U3A Ballarat Hikers

 U3A Hike No. 128 Hike Report by Mark Bevelander Seven of us walked on what began as a cool day, we started walking on the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail passing wide open fields with lush grasses. We came upon the old platform of what was the Linton Railway Station, not much left except some broken toilet bowls. The  Skipton Line  was a branch line running south west from Ballarat to Skipton, Victoria. The line branched from the main Serviceton Western line just after Ballarat at the Linton junction and was 55 kilometres long. The line was opened on 10 October 1890 and finally closed for passenger services in 1972 and for freight on 4 December 1986. It was very pleasant walking along the trail. After 4 km or so we were able to look down on parts of the 530 hectares of the Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary. We followed the Springdallah Creek until it flowed into a series of small lakes. There are bird hides around this lake for bird enthusiasts. From the 1960s the owner, Gordon Clarke worked

 U3A Hike No. 127 Hike report by Dick Patterson On a warm late Spring day twenty two walkers in three seperate groups met at the Buninyong tennis courts and then headed to the nearby intersection of Lal Lal street and Webbs Hill Road south of the highway to follow the trail of the four year old girl who went missing in 1867 in the Buninyong bushland. Blue Group headed east up Webbs Hill Road where Andrew pointed out the aproximate house site that was home to Jessie McIntosh and her large family, from where Jessie wandered off.  It was from here that we left Webbs Hill Road and took to the rough vehicular road, Devonshire Road, that headed south east and through a very dry section of stringy bark trees. We were pleased to see the wildflowers in abundance with quite large patches of delicately fringed flax lilies and bright blue pin cushions and coral lichen in different spots. It was very much the month to be wandering along these roads. The odd kangaroo of a small size greeted us as di

  U3A Hike No. 126 Our group photo. Mark used his Photoshop skills to take the photo, then add himself later! Hike Report by Julie Chandler A meander, randonnée, hike, bushwalk, wildflower wander! Call it what you like!  Today’s hike offered much to enjoy. 12 walkers experienced perfect weather and following yesterday’s rain the bush was clean and fresh, no dust, not too much mud and neither of the two creek crossings too challenging despite Gordon’s recommendation to bring spare socks! Entering from Incoll’s Road we took an anti-clockwise direction along Frith Gully and Long Creek Track back to Misery Creek Road via Mt Cockatoo. We followed walking paths, rough bush roads with steep ruts through isolated parts of the park. There were deep gullies, lush vegetation and high ridges with open scrub areas that still bear the scars of extensive 1 9 th  Century  mining . As one would expect we found several mine shafts, some at least 3-5 metres deep. It was a delight to continuously ob