U3A Ballarat Hikers

 U3A Hike No 14 Hike report by Tim Bosher Hepburn Springs Reserve to Porcupine Ridge Rd.   Known as the Mt Franklin View Walk.   14 walkers assembled just above the Hepburn Springs Reserve on a perfect walking day, with equable temperatures in the teens.   The 15km walk had some moderately steep climbing both near the beginning and the end on a mix of well defined tracks and roads.   The initial climb was rewarded by a brief coffee stop at the conveniently placed Chocolate Mill at about 5km which refueled the group for the next few km to lunch on a strategically located log.   Notable sights included Beehive Gully where gold sluicing has caused sufficient erosion for it to be termed ‘a min Grand Canyon.'   Views on the walk were superb, with the best probably being over the peacefully grazing alpaca towards Mt Franklin.   (Historical note: In 1840, in response to concerns about the treatment of Aboriginals by the settlers, the government took over Mount Franklin and the surrou

 U3A Hike No 13 Hike Report by Gordon Talbett Today we commenced our walk from Daylesford to Castlemaine. We set off from Daylesford Lake under clear skies, with frost under foot, and followed the Wallaby Track and the Wombat Creek to where the Dry Diggings track commenced . We then contoured along the eastern bank of the Sailors creek, heading north, admiring the sun’s rays slanting through the trees, and wishing we were on the sunny side of the creek. Both sides of the creek were heavily wooded, and there was neither sight nor sound of the outside world.   We paused to peer into the depths of a fenced off mine shaft beside the track, and shortly after descended to creek level for a break in a sun-warmed clearing. Finally, we were able to shed layers of clothing. We had descended to the creek and of course we had to ascend again, but now we were in the drier forest typical of hills north of the Divide, and we were in the sun.   We passed the Blowhole (a tunnel cut by miners to diver