Sunday Bus: Tallarook Forest-Warragul Rocks-Mt Hickey - 13.5km/16.5km - 4 Oct

WALK DESCRIPTION:
Come join 25+ of our members on these walks. This walk will include Mt Hickey for the medium group which has not been scaled by our club for over 15 years. This adds extra time and distance to this walk so Trawool Reservoir will not be included – this also applies to the Easy/Medium group. However Warragul Rocks will be visited by both groups for which we have permission to enter as it is located on private property. In fact the owner, Ron Milanovic, a delightful chap, said he would restrict entry to any other group on that day.
The view of the Goulburn River valley, upstream and down from Warragul Rocks is awe inspiring and the Tallarook Forest, through which most of our walking is done, is interesting. It’s a dry schlerophyll mixed eucalyptus forest – manna (so we might see some koalas), messmate, candlebark and box with an understory of ferns, wattles and acacias. Some orchids were also seen on the preview. There was also a profusion of birdlife. However as it will be spring our legless ground hogging skinny reptile friends will be about so long pants or gaiters should be the order of the day
The paths:
Most of our paths are on old forest access tracks or single file bush walking tracks. Some sections of these old access tracks have steep bits of over several hundred metres and can be quite a grind – these can also be deeply rutted as they are the playground of 4WD enthusiasts however it is possible to bush bash around these. It should be noted though, if it is raining or the track is wet then they will be quite slippery so poles are recommended.
There are no tracks where steep drop offs are encountered so no problem for those prone to vertigo.
Please carry at least 2 litres of water and bring a change of shoes for the trip back.
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DISTANCE(S): 13.5km and 16.5km
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TOTAL ASCENT(S): 470m Rise and 630m Rise
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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.
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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