Sunday Bus: Burchell & Macs Trks Brisbane Ranges - 12km and 15km - 23 Aug

WALK DESCRIPTION:
Come join 25+ of our members on these walks in the northern area of the Brisbane Ranges, known for its open forest of Messmate, Stringybarks and occasional Manna gums along with the spectacular Grass Trees. Also at this time of year Golden Wattle will be flowering and native wildflowers will be starting to appear, including native orchids although these can be difficult to spot. There are also deep gorges and valleys and we will be walking through some of these and we may be lucky and see a koala high up amongst the foliage.
Both groups will be following the classic Burchell Track route initially but the loop involving Quarry Trk, which includes an old disused slate mine, will be avoided by the E group. Both groups will proceed to Little River Camping Area via Thompsons Rd depending on progress and both will traverse Macs Trk. This is an old vehicular access track through a sheltered narrow valley with mossy rocks and is a delight to walk through. I don’t think MBW has walked this track before.
Of note though this area of the Brisbane Ranges is infested with Cinnamon Fungus (colloquially known as Die Back) and walkers are asked to keep to the designated tracks/roads to avoid its spread. You may notice coloured bands around some trees - these are delineating areas where the effect this fungus has had on native birdlife is being studied.
The paths:
E group: Mostly on wide forest tracks, old vehicular tracks or unmade roads. There are several steepish sections but nothing over 100m in length. There are no particularly rocky areas and no vertiginous sections. Generally pretty easy walking. There are no creeks or rivers to cross.
E/M group: The same as the E group as well as the loop involving Quarry Trk. This is narrow, rocky and steep but again no vertiginous sections. And again there are no creeks or rivers to cross.
Please carry at least 2 litres of water and bring a change of shoes for the trip back.
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DISTANCE(S): 12km and 15km
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TOTAL ASCENT(S): 300m Rise and 500m Rise
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GRADINGS: Easy and Easy/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). Come join our many members who will also do this walk!
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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