U3A Ballarat Hikers

U3A Hike No 322 Hike Report By Leona Ryan Twelve well attired happy hikers set out from Kirk's at 8am and headed towards Daylesford, turning left into Basalt Rd, then wending our way to our start point on Werona Rd. We were off and walking by 8.30am. In calm conditions and morning shadows and with patches of blue sky peeping through the trees, we made our way along a clay track in a northerly direction. The track soon became somewhat rutted as we negotiated the first of several hills. Verdant farmland could now be glimpsed through trees in a landscape devoid of undergrowth.  Continuing in roughly westerly then southerly directions, we arrived at our morning tea break - La Franchi's Hut, at about 9.45am. What a pleasant surprise this was, especially for the 3 walkers who had not seen this site before. Set in a secluded picturesque dell on Deep Creek at Werona, this well preserved little wattle and daub /stone hut has undergone some "renovation" with the original bark r

 U3A Hike No 321 Hike Report By Deb Karmouche Nine of us travelled to Castlemaine in 2 cars to the start of our walk at the Pennyweight Flat Childrens Cemetery.  The weather was mild and the sun shining. This cemetery dates back to the goldrush era when up to  30,000 people were settled in the Castlemaine area for the gold diggings. Miners and other settlers,  children and Chinese were buried here . We then ascended the hilltop to the monument to Burke and Wills ill-fated transcontinental expedition where we stopped for an early morning tea. Burke was the police commissioner for the  Castlemaine area before he left to become an explorer. We continued on quite a rocky undulating trail until we came to the Kalimna Circuit Track, which is a  sign posted bush trail. Colin found a wonderful pamphlet at the start of the walk which had  numbered points of interest along the track describing the different areas and vegetation.  Kalimna  Park is described as a heathy dry forest with mixed eucal

 U3A Hike No 320 Hike Report by Jan Herperger Well, it was a great day for a walk – a bit brisk as temperatures go, but sunny. We welcomed back Annette from her skiing holiday and adventures in Western Australia and met Sue, the newest member to our group. Twelve of us gathered at Andrew’s house and then set off to the Yarrowee River Trail via small tracks through the neighbourhood; a rubbish dumper’s paradise in the pine forest managed  by the Ballarat Gold Mine; past the entrance to the Ballarat South Wastewater Treatment Plant and nearby burnt out car; and the Redan Wetlands. We enjoyed morning tea at the White Flat footy oval and then walked through town to get onto the Canadian Creek Trail. (Not far from White Flat is where The Yarrowee River and the Canadian Creek merge and this is where my family always go to have a look at the water if there has been a LOT of rain. We have seen the rushing water almost up to the top of the bluestone drain. But I digress...) We followed the Cana