Tag Archives: bushwalk

Walks, Blog

Motschall Track to Rob Roy, Panton Hill

Leave a comment
A fine walk through the rural scenery of Panton Hill, and it’s only 6km long. I got this walk from the Eltham Environs Walking Group.

Walking along Motschall Track you follow a scenic dry stream along the road. The left turn to the connecting track is clearly marked. This part was the highlight of the walk and where we encountered our first cyclist on a walk.

Approaching Clintons Road the track borders on a carefully manicured large private property. Next the path crosses a very neat gravel driveway and continues on up the hill. Here you can walk on the road or to avoid the ten cars we saw you can use the foot track all the way to Broad Acres Road which is at the high corner of the riding club facility.

Optional Rob Roy Hill

Once you reach Rob Roy Road there is an optional leg to go up and down Rob Roy Hill Climb. As we were running behind time it was left out.

Riding Club

The track finishes near the riding club and before here we encountered five more cyclists! So once you get to Broad Acres Road you are walking on a road again, but this gravel road is very quiet and we encountered no traffic at all.

Back to the Car Park

Reaching the car we found the “car park” almost full, with people about to go gold panning. There is some gold still there but it’s more recreation than anything else. Probably more successful than going fishing.

As the walk is only one and a half hours long, you can go on another one; or do what we did and have a pint and lunch at the nearby Panton Hill Hotel.

Walk Description

From the Eltham Environs Walking Group, walk 50M. Mel 264 E9.

Motschall Track to Rob Roy, Panton Hill. Commences from the corner of Motschall, Broad Acres and Long Gully Rds. Walk 1km along Motschalls Rd to a point where the road veers south (on the right, high on a hill, is an old shed). Take the track to the left of the road across a culvert, tracking for 1km through to an easement adjacent to the property at 290 Clinton Rd. Turn left along Clintons Rd for 200m to Rob Roy Rd.

Optional

Turn right, up hill to end of Rob Roy Rd (there is a sealed driveway on your left leading to a two-storey house).

To return to the cars, retrace steps to Clinton Rd, turn right and walk along verge of Clintons Rd for 1km, noting the St Andrews Pony Club on the left, then turn left into Broad Acres Rd, proceeding a further 2.3km.

Gradient Profile

Using the SHealth app that comes with the Samsung S5 a graph is generated of various statistics of your walk.

Map

The Photos

Walks, Blog

Cassell Road, Research Walk

Leave a comment
This is a walk that can be done if there is less than an hour.

There are some great views to be had, and you get to see a local curiosity, the elevated water main tank, up close.

The Esplanade has some lovely quaint dwellings and along Cassell Road the properties are huge.

Walk Description

This walk starts anywhere along Ingrams Road and you can include an optional short walk along the Esplanade. Next walk up the hill towards Cassell Road. Follow this road until you finally meet up with Main Road.

Follow Main Road down the hill until reaching Ingrams Road and then continue to the start of the walk.

The Photos

Walks, Blog, Glenn's Blog

Masons Falls Circuit walk

Leave a comment
A walk not too far from Eltham, the wonderful Masons Falls Circuit in Kinglake West.

Mason Falls Circuit at Kinglake.
Mason Falls Circuit at Kinglake.

This walk is a good 13km from start to finish and it winds its way through a variety of terrain and scenery.

The first part following Sugarloaf Ridge Track was a pleasing descent through the burnt remains of gum trees. Green was everywhere and the forest has recovered well from the bush fires of 2009.

Next begins the descent down towards Running Creek. At the end is a beautiful place where the track meets Running Creek and it’s a great place for a break.

The Tryst and Hazel Glade

After resting at The Tryst, we continued on to Hazel Glade and Ferny Nook. These places are marked with signs and the book has a great photo of Hazel Glade and I assume that the fires made the areas look just like everywhere else instead of a track enclosed beautifully by trees and ferns.

Hazel Glade in 2005.
Hazel Glade in 2005.

A short distance after Ferny Nook the tracks climbs up and higher than the Masons Falls lookout. This was a long climb and it seemed much longer and steeper than it actually was. A few walkers from the Masons Falls car park had the sense not to descend too far down the hill, it’s a long way back!

Masons Falls

Masons Falls are just beautiful and are well worth the effort. You can also drive to them and have a nice picnic. In fact, this would be a better starting place than the Blackwood Picnic area that the book suggests. As the falls are fed by a small stream they are best viewed after a heavy rainfall.

Gradient profile for the Mason Falls Circuit at Kinglake.
Gradient profile for the Mason Falls Circuit at Kinglake.

 

Lyrebird Circuit and History

After Masons Falls is a pleasing loop which takes you past a nice stream and then the historical site of Carman’s Mill. The only thing left is a sawdust mound; and this was well overgrown. Further along and across the stream is the start of the tramway which transported items up and down the hill. Due to the vegetation I could not see anything. I didn’t see any Lyrebirds either!

Boundary Track

Boundary Track departs from the picnic ground (the facilities are new since the book was published) and once the bush is behind you there is farmland adjacent to the track reminding you that your time in the wilderness is coming to an end.

A sign says “Blackwood Picnic Area, 600m” and you feel relief that the walk is nearly over. Being tired the distance seemed to be well over a kilometre.

The Photos

Conclusion

A great walk that is best done when there has been plenty of rain to make Masons Falls be at their best. To skip the walk have a picnic using the excellent facilities at Masons Falls. The facilities at Blackwood are very basic and there’s not much to see nearby.

Reference

Day Walks Melbourne by Chapman, John. Book – 2005

 

 

Walks, Blog

Smiths Gully & St Andrews Nature History Trail

Leave a comment
A fine easy walk which takes you along a path of historical discovery.

There are signs along the way which informs the walker of the gold mining history of the area. There are some changes made to the creek’s water course by the gold miners and the signs are useful to help you appreciate what you are looking at.

In the park just over the creek there is a weir (now used by the CFA) and some footings of the battery machinery.

There are some tables and it’s a nice quiet place to have lunch, or return to the market for an easy delicious (but pricey) lunch. And there’s always the hotel too.

Queenstown State Battery. The battery in operating condition. The only remains are the footings and the weir. Taken around 1920.

Walk Description

Begin where the St Andrews market is held, just opposite the St Andrews Hotel which is on the Heidelberg-Kinglake Road. Walk along Proctor Road for about 400 metres where the road forks. Take the right hand fork to walk along Black Cameron Road for a short distance. On the right is a large sign marking the walk beginning and it also has some interesting information.

The walk goes for about 2 km as you follow the valley where Smith’s Gully (creek) runs. Towards the end the track crosses the creek by means of some stepping stones. I’ve never seen the stones covered with water but with enough rain they could be, so if it’s passable, cross over. Next Smiths Gully Road is reached and Queenstown Cemetery located over the road is well worth exploring.

Return the same way back to St Andrews Hotel and your car.


 

The Photos