Some walks in Victoria

I found notes on the internet for a route right across the Dandenongs, the Dandenong Ranges Trail, so I decided to walk it over four days.

8 October I drove to Emerald and took the bus to Gembrook where the route started. This section was on the Eastern Dandenong Ranges trail and followed the Puffing Billy train line closely, mainly passing grassy hills with a few forays into forest. I skirted Emerald Lake and walked through the Nobelius Gardens then followed a ridge line to Emerald. 13 kms

9 October I went by train to Belgrave and got the bus to Emerald. I descended a long way to Menzies Creek and followed this creek, then Sassafras Creek, all really lovely with masses of tree ferns but within earshot of roads, which detracted from the sensation of being deep in the forest. I had a break in Kallista then took Coles Ridge Road, one of my favourite trails, to Belgrave. 20 kms

11 October I went back to Belgrave by train. It was a beautiful day and coincidentally the most scenic part of the route. I took the Hillclimb track into Sherbrooke Forest, looked at Sherbrooke Falls and walked through Alfred Nicholas Gardens back down to Sassafras Creek. I followed the creek to Sassafras and went up to Olinda for a cafe break. From here I had a long descent in ferny forest, contoured Mt Dandenong and started the steepish climb. I took a couple of spur trails to the tv towers and the top of Mt Corhanwarrabul, although the best view (to the cbd, bay and You Yangs) was from the lower trail. Then I reached the summit of Mt Dandenong for more views. All day the birds were wonderful - kookaburras, rosellas, cockatoos, a lyrebird. I descended towards Kalorama through the Hamer Arboretum and ended up at a random bus stop on Mt Dandenong Tourist Road in Kalorama. I took a bus to Croydon station. Whoever had programmed the spoken stop announcements had not given clear enough instructions with the result that (for example) "1234 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road" was spoken as "One thousand two hundred and thirty four megatons Dandenong Tourist Road". 18 kms

13 October I returned to Croydon station and hopped on the same bus back to where I left off. Sadly the bus I was on did not go along the same road and I ended up back in Olinda. As the 2 kms section of trail in Kalorama I had been about to embark on was fenced off (I noticed this yesterday) I elected to cut my losses and do an alternative 2 kms return to the main route from Olinda, bypassing the closed section, after a coffee; it was raining and cold. The rain wasn't stopping so I headed out and walked through the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, stunning with all the magnolias, rhododendrons, camelias and azalias in flower. When I wanted to exit the gardens I found only a locked gate and I contemplated climbing it, just then a park ranger turned up and I asked if he could unlock it, which he kindly did. I descended deep into the forest and followed Olinda Creek which was lovely despite the rain: gums, tree ferns and quiet. The bird life was muted today, just a couple of crimson rosellas. Sylvan Reservoir park was closed so I turned for another crossing of Olinda Creek and after a brief time on the pipeline trail (which I remembered not too fondly from the Trailwalker) I was on the Mt Evelyn Aqueduct trail. The rain stopped briefly. This was a pleasant stretch of bush and took me into Mt Evelyn. I had coffee and sat out a heavy shower. I stayed on the trail to a large area of wetlands and remained in urban bush by a swollen Olinda Creek to Lilydale Lake (which was much larger than I expected). When I reached Lilydale it was again pouring so I got the train straight away. 22 kms

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

I was overdue for some coastal walking and I read that it was possible to walk from Warrnambool to Port Fairy along the beach.

16 October As a warm up I walked to the breakwater on the bay in Warrnambool and set out from there heading east on the beach. It was windy and not warm. At the end of the bay was the Hopkins River mouth. I crossed on a bridge and walked on paths to Logans Beach whale watching platform. No whales. I returned along the beach to the bridge then followed the path above the beach back to Warrnambool and my motel. 17 kms

17 October My motel was far from the beach so I had a 4 kms walk to the starting point of the route to Port Fairy at Thunder Rocks. There was a boardwalk above the rocks then a sandy trail, and a couple of small beaches where I had to cross headlands on the scrub covered cliffs. I surprised a snake. At the 5 km mark I came onto the sand. It was mid tide so the sand was ok for walking but I passed a few places that would force you onto the soft sandy dunes at high tide. After a while the sand changed from yellow to beige and the sky changed from cloudy to completely blue. I saw flocks of hooded plovers, a few oystercatchers, gulls and a few fairy terns. Few shells and a lot of seaweed in places. Around half way there were patches of volcanic rocks on the beach and an offshore reef so the ocean became calm. The dunes alternated with flat scrub and the beach was mostly broken into indistinct bays until I passed Killarney and embarked on the final very large bay; I could see Port Fairy lighthouse way in the distance. Coming into Port Fairy I had nice wide beach to walk on and I stayed on it until I had to cross the Moyne River to get into town. The town was unusually quiet. 29 kms

18 October An interesting day. I wanted to walk west along the coast from PF and the tourist centre woman had said it was possible to walk to the Crags and on to Yambuk (for a bus back), even to Portland, although this seemed unlikely to me. At the first beach I asked a local how far I could go along the beaches and she said only a few kilometres because I would have to detour onto private land. Later I asked another local and she said I could go quite a way, to a cliff top cafe (which I never saw). I walked across several lovely pale beaches, noticing far more large swathes of volcanic boulders than yesterday, often with little tracks enabling a way through. The tide was out, the shore birds were chilling and the sun was shining. Ten kms along I crossed a stream and I could see a woman ahead; when I caught up to her I asked about the feasibility of my walk and she guided me through her property, saying I could get to Yambuk quite easily on the beach from then on. Unfortunately this wasn't accurate. After I left her I had a difficult stretch of volcanic boulders and I went across some patches of deep grass (hidden snakes?) on private land. Eventually I reached a footpath and it led back to the beach. This was a long beach of yellow sand with sheer sandy cliffs and yellow rocks dotted around the sand.

I could see flat topped Lady Julia Percy Island out to sea. But at the end of the beach I could see no way of getting past the high rocks and when I climbed onto the cliffs it was all dense bush.

I poked around but I could go no further west so I reluctantly turned back. I had made it 13 kms from PF. I saw a rough trail heading inland and followed it to avoid the awkward boulders and private land, ending up walking a little on the highway. I came back to the beach by the woman's property, crossed the stream and walked the beaches back to town. 27 kms

Northern Grampians

When I went to the Grampians in April I was surprised how beautiful the area was so I decided to go back there for an overnight walk in the northern part. On my drive there Tash announced she had gone into labour; it was such a lovely day that I continued on but curtailed my planned walk to get home sooner. 

23 October I parked at Troopers Creek and started walking towards Mt Difficult, passing three lightly cascading waterfalls. The weather was perfect and the flies abundant. My eyes constantly stung with sweat. I was heading for a cliff line protruding from the thick forest. After reaching the first tier of cliffs I headed for a further line and I was increasingly climbing on rocky steps, sometimes passing between boulders. I dumped my pack and detoured to Briggs Bluff, several times losing the trail and ending up bashing through prickly scrub. The trail was often on huge rock slopes which was fun. The view from the bluff was towards the Wimmera plains. I returned to the main trail and went through bush and over rock to Gar campsite where I again dumped my pack. I went another kilometre to the summit of Mt Difficult (Gar) with a lot of walking on lengthy rock flows. The view from the summit was over the entire Grampians range and local lakes, and quite stunning. I rejoined my pack and put up my tent, by which time it was dusk and the sky was turning red. From the campsite I had a fabulous view across the lower forest towards the western peaks. 12 kms

24 October In the night a really strong wind came up making a huge din. I had breakfast inside the ultra luxurious Gar hut because I couldn't possibly have boiled water outside in the wind. I descended on the rock and steps enjoying the absence of flies. I wanted to stop at one of the waterfalls to make coffee but it was always too windy. I got back to the car and drove to Beehive Falls trailhead then walked the short distance to the falls and found a sheltered spot for coffee. 11 kms

Wilsons Prom 

It's a gap in my walking resume that I haven't properly done the Prom, so I went there.

1 November It was really cold as I set out from Telegraph Saddle and walked the gravel road down into the valley, passing a couple of little waterfalls. I saw a wallaby and huge noisy black cockatoos. Beyond the next junction I was in banksia bush with nice views over the whole forested Prom. At the water's edge, the base of the forest, are huge granite boulders with orange stains. I came to Waterloo Bay with a wide white beach than Little Waterloo Bay with a smaller but equally white beach. From there I was in ferny rainforest crossing an headland until I reached dry tea tree forest. I detoured to Kersops Peak for a view over the many bays but there were better views of multiple beaches and forest on the descent to Refuge Cove. This was a deep cove with two pretty beaches and my campsite among the trees. I made coffee (by the toilet for shelter) and when I got back to my gear a raven had got into my pack via the zip, bitten into my food bag and torn open the flavour sachet from my noodles so there was powder everywhere in my bag. (Later I saw the bird fly off with a hiker's chocolate bar and peck at someone else's bag.) I walked to North Refuge Beach for a nice and peaceful sit on the boulders. The day never warmed up but nor did it rain. 20 kms

2 November I walked back to Waterloo Bay and had breakfast with a view over the bay. Shortly after I saw it sleek wombat chewing away.

I walked the length of Waterloo Beach, so bright I had to put on my sunnies. Then I followed the coastline before having a long climb to get across a headland; at the top I could see the lighthouse two more headlands away. It was pleasant walking, lots of flowering correa, some orchids, with the ocean always there. I walked up to the lighthouse where it was extremely windy (of course, lighthouses are always in windy locations).

I looked around the museum then continued along the coast and when I came to a boulder at the top of the climb I had lunch with a view over the lighthouse's bouldery headland. 

The trail turned inland, going steeply up and down to Roaring Meg campsite beside a (tranquil) creek. It was busy so I had coffee then went on following a vehicle track. A wombat darted across the road. After a few kms I had an extensive view over the western side of the Prom and double humped Norman Island. I stopped at Halfway Hut campsite where there was a school group and little yellow birds. 27 kms

3 November At Telegraph Junction I turned off for Oberon Bay and walked a sandy track through banksias, grass trees and tea tree. I walked the length of this big beach - it was very low tide.

Looming over the end of the beach was towering Mt Oberon. Then the trail followed the coastline to curving Little Oberon Beach and up over a headland towards Tidal River. I detoured to Norman lookout for a view towards islands. The trail ended at huge Norman Beach so I walked that one, then crossed a camping area and made the final (uphill) road walk back to my car. 17 kms