Waterloo State Forest Circuit - 15 Kms

 U3A Hike No. 205

Hike Report by Colin

On a freezing winter's morning seven doughty U3A Hikers set out for a hike in the Waterloo Forest near Beaufort.  We met at Selkirk Stadium, Norman Street and travelled to Beaufort in two vehicles, arriving at the starting point outside the Waterloo Cemetery.  The walk was a 15 Km circuit, led by Gordon with Chris as the Whip. 

When we arrived at Waterloo, there was still frost on the ground but as the morning progressed the sun came out and conditions improved considerably.  It turned into a pleasant day with almost no wind.

The route was hilly and scenic, following tracks through the forest, and occasionally alongside farmland. The views across the hills were very attractive.  On one of the bush tracks, we had an echidna hurtle across in front of us, then proceeded to dig itself a hole.  It stopped digging when its head was hidden, even though the rest of its body was exposed.

A few of mobs of kangaroos were sighted, and in places we could clearly see the well-worn paths they took through the bush, under fences and across paddocks. We also observed birds, fungi and flowers.

We had lunch outside the Waterloo Cemetery, which was established in 1873.  There were graves for the very old (88 yrs) to the very young (5 months).  One grave included a memorial to the deceased's son who died in WWI in France.  It read:

“Memorial to Pte William Lawson Smith.

Buried in the front-line trenches of Bullecourt France.

Died 10 May 1917, aged 20.”

On the trip home Chris saw a pair of Brolgas on the shores of Bittern Lagoon. We arrived back at Selkirk Stadium having had a pleasant day.

Photos by Jan and Theresa