Melbourne Bushwalkers = Hiking

The Great Dividing Trail (GDT) is an iconic long distance walk in Victoria. Our walk will follow one of the most renowned events that formed our identity. The famous Eureka rebellion took place in late 1854 in Ballarat. On December 1, 1854, some 200 Creswick miners set out on foot to join their “brothers in arms” in Ballarat. Later in history the artistic Lindsay family roamed these hills. We will walk in the opposite direction to the miners. Both groups will start at different points on the outskirts of Ballarat and finish at the beautiful St. Georges Lake in Creswick. The track winds its way through the Creswick State Forest and Regional Park to St Georges Lake which was built during the goldrush to provide water to the Creswick State Battery for crushing quartz.The gently undulating trail passes through forests of manna gums, candlebarks, messmate and peppermint with evidence of gold diggings along the way. Walkers may notice white quartz stones lining the path that were originally used to guide the miners when travelling with lanterns after dark.
.
DISTANCE(S): 16km and 20km
.
TOTAL ASCENT(S): 460m and 520m
.
Melbourne Bushwalkers' Gradings: Easy/Medium and Medium
.
Easy/Medium (E/M): More consistent walking, mostly on tracks or in open country, but with some significant hills, probably some stretches of light scrub. Possibility of some rock hopping. Distances up to 19km but may be much shorter depending on the difficulty of the terrain. Reasonable lunch and rest stops.
Medium (M): Consistent walking on tracks or in open bushland, usually with patches of thicker scrub, several moderate climbs, and/or rock hopping. Distances up to about 22kms with reasonable rest stops. A good level of fitness and walking experience is required.
.
HOW TO BOOK AND PAY:
(a) Visit the Melbourne Bushwalkers' clubrooms on either of the two Wednesday evenings before the walk, speak to the leader and, if it is agreed the walk, make a payment to secure your place on the bus.
(b) To cancel a Sunday Walk booking before 4pm on the Thursday before the walk, send a note to [masked]. A credit will be issued for a future walk.
(c) To cancel a Sunday Walk booking after 4pm on the Thursday before the walk contact the walk leader direct. You should be given the walk leader contact details at the time of booking.
.
CONTACT US: To contact us regarding this walk send an email to [masked] We do not regularly check the MeetUp site for messages and the above address will get a faster response.
.
CAN I MEET AT THE START OF THE WALK?
No! Since Sunday Bus walks are generally walks starting and finishing at two widely separated locations we do not accept walkers meeting at the start of the walk. There is no way for them to get back to their transport. We can arrange for a pick-up and drop-off at a designated location along the route closer to Melbourne, however, the full bus fee is still payable since a seat has to be kept free on the bus.
.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
Your RSVP on MeetUp lets us know who may be interested but does not add you to the booking list. Registration (membership) on Meetup is not the same as paid-up Membership of MBW. To become a paid-up Member with online booking and other benefits see: https://mbw.org.au/MBW_membership.php
.
The costs for the walk are $25 bus fare plus $10 visitor fee if you are not a paid-up Member of Melbourne Bushwalkers.
.
WHAT TO BRING:
A day pack containing:
* Lunch, a morning and afternoon snack.
* Full water bottle - we recommend 2 litres, more in warmer weather.
* An unlined waterproof jacket or cape, waterproof over-trousers (if your jacket is short).
* Whistle, pencil and paper.
* Personal and first aid items, including, sun screen, lip screen, toilet paper, identification, club green Health Card, some money etc. Note: The leader always carries a first aid kit.
.
DO YOU HAVE COMPREHENSIVE AMBULANCE COVER?
The Club strongly recommends that all participants have comprehensive personal ambulance cover.
.
MORE DETAILS:
The visit to the clubrooms on a Wednesday before a walk is to cover three things:
(a) Provide background on the club and ensure all walkers are familiar with the safety and courtesy guidelines we adopt;
(b) Meet with the leader of the walk who will be in the clubrooms to discuss any special features of the walk and ensure that adequate gear and fitness requirements are met.
(c) Sign an Acknowledgement of Risk form and pay the visitor fee ($10) and bus fee ($25) to reserve a seat on the bus. No booking is accepted until the payment is received.
.
Our clubrooms are located at The Mission to Seafarers Victoria, 717 Flinders Street, Docklands. We are open 6:30pm - 8.00pm.
.
Day Walks by Bus with Melbourne Bushwalkers:
https://mbw.org.au/mbw_activities/walks/MBW_bus_walks.php