Melbourne Bushwalkers = Hiking

WALK DESCRIPTION:
The Yarra State Forest east of Yarra Junction offers a rich and immersive bushwalking experience, especially in early October when spring begins to stir the landscape into vibrant life. A picturesque area with magnificent forests of mountain ash, impressive eucalyptus and acacia trees. During a previous preview several lyrebirds darted across the track, an owl flew across the path and there were occasional glimpses of other wildlife including wallabies.
Both walks start in the Britannia Creek valley and head upwards towards the Britannia Range ridgeline. The Easy/Medium Walk will proceed along Silvertop Track to reach the ridgeline, while the Easy Walk will follow Portas Road up to the ridgeline. Once the ridgeline is reached, the two walks will follow the same route along the ridgeline before descending to the Britannia Creek valley and continuing downstream along the valley to the finish.
The walks are moderately challenging, with gentle inclines and uneven terrain, but the rewards are plentiful with moments of stillness, vibrant life, and a deep connection to the natural rhythms of the Australian bush.
The tracks may be slippery in parts, so walking poles would be a useful aid.
As the weather can be warm at this time of year, please carry at least 2 litres of water.
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DISTANCE(S): 13km and 15km
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TOTAL ASCENT(S): 480m and 480m
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GRADINGS: Easy/Medium and Medium
Easy (E): Walking mostly on tracks or in open country, with possibly some stretches of light scrub. Few hills and adequate rest stops. Distances may be up to 15km in flat open terrain but will be shorter if scrub or significant hills are involved.

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.
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PLEASE NOTE: Your RSVP on MeetUp lets us know who may be interested but does not add you to the booking list. To register and pay for the walk you must visit our clubrooms (details below).
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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 to 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 sunday@mbw.org.au. 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.
(d) The costs for the walk are $30 bus fare plus $10 visitor fee if you are not a paid-up Member of Melbourne Bushwalkers.
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OUR CLUBROOMS: Our clubrooms are located at The Mission to Seafarers Victoria, 717 Flinders Street, Docklands. We are open Wednesday nights 6:30pm - 8.00pm.
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CONTACT US: To contact us regarding this walk send an email to sunday@mbw.org.au. We do not regularly check the MeetUp site for messages and the above address will get a faster response.
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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.
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IMPORTANT TO KNOW: 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
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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.
* A change of footwear for the trip back.
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DO YOU HAVE COMPREHENSIVE AMBULANCE COVER? The Club strongly recommends that all participants have comprehensive personal ambulance cover.
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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 ($30) to reserve a seat on the bus. No booking is accepted until the payment is received.
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DAY WALKS BY BUS with Melbourne Bushwalkers:
https://mbw.org.au/mbw_activities/walks/MBW_bus_walks.php