Creswick Forest Circuit - 11 Kms 

 U3A Hike No. 235

Hike Report by Chris

This walk on a warming day was the last before a significant birthday of Joan’s.  All the best for this looming event Joan.

We commenced from Sawpit Road and crossed through the Forestry School.  Two of the well regarded educators there were Ed Semmens and Ron Hately. Ed Semmens was a renowned botanist, a community leader and an archivist who contributed greatly to the Creswick Museum. Ron Hately was a gifted teacher and ecologist. His work “The Victorian Bush - it’s original and natural condition” is most readable and still available.  Other past lecturers and students contribute greatly to our community, including our own U3A.  The main function of the site is now Melbourne University’s Mathematical Research Institute.

Next we passed the Hammon Park Trailhead which is being refurbished to include a cyclocross “pump” track and a nature play area. It will serve as the hub the Creswick Trails Project - 60km of purpose built mountain bike trails now under construction.

Our walk on the Goldfields Track into the Forest was accompanied by the calls of cockatoos, kookaburras, butcher birds and honeyeaters. We crossed through the old Koala Park and then close to St George’s Lake and then up to the Brackenbury Hill lookout with its welcome cooling breeze.

We appreciated the foresight of John La Gerche in planting so many shade trees for the next section of the walk. We then took the Landcare Trail back to our starting point for a pleasant lunch.

Thanks Andrew for the organisation of this event.

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