LerderdergTrack Stage Five
Lerderderg Track Stage Five
18th April 2019
U3A Hike 64
18th April 2019
U3A Hike 64
By Gordon Talbett
After a long drive
into the rising sun and through clouds of dust from the roads, the 17 members
of the Hiking Group emerged from the cars at Nolan’s Picnic Ground. At 7
degrees, this was the coolest morning for the year so far. Most of the group
was wearing their blue and yellow Hiking Group shirts, so we looked like the
IKEA Sales Team, with the addition of a few puzzled customers seeking advice on
the assembly of flat-pack furniture.
Andrew offered us a
choice for the initial three kilometres of the walk: the steep, rocky Nolan
Ridge Track, or the more gently inclined and fern-lined Nolan Creek Road. By
popular demand the latter route was chosen and we followed the narrow valley of
the Nolan Creek south, and then west along the Stockyard Track where the valley
opened out and the sun began to reach us. High above a wedgetail eagle road the
thermals.
A long climb up a
steep and rocky ridge brought us to the highest point in the Wombat Forest
(878m) and the broad Camp Road and its associated firebreak. Camp Road took us
north along a narrow ridge marking the divide between the Lerderderg and the
Werribee River catchments. We stopped briefly at the reconstructed fireplaces
and chimneys marking the former location of Balt Camp. This was a forestry
camp, constructed after World War Two, and manned by immigrants from the Baltic
countries of Europe (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), known colloquially as
Balts.
By now we had walked
three sides of an enormous square with 3km sides. Now our trail turned west and
ran steeply downhill to Spargo Creek, and then along a narrow trail beside the
creek. After a gentle climb through forest, the trail descended to the Werribee
River and then ascended steeply (too steeply and for too long for most of us)
to the cars.
This was a glorious
day of walking and Andrew was thanked by everyone. We did not have the chance
of praising his choice of weather because he had already claimed all the credit
for that!
Photo's by Andrew Parker
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