2025 Victorian Goldfields Camp

Victoria Goldfields Camp  15 – 24 March 2025   Courtesy Walk Leaders, Gay and Tom.

Photos courtesy Gay, Erika, Philip, Mary, James, Peter, Lenore, Tony, Max, Helen, Karen, Barry K, and Kaye.

The Goldfields Track from Ballarat to Bendigo is 210kms in length, made up of four interlinked tracks – Eureka, Wallaby, Dry Diggings and Leanganook Track. 20 members joined Leaders Gay and Tom for the 9 day camp – based in Creswick for the first 4 days, and relocated to Castlemaine for the remaining 5 days.

The program was made possible with the help of Track Maintenance Volunteer, Bill, who is based in Ballarat. Bill was always ready to advise on track closures, using his network of contacts in the region and provide guidance on the best program (and most interesting) walks for our group. Our appreciation was shown with a small gift of local produce from the Eurobodalla Shire.


Day1, Creswick Heritage Loop – Sunday 16 March
Due to predicted rain, the program was changed slightly and 18 walkers completed the 8.5km Creswick Heritage Loop. The showers cooled the temperature significantly from the previous 30 degree days, and despite having to wear full rain gear, everyone was happy to get walking. This loop starts with a wander through the grounds of the old Forestry School, now University of Melbourne’s Creswick campus. The trail links with a landcare trail which has tiles with environmental messages made by students. The group took shelter in some relocated 19th century stables for a morning tea break and continued on to the 2km La Gerche trail winding through a wide diversity of conifers and an extensive oak gully, established over 140 years ago. Emerging out of the gully it was an uphill walk to Brackenbury Hill Lookout with views across the surrounding countryside. Downhill brought us back to St Georges Lake and what we thought was another group of bushwalkers, ended up being a group with remote controlled cars completing a circuit around the Lake. We pushed on in front, as they were rather slow and headed back into Creswick to complete the loop.


Day 2, Wombat Forest Walk (Wallaby Track) – Monday 17 March
Two groups headed out to complete today’s walks. Nine walkers completed 17.5kms taking in the Andersons Tramway walk which criss-crosses a 19th century tramway system used to carry logs felled in the Wombat Forest to a sawmill in Barkstead. After an uphill section reclaiming old logging roads with new plants, walkers emerged into a clearing in the forest with a gold sluicing dam containing very little water due to lack of rain over the past few months.

The Medium walkers continued onto the rotunda built on the grassy platform of a long gone railway station, which is where the 10 Easy/Medium walkers started and walked through to Sailors Falls about 11.5 kms.

The feature from the Rotunda is the railway cutting with walls on either side rising to well over 20metres at points. The cutting is about 1km through 500 million year old bedrock. It was impressive. At Sailors Falls everyone tasted the mineral springs water from a purpose built tap. Tasted just like sparkling mineral water!


Day 3, Miners Walk (Eureka Track) -Tuesday 18 March

Today’s walk started off with great expectations with Barry B expecting to find gold with his trusty tool (!). But after a miserable performance, and with mutterings from the rest about being cold, we headed off up the hill to warm up. But the Leader wasn’t satisfied the group was warm enough and made them back track up a hill for a short distance to double check a marker. Stopping for morning tea at a clearing off the track, it wasn’t long before a cry was heard, and lo and behold, James had found gold… a $1 coin! Philip found an old plant pot but decided wisely not to carry it out. With all walkers now getting into the swing of it, a very pleasant couple of hours were enjoyed following tracks through remnants of diggings, narrow water races and sluicing dams. The Leader, Gay, had one heart stopping moment as all walkers wandered off track to view an old dam to feed sluicing downstream only to realise there were a lot of mine shafts in the area. Once spotted everyone was super careful and got back to the track safely and tended to stay on track!

Lunch was held in Slaty Creek campground with amenities and picnic tables before tackling the track up to Humburg Hill. No views but clear evidence of mining on an industrial scale. Blue Waters was the last feature on the walk, and we were a little disappointed. The water was green! It was a large gravel pit, that was dredged to gain access to gold buried deep under the basalt lava flow. Only a couple of hundred meters brought the group back to St Georges Lake where cars were parked for the car shuffle necessary on this walk. Six keen members walked another couple of kilometres back into Creswick to complete 16kms.

This was the last walk in the Creswick area, with perfect weather, the entire group together and no-one fell down a shaft. To celebrate we all enjoyed a dinner at the Farmers Arms Hotel in Creswick.

Day 4 – Wednesday 19 March
We farewelled six of the group and the rest of us packed up and moved 50 odd kms up the road to Castlemaine.

Day 5, Coliban Water Walk (Leanganook Track) – Thursday 20 March
Again rain was threatening, so the program was adjusted accordingly. The group drove up to Mt Alexander and spent 30 minutes wandering around Langs Lookout before joining up with Gay and Tony who had dropped a vehicle at the track’s end. The Coliban water walk follows an ingenious system of gravity-fed channels and aqueducts built in 1870 to provide water to Bendigo. We were all suitably impressed by the 10kms of the water course which we walked. We had to go over two tunnels – Wirths (623m long) and Brennans (450m long) complete with air vents, thus a couple of hills for some cardio exercise. All agreed the most impressive feature along our walk was the Womans Gully waterfall and Cuneens Gully waterfall. The water rushes down a steep chute to a semi-circular structure that dissipates the force of the water. Indeed very ingenious!

It was mentioned more than once that li-lo’s or rubber rings would have been a nice way to experience the water channel, but no one had a solution for getting out of the channel before the falls and dissipators. And just for something different two members were buying and selling houses on the walk – aren’t we a flexible lot. We managed to dodge most of the rain, and just made it to the end and a large shelter before the main downpour.

Day 6, Golden Mountain Walk (Dry Diggings Track)– Friday 21 March
After a very heavy downpour in Castlemaine the night before, the day dawned fresh and partly cloudy. Fourteen walkers headed off on the 12km walk starting from Porcupine Ridge Road heading north towards Vaughan Springs. This section of the goldfields track traverses narrow, high-walled gullies pockmarked with mine shafts and stone ruins. The trail meandered through Browns, Stones and Sailors Gullies offering an insight into a century and a half of old mining, slowly decaying and the abandoned landscape is returning to bush. Tail End Charlie was kept on her toes on this walk trying to keep all the walkers on track and not falling down a mine shaft, while the Leader, Tom, walked on oblivious to the goings on behind him. Several old chimneys were spotted and inspected on the walk and a few walkers tested out the depths of shafts with rocks.

The final walk into Vaughan Springs picnic area was picturesque along a bridle path and following old drystone walling along the Lodden River.

While four went off to get the cars, the remaining walkers amused themselves by making use of the big slide. Some were more skilled than others with a couple, who shall remain nameless, getting rather muddy bums, because they didn’t stop in time. A fun way to finish an excellent day of walking.

Day 7, Heritage Park Walk (Leanganook Track)  – Saturday 22 March 
Today’s walk started at the grand foundations of the Garfield Water Wheel. The wheel revolved in accordance with the force of water supplied, one turn in each 45 seconds drove the fifteen head battery at a rate of 70 to 86 falls per minute. However, the walkers seemed to be more interested in the free packs of cards and jigsaws on the wheel steps rather than the historical artefact. Go figure!

The whole group was out walking today for the 5km loop up to the Nimrod Mine Reef and Welsh St Village. A few hills got everyone warmed up very quickly on this picture perfect autumn morning and once we arrived at the Welsh St village, all were happy to wander around the ruins of the old huts while partaking of some light morning refreshment. Back along the trails to the car park only to find it packed with a large group of orienteers. Also spotted on the trails were the CFA and SES completing some training and doing a spot of abseiling in the slate quarry. The rest of the day was free for everyone to explore Castlemaine or wile the afternoon in a relaxing stupor.

Day 8, Cry Joe Walk (Dry Diggings Track) – Sunday 23 March
The final walk of the camp had thirteen walkers head out to Fryerstown, the beginning of the Cry Joe Walk. Why “Cry Joe”? Well apparently, from 1851, mining gold without a licence was illegal. When troopers or licence inspectors were on the goldfields, the diggers’ warned of their approach by the rowdy cry of “Joe, Joe, Joe!” or “Charlie Joe”. The Spring Gully mine is on the walk and is one of the most famous mines in the Castlemaine District. Interpretative boards guided us through the three sections of the Spring Gully Mines dating from 1898 to 1939. The high stone loading ramp from which quartz was fed into a stamping battery for crushing at the Company Mine was very impressive.

Walkers followed the deeply eroded Cobblers Gully for a good kilometre before heading uphill to Dingo Park fence where we were greeted with many dingoes howling at the Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation & Wildlife Education Centre and we were pleased they were behind a big fence. Upward to an old-stone wall which was part of a paddock used to keep the mine horses.

Walkers wound their way around the base of The Monk and 10 decided to go the last 250 metres up to the summit. Great views from the top and lots of flying bull ants so we kept our distance. At the bottom of The Monk, it was time for a spot of lunch altogether at the 8kms mark, before the Medium walkers headed south following the Poverty Gully water race and walked 8 kilometres into Castlemaine. The easy/medium walkers headed north for a few kilometres back into Chewton and completed the car shuffle.

Final few words
A very successful and enjoyable camp – didn’t lose anyone down a mine shaft, not a single snake spotted and lots of chatter and laughs. Thanks to Bill from Ballarat for his assistance and our trusty reference book always in Gay’s hand – “Goldfields Track, Walk or Ride Guide”. Thanks to everyone for being such a great group and your patience with the car shuffles!

Gay and Tom

Lunch by the Lake

Saturday 22 March 2025

Photos courtesy of Rodney. Walk report courtesy walk leader Rodney.

This relatively short 5.5km walk started late in the morning at the Durras Lake Boat Ramp. The kangaroos scattered in all directions as thirteen walkers headed out of the village on the firebreak behind the houses, up to Fern Drive and then on to Durras Lake via the old tip site and disused gravel quarry area. Some very light rain cooled the group down as they climbed the narrow and sometimes steep track through the old quarry workings. They observed the new casuarina plantings on the old tip site and the secondary forest growth through much of the heavily logged areas.

Then followed a pleasant walk along the ridge top to Punt Arm and lunch by the Lake, as promised. The sun came out for the return journey at a lower level through some of the remaining original forest on the edge of the Durras Lake Wetlands, where some impressive swamp gums are still standing. During one brief stop on the return leg we realised that more than half the group were octogenarians. That, we felt, was quite an endorsement of bushwalking for fitness!

Ringlands Narooma Circuit

Saturday 8 March 2025

Photos courtesy of Peter and MaryT. Walk report courtesy of Walk leaders Ed and KarenG.

Twelve member walkers and two visitors made an early start to the drive to the Ringlands Narooma Circuit: a pretty and varied walk, popular with club. The walk began with a 1.5 kilometre trudge up Flying Fox Road until turning off to amble along the waters edge of Wagonga Inlet from Shell Point to Flying Fox Bay.

Our walk was mostly uneventful except we did attract the attention of two fenced Maremma dogs, keen to protect their free ranging chickens, prior to leaving the road. While we were enjoying our morning tea a friendly seal started waving to the group. Some of us were a bit surprised at the number of oyster beds along the way, though we were uncertain about whether their number had grown or whether they were simply more visible due to the low tide.

We lunched at Picnic Point on Ringlands Bay, seated on a large fallen log overlooking the waters. By time we reached the small remnant of rainforest with its two large fig trees, we were super glad of the shaded cool it provided. From there it was, thankfully, only a short walk back up to our cars for our tired, but happy walkers.

Skid Ridge Road to Myrtle Beach

Thursday 27 February 2025

Photos courtesy of Amanda, Brian, Priya and Lenore. Walk report courtesy of Walk Leader Lenore.

There were 14 keen starters for this walk on this warm, overcast and humid summer day. We made our way along undulating shaded fire trails, some well established and others well disguised. A few small detours were required to get around fallen timbers and overgrown bush. The trail through the coastal spotted gums with their individual forms was beautiful. This lead us onto Myrtle Beach where a few took the opportunity to refresh with a swim in the beautiful ocean.

“Big tree” was impressive with its great girth. This opened the questions to Ian, our forestry guru which enabled a pause for knowledge as well as breath.
I think all were happy to return to the cars at the end of a solid day out, thanks to all.

Bimberamala Gold Mine Exploration

Wednesday 5 March 2025

Photos courtesy of Amanda and Rob.   Walk report courtesy of Walk Leader Rob.

Seven club walkers, including two visitors, did the walk to the Bimberamala Mine on a bright sunny day with welcome low-20’s temperatures.

In 2022 we hiked to the mine and met a 4WD camper at the river crossing who told us about a boiler on the river bank 300m upstream. I planned to visit the Bimberamala Mine and try and find the boiler he described. On Monday 3rd I led an exploratory walk to the river with Donna, Amanda and Lenore to find the boiler. We started on Browns Gully Firetrail and then onto a very overgrown CPT482/1 track before descending to the river and heading downstream. This was a beautiful stretch of the river with river gums, large pools and rocky beaches plus the odd steep cliff scramble. Two kilometres later while stumbling through thick bracken on a river bend Donna spotted the boiler. I was very relieved to make the find as we were all exhausted from the hike and continuous removal of aggressive leeches in the wet vegetation.

I sent some photos of the boiler to a friend at the Moruya Antique Tractor Association who informed me it was not just a boiler but a full steam engine. An internet search revealed a similar model in a museum in England

On our hike today we visited the mine and our visitors were impressed by the cool breeze coming from the Adit (horizontal mine shaft) which I explained came from the vertical mine shafts upslope that the adit intersected. The mine was too wet to explore and the leeches were starting to come out in full force.

We crossed the creek from the mine and saw the abandoned gold stamper battery. This then raised the question – why was the steam engine that would have powered the stamper located almost 1km away on the river itself down a steep track? Mining stopped in 1915 so this is a 100 year old mystery, but here is my hypothesis. We have seen other stampers at remote gold mines which assume were abandoned when the gold ran out and considering their heavy weight were too expensive to cart to another location. The attached picture shows what one of these portable steam engines looked like so being portable could have been pulled back along the track by horses or bullocks. Why they left it on the bank of the river so close (300m) to the road that could have been used to take it back to Nelligen who knows. Today we view the steam engine as a rusting engine whose wheels and flywheel as well as other pieces of the machine were stolen over the last 100 years.

We have mapped the location of the steam engine and it will be added to future walks to the Bimberamala mine.

Durras Lake and Discovery Trail

Sunday 2 March 2025

Photos courtesy of KarenM.   Walk report courtesy Walk Leader Glenn.

The group enjoyed a pleasant morning walk following the track beside Durras Lake, stopping for morning tea before going onto the Discovery Trail.
Through the wooden gate and we discovered schools of fish in the little creek. Following the track past Cabbage Tree palms and spotted gums we reached a area with a spectacular view over the gully taking in the trees on the opposite side.
Upon completing the Discovery Trail loop we followed the track back along the lake to the cars. A great start to the day.

Long Beach to Judges Beach Return

Saturday 22 February 2025

Photos courtesy of BrianM, KarenM. Walk report courtesy of Walk Leader KarenM.

Long Beach to Judges Beach is a 10 km Easy/Medium grade circuit walk. On Saturday the temperature was forecast to be 28 deg C, so we tackled the hills and the forest section first before it got too steamy. However, by the time we reached the coast again at Judges Beach, we were already starting to feel the heat. We took a break on the beach to cool down and then made our way back along the Murramarang South Coast track to the Maloneys Beach trackhead.

The final leg was along Maloneys Beach and under the cliffs at low tide to Long Beach where we were able to enjoy the breeze. Several walkers took advantage of the perfect conditions at Long Beach to have a swim, followed by a picnic lunch in the shade.

Munjip Trail – Malua Bay to Mosquito Bay Loop

Wednesday 19 February 2025

Photos courtesy of DonnaG.  Walk report courtesy DonnaG.

Eight walkers, including three visitors, met at Malua Bay Surf Club for the start of Jenny’s Munjip Trail walk. Munjip is now the new official name of the Batemans Bay Coastal Headlands Walking Trail that spans the coastal area from Observation Point at Batehaven to McKenzies Beach to the south. On this particular day we walked from Malua Bay and headed north to Mosquito Bay. For a summer’s day the weather was quite cool with overcast skies however it was a welcome change to hot and humid weather.

Jenny led us along the track where we were able to check out newly constructed bridges and steps. The upgrade to the track is very impressive and there are a number of safety rails at various lookout points along the way however a few precarious spots were given a wide berth. Jenny’s impeccable timing meant that not only were we able to descend the steep steps down onto Mosquito Bay and the surrounding rock platforms without getting wet, but we arrived around to the nearby café just in time for a great morning tea spot on the verandah.

After resting at this rather civilised and upmarket morning tea location it was time to hit the trail again, this time taking the pedestrian path back down to our starting point. Thanks Jenny for this lovely morning walk it was great to get back out for just the second walk of the year.

Pigeon House Mountain Didthul Walking Track

Sunday 16 February 2025

Photos courtesy of Philip and Erika, Amanda, and Gay. Walk report courtesy of Walk Leaders Philip and Erika.

Commencing our walk on a cool and clear summer morning, we zig-zagged up the first section of the track. After negotiating the sandstone steps, we stopped for morning tea on a broad rock outcrop with a fabulous view across the coastal fringe to the ocean beyond. After morning tea, it was a few more steps, then some easy walking across the flat middle section of the track. But the easy walking didn’t last long, and soon we were onto the many, many (recently upgraded) steps that took us to base of the first ladder.

The final climb to the summit was up several tiers of steep steel ladders and staircases to the lookout platform, 720m above sea level. Our reward was beautiful panoramic views in all directions, a slight breeze and warm sunshine.
Once we had finished taking in the perfect views, pointing out landmarks and taking photos, we climbed back down to the bottom of the stairs and ladders. From there we retraced the route back to the ‘morning tea’ spot, and stopped for lunch.
Following lunch it was down more steps, along the windy track and back to the start of the walk.

Narooma Inlet Social Walk and Lunch at Narooma Golf Club

Thursday 13 February 2025

Photos courtesy of KarenM, DonnaG and Max. Walk Report courtesy Walk Leader KarenM.

The first walk of 2025 was a social walk in Narooma – starting at the Boardwalk on the north side of Wagonga Inlet and finishing at the Golf Club, where we had lunch.

This short easy walk gets lovelier every time we visit. We started by watching a couple of fur seals playing in the shallows next to the boat ramp with a third hauled up under a mangrove nearby.

The Boardwalk skirts the inlet and leads to a shared path over the bridge to Narooma’s new Inlet Living Shoreline development. Here the existing failing rock wall has been replaced with banks of low-growing riparian vegetation to create an environmentally friendly seawall. There’s also a new boardwalk, jetty and pontoon to explore.

The path continues past the commercial jetty, with its charter and dive boats and where the giant stingrays and a few more playful seals hang out around the fish cleaning table. We stopped at the nearby park for a break before walking out to the southern breakwall. Here we found the big rock with a hole roughly the shape of Australia in it, and quite a few more seals, either sunbaking along the breakwall or frolicking in the current.

From there we climbed the stairs to the lookouts with fantastic views of the coast north and south, and over the inlet. Then we skirted the golf course which is situated along the cliffline, and finished at the Golf Club.