333. Doctors Gully & Grand Designs Loop 7.8km

November 21, 2024

U3A Hike No 333

Hike Report by Anne Ottrey

We were pleased to be starting the Doctors Gully walk early in the day as temperatures of

29 degrees were predicted.

Eleven walkers set off from the Hepburn Springs carpark and jumpers and jackets were quickly discarded. The whole walk was very undulating with short, sharp uphills followed by similar downhills. We walked in a southerly direction following Doctors Gully along the western edge of Hepburn Springs.

The tracks were mostly unsealed roads, but there were some tramping through long grass,

raising anxieties about snakes. However it was only a one snake walk, which the front

walkers disturbed on a sunny patch of path.

Half way through we found a nice shady bank to relax on and have morning tea, checking out the range of houses on the opposite slope. These varied from a fibro shack surrounded by blackberries, to a sleek modern design hallway up the hill with a large red brick Macmansion at the top.

After morning tea we headed back northwards, crossing the main road and walking along

the side of another gully. We were walking behind the houses that you usually see when

travelling along Hepburn Springs Road. This was the “Grand Designs” section of the walk,

and I will rely on the photos to describe what we passed.

An interesting feature towards the end of the walk was the old concrete Hepburn Springs swimming pool – full of water but not particularly inviting even on this hot day, due to the weeds and generally poor water quality.

We passed some interesting rock carvings as we left the pool and headed back towards the

carpark.

One of the joys of a 7.8km walk is that you reach the end way before you expect to! Given

the hills and the heat, this was appropriate for the day. We sat down for lunch at 11:30 in a

shady picnic spot and were back in Ballarat in record time.

Thanks to Gordon for leading this interesting walk.