U3A Ballarat Hikers

 U3A Hike No 332 Hike Report By Marianne Kennedy This was a hike with a difference for the 17 participants. It was very ably lead by Geoff Howard. After exiting Southern Cross Station we walked down Spencer Street and along the Yarra admiring the tall buildings and groups of kayakers making great use of the river. We continued along through Birrarung Marr and chose a lovely spot for morning tea. It was onwards then past the Federation Bells towards the MCG, stopping to watch the 'Melbourne Stars' women's cricketers practicing in the nets. We passed bronze statues of our sporting heroes then walked past Jolimont Station to East Melbourne. Here Geoff gave us an interesting tour around the streets familiar to him and pointed out some of Melbourne's most historic homes. Some of them had been the home of Peter Lalor, Norman Lindsay and Von Guerard, just to name a few. We then walked into the Fitzroy Gardens for a brief tour which passed by the Conservatory, the Fairies Tr

 U3A Hike No 331 Hike Report By Mark Hawley Trentham Railway Station was the starting point for seventeen U3A Hikers this week.  Now unused as a railway station, it is the starting point for the Domino Rail Trail to Lyonville. The station has been beautifully preserved and maintained by the local volunteer organisation and made a perfect background for the group photo. A couple walking their dog were prevailed upon to take the photo for us,  so Andrew has been saved from manipulating two images into one this week. Typical of rail trails, the hills are gradual and the navigation easy. We headed west out of sunny Trentham into bush that has grown back from historic logging. After morning tea the path left the rail trail into the bush south to bypass a derelict bridge. At one point it crossed the trickling headwaters of the Coliban River. The turnabout point at about 7km was the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville. ‘Quaint’, ‘eclectic’ are just some of the adjectives to describe this hotel!