Essendon Bushwalking Club

It's the first day of December, so let's hit the beach! 

Train to Brighton Beach Station, meet at Allister McAllister Cafe (9 South Road, Brighton) at 9.30am for a coffee, walking to start 10am.

We'll head Southward along the Bay - Hampton, Sandringham, Beaumaris, Mentone, Mordialloc - finishing with a coffee in Mordialloc  before catching the train home. (Note - if you drive, the start and finish are on different lines).

Nearly 15km, good trails with some beach walking. (The walk can be cut short by diverting to Mentone or Parkville if necessary).

Meeting at Jan Juc Surf club at 9.30am, we will set up a car shuttle to the finish.

We commence walking along the surf coast walk which is a well formed walking trail. The walk will be in 2 sections.

1 Jan Juc to Bells Beach 3.8 km

2 Bells Beach to Point Addis 8.1 km

The route begins at Jan Juc Beach - a popular surfing spot. This trail follows the Surf Coast Walk and features plenty of great spots to stop and soak up the views and finally finishes at Point Addis.

This is a beautiful section of the Surf Coast Walk, offering a wonderful mix of beaches and forests. Enjoy making your way through the sheltered Ironbark Basin and grasstrees before soaking up some incredible views from one of three Point Addis Lookouts. You'll find some interesting signage along the way about Aboriginal lifestyle in the area too.

Light shoes will be adequate if you prefer and walking poles would be helpful.

Toilets are at Jan Juc, Bird Rock, Bells Beach and Point Addis.

On completion we will find a relaxing coffee shop wo recuperate.

This is as much of an Outing as it is a walk, during an unofficial long weekend.

Walking on shared paths and formed tracks.   Part of this walk will be beside the old Princes highway, but we’ll be well clear of the road .   It’s a fairly short walk, so we'll have a brief morning tea at Civic Park in Drouin and a late lunch at Rotary Park in Warragul.   Runners will ok, poles are not necessary, and toilets are on the train, in Drouin and in Warragul.  The walk also includes a couple of moderate hills.

Attached is a map of the intended route.

Drouin train departs Southern Cross at 8:26am.  Return trains from Warragul run at about hourly intervals.

Meeting Held at Moonee Ponds Bowling Club, Mt Alexandra Road, Moonee Ponds. Come along for our Christmas Quiz, door prizes and a bit of fun!

Cape Liptrap is some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Victoria (hugely interesting Geology, too!).

This walk follows the coast, ie along the shore, from Cape Liptrap westwards to Venus Bay - 14 km on the first day, and 12km on the second day. The first day is quite rocky in places, the second is easier, mainly on the beach. Low tide is approximately midday on both days, so we won't be on the shore at high tide.

A car shuffle, from Inverloch, will be needed on both days. This could add another 2km of walking to each day, depending on parking location.

The plan for accommodation will be to stay in Inverloch - there are a variety of options. It would be easiest to have accommodation in Inverloch on both the Friday and Saturday nights, but early risers (VERY EARLY) could drive to Inverloch on Saturday morning. Finish time on the Sunday should allow folks to drive home that afternoon.

Pub meals in Inverloch will be organised on both Friday and Saturday evenings.

This is the classic EBWC circuit from Mt Macedon township. From there we climb Mt Towrong and enjoy the lovely forest to Sanatorium Lake. We follow the Macedon Ranges Trail further to pass near Camels Hump and on to the Memorial Cross. At the time of submitting this walk, the Cross area and our usual descent track to Bawden Rd were "closed for works."  Instead, we will use Francis Rd and Alton Rd to descend to our cars in Douglas Rd. This changes enables us to appreciate the beautiful homes and gardens enroute.  Although at 18 km this walk is a little longer than the usual Sunday walks, it is well worth the effort. 

This is my second attempt to walk here with EBWC.  The first walk was recently cancelled due to extreme weather. 

bunjil nganga Parkland (Quarry Hills) is a delightful area in Sth Morang.  It is an isolated range of granite and metamorphic rock, close to suburbia, which offers great walking.

Our walk will be 13 to 14 km.

Starting at an off road parking area at the Mill Park Lakes Reserve, we will follow tree lined streets north to an access path to the Granite Hills section of the park.  From there we loop westward to the Quarry Hills Range and walk south to the foothills.  Another path path takes us around the wetlands to a cafe and from there it is approximately 2 km to the cars.  

The 360 degree views are amazing.  All the mountain ranges around Melbourne are visible  and it is interesting to try and identify local landmarks.  However it is a very exposed ridge and therefore can be very windy, wet or hot.   It is undulating at times but it is mostly all on good tracks.   Overall it is a most rewarding walk.

Meeting place: Melways 183 B6. There is off street parking on the south side of The Lakes Bouvelard in Sth Morang, near sporting facilities.  Car pooling is possible from Pascoe Vale.

Meeting time: 9.15 for 9.30 start.

Toilets: There are only bush toilets on the walk. There are however toilets in the Coles complex in The Lakes Bouvelard, just before our meeting point.

Want to avoid the last minute Christmas shopping?

This walk is the "classic" Werribee Gorge circuit. Less than 8km,  but your legs will claim it's longer. Steep ascent; undulating along the ridge above the gorge; steep and rocky descent to the river; pleasant walk beside the stream, with a couple of wire ropes to hang onto here and there.

Meeting place for car-pooling is Airport West Shoppingtown car-park, West of Target. Or meet at the start of the walk, Miekles Point Picnic Area in Werribee Gorge State Park.

Rather than coffee in Bacchus Marsh after the walk, we'll have a short refreshment break at the picnic ground and wish ourselves Merry Christmas. Jim will have his fridge in the car, so a cool drink - Pinot Gris and soft cheese? - is an option?