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423. Jackass-St George-Humbug Walk. 10,8km

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U3A Hike No 423  Hike Report by Monica As so often happens, a nippy wind and a ‘feels-like’ zero degrees greeted 20 hikers at Selkirk Stadion. As also frequently happens, no sooner had we arrived at our destination, things warmed up. Pale sunshine broke through grey skies at Creswick Forest and its dense tree cover offered protection from Ballarat’s gnawing winds. After the obligatory safety warnings and ‘who’ll-write-the-blog’ decision-making – executed with ruthless efficiency by Leader Kim – it was time to move. Despite ever increasing knee and hip replacements, scraped-out cartilages, re-attached rotator cuffs, a spinal fusion or two, and bodies merely held together by gaffer tape, the troops set off at a cracking pace along the Goldfields Track. This is a former water race and dedicated mountain bike track, just off Jackass Road, leading to the Koala Park. A kilometre or two on, and requiring several attempts to find it, we followed a single-file grassy pathway and wound our w...
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422. Breakneck Gorge & Blowhole, Hepburn Regional Park, 10.2km

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U3A Hike No 422. Hike Report by Maureen Under a beautiful blue sky, shining sun and listening to the dulcet tones of Currawong s, an intrepid group of 18 headed of from Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve to walk 11km of mainly Goldfields-Dry Diggings Track.  We walked through residential streets of Hepburn Springs noting small wooden cottages and larger modern homes on our way to start of track. Gordon was accurate with his reference to a goat track , winding through beautiful box iron bark forest and stunning s andstone rock formations . Wildflowers were blooming including the Purple Coral Pea and Early Nancy. There was even the discovery of a Green Hood Orchid . M orning tea was at The Blow Hole where Jane shared delicious homemade date, chocolate and ginger biscuits.(recipe in the links below) 1850s gold miners made The Blow Hole by blasting solid rock to divert Sailors Creek with the purpose to drain the natural bend in creek so they c ould mine the riverbed for gold. ...
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421. Creswick Forest Loop 11km

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 U3A Hike No 421 Hike Report by Geoff Rain was predicted for the morning but when our 19 hikers set out from Sawpit Road, near the old Creswick nursery, it was fine but cloudy.  Today’s hike led us first, along the La Ger che Track, where we soon came upon the timber sculpture of John La Gerche. There Gordon reminded us of the great work La Gerche did between 1882 and 1897 when he was the Crown Lands Bailiff and Forester. During that time he set about restoring remnant forest, after large tracts had been illegally logged.  He also established significant plantations of many species of conifers and oaks which we were able to appreciate as we hiked on.  We continued via the atmospheric Oak Gully, out of the valley, up Brackenbury Hill. Morning tea was enjoyed at the Brackenbury Lookout, where we looked over a somewhat misty Scottish landscape. Break completed, we then hiked down to the side of St George’s Lake. As we neared the lake, we came to a po...
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