Blackwood-Lerderderg Tunnel Circuit - 15.6 Kms

 U3A Hike No. 143



LINKS to interactive map, gpx download, historical notes and track notes after the photos

Hike Report by Joan Brick

Gordon may have thought that all of his warnings may have put a few people off from doing this walk but it did not deter ten of us that were looking forward to this adventure.  It truly lived up to the description given with steep ascents, steep descents , narrow water race trails with steep drops, open mine shafts near the tracks and walking through a river bed which thankfully was dry!

The hike began at the Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve.  Our first steady climb was on the track  to Shaws Lake.  The view of the Lake as well as the lovely picnic area made it well worth our while.  Remnants of gold mining were evident with the wide area of sluicing that occurred as seen in the area adjacent to the Shaws Lake.  There was also the evidence that a bushfire had gone through this part of the park though the regrowth on the trees and snippets of heath flowers and banksia cones were encouraging signs of nature’s resilience.

We continued our walk  to Tunnel Point enjoying the surrounding forest and experiencing  the uphill and downhill nature of the track of which we were forewarned.  The downhill part gave us a few problems due to the slippery clay, the loose stones and the steepness of the descent.  An interesting sight in this area was a short 4 wheel drive track that had logs across it similar to those put across the mine shafts.  Maybe it was a message….”No 4 wheel drive tracks wanted here!”. 

Finally reaching higher ground again we were able to catch glimpses of the somewhat dry creek bed below. The reason for this was that the water in this part had been diverted through a tunnel to the other side of the ridge.  We carefully began our steep descent down and arrived at the Lerderderg River.  We ventured into the dry river bed and arrived at the tunnel though which the water was being diverted.  Though we were unable to see the tunnel due to the amount of logs and tree litter that blocked the entrance we could still hear the water rushing into it.  This turned out to be a perfect place to have lunch and enjoy our peaceful surroundings.

Another steep ascent brought us to a narrow winding ridge with steep drops making it important for us to keep our feet planted on the ground and our eyes glued to the track.  As we walked along the ridge we noticed a change in the vegetation that included ferns, tree ferns and some grass trees.  Our attention was also drawn to a very well preserved mine entrance as well as a mine shaft,  hidden by the overgrown weeds, next to the track. 

Having safely returned to our starting point we were happy to relax with a cuppa and thank Gordon for another adventure story to share with the family!


Photos by Mark Bevelander




























LINKS 

INTERACTIVE MAP

GPX FILE DOWNLOAD 

HISTORICAL NOTES

TRACK NOTES



















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Berringa Mines and Heritage Walk - 9 Kms

Image
 U3A Hike No 279 Hike Report by Lyn The day was overcast and hazy as our group set out from the Berringa Recreation Reserve and started walking back towards Ballarat. Soon we stopped and marvelled in awe as Andrew waved a $50 note in the air, then a $5 note apparently picked up from amongst the roadside litter. However we were not fooled and Andrew returned the notes to his pocket and we continued on.  Our first mine we came across was the Birthday Tunnel mine set high up the steep sided gully. Since our last visit in February 2021, the mining relics consisting of brickwork and a rusting boiler were still evident but a new addition in the form of a modern looking living transportable container was within close proximity. Not wanting to hang around for too long we then descended the steep sided gully concentrating on our foot placement as it would have been very easy to slip on the downward leaning grasses, although we took time out to look at the impressive mullock heap.  With expert n
Read more

287. Frith Gully - Mt Misery Loop. Enfield State Park

Image
 U3A Hike No 287 Hike Report by Colin Fraser Eight hikers assembled outside the Marty Busch Reserve in Sebastopol for an 11.5 km hike on the Frith Gully-Mt Misery Loop in the Enfield State Park. We travelled in two vehicles to the start of the walk at Bald Hill on Incolls Road, Enfield. The walk was graded as moderate, and described as continuously hilly. We walking paths and rough bush roads through isolated parts of the park. There were deep gullies with lush vegetation, high ridges with open scrub, and areas that still bear the scars of extensive surface mining in the 19th century. We followed Misery Creek Road south then the Misery Creek and Forest Park walking tracks to Surface Point Picnic Ground, where we had smoko. Before arriving at Surface Point we were accompanied overhead by the raucous alarm calls of a group of cockatoos warning of our intrusion into their forest. Coincidently this occurred just near Mt Cockatoo!! We shared the picnic table with a man who was camping there
Read more

305. Fisherman's Bend - Port Melbourne Walk 11.3km

Image
 U3A Hike No 305 Aerial Photo Showing Former Airfield Hike Report By Sharon Moss. On a blustery but fortunately dry morning , 19 intrepid travelers made their way to Southern Cross Station to begin their suburban hike through Fisherman’s Bend - Port Melbourne. We set off at a brisk pace with Andrew capably leading us & Gordon as whip. We had a lovely walk along the banks of the Yarra River, passing impressive boats moored at the marina with one bearing the name Costa Lot ! Andrew pointed out pylons that are decorative rather than functional, as they sit adjacent to the Bolte bridge but are not part of the structure . Passing under the bridge, we then joined busy Lorimer St , where conversation slowed somewhat as noise overtook. We were all alert watching out for bikes , scooters, joggers & traffic ! We passed several landmarks of interest . The  art deco building previously GMH , with one part of the building now occupied by a Ballarat company J King  Homes . Andrew shared inte
Read more