U3A Ballarat Hikers

U3A Hike No 428 Hike Report by Mark Bulldust! Some of this was present on our hike. On the roads and occasionally the verbal variety. Enough to coat the hiking boots and totally obscure the cars driving around you. Fortunately, it was patchy and most of the walk was on the usual gravelly clay paths we are more used to tramping. We welcomed new member, Helen as well as Aaron, Andrews son-in-law. Many of us have been to Lafranchis Hut before in Hepburn Regional Park – not to be confused with the one in Switzerland. It was built in the 1920s by Victor Lafranchi, son of Giulio Lafranchi who built his goldrush era homestead nearby and subsequently burnt down in the early 20 th century. The anticlockwise circular 9km hike track started next to Werona Road and sections followed the edge of the Regional Park.  Outside the bushland were cleared grazing areas with scattered tree stumps which resembled kangaroos from a distance ( Wood y roos ?) A vote was taken to schedule morning tea a...

 U3A Hike No 427 Hike Report by Annette It was a very brisk morning start to our hike through the Ross Creek State Park.  Eight enthusiastic hikers, who were not daunted by the cold beginning, journeyed to our starting point from Corio Dam, and were underway just after 8.30 with Gordon leading the way, Kim as ‘the whip’ and Andrew taking photos.  It was suggested this hike could be like an AMAZONIAN ADVENTURE , which it was (with some imagination, of course) The dam we started at was, in parts, reedy and slimy with LOGADILES floating on the surface and the sounds of FEROCIOUS FROGS from the swamp.   The hike was a gentle uphill till walk until we reached the highest point at Incoll Road Ridge, where we were directed to ‘look east’ to ‘see’ the Pacific Ocean?  Gordan explained to us the trail we DIDN’T take was ‘cliff steep’ (down and up) with a HIPPO WALLOW at the bottom. No ANACONDAS (or snakes) were sighted, and the only MONKEY observed was the name ...

 U3A Hike # 426 Hike Report by Jan HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY TO OUR U3A HIKING GROUP!!! Twelve hikers met in the carpark at the Golden Point Hotel and set off along the Canadian Creek Track. It was a beautiful day for a walk, not too hot and not too cold and soon there were lots of conversations going on.  We turned east on Recreation Road and soon entered Woowookarung Regional Park which I think always looks its best in Spring with so many different wildflowers and orchids. After a lovely walk along the dappled Grass Tree Track we had morning tea at the Lookout. We said goodbye to one hiker, (who had unplanned babysitting duties), at the start of the Dementia Friendly & Sensory Trail and then continued on our circuit via a section of the 10,000 Steps Track.  There was a bit of head scratching when we came across an unusual old machine with pulleys and a wooden conveyor belt until some internet searching revealed that it was a mobile aggregate/soil screening plant ...