350. Wombat Station - White Point Diggings 10.7km

 U3A Hike No 350



Hike Report By Joan Brick

What drives a group of semi retired/retired adults to forego being able to laze in their
comfortable bed and instead head into the unknown mysteries of the forest? It is the
Call of the Wild and the desire to enjoy being surprised !

Today our group, under the leadership of Keen as Mustard Kim, did just that in the
beautiful and historical surroundings of the Wombat State Forest. In each area we
hike there is a story to tell of its past and present with the future in our hands and in
the generations to follow. 

Our adventure today included exploring the former Wombat Railway Station, the remnants of the gold mining in the areas known as White Point Diggings and finally returning via the rail line bed of the former Daylesford-Creswick Railway. 

The perfect autumn weather made it a day to really enjoy our surroundings. The combination of man and his part in shaping this area as well as Mother Nature’s contribution gave us much food for thought. 

As we hiked we were surrounded by many tall gum trees and then also areas of trees that had blown down which we successfully navigated our way through.

It is at this point we enjoyed a chance to stop and take in our surroundings and have
morning tea. It is also here that Mark Hawley had the chance to share his reflections
on the life of his Father who passed away only a few days earlier and who was very much involved with Ballarat U3A.

We continued to meander along, seeing all the signs for the Goldfields Track which
was formerly known as the Great Dividing Track. 

We came upon a stretch of track that was the former Daylesford-Creswick Railway which was really amazing. It made one appreciate the labour that went into digging through the dirt and rocks to make cuttings using this to make embankments further along. 

We even came upon a small culvert under the railway embankment  that some members, especially the shorter members carefully walked though. 

Our walk finished at the end of where the Wombat Station was located and where we began our 10.8km adventure. 

A lovely rotunda was nearby which made for a perfect place to have our lunch and share our highlights of the day.

Thanks to Kim, Gordon and Andrew for making this another interesting 'Call of the Wild' experience!

Photos by Andrew Parker

















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