Chocolate Mill - Mt Franklin View Circuit - 16.4 km

 U3A Hike No. 144 


Resources available for download via the links after the photos include: track notes and GPX file for garmin devices

Report by Janet

Today was a circular walk starting and finishing at The Chocolate Mill. Fortunately it was not yet open when 17 hikers gathered for the beginning of the walk, but some of us were already looking forward to the finish!

The morning was still cool but already promising to be a beautiful autumn day as Marianne, our leader for today, led us along a narrow winding bush track through eucalypt forest and down some steps into Beehive Gully, a series of deeply eroded gullies from sluicing activities when the area was being mined for gold. We continued up, out of the gully, and following the Goldfields Track, we made our way through the bush, pausing to enjoy our first view of Mount Franklin and back to the Midlands Highway where we crossed over to Richardson’s Lane, continuing past open fields to turn into Scott’s Lane. Walking through dense, though quite new, eucalyptus forest, having been logged heavily in the past, there was evidence of recent burning and catching glimpses of dwellings tucked into the bush, off the track, some of us wondered about living in an area with such a high risk of bush fire. With the morning sun streaming through the trees, it was perfect walking weather. We passed an interesting array of letter boxes at the junction of Porcupine Ridge Road and continued along, stopping to enjoy the sight of impressive sculptures on a property on the right, before continuing towards Mount Franklin. Turning off into Sawpit Gully Road we followed the undulating unsealed road that took us through a mixture of small farm holdings, eucalypt forest and pine trees, and with magnificent views across to Mount Franklin. Nearing the Midland Highway again, we passed more interesting letter boxes, a lovely little miner’s cottage and orchard, and followed the track through the bush back towards the Chocolate Mill. The day had warmed up and we were looking forward to enjoying their delicious chocolate concoctions and, for some of us, stocking up with Easter chocolate!

A lovely walk, a mixture of bush tracks and mainly unsealed roads, and with perfect autumnal weather. Thank you Marianne for leading us so ably today.


Photos by Andrew

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