Buninyong Parks and Lanes Circuit - 10.7 Kms

 U3A Hike No. 229


Hike Report by Jan H

Hello 2023 and another year of hiking. There were 17 of us to enjoy the first hike of the year which was a 10.7 km ramble in and around Buninyong. We met and started off at the tennis courts on Forest Street and headed east. Before long we did a large u turn and spent most of this undulating hike to the north and west of Buninyong.

Information was shared by Dick about his favourite tree in the Buninyong Botanic Gardens. It was an oak that had been ringbarked. An arborist saved it by cutting patches of its bark and transplanting them along the damaged part of the trunk. Today the oak tree is huge and magnificent.

Knowledge about another tree was shared by Andrew. This one was near the roundabout in Buninyong. This time last year a truck hurtled down the hill from the east, ploughed through the roundabout and the tree and ended up narrowly missing the old post office.

It was interesting to walk through a mix of paved suburban streets, along creek sides, through quiet bushland on gravel tracks (noticing the blue pincushion wildflowers) and on the grass verge of a noisy highway (noticing the rubbish).

New to me was learning how to use the Garmin to make sure we were following the pre-loaded journey. It can be tricky when there is an intersection of paths going off in different directions.

Gloomy looking skies accompanied us but the weather conditions were perfect for a brisk hike. Good conversations and jokes were shared along the walk and continued after the hike when we shared a very early lunch (10.30am!) at the picnic area behind the Men's Shed.

Thanks Andrew for organising and leading this hike.

Photos by Mark B


















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