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 website on the day for possible alterations.

You can read our advice to walkers document here.

For more information contact Bronwyn Silver 0448 751 111 or Jeremy Holland 0409 933 046.

BUSHWALKS 2023

Our walks are on Sundays. We meet at 9.30am outside 30 Templeton Street,
Castlemaine (Community House) and carpool to the start of the walk.  Bring water,
morning tea and lunch for all walks. Non-members welcome. No cost.
Walks are cancelled on Total Fire Ban days in the area. Check the website before each walk.
For more information contact Jeremy Holland 0409 933 046 or Bronwyn Silver 0448 751 111.

19 March   Columbine Creek and back
This is one of FOBIF’s walks from the book (Walk 16), so all on track. It does have some very steep and eroded parts as it descends to the creek. So downhill to start, then some quite steep uphill sections. Around 6 kms in total, given the steepness allow plenty of time maybe three hours so take lunch. Jan Hall 0407338490

16 April   Goughs Range
This is another walk from the FOBIF walks book (Walk 10). We will do the lookout extension so about a 4.5 to 5 km. It’s also a bit of a hill climb but all downhill coming back. Harley Parker 0409 135 889

21 May   Mount Lofty: the Shire’s lowest mountain?
We’ll try a 6 kms route centred on this small reserve, which has a quiet charm, some gnarled old trees, and good views across to the eastern side of Mount Alexander. There’s a bit of off track walking, so you need to be steady on your feet. Please note that the reserve is 35s minutes drive from Castlemaine. Bernard Slattery 0499 624 160

18 June   Poverty Gully, Cobblers Gully, mining sites and relics
This 8 km circuit walk looks at the post-mining forest landscape, gold mining relics and infrastructure that were the basis for our unique Heritage National Park. The walk follows water races and tracks plus some off track across gullies and ridges. The location is quite close to Castlemaine, taking in the Eureka Mine near The Monk, Poverty Gully and Cobblers Gully. Lionel Jenkins or Barb Guerin 5472 1994 or 0402 427 162

16 July   Long Walk – The Deep South
This will be a meandering route in the southern end of the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. It will include a wall of moss, stone huts, some rough creek-side and gully walking and a remote bush grave. Expect a mixture of on and offtrack walking with a couple of moderate climbs. About 15 km taking about 5 hours plus breaks. We will leave the Community House at 9am like last year. Jeremy Holland 0409 933 046

16 July   Short walk – Fungi identification
Short walk of about 4 km in Whiskey Gully on Mount Alexander with plenty of time for fungi ID. This walk will leave the Community House at 9.30am. Joy Clusker 0403828566

20 August   Maldon Historic Reserve
Starting at the corner of Donkey Farm Track and Railway Track in Muckleford North, this 10 km walk will follow the Victorian Goldfields Tourist Railway track towards Maldon, then loop back through the Maldon Historic Reserve (great location to visit for the wildflowers in Spring) Nev 0401 319 659 or Beth 0431 219 980

17 September   Fryers Ranges
September is a big time for wildflowers in the Fryers Ranges. Several pea species should be out, including Bushy Parrot-pea, Hovea and Hardenbergia. The walk will take in a section of the main ridge where we can expect to find the spectacular twin-flowered Beard Heath in flower. Focus will be on observing flora and fungi, so bring your field guides. Distance 5 to 8 km, depending on conditions. Christine Henderson 0417529 392

15   October  Fryers Ranges
A 5 km loop in Fryers Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve a few kms west of Taradale. The walk is all on wide, well-formed tracks with some up and down but nothing steep. Bring morning tea and lunch. We will get back to Castlemaine approximately 1.30pm. Frances Cincotta 0491 108 766