The Burchell Trail is an approx 37 kms point to point walk in the Brisbane Ranges National Park which I thought I could incorporate into a three day loop by doing the full trail and returning to my car on forest roads. In the days before my walk the forecast for the three days got wetter and wetter, until the morning I set out when suddenly there was very little rain expected. I have seen the walk described as boring as batshit so my expectations were not high.
March 14 I parked at Boar Gully trailhead and set out into the forest. It was initially dry eucalypt forest and a bland track. After a while I thought it was odd there were no track markers and I realised I was no longer on the Burchell but on another trail. I was able to rectify this but it meant I was going to walk some extra kms today.
As soon as I got on the correct trail the walking was much nicer: I descended on single track into a narrow gully with grass trees and ended up at a dry creek bed, where I had a further navigational challenge where the trail must have been rerouted due to a fallen tree. I climbed out of the gully to follow a dirt road with the alarming name Macleans Highway and got to Little River picnic area for a break.
The next kilometre was lovely as the trail went through a steep sided little rocky gorge, repeatedly crossing the creek which had a small amount of water and easy stepping stones. Then I had a brief foray into a second gorge and climbed back up onto the plateau where I remained. I had one view over extensive forest and ridges. It was by now hot and humid.
The last few kms were back on a dirt road with a steep descent to Stony Creek picnic area, rife with mozzies. Sophie and I came here last year on a day walk between lockdowns. It wasn’t an official campsite but I thought it would be ok to camp there. The local cockatoos made a tremendous din at dusk and dawn. 19.5 kms
March 15 There was a lot of stagnant water in the creek which would account for the mozzies. I went past Lower Stony Creek reservoir, pretty with reflections of its rocky sides, and followed an undulating fire trail through rejuvenating forest (2006 fires) and lots of grass trees.
At the Old Mill campsite I stopped for a coffee break, waited for the rain that was threatening to start and hid my pack in the bush for the next stage. The route made a big 11 km C shape to get to Fridays campsite (only 500 metres away as the crow flies), first in not terribly exciting forest and then following several dry creeks through grassy gullies; those stretches were really pretty despite some unattractive pools of black stagnant water. I stopped at a nice picnic area to sit out some rain. I passed some gold mining remains. Fridays was the end of the Burchell Trail so I ate a nut bar to mark the occasion, and then had a 2 kms road walk (turning the C into an O) to return to the Old Mill campsite. It rained lightly all afternoon. There were lots of very active little yellow birds and a few crimson rosellas.
I concluded the trail was fairly typical of the bush near Melbourne, unfortunately lacking in major features but pleasant enough. 19.5 kms
March 16 On my way up the hill from the campsite I was passed by the ranger and a big truck that was arriving to service the toilet. As anticipated the walk back to my car was a bit of a slog. It began nicely, passing close to the Upper Stony Creek reservoirs and through some varied terrain including swampland. Most of the way was on dirt roads (no traffic) through grazing country and flat. In 3 1/2 hours I was at the car. 16.5 kms
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