Three Lost Children Walk

U3A Hike No 73

Hike Report by Peter Treby 

 Three Lost Children Walk 

On Thursday 15 August 2019, Fifteen U3A hikers walked the Three Lost Children walk from Daylesford to Wombat Creek picnic area, with a detour to take in Sailors Falls. A useful map of the route and some helpful notes can be found Here

The route roughly follows Sailors Creek south, upstream through the Hepburn Regional Park to Sailors falls, then wriggles east through Wombat State Forest.  The walk is well marked, and shares some of the Goldfields Track and signage. A lot of the walking is gravel road, but single track as well, and through some fine forest of candlebarks, broad and narrow-leaved peppermints, manna gums, and particularly in the Wombat Forest, messmates.

The walk is named after the tragic loss of three young boys aged 4,5 and 6, who on 30 June 1867 wandered off into the bush looking for feral goats. Kids in search of goats, as Alan said. Their adventure ended tragically with their death from exposure, and their bodies were not found for three months, despite extensive searches. 

Three creek crossings of Black Jack Creek, Old Tom Creek and Sailors Creek brought out a variety of methods attempting to keep dry feet. Geoff mastered the leap-a-log technique, Greg sensibly wore gumboots. Some took time to take off shoes and socks and wade the cold waters, others walked well off-track upstream to find a negotiable crossing. But Alan took the innovation prize with red and white plastic bags kept in place with fluoro yellow bicycle riding bands, flashing red lights as he waded in! Spectacular, and as Alan himself said, it could only have been better if the plastic bags had come from Rivers! Too bad the bags took in water over the top! 

Sailors Falls were in full flow after recent rains, as they pour over a 20 metre basalt scarp. We lunched at the picnic tables at the top of the falls, and some sampled the carbonated mineral spring water.

After lunch we headed east on Shanahan Lane, past a rusting rural junkyard, but were soon in the messmate forest again. A little puddle jumping, but no further streams to cross, and we reached the cars to ferry back to Daylesford, and adjourn to The Mill café for re-caffeination.

The day was cool, but fine, with even a bit of sun breaking through early on, and we clocked up around 17.5 kilometres, by GPS. Not bad for a 15 kilometre outing.

“Be prepared to walk it out, whether the weather is fine or bleak,

and ignore all Gordon’s estimates as he leads you up the creek!”

Photos By Phill  Or view a slideshow here

Photo's by Geoff