet at 9.30am outside 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine (Castlemaine Community House) and carpool to the start of the walk. Bring water, morning tea and lunch. Walks are cancelled on Total Fire Ban days in the area. Please check the FOBIF website the week before the walk for possible alterations or additional information. No dogs.

You can read our advice to walkers document here  and download a pdf version of the 2026 program here.

For more information contact Gen Blades 0431 371 065 or Lisa Hall 0488 102 191

FRIENDS OF THE BOX-IRONBARK FORESTS BUSHWALKS  2026

15 March   A backyard view of Spring Gully   Carolyn Crowther 0407 214 049

This walk with a Spring Gully local, is an invitation to ask: what do we owe the place now? Find out the answers on this walk. We will follow kangaroo tracks through Box–ironbark forest, moving quietly and slowly to notice what’s living and growing here: the thin range of plants that persist, what’s being eaten, and the signs of animals passing through. We’ll also act on what we see – picking up any rubbish that can harm wildlife. Talking frankly about what protection looks like in practice. It’s a walk for people who love this place enough to protect it: to recognise harm, call it out, and help stop it. The walk takes a 5 km loop from Spring Gully Road that includes relatively untouched vegetation but still holds the detritus of generations.              

Meet at Community House at 9.30am or Spring Gully Mine carpark, Old Coach Road at 9.45am

19 April   Muckleford Gorge    Clive Willman 0419 384 336
The beautiful Muckleford Gorge holds many geological wonders. On this walk we will examine the ancient bedrock which is spectacularly exposed along its western side. These sedimentary layers were laid down in a relatively deep ocean some 480 million years ago. Two eminent palaeontologists in the 1930’s found the strata either side of the gorge are quite different ages, and this information was eventually used to infer the presence of a major fault – the Muckleford Fault. Looking up towards the eastern and southern sides of the gorge we will see the basaltic rocks that forms the Guildford Plateau. These are just a few examples of what we will observe. The walk is on private property, and the distance is approximately 5 kms off-track.                                                                                                               Meet at Community House at 9.30am.

17 May   Columbine Creek   Elaine Bayes 0431 959 085
This is a lovely 5-6 km walk along Columbine creek as it has signs of an intact creek bed and large trees which is rare to find in this region. There will be some ups and downs to access the creek, including off-track walking.
 Meet at the Community House at 9.30am.

21 June   The Loddon Company Race, Irishtown    Steve Charman 0411 357 601
The Loddon Company Race, constructed in 1866, predating the Coliban System, retains many relics of its fascinating and long history. This walk will take a 6-7 km loop, heading out along the Vaughan arm of the channel and returning via Irishtown to our parking area along Devil Track, off Irishtown Track.

Meet at the Community House at 9.30am or at the Burke and Wills Mechanics Institute, Fryerstown at 9.50am

 19 July   A choice of a long walk or a short walk.
Long Walk: Tarilta Creek    Jeremy Holland 0409 933 046

We will explore much of the lovely Tarilta Creek as well as some of the interesting side gullies. There are no major hills to climb but plenty of off-track walking and numerous creek crossings, which can be awkward in wet conditions. Distance will be about 12 km.   Note: This walk will leave the Community House earlier than usual at 9am.

 Short Walk: Mount Tarrengower   Bernard Slattery 0499 624 160   Deirdre Slattery 0400 573 3333

We will walk a section on the western side of this curiously complicated mountain, looking for clues as to how it was formed in the distant past. Terrific views to the west, rock platforms, interesting plant life.  Distance is about 2 kms on an informal bush track, with a few small ups and downs.

Meet at the Community House at 9.30am.

 16 August   Kalimna Park           Chrissi Charles 0433 718 246
Whether you are new to the area or new to ecology, this walk is all about where to begin, what to look out for and how to grow your knowledge of local plants and ecological processes in the Castlemaine region. Over a stroll through Kalimna park, local ecologists Chrissi Charles, Karl Just and Frances Cincotta, will teach you how to begin to identify native plants, discuss some of the ecological processes for why plants grow where they grow, and share some of the digital and analogue tools that are readily available to help you learn more about the native botanical world around you. 
Meet at Community House at 9.30am.

20 September   Fryers Ranges   Christine Henderson.  0417 529 392
We will explore the eastern slopes of the Fryers Ranges in the region of the Kangaroo Tracks, Upper and Lower with the possibility of reaching the main ridge, or deviating off-track to investigate the enigmatic stone cairns, or both, depending on the weather and how the spring season is progressing. Expect some walking on forest vehicle and animal tracks. Between 6 – 8 kms of walking at a gentle pace.  
Meet at Community House at 9.30am or in Taradale main street opposite the Metro service station at 9.45am.

 18 October ‘A walk on the south side’ (apologies to Lou Reed) of Castlemaine    Kevin Cato 0410 511 356
The walk will start at the top end of McKendry St Castlemaine and follow Campbells Creek Channel to the Ajax mine where there are impressive granite remains of the associated Stamper battery. We will walk up Ajax Lane to view a ‘man-made’ canyon, then access the goldfields track and walk to the Poverty Gully Reservoir for views towards Leanganook.  On the return, we will visit the work of the Victoria Gully Landcare group.  Distance is just under 8kms.

Meet at Community House at 9.30am or 24 McKendry Street at 9.45am.