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 

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.

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

This 10 km walk on the east side of Mt Towrong follows good tracks and is quite shady.  We will start at Days Picnic Ground, enjoy Sanatorium Lake and then use Zigzag and Hemphills tracks to join Hells Hole track.  This intersects with Barringo Rd which we will follow uphill to our cars.  The walk is deliberately short and starts earlier than usual so we can enjoy a stretch in the bush and be home for a rest in the afternoon.  It is a pleasant, undulating walk.  Days Picnic Ground is extensive. However there is only one building, the toilet block.  We will meet near there.

This walk was cancelled in early January due to the heat.

This is an easy pleasant walk to take advantage of the long daylight hours. Beginning in Newport at the corner of North Rd and The Strand it follows The Strand walking trail and Nelson Place to the Port Phillip coast trail, where it turns right and heads to the Williamstown Botanic Gardens. There will be a dinner stop beside the gardens using the lovely picnic area in Parker Reserve. There are toilets at the dinner stop. After dinner the route follows local streets to return to Nelson Place shops where there is the opportunity to buy an icecream. The final stretch of the walk is to return to the starting place retracing our steps along The Strand.

Hopefully it will be good weather but throw in a wind proof jacket just in case the winds pick up. Comfortable runners or walking shoes will be sufficient.

For those who wish to use public transport getting to and from the walk the starting point is only a 10 minute walk from Newport Station along North Rd. However check the PTV app carefully as replacement buses are running in the evening during February.

Although there are 2 kiosks selling take away food at Williamstown Beach near the dinner spot, both of them will be closed before we reach the area, so it is advisable to bring some food.

This is a delightful easy walk following an old rail trail from Trentham to Lyonville.  The trail is mostly in tall forest making for a shady walk.  The return walk will divert onto a 4 wheel drive track for part of the walk which will give a different aspect to the walk and make it more interesting.  You will see the impact of the storm in 2021 which flattened large areas of the forest.  The walk may be modified depending on weather conditions and cancelled if a Total Fire ban day or over 30 degrees C forecast.

We will start the walk at the information board at Studley Park and  to an oval and see an old reservoir, highlights are Raheen, Studley House Carmelite Monastery and other  interesting houses.

Bring: Bring: Your happy smiles, cameras, usual day walking gear, water, snacks morning tea and lunch, Afternoon tea at Studley Park Boat house.

Saturday 26/4/2025 Marek: 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

This is a delightful 16 km circuit area starting from the Garden of St Erth in Blackwood. We visit the Easter Monday mine, McLaughlin's Lookout, (no view!) and follow Loam Track to the Lerderderg Rd and our lunch spot at Wheelers Ford. We soon join the Lerderderg River Heritage trail and wind our way back to the car park.  The walk is similar to the Green Gully walk in the same area.  

There is a variety of tracks and terrain. There are some steep hills, mainly in the morning but the effort is worthwhile to explore this amazing gold country.

This walk starts in Bridport St Daylesford. We take Doctors Gully out to Hepburn and arrive at the Blowhole for morning tea. We then ascend out of the creek and find Bald Hill Rd. There are some great views of Daylesford as we ascend to find a lunch spot. We then descend back to the creek via a faint track leading to Tipperary mineral spring. The final route out is a steep road which leads back to Daylesford for afternoon coffee at Harvest Cafe near where the cars are parked. We aim to be back around 3 to 3.30 pm. A nice walk including a variety of terrains in a picturesque setting.