Eureka Track Stage Three

U3A Hike No 89

Hike Report by Janet McKay

21 hikers met at the White Swan Reservoir on a cool but fine morning, perfect hiking weather.

We welcomed Lyn to her first hike with the group and set off, stopping briefly to acknowledge being on the very top point (watershed) of the Great Dividing Range before walking along undulating tracks through mature forest towards Slaty Creek.

Gold mining activities were in evidence including a lengthy water race meandering through the bush culminating in what seemed a smallish dam. We could only imagine the backbreaking work of the early miners digging this by hand.

On reaching Slaty Creek, we stopped for a leisurely morning tea before continuing through Creswick Regional Park. There were plenty of wildflowers to note and we stopped at a copse of native conifer, Cherry Ballart, that we learned grow through attaching their roots to eucalypts for nutrition. Also, that the bright red ‘fruits’ are actually the flower stalks and are edible.   Cherry Ballart

 We continued on past the Blue Waters, a large gravel pit that was more a murky green than bright blue, towards St George’s Lake. There was much evidence of the recent storm with many large trees blown over and a lot of debris of broken branches lying around.

Lunch in the sunshine at St George’s Lake before a final short distance to coffee in Creswick. Total: 15 kilometres

Thank you Andrew for another delightful and enjoyable hike. 

Photo's by Mark Bevelander