Essendon Bushwalking Club

Near Ballan, this storage reservoir offers good walking in the Bungal forest around it.  This walk will be partly exploratory as I have not visited the area since May last year.  We will be using a variety of tracks and there will be a little off track walking. Distance will be 14 to 16 km.  It is undulating at times and poles are recommended.  

Bushwalking Victoria (BWV)  is conducting a day-walk leader training event for all aspiring leaders and for those who may wish to refresh their skills  The training is run in a relaxed and friendly environment  by a team of excellent trainers who will assist and guide participants to develop and hone their leadership skills. Topics covered include mapping and navigation, risk management, preparing and conducting the walk, incident management and leadership skills.

The Wimmera River Discovery Trail is a 56km walk which follows the Wimmera River from Dimboola to Jeparit.  As February is often the hottest month particularly in that part of Victoria, most (probably all) walks will be completed each day by lunch time.  Daily walks are 13km, 12km, 9km, 10km and 12km. Then if the weather is suitable, we will spend the afternoon doing short walks in the Little Desert National Park which is immediately west of Dimboola township.  The walker limit is 16 to optimise the organisation of the car shuffles which will be needed each day. For the same reason, only Club members are eligible to register.

See https://weareexplorers.co/wimmera-river-discovery-trail-hike-ride-vic/ for more details. 

Dimboola Holiday Park has many cabins for accommodation. https://www.hindmarsh.vic.gov.au/Visit-Hindmarsh/Caravan-Parks/Dimboola-Riverside-Holiday-Park

Brochure: https://www.hindmarsh.vic.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/tourism-forms/brochures/2025_08_20-wrdt-guide-for-web.pdf

Woodend walk

This is either a train based transport or Car

Train 

Southern Cross to Woodend 9:05 or Footscray Station 9:13

Meeting at the Vintage Clock at 8:45 at Southern Cross Station

Car travellers meet at Woodend Station Car Park 10:05

We walk through Woodend and along 5 Mile Creek looking at the Stone Bridge built in 1862. Then onto Romsey Road and walk through Shirley Park Estate onto Mt Macedon Road. Back to Woodend for afternoon tea. For the train back to Melbourne.

Note:  This is a Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) event and there is no charge for our members.  The following is INFORMATION ONLY and  to register click on the link at the bottom of this description.  When completing the booking sheet click on this option   GDTA Member or Guest (BWV-affiliated Club)

LOCATION: Colbrook Reservoir between Ballan and Blakeville. Details will emailed to registered walkers prior to the event. 

WALK LEADERS: Arie Baelde (on land), Greg Stewart and Tim Bach (in the water)

DESCRIPTION: This walk starts near the Colbrook reservoir, follows forestry tracks to the site of the historic Paradise Mill and returns to Colbrook Reservoir where we will have a picnic lunch and a swim in the Res. The Paradise mill was constructed in 1879 by Edward Blake and operated until 1900. Most workers lived in the nearby company town Blakeville. Colbrook reservoir was constructed on the Korweinguboora Creek in 1949 and opened as Ballan's town water supply in 1953. It has now been decommissioned and the 109 megalitre reservoir mainly serves recreational purposes. The walk will cross many different ecological zones which are a reflection of the rainfall gradient and the complex local geology.

DIFFICULTY: The walk is rated Medium. The total distance is 10k and is mostly on 4WD tracks. The overall elevation gain is less than 400m.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: If you are ill on the day of the walk, please stay at home. It will be Summer so keep an eye on the expected Temperature. We cancel events at late notice if the predicted weather is too hot or total fire bans are in place. Please call or text the walk leader if you are unable to attend.

GUEST MEMBERSHIP AND INSURANCE: The walk is free to members and open to non-members. For non-members, a $10 fee is payable for insurance cover under the Bushwalking Victoria insurance policy. Please note that children under 5 years cannot be covered by this policy.

DOGS: Dogs are allowed on this walk. Dogs must be on a lead at all times. Handlers must clean up after their dogs and remove waste from the area. Dogs are not allowed in the Reservoir.

BRING: It is recommended, you carry a personal first aid kit, your own medication, water bottles, sun screen and personal hiking gear (sun glasses, walking sticks, small pack, etc). Wear clothing appropriate for the predicted weather conditions on the day. Bring light refreshments for breaks and a lunch.

SWIMMING: The Colbrook Reservoir is small and picturesque and is a swimming hole destination for many people who enjoy wild swimming. A small rocky beach near the dam wall provides an excellent entry point. There are no lifeguards so you should be a proficient and confident swimmer. Bring bathers, a towel and flip-flops to ease your entry to the res if you want to have a swim.

BOOKINGS: Bookings are essential no later than 12:00 noon on Monday, February 9. Use the following link to register:

https://www.gdt.org.au/events/colbrook-reservoir-walk-and-swim-1102 

Come and join us for a drink or a meal. 

We will have a reserved area in the Bistro, in the partly-enclosed area to the right of the entrance. Seniors meals are available if required.

Please ensure you register by the cut-off date (Wed 4th Feb) so that I can finalise numbers for the reservation. 

Starting and finishing at the Panton Hill Firefighters Memorial Park car park this 13 km walk passes through the Bunjil, Wimbi and Yanggai reserves.  This walk will be mainly on dirt tracks and run occasionally parallel to or crossover with gravel roads.  There are some hills but are not too steep with a bigger hill towards the end.  Boots and poles are recommended.  At the end of the walk there will be refreshments at a local cafe. Where the weather forecast is to be more than 30 degrees the walk will either be shortened or rescheduled.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is holding a series of concerts at the Bowl in February. This is the final in the series. Bring along your picnic, a beach chair or rug and enjoy a brilliant night out.

Meet at 5 pm out the front of the Bowl next to the statue. We'll head inside to find a spot on the lawn. The concert starts at 7.30 pm.

A circular walk we meet at Studley Park boathouse we  then walk to the Bushland circuit ( Climate Watch Trail you can download an App.  Study in understanding changes in temperature and rainfall affecting seasonal behaviour of Australian animals and plants (https://climatewatch.org.au)across Kanes bridge to Yarra Bend Park, to Merri Creek to Heidelberg Rd return Merri Creek to d Dights Falls pass the Covenant Childrens Farm then to  Gipps Street bridge, we then cross over to Studley Park and walk back to the Studley Park boathouse. Come, explore this Park and hear  its rich history

Walk Distance 12 km – Approax 4 hours

Grade(s):Easy

Bring:  Your happy smiles, cameras, usual day walking gear, water, boots, drink to have with the Leader’s cake

Notify: By  Saturday 20 /05/2023  0401531450 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Mobile number to contact on the day of the walk. 0401531450