Hume and Hovell Part 2

 

My trip to Tassie was cancelled at the very last minute by a covid lockdown so I decided it was time to go a few more rounds with the pensioners (that’s my take on the charming track markers for this trail). The part of Hume and Hovell from Tumut to Albury that I haven't done is logistically challenging but I decided to try some sections. Much of the trail is still closed from the fires last year. When I escaped from Melbourne I was driving towards Tumbarumba and I noticed I was going to drive through the tiny settlement of Lankeys Creek which is on the Hume and Hovell so I thought I might as well stop there overnight. I was not at the time intending to start hiking from there. It was a nice campsite by the creek and I could leave my car off the road and out of sight. In the morning it was very foggy and as I drove out I saw camels in the paddock by the campsite. I thought this must be a mirage caused by the fog.

Feb 13 I had a snack in Tumbarumba then parked by Mannus Creek to start my 2 day hike to Lankeys Creek. I would then have to walk the return back to my car.  Beyond the Lankeys Creek campsite the track is closed from last year's fires.  I walked 12.8 kms to Mundaroo campsite mainly on hilly logging roads, passing cleared and uncleared pine plantations. The campsite was a pleasant surprise as it was a clearing in native forest by a tiny creek, and there were lots of tiny birds.

Feb 14 Next day brought much better walking, in forest and crossing several creeks, then along a fence between native forest and pines. I saw an echidna which immediately ran and hid 

then a big brown snake. I had seen quite a number of kangaroos jumping off into the bush. There was some blackberry but this time I didn't mind because the plants were full of fruit. I stopped in the pine forest for coffee and went on, but after a while I realised I was going completely the wrong way and I had to backtrack to a brand spanking new stile I had missed.

I climbed in dry forest onto a ridge 

with amazing views down onto farmland, the Carboona Gap, and to mountains in the distance. 

But then I emerged to dry grassland full of thistles. These thistles were dead but dead thistles are extremely prickly. I went downhill to greener pasture with lots black cows, curious about me. I had to wade Copabella Creek 

and crossed more forest to Lankeys Creek. 

The route followed this creek on river flats. It had become very hot and I was exhausted as I trudged through paddocks (although the river flats were very beautiful) then had 3.5 kms of road to finish the day. A guy pulled up in his car and asked if I was going to the campsite and said he would visit later as he lived close. This was odd. He was surprised to hear I had camped there before without his knowledge - that was the night I came from Melbourne - and I soon realised  the campsite is on his land. And he has a camel trekking business.

 I cooled my feet in the creek after just under 30 kms and had a great starry night. 

Feb 15 The next morning the camel guy drove me back to my car which was great and saved me 2 days of walking. Then I did an out and back on the 5.5 kms section of track between Mannus Creek and Mannus Lake. I had my final blackberries of the trail. There were pelicans on the lake. I made a cup of coffee with lake water before seeing a sign warning about toxic algae and saying not to drink this water.

That afternoon I drove to Woomargama to embark on another section. I parked and walked 1.6 kms to Samuel Bollard campsite. It was a clearing in forest, very dusty and dry with a water tank and strangely the toilet was locked. This was a warm evening, good stars, deep red sky at sunset.

Next day I intended to walk east from SB to Tin Mines campsite (Lankeys Creek to Tin Mines is the closed section I mentioned) and then walk back to my car the day after. I've been doing the trail east to west but Tin Mines didn't appear to be accessible by 2WD.

Feb 16 The walk started on a logging road and some huge logging trucks came past. Then onto fire trails, much nicer. The route kept making turns, signed, but I had no idea where I was as the route on my gps was totally different. The trail must have been realigned. I followed the signs but it only takes one missing sign to get lost and sure enough this happened: after climbing a horrendous steep hill the dirt road abruptly ended. I backtracked, took the alternative track and luckily soon saw the markers again.

The track entered Woomargama National Park and climbed to a lookout on top of Mt Jergyle. I sat on a huge granite slab and had views towards Wagga 

and Canberra 

with lots of forested peaks in the foreground. All looked bluish in the heat haze. It was very warm and hard to get out of the sun. All the comfortable looking logs by the trail were in full sun. 

From the lookout I had 8 kms of descent among lovely grey gums, although the terrain was still very dry, to Tin Mines, which means there will be a long uphill tomorrow. Tin Mines campsite was very spread out and grassy with a swamp behind.  There was nobody else there until a family turned up, from Victoria and they had been booked on the same ferry to Tassie as me! 21 kms.

Feb 17 Next morning I started earlier and hurried uphill to Mt Jergyle. It was nice and cool, trees looking lovely in the sunshine, ferns, kangaroos, lots of noisy cockatoos. 

I stopped at the summit and, of all things, I rebooked my Tassie trip, while again enjoying the great view. Back on the descent I tried a different route, which was the gps route I had but not the signed route. It was all on logging roads. I went through an area closed because of logging activity, so I had to hide in the bush when a truck went by. This was dusty work and the heat was making me tired. It was a really undulating road, with some views towards the south and the mountains. Black clouds were gathering. I drove to Woomargama and was keen to stay at the motel. The Victorian lockdown was almost over which was a relief; I was no longer a fugitive.  22 kms

Feb 18 I returned by car to park near Samuel Bollard and start the 3 day final section of the track to Albury. The track went into forest and along a ridge on very nice single track, some views, descending to a gully at the confluence of 2 creeks, both dry, then climbing back up.

The next part I had read about: the untracked route follows a fence line and is a sea of thistles while on the other side of the fence (where I'm not supposed to go because it's private property) there is an old fire trail without thistles. Very soon I was bored with the thistles so I climbed over the fence and walked on the forbidden side. 

The trail finally came out onto open hillsides with lots of boulders and few trees. It was again hot and sunny but there was a slight breeze. I followed little paths and soon lost the main trail, but I wasn't worried because I could see Lake Hume in the distance and that was where I was headed. Actually I was looking at the upper reaches rather than where my destination lay but by the time I realised this I was back on track. The route crossed many stiles in various states of disrepair and the views of rounded hills and small dams were really pretty. But no cows today.

On the final stile was a sign saying the Hume and Hovell is closed annually along here all the way back to Lankeys Creek until Feb 28 because of fire risk. So I've done at least 2 naughty things today.

I had to walk another 8 kms on a bitumen road to the campsite which was hot work. I was pleased to arrive at this campsite on Lake Hume; it was a commercial camping ground and I was given a good grassy spot (freshly watered grass) overlooking the lake. 26 kms

Feb 19 It was already hot when I set out before 8am. I began with a nice 8 kms in a travelling stock reserve with rolling hills, sparse woodland, lots of cockatoos and parrots. More stiles.

The rest of the day was a hot trudge along quiet country roads. Occasional I had a stop to rest in the shade. Actually it became so boring I listened to a podcast while walking. I walked around Mt Budgingi and came to Table Top Reserve (town water and flush toilets) on Lake Hume, only 9 kms across the lake from last night but 23 kms of walking around the lake. It became windy and remained hot so I didn't do much.

Feb 20 Beautiful red sky at sunrise and I thought it might be a cooler day but again it was hot by 8.30am. I had 5 kms on bitumen road, some glimpses of the lake, then a stretch along a travelling stock reserve in wooded grassland, then I avoided new housing development by walking along a busy road, passing Albury airport. I had to walk along the bike path by the Riverina Hwy in blazing sunshine, then went down a trail in Mungabareena reserve by a channel of the Murray River, nice and shady. 

I climbed Eastern Hill and didn’t have to go far up for good views over surrounding hills and Albury and Wodonga. I descended to residential streets, crossed the Hume Hwy, booked a motel and walked to it. There I ate 2 bowls of cornflakes (the breakfast supplied by the motel). 

I left my pack there and did the final 2 kms of track, along the Murray to the Hovell Tree. Lots of people were swimming in the river. It was a relief to reach the tree

but a low key finish to the track. 28 kms today and 77 kms for this section.

Feb 21 I had to return to Samuel Bollard car park to collect my car. I took the bus from Albury to Woomargama

and the driver said this was the first time this year he was stopping there (it’s a request stop) and he called another driver to tell him about this. It was a very hot (34 degrees) 11 kms walk, 2 hours with a short break, right in the middle of the day. I was passed by a few cars but because it was Sunday there were mercifully no logging trucks.

Lerderderg Track, Feb 2021

 

Two major pluses about this three day hike: I have now completed the Great Dividing Trail (the Goldfields Trail which I finished last year formed the main part of this) and, of more significance, I did not fall over, trip or even merely stumble on this walk. No injuries, bruises, grazes or anything. 

This track starts nominally at Bacchus Marsh railway station but I skipped the first few kilometres because it would have been really dull and isn’t even signed, and Denis came with me to the entrance to Lerderderg State Park where the track really gets going. We had an undulating few kms on the Blackwood Ranges Track high above Lerderderg Gorge, grand views of forested mountains and a deep valley, and then he left me to continue alone. Pretty soon I was into forest and descended into Foxy Gully which was greener than the higher forest. I came up out of this gradually and got to the bare hillside where I had the steep climb up to Mt Blackwood; I had been here 3 weeks ago so didn’t bother to summit again. Once I descended I was able to walk in a new (to me) part of the park for a while.

I descended steeply to Whisky Creek. There was water in the creek - this is unusual - so I sat down there and made a cup of coffee. Then I had a steep climb back up and a long walk through dry forest. It seemed a shame that this track basically keeps to the tops as the gorge itself is wonderful. Picture from previous trip:

Camping opportunities are few and far between, actually barely any, and I ended up camping at Margarets Corner where I had camped on my previous trip, on exactly the same patch of grass. Just shows that I had chosen well last time.

My middle day of walking was the nicest. It started out misty and cool and remained cool to cold all day. I began with single track on Byers Back Track, along a forest shelf above the Lerderderg River. I was passed by several groups of runners. I had a lovely stretch along the river to Blackwood, now entering Wombat State Forest, and a long chat with one of the runners I had met just before. I made a coffee at Blackwood mineral springs park, and soon found myself buying a cookie at the Blackwood shop, just because it was there. And I was hungry.

After this I had a lot more track alongside the Lerderderg River, with lots of gold mining ruins. It was very green and damp and must have rained a lot recently. The creeks unexpectedly had water. 

The track was well signed with marker posts, but I had a problem in the afternoon: I came to a place where I could see the track clearly on my two gps apps but could not find the physical track even when I was apparently standing right on it. By coincidence two other walkers arrived just after me and, even with a different gps app, could not find the track. They opted to take a random track and left. I walked back and forth and then decided to cross the river and take a longer trail that would lead to the same destination eventually. But when I crossed the river I looked again at the map and saw that I could go back and more easily follow the gravel road close to the trail I couldn’t find, so I went back. As I got to the point where the track should have been (yet again!) I saw what could have passed for a log strategically placed across the creek. I wasn’t going to risk standing on the mossy log but I slid down the creek bank and crossed the creek, whereupon I could see a vague trail which became more of a real trail, mine.

I was planning to camp at Nolan’s Creek where I knew that there was a picnic area. When I got there it was a lovely grassy oasis by a gurgling creek but I could see that camping wasn’t allowed; I noticed a place in the forest across the road that had been used for camping and looked fine. There were two things stopping me: it was quite cold and only 3pm and I didn’t know how I would fill in the time until bedtime in the cold, and the campsite was in full view of the gravel road, busy with 4WDs, and I like to be more hidden when I camp alone. 

I sat for a long time having lunch and coffee, then decided to continue to Balts Camp, which is not a campsite but the disused location of a postwar refugee camp. I thought it would at least have flat ground, which was at a premium along the trail. The walk undulated through dry and then wet schlerrophyl and had a lot of muddy bits. Trail bikes had been through (illegally) and churned up the trail, which had then seen lots of rain that had filled the ruts. I saw a few kangaroos retreating into the bush as I came by. I only reached Balts at 7pm. I went down a trail behind the fireplaces, all that remains of the camp, and saw a group of people camped there; they barely noticed me and I walked a bit further and found a nice sheltered spot to camp. It was very windy.

In the morning it was cold and I walked in all the clothes I had with me. I followed gravel roads and bits of trail with a lot of turns - I could have been going round in circles for all I knew. I didn’t have breakfast at my campsite but waited until I reached my first creek, after about 3 kms. The forest was quite grey in the dull light and overcast day.

The highlight was crossing the Great Divide, and as I descended the forest took on a greener hue, also the sun started to emerge but the wind was cold. I came to Jubilee Lake and had been planning to stop there, but in the end I didn’t because I thought I was so close to my finish in Daylesford. There was a curious bridge across the outflow from the lake.

But I was not close to Daylesford. I had to walk a long and tedious path where there had been a railway line, lots of it infested by blackberry, and climb over Cornish Hill, passing mining relics. Then I came to the outskirts of Daylesford and the track markers vanished. I chose to call the central roundabout my finish line. I had walked a total of 79.5 kms over three days of 26 kms, 31.5 kms, 22 kms.

Penguin Cradle Trail (PCT) January 2021

I was keen to walk this trail because it sounded a bit different from the usual popular trails I do, more demanding but not impossibly hard. Also I liked the idea of going from A to B, in this case from Penguin on the north coast of Tasmania to Cradle Mountain National Park. The route has three distinct landscapes: the Dial Range, the Leven Canyon and the Black Bluff Range, each with its own character and challenges/difficulties. The walking club that cut the track in the 1970s and maintain it like to say that it is more than a 'sanitized' trail in the style of most Tasmanian, or Australian, trails (what they really mean is that there are no huts, toilets, formed steps or boardwalk on the route and some parts are downright dangerous) and it appears to attract only about 30 walkers who do the full 5 - 7 day distance each year.

22 January Penguin to Adit Creek (approx) 25.8 kms. I walked the road uphill out of Penguin to the trail's official start and took the alternative, 5 kms longer, route by going up onto the Dial Range and ascending Mt Dial and The Gnomon. Nice views of forested peaks and ridges and a rough scramble. Tyrone, who is my constant spiritual companion in Tasmania, only rates this bit of hiking a C, which is really a comment on the high quality of Tasmanian bushwalking. Back on the main route I came down into forest with tree ferns and I settled in by a creek for my first trail side coffee. Soon I was passed by 2 day hikers who explained they were related to the family who inspired the track and lake names of the area near Black Bluff where I would be walking in a few days. I got to the Leven River and walked the nicely named Lobster Creek Tramway along the river bank. He the river was wide, shallow and calm.

After lunch I had a massive hill to climb, the flank of Mt Lorymer, which went on and on until I got great views of the Dial Range and the coastline. This climb, I would soon realise, was just a small test and a warm up before I entered the Leven Canyon where the terrain would get serious. I intended to camp by Adit Creek where my route notes mentioned a suitable bit of ground but I didn’t see anywhere so I went on. For a while I pushed through head high ferns where I could feel the track underfoot but not see it. When I entered the forest and saw a patch of flat ground I immediately decided to make use of it, as there was a gurgling creek that I had recently passed.

23 January To Blackwood campsite 21 kms. It was warm and sunny, for which I was grateful as I would be starting the treacherous walk through the Leven Canyon, a place where dry ground would definitely be the better option. I made a steep descent to a lovely creek where I had breakfast and then I had several hours of easy walking, first on forestry roads where I saw a huge black snake, and then on the sealed roads across Gunns Plains. I was alongside the Leven River which was still calm and bucolic. It was hot work and I tried not to stop much.

I reached the trail into the canyon and was immediately forced to slow down, with short steep scrambles on loose dirt, loose rocks and some wet creek crossings. On one of these I fell when my pack suddenly swung off one shoulder and I didn’t like the drop I saw below. I was on the lookout for one especially dangerous section I had read about but there were several stretches of track that seemed unsafe due to sheer drops over cliff edges towards the river far below. There were intermittent fabulous views down to the river and even some easy bits at river level through the forest. 

Really it is amazing that someone can have thought it possible to cut a trail through here, and the nature of the terrain means the trail is very very narrow. When I came to the section after Tulip Tree Creek that I had heard about, a grassy embankment maybe 10 metres long with a sheer drop, I did not find it that scary until I turned around and looked at where I had just walked.

It took a long time to reach the campsite with many obstacles along the way, loose scree, sand and I was sure I must have passed it. But I got there eventually and it was a delightful clearing in the forest with blackwoods and ferns.

24 January To Leven Splits 8 kms.  This was an amazingly slow paced day for me, covering this distance in 7 1/2 hours and feeling exhausted afterwards. Sometimes the trail was extremely easy just following the river bank 

but it wasn’t often this straightforward. I had incredibly steep slopes with loose rocks or loose dirt where I slipped over and cliff crossings, some of which featured a long drop off to one side. There was often nothing to hang onto. The trail was well marked but there had been landslides and I came across plenty of fallen timber; some of the logs were so huge that it was hard to get over them even when a few notches had been carved for help. At one point I had to cross several rocky outcrops that were in the river (I scouted this out without my pack before doing it properly) and I was fortunate that the river level was low. Another time I had to use a thick rope to pull me up a slope.

Having followed the river for a while I then had to climb up out of the gorge to Griffiths Ridge, following a route that was right beneath high granite cliffs. I could see farmland and forested mountains beyond the ridge. I went up and up until I was 300 metres above the river. There was a little track to a lookout where I clambered on shaky slabs to peer down at the river and the Leven Falls and sheer rock faces across the gorge.

The descent was not pleasant. It was steep and twisting and slippery. I was most surprised to bump into two walkers who were heading from the Falls car park to Blackwood campsite apparently as a return day trip; they were horrified when I said I was 5 hours' walk from Blackwood at that point. I got right back down to the river and sat for a while above the falls. The river makes a surprising right angled turn here and the track took me to a bridge across Leven Splits where the river torrent is dramatic.

I stopped at the first possible campsite, among fern trees and by a pretty pebbly beach on the river, which was now tranquil again. I was now exiting the gorge and the PCT was going to begin its third phase, hopefully with less danger but I knew there were big climbs ahead into the alpine lands. 

25 January To Paddy’s Lake 11 kms. My day started with a steep climb into a forest of ferns. The ferns were taller than me and completely obscured the track so I had to follow the orange markers on the trees and feel for the track underfoot. But it was a beautiful place, so vividly green.

I had a bit of road walking and then crossed the Leven River, said farewell, and embarked on the relentless 3 kms climb up Black Bluff. I went up Black Bluff last year with Tyrone's promise of an A grade walk but the weather was bad and I had no view at the top. This climb, through ti tree, goes on and on with very little of interest until you reach Paddy’s Lake sitting on a shelf below the peak. I had a few spots of rain and hoped the weather would not worsen.

I planned to camp by the lake so I dropped off my pack and continued up the rock strewn trail to the summit. It was becoming really windy. At the top I couldn’t find any shelter from the wind except by ignoring the view. The view towards Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff was wonderful but I didn’t linger long.

By the time I got back to the lake the wind was much worse so I thought I had better put up the tent. I held on tight so it wouldn’t blow into the lake and tried to hold the ends down with rocks but there weren’t many rocks there. I got inside fairly soon. There was no question of being able to cook so I ate wraps with tuna. In the night the wind was ferocious and the tent flapped like crazy even though I had tightened everything as much as I could. A bit of rain blew in under the fly but otherwise the tent passed its first serious test. I didn’t sleep much because of the noise of the wind and because I was concerned that I was too close to the lake and might end up in it.

26 January To Fourways 20 kms. I had to make a decision first thing whether it would be ok to carry on as I had to cross alpine areas where it would be dangerous in low visibility, but my decision was coloured by feeling that it would be too unpleasant to spend a day by the lake in the still strong wind. I could see as far as Black Bluff so I thought that indicated I would be able to go ahead. I took down the tent very carefully, again so as not to lose it, and left the campsite without breakfast, planning to stop at the next campsite after 9 kms, where I could again assess the day.

The first few kms were quite miserable as I trudged along a sodden path, more of a creek really, and brushed against endless spiky scoparia bushes. I was climbing along the Black Bluff Range but I could see nothing, although I had no problem following the route marker poles. Luckily very few of them had fallen over or broken. It wasn’t raining but the wind was cold. I cheered up when it appeared the sun might come out and the clouds seemed to break up, but this never lasted, however my cheering up did last with my forward movement; nobody wants to be stuck for a day in a forlorn campsite.

As I approached Bare Mountain campsite (the name says it all) the weather really was improving and I could see hillsides around me. I stopped for breakfast at the campsite. When I left I was soon startled by a skinny grey snake on the trail. The outlook improved considerably as I walked along. I was in typical Tassie alpine scenery: button grass, strewn rocks, mud, low bushes and distant peaks. I had views of Cradle Mountain and one fleeting view of Barn Bluff before the clouds swallowed it.

I crossed the Cradle Mountain road and continued sidling a series of peaks. The route was undulating without serious hilliness. I could look down on Lake Lea (very large), Pencil Pine River (flowing fast) and a lot of moorland. Then I passed under the bulk of Mt Beecroft, which I would have climbed in better weather. I had a lengthy zigzag down from the heights and meandered along to Fourways campsite.

The campsite was tiny, surprisingly, with an alcove for a small tent and a small dining/cooking area. Perfect for one person and I was not expecting company. The log book showed the last person had been there on 6 Jan (not a PCT walker). In late afternoon there was finally a hint of blue sky.

I did get a visitor in the night, though. A small animal, maybe a quoll, tried to grab my pack from the vestibule. This gave me a chance to admire the night sky and this was my only night sky with stars.

27 January To Cradle Mountain ranger station 10 kms. I had a perfect bluebird day for my last day on the trail. I crossed a river junction at the real Fourways and continued into myrtle forest. It was lovely with the dappled sunlight. I had the greatest navigational problems here of the entire trail, it’s hard to see why because the route was easy and well marked but I several times found myself off the trail and once I was going backwards! The only obstacle was a nasty log bridge crossing with a hand wire that was in such a position I felt it was pushing me off the (high) bridge as I walked across. 

I came out onto Speelers Plains, a 3 kms expanse of button grass to cross. I stopped by a creek in the beautiful weather to lounge and drink coffee, although the wasps and March flies dampened my fun. I had a great view of part of Cradle Mountain.

Then I returned into forest for the final push. I soon came to civilisation in the form of a boardwalk amd then the paved road. The trail seemed to end there but with no official sign (in keeping with the nature of this trail I guess) so I decided to make my own finish line and I walked on to the Cradle Mountain National Park ranger station a few minutes away. Done. There was a shuttle bus conveniently waiting there to take me to the main visitor centre where I could organise my next activity. I had lunch there and booked a hotel room - another 2 kms to walk!

The following day the weather was still perfect, although a little windy, and I decided to do the overnight Lake Rodway hike. I had wanted to do this for a long time. It’s only 16 kms the whole loop and I planned for a very short first day and then to sit in the sunshine at the campsite.

I took the shuttle bus to Dove Lake and started from the lake shore, soon leaving it to climb towards Hanson Peak. This was to be a day of many lakes. First lake: Hanson Lake:

The path undulated a fair bit but I wasn’t going over the peak. Another lake:

Then the prettiest lakes of all, Twisted Lakes. Two were to one side of the trail:

and there was a third one below Little Horn:

After this I had a long downhill to Lake Rodway and walked along the lake to the campsite by Scott Kilvert hut. Just in case, there was a helipad by the hut. I put up my tent on the sleeping platform furthest from the hut and spent a nice afternoon lying on the platform reading a book on my phone. I was directly beneath the back side of Cradle Mountain.

In the night the wind really picked up and by the time I got up it was so strong I had to go and cook/eat breakfast inside the hut. I walked initially in forest and then on the open tops climbing away from the lake. I couldn’t see Cradle Mountain at all and the lake looked black against a backdrop of faintly visible mountains.

I stayed on the tops for a while until I joined the Overland Track heading back towards Dove Lake. There was little visible but I did get the view over the Fury River gorge far below. The track was increasingly sodden but there was plenty of boardwalk but sadly I was heading directly into the fierce wind. I passed several day walkers who did not look at all happy or well equipped for the conditions. I was pleased to reach Kitchen Hut and I went inside to make a cup of coffee. This hut is a new replica of the hut we sheltered in on our first ghastly day on the Overland Track in 1985.

I stopped briefly at Marions Lookout then took the very steep Link Track down to Dove Lake. From there I walked the lake shore, passing the boathouse, back to the shuttle bus.

The weather was better the next day but not great for views. I did a loop from Ronny Creek past Lake Lilla and Wombat Pool up to a viewpoint above Crater Lake and returned on the Overland Track. In the late afternoon I went back to Ronny Creek to see the wombats that come out of their holes to feed when it cools down. Most of them kept well away from the boardwalk but a few seemed to be keen to stay near it.

The following day I did an out and back from Ronny Creek on the Horse Track to Crater Peak. This was a long steady uphill but there was nobody on the trail. At the top I was surprised to see several groups of walkers. There was a good view over Crater Lake and across to Dove Lake.

Walk into History, December 2020

 The Walk into History between Powelltown and Warburton was to be my final multi day hike for the year. About 50 kms with one monster hill. The highlight of the walk for me were the incredible and profuse tree ferns. (The walk has this grand, or maybe silly, name because it follows the route of logging tramways from last century and there are bits of logging paraphernalia around the place.) What an eventful year it had been and I was glad I could tackle this walk with a healed ankle. Before going on this walk I had done a few shorter hikes, my venues chosen by the need to use up various credits and vouchers. 

I walked the O’Keefe Rail Trail between Heathcote and Bendigo over two days, a logistical challenge since I wanted to stay overnight in Bendigo, and I ended up walking from Axedale to Bendigo then from Heathcote to Axedale, where I had left my car. It was very hot and a lot of the trail was quite exposed but some parts were pretty.

The highlight of the route was definitely the Campaspe River in Axedale:

I did a day walk from Ballarat to the top of Mount Buninyong and back to Buninyong town, completing the Goldfields Track. The backstreets and suburbia around Ballarat were nothing special but once I got onto the hillsides of Mt Buninyong the walk was very nice, through forest and all really green.

 I almost forgot to climb the lookout tower; as I was leaving the picnic area at the summit where there is no view I suddenly decided to see if there was a viewpoint anywhere and I noticed the tower, which gave an excellent view towards Mt Arapiles.

I also returned to Mount Macedon to repeat the route that I ran there a couple of years ago. Luckily for me the trail up to the Memorial Cross had recently been cleared. I was surprised how cold it was up there, and then it was really hot when I returned into town.

So I was all set for the Walk into History. Denis took me to Powelltown because there isn’t any public transport there and it is hard to turn this walk into a loop. We had some difficulty finding the start of the walk but after a while we headed into the forest and located the trail. As soon as Denis left me the trail showed its true colours with short sharp descents to creeks and masses of downed trees and branches. The whole hike was an obstacle course and it was obvious there had been no trail maintenance this (covid) year. There were many creek crossings on log bridges.

It was very peaceful among the tall mountain ash and I didn’t see anyone until my break at the High Lead car park. There I saw a guy just starting out in the same direction as me and looking for the trailhead; initially neither of us could see it and he decided to bush bash until he found the trail while I walked twenty metres up the road and found it.

After an easy few kms I reached the base of the big hill, the High Lead Incline. This was a massive climb, an ascent of 420 metres over 1.5 kms. The trail was dead straight and headed into the sky. I would hate to do it in the other direction. There was no view at the top. Still in forest and with sections of boardwalk by a creek I came to the site of Ada #2 Mill, my campsite for the night. This was a little clearing with a couple of camping platforms. I’ve never used a platform before so this was a new experience and it meant, after my sloping nights on the Hume & Hovell, that I was assured of a flat night. I got there at 4pm and at 6pm I saw the guy from the car park arrive, turn around and leave; he didn’t see me. 18 kms.

The second day I walked to the Ada Tree, one of the biggest trees (mountain ash) in Victoria:

On the way I had to cross the Little Ada River where the stepping stones were under water, so I got wet feet, and I passed another cute campsite at the Federal Mill site. I met some hikers who were doing a day walk but had larger packs than mine. I sat for a while at the Ada Tree then completed the loop back to Federal Mill, then continued towards Starlings Gap. The tree ferns were wonderful all day long and I walked along a ridge for a long time with views of forested mountains. I crossed numerous creeks and negotiated dozens of obstacles. I didn’t see any animals (apart from many leeches) but I heard lots of noisy cockatoos, kookaburras and parrots.

It started raining as I reached Starlings Gap, a large grassy campsite. There were five other tents there. It was early but I didn’t feel like doing much in the rain once I had toured the logging memorabilia and I completely forgot to look for the sawdust heap marked on the map. 17 kms.

In the morning it was raining lightly and quite cold so I walked with all my clothes on. The path through the tree ferns was very damp and I was glad of my rain pants even though the rain soon stopped. I had a gentle downhill with plenty more fallen trees until I came to Big Pats Creek camping area. There was a huge, seemingly permanent, tent there with a lot of coughing coming from the inside and two male voices.  I made a cup of coffee, removed an accumulation of leeches, and went on my way. I was soon on a minor road leading to Warburton (no view of Donna Buang due to low cloud) and came to the Yarra River; it is very narrow and full of rapids along here. I took a shortcut over a substantial hill and reached the outskirts of Warburton in sunshine, but five minutes after getting inside the cafe it started pouring. 18 kms.