Dry Digggings Track Stage One

May 17, 2019

U3A Hike No 66

By Andrew Parker

15 Hikers assembled at Kirks Reservoir on a frosty morning with low lying mist under clear sunny skies.

We made our way to Guildford where we re-grouped before paying a visit to ‘The Big Tree’

The Big Tree is a large, well-preserved River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), located at the corner of Fryers Street and Ballarat Street. It is thought to be one of the largest in Victoria, with a height of 34 metres and circumference of 9.35 metres at the base. The tree is estimated to be between 500 and 1000 years old.

The Big Tree is listed as a tree of State significance on the National Trust’s Register of Significant Trees of Victoria for its “outstanding size, curious fusion of branches, as an outstanding example of the species and as an important landmark.”

The tree was already an ancient giant when the first white settlers arrived in the 1840s, the Big Tree has played an important part in the cultural and social life of the Guildford community.

We then ‘convoyed’ to the hike finishing point at Spring Gully where we left half of the vehicles, before travelling on to the starting point at the corner of Etty and Wheeler Streets in Castlemaine.

This week’s hike was ably led by Gordon who relayed to us many interesting facts along the way. After a short uphill climb, the track levelled out to follow Poverty Gully Water Race. This engineering marvel still carries water to paying customers 140 years after its construction. Nowadays it doubles as a shared walking and cycling trail.

There were plans to close this race because of its inefficiency - it leaks like a sieve in many places. But as of Feb 2015 it was flowing again, taking water from the Coliban water race to the outskirts of Castlemaine and Campbells creek.

We noted that the box-ironbark forest here was very different to the forest we had encountered on the Lerderderg Track.

Box–ironbark forest is found on rocky, often auriferous (gold-bearing), soils, in flat and undulating landscapes at altitudes of 150–600 m above sea level, and with an average annual rainfall of 500–800 mm. About 40% of the area formerly supporting the ecosystem in Victoria is public land with less than 20% protected in conservation reserves. About 55% has been permanently cleared for agriculture, mining and urban development. The principal trees are White Box, Red Box and Red Ironbark

We deviated from the official route of the Dry Diggings Track to explore the history-rich gold mining relics of the Eureka Reef Heritage Park.

Gordon provided us with a guide to the area which contained a map and description of each site, as well as a verbal description which demonstrated his keen interest in such things.

We were all enthralled with the Cornish Chimney built to extract the smoke from the kilns. This ran for about 100 metres parallel to the ground rising along the slope of the hill with the opening of the chimney on the top of the hill. We learnt that this was the most efficient and cost-effective way for the miners to build a chimney rather than a structure rising straight up from the ground as most chimneys do. It is also a technique requiring far less skill to construct.

It was around here that a Red Headed Mouse Spider Missulena occatoria was encountered
Mouse Spider venom may be very toxic, but few cases of serious envenomation has been recorded. Other bites have occurred causing minor effects. Funnel-web spider antivenom has proved effective in the one confirmed case.

After leaving this historic site we re-joined the Dry Diggings Track and continued on southwards passing the site of Dingo Conservation Australia, which has a chequered history which can be read via the link at the end of this report.

We continued along Spring Gully, an amazingly deeply eroded gully stopping to take in the steep vertical sides which were, at times, very close to the track.

Shortly after passing a very nicely restored stone cottage and admiring the old brick well and the snow-white doves, we arrived back at the vehicles.

Lunch was at ‘Das Kaffeehuas’ a Viennese themed restaurant in Castlemaine, which many of the group had enjoyed previously. After enjoying our Tagessuppe, Wiener Würstel’s, Gemüsestrudel etc. we travelled back to Ballarat very satisfied with a good day’s exercise, good company and good food.

A big 'thank-you' to Gordon for a very memorable hike.

Photo's by Mark Bevelander