326. Babbington Hill-Bullarto Reservoir , Wombat State Forest. 13.5km

October 24, 2024

U3A Hike No 326

Group Photo

Hike Report By Monica McCormack

You can never tell, can you? Just what the hike ahead holds in store, weatherwise, kilometre-wise, with or without steep hills or sharp rocks, hazardous or benign.

As the 12 U3A hikers headed for Wombat State Forest near Lyonville, the weather didn’t look promising: cold, grey, drizzly. It was windscreen wiper motoring into and out of Daylesford, showers passing overhead. It looked mildly grim.

But then the gods smiled. No sooner had we parked on the grassy field that is Tram Street just out of Lyonville, the clouds parted, the skies turned blue, and the sun embraced us. It goes to show, you just have to take a punt and pray the BOM’s predictions are accurate.

It was an easy start to the 14km walk, a wide, decently graded track, formerly a timber tram line, through messmate bushland to a glimmering Bullarto Reservoir. Easy-peasy walking with clean, well-supplied Comfort Stations at the edge of the Reservoir. That didn’t change the fact that there was still a queue waiting to use the three facilities, but we all figured it could be our last opportunity before heading uphill. A wallaby nearby provided our Irish visitor, Clodagh, with a chance to glimpse some native wildlife after stepping off her long-haul flight just 48 hours beforehand.

Gordon spied his violet Love Creeper, peeping shyly from the grey-green masses of undergrowth and bush; and Lyn found a patch of Bird Orchids while we took a short break at The Hump. The Hump is the physical above-ground manifestation of a valve, designed to allow ‘bleeding off’ from an underground waterpipe. You can never tell, can you? Just what the hike ahead holds in store, weatherwise, kilometre-wise, with or without steep hills or sharp rocks, hazardous or benign.

Because it was too early for morning tea, Leader Mark marched us on, ever closer to ‘the steep bit’. Namely, Babbington Hill.

We crossed several small ‘lakes’ – large puddles and soggy edges created by recent heavy rains - and a swiftly running Badger Creek, before turning onto Badger Track accompanied by the indignant screeches of cockies high up in the bush canopy. At the base of Babbington Hill, we had a choice: take the gentler track to the right which was ‘leech-riddled’, or continue the path to the left onwards and upwards to Babbington Hill. Democratic decision-making came easily after Mark’s graphic description of leech-wounds dotting his calf muscles for ‘a month’ during a separate bushland excursion: we steered left.

It was a steep, rocky ascent. It proceeded at something of a snail’s pace and was longer than, perhaps, many anticipated. Two giant, waist-high tree trunks that had fallen across the gravelly path – victims of storm damage - provided a challenge. Some clambered awkwardly over the trunks, another eased himself underneath, the rest sensibly walked the 30 metres or so around.

Again, the skies turned blue as we reached the summit by which time most of us had stripped off top layers despite the 12-degree top temp. Gordon and Mark tried to gauge which direction Mt Alexander and another Mount might be, out there on the horizon, while the rest of us took a few deep breaths after our exertions. Any Mounts that may have existed were, however, hidden from view by the dense bushland in front of us. Babbington Hill might not have the views, but it is peaceful and sheltered.

Thereafter it was all downhill, the track widened again, water oozed in running streams from surrounding slopes and we were back on the grassy ‘plains’ of the timber tram track.

Lunch at Lyonville Hall was welcoming with stacked Hall chairs at our disposal and, again, clean WCs with salutary advice about what might and might not be flushed down the septic. Just in case thoughtless visitors should forgot their country toilet manners.