Tree Fern Walk, Sherbrooke Forest

On Thursday April 29, 2010, I visited the Sherbrooke Forest, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 30 km from Melbourne town.

My visit was a 2 km exploration along the beautiful Tree Fern Track, which starts opposite Grant's Picnic Ground, Sherbrooke.

See all of the Photos, which include some images of the community of white cockatoos, galahs and parrots, which congregate at Grant's, waiting for handouts of seeds, which can be purchased at the nearby Kiosk!

I have also included an historical image from 1892, showing timber cutting in the area.

Yarra River Walk in early autumn - Warrandyte State Park

Flying Fox

Ducks

Sculpture of Mythical Creature

Rapids

I visited the Warrandyte State Park on Wednesday April 28, 2010, 25 km east of Melbourne town.

My 3 km hike followed the Yarra River Trail from the Taroona Reserve to the Bridge.

Good views of the river, some nice ducks, and rapids!

The Flying Fox was built many years ago to transport supplies and provisions to the farms and orchards on the north bank of the river, before the bridge was built.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Harrietville in early autumn 2010

Harrietville is a former gold-mining town, located 25 km  south of Bright on the Great Alpine Road and at the base of Mount Feathertop in the scenic Victorian Alps.

The town is particularly attractive in autumn when the blazing colours of its large variety of deciduous trees creates a spectacular display. The Ovens River meanders through Harrietville, lined with attractive parks including Pioneer Park which features a museum and displays of the region's history. A small commercial centre includes a general store, two hotels, and a selection of accommodation.

We visited Harrietville on April 24, 2010. Our trip included an inspection of the Trout Farm (off the Alpine Rd on the Harrietville approach) and the Pioneer Park. We also located the start of the North West Spur Track, adjacent to the Trout Farm, a steep climb up to Mt Feathertop.

Ovens River at Harrietville

Start of Northwest Track to Mt Feathertop

Trout Farm

Old logging wagon in Pioneer Park

See all of the Photos of our visit, which include some hhstorical mages from the period 1890 to 1935!

Wandiligong and Bright - early autumn

Wandiligong Diggings - Chinese Bridge

View across Bright from Huggin's Lookout

Wandiligong - Diggings Landscape

Bright is a town 350 km NE of Melbourne at the foothills of the Alps.

Abolut 6 km east of Bright is Wandiligong, the site of a small gold rush during the mid-1850s which saw the village's population climb to around 2,000. The whole village is now registered with the National Trust as a classified landscape and features historical buildings such as the Manchester Unity public hall (built in 1874), the general store, several churches and a number of quaint cottages.

The village itself is set in a picturesque valley surrounded by forests and mountain ranges.

Morses Creek runs through Wandiligong and features a walking track which follows the course of the river, extending all the way to the town of Bright.

Wandiligong's gold history can be explored at "The Diggings" which is accessed via Centenary Avenue. "The Diggings" was the site of extensive mining and has been beautified with walking tracks and footbridge across Morses Creek.

We visited Wandiligong on April 26, 2010, on a 3 km hike through the Diggings' Reserve, along the Diggings' Walking Trail and the adjacent Alpine Park.

This took us along Morse's Creek, passing the old Wooden Bridge, the modern Chinese Bridge, and the recently constructed Birdhide.

Sadly, we didn't find any nuggets!

We also visited the Bright Memorial Arboretum, and a visit to the Old Tobacco Sheds Museum which has a vast array of old wares for sale!

Our trip included a short drive to the Huggin's Lookout, south of Bright, which offered nice views to the mountains.

See all of the Photos of our visit!

Mt Buffalo National Park - south region

View from Corral Track

Corral Alpine Meadow

The Castle, seen from Corral Alpine Meadow

View from Hump Track

On April 25, 2010, we visited the Mt Buffalo National Park, 350 km NE of Melbourne.

From the car park at the base of the Cathedral Rocks, on the main Buffalo Rd, we climbed up the Castle-Corral Track, to the Corral Alpine Meadow.

This beautiful meadow lies in a depression, surrounded by magnificent granite peaks.

We explored Mahomet's Cave, the Sentinel, the base of Corral Peak, and the track to the Castle.

We descended to the car, and then climbed the track to the Cathedral and the Hump.

The views were spectacular!

The car park sits at an altitude of 1518 m - heights of the rocky peaks are the Castle 1600 m, the Corral Meadow 1574 m, Corral Peak 1587 m, La Soeuf 1610 m, the Sentinel 1579 m, the Hump 1695 m, the Cathedral 1565 m.

Return hiking distances were about 3.5 km to the Meadow, and 2 km to the Hump.

On the way back to our home base at Bright, we took a side trip along the Buckland Valley Road, passing the Porepunkah Aerodrome, then through to the Buckland Bridge, at the Buckland River, below the steep bluffs of the southern boundary of the Park.

This is the end of the bitumen - there is a nice picnic ground here on the banks of the river.

At this point, the road continues past plantations through the Buckland Valley State Forest to the Dargo High Plains.

This region was once a thriving goldmining area, dating from the 1850s, described on an information board at the picnic ground, which has several historical photographs about the early mines.

See all of the Photos of our visit!

Black Flat Trail - Warrandyte State Park

On Wednesday afternoon April 21, 2010, I went over to the Warrandyte State Park, 25 km east of Melbourne town.

I parked at the Jumping Creek Reserve, and followed the Black Flat Walking Track along the Yarra.

My turnaround point was near Mullins Orchard historical site.

This is a very scenic 4 km return hike, with good views of the Yarra from high up on the cliff top.
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The Track is stony, rough, and steep in sections, and care is needed in wet weather.

Screenings have been placed on part of the Track, which means extra care.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Olinda Forest Arboretum in early autumn

One of my favourite places is the R.J. Hamer Arboretum, Olinda, about 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

It is surrounded by the Dandenong Ranges National Park, with plantations dating back to the 1975.

Many walking tracks pass through the Arboretum, some of them named after the plantation species.

I visited the Arboretum on Tuesday afernoon April 20, 2010. My 3 km circuit hike started at the small car park at the junction of Silvan Rd and gated Mathias Track. My route followed the Poplar Track, on to Mathias Track, then on a 4WD track through Birch plantations, back to Mathias Track and then to the car.

The autumn colors were beautiful!

There were good views north to the Yarra Ranges and Mt St Leonard, from Mathias Track.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Hamer Arboretum, Olinda brStop Commercial Development - Petition signatures - GoPetition

Hamer Arboretum, Olinda brStop Commercial Development - Petition signatures - GoPetition

Tikalara Park in early autumn

Yarra River

The Homestead

The Yarra River

Tikalara Park is a large area of preserved land in the Yarra Valley Parklands, in the Templestowe municipality, 20 km NE of the Melbourne CBD.

The Main Yarra Trail passes through the Park.

I explored the Park on Monday afternoon April 19, 2010, which included a 5 km return hike along the Trail, starting at Webster's Rd, to a turnaround point near Petty's Orchard.

The historic Pontville Homestead is in the Park, but visitors are prohibited, as the surrounding land is occupied by grazing cattle.

Pontville Homestead was constructed in the 1840s on part of a large 1830s pastoral holding at the confluence of the Yarra Yarra River and the Mullum Mullum Creek by the pastoralist Major Charles Newman (1795-1866).

Newman claimed that he and his family were the first white settlers at Deep (or Mullum Mullum) Creek and at the time were the furthest settlers east of Melbourne. The remains of his first dwelling, a turf hut, have not yet been located but are most probably quite near the confluence of the creek and river.

Pontville now comprises a house constructed c.1843-50 and extended in the 1870s, remnant plantings, cottage foundations, outbuildings, bridge foundations, tracks, and a range of other features associated with the farming use of the area since the 1830s.

Pontville was acquired by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works in 1978, and Parks Victoria now manages the property as part of Paddle Reserve.

The photos show the Park, resident kangaroos, the Trail, other walkers, the Yarra, the Mullum Mullum Creek, and the Homestead.

Sadly, rabbits have invaded the park, and their burrows have impacted badly, particularly along the river bank.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Tyabb Airshow - April 18, 2010

Those "Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" put on a marvellous display at the Tyabb Airshow, at the Mornington Peninsula Airport, on Sunday April 18, 2010, before a crowd estimated to be around 50,000!

The theme of this year's Show was "A Century of Australian Aviation".

Tyabb is a town on the Mornington Peninsula, ahout 60 km south of Melbourne, near the Airport.

The Airshow was arramged by the Peninsula Aero Club - a flying training school and club based at the airport. It provides flight training for all licence levels from Private to Commercial available for both local and overseas students.

There was plenty of continuous action, starting at 11.30 am with a parachute drop, and scores of aircraft doing their thing, monoplanes, biplanes, fixed wing, helicopters, Vampire jet...

The Show finished around 4 pm.

The main aircraft flying were Wirraway, Ceres, Airtruck, Vampire jet, Mustang, Warhawk P40, Bleriot Monoplane, Nanchang, Kittyhawk, Gazelle, Cessna, Winjeel, Tiger Moths and Warbirds. Plus some helicopters. Many more on display in the hangers.

All seven Australian based Mustangs are stationed at Tyabb.

Biggest and loudest were the Warbirds (Mustangs). These were all rebuilt aircraft. Engine noise was deafening! They put four up at the same time.

These Warbirds have V-18 engines, two rows of nine cylinders - 1600 HP! Their passes over the field were reaching 500 km/h.

The simulated bombing attack was very realistic, using two strafe planes and a rec/marker aircraft. Yes, lots of explosions ands red/white smoke, and the enemy was blown up, hiding in a forest!

Vampire came in very fast and very low, from an RAAF base elsewhere. Airstrip is not long enough to handle jets. There was another Vampire on display.

The Bleriot Monoplane replica was quaint!

The Aerobatic displays were pure excitement, with aircraft doing vertical climbs and "hanging" at the top, then diving vertically to level out at about 100 feet above the ground - no doubt the pilots knew what they were doing, unlike most of us on the ground!

There are two runways - north/south sealed (672 metres), and east/west grass (400 metres).

Admission was $25 - public parking was in sporting grounds and open land nearby - mainly in the large paddocks near the footy ground - shuttle buses (free) took us to the Airport and back again.

I think I walked about 3 km looking at the displays and exhibits!

See all of my  Photos, as a selection of over 200 I took at the Show - aircraft on display - the actual three-cylinder ANZANI Arrowhead engine of 1908 used in the historical first powered flight in Adelaide in March 1910 - aerobatics - simulated attack raids - aircraft flying.

The Mornington Peninsula Airport was established in 1961 and it has operated continuously as a privately-owned airport since its establishment. It is located in Tyabb being bound by Stuart Road and Mornington-Tyabb Road.("the Airport"). The Airport is zoned 'Special Use 3 (Airport')' and has been subject to a number of planning permits with the current planning permit being issued in 1990.

There is an excellent slideshow produced by the PAC of 20 images of aircraft, based at the Airport, which flew at the Airshow, with high quality images and descriptions/history.

This is the link

http://www.tyabbairshow.com.au/ (edit text)

Maroondah Reservoir Park in early autumn

I visited the beautiful Maroondah Reservoir Park on Saturday afternoon April 17, 2010, 70 km east of Melbourne.

From the main car park/Henderson's picnic area, I hiked up the Maroondah Forest Trail, reaching the Lookout.

The views across the Dam, and to the surrounding mountains, were spectacular!

I descended to the top of the Spillway, then along the top of the Dam Wall, reaching the quaint Rotunda adjacent to the display boards of the history and construction of the Dam.

From there I walked down the paved terraced Rose Stairway to the Rose Garden, then to the Spillway Observation Area, around the colorful Lily Pond and Fern Grotto, then back to the car.

The present-day Watt's River starts at the outflow of the Spillway - the Dam was built over the original Watt's River in the 1920s.

This circuit hike was about 3 km in total.

The Dam from the Lookout

The Dam fromn the Dam Wall

The Spillway

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Tulum Beach coastal hike, Balnarring

Tulum Beach is the long strip of sheltered coast linking Balnarring Beach with Somers Beach, Westernport Bay, 65 km south of Melbourne.

It has been a popular spot since the early 1900s, and is adjacent to the Merricks Creek Eastuary and Coolart Wetlands.

I visited Tulum Beach on Friday afternoon April 16, 2010, enjoying a 4 km beach hike.

There was plenty of canoe action on the Estuary, with students from a Geelong school learning boating skills as part of a nine-day excursion. They were accommodated at the nearby Somers Education Camp.

Somers Beach

Merricks Estuary action

Tulum Beach - boat launching ramp

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Sherbrooke Forest hike in early autumn

On Thursday April 15 2010 I was in the Sherbrooke Forest, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 35 km east of Melhourne town.

Leaving the car at the junction of Sherbrooke Rd and the Mt Dandenong tourist road, I did a circuit hike of about 3 km, following the Hackett, Monument, and Lloyd's Tracks.

This passed through beautiful tall timber and fern gullies, crossing the Sherbrooke Creek.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

The old gold mines of Fifth Hill,. Warrandyte State Park

On Monday afternoon I did a 3 km hike around the Fifth Hill former goldmining region, Warrandyte State Park, 25 km east of Melhourne town.

My route was from the gate at Boundary Track, off Webb St, continuing downhill, reaching Pigtail Track.

I returned to home base up this track, passing the remains of the alluvial gold diggings and mullock heaps of the late 1800s.

There was a nice view from a high point off Pigtail Track, looking east over the Park towards the Yarra Ranges.

I met two other gentlemen on Pigtail Track, and we discussed bushfire dangers in the area, and the old mines.

I found a nice Quartz Nugget, which I brought home for my cottage garden!

East to Yarra Ranges

Old diggings on Fifth Hill

Hikers on Pigtail Track

See all of the Photos of my trip!

Kangaoo Paddock Hike, Warrandyte State Park

The Kangaroo Paddock is a large open space in the Pound Bend area of the Warrandyte State Park, 30 km east of Melbourne town.

Mobs of Eastern Grey Kangaroos live there, and are used to people visiting their pasture!

I visited the Paddock on Saturday afternoon April 10, 2010, following the Pound Bend Walking Trail from the Pound Bend Reserve, adjacent to the Yarra River.

The kangas were waiting for me!

The Photos show the kangas having their afternoon tea, and some images of the Yarra, with some candid camera shots of some canoeists who had got stuck on the rocks!

This area is a Koala Habitat, but none were seen.

The hike was about 3 km return.

Mullum Mullum Linear Park,East Doncaster, northern section

The Lagoon

Mullum Mullum Creek cascades

Mullum Mullum Creek

The Mullum Mullum Creek is in the Mullum Mullum Linear Park, in East Doncaster and Donvale, about 25 km east of Melbourne town.

A long shared walking/cycling trail runs next to the creek, linking Tindals Rd with the Heidelberg to Warrandyte Rd.

It crosses busy Reynolds Rd.

I explored the northern section of the Trail on Wednesday April 6, 2010, starting at Reynolds Rd.

See all of the Photos showing various scenes and features along the route, which passed through bushland and grassland, with an interesting lagoon (and resident ducks!), cascades and a large sculptured platypus.

Total walking distance was about 4 km.

Exploring the Lyrebird Creek Gully,Olinda Forest

Lyrebird Creek

Old bridge over Lyrebird Creek

Ferns on Price's Track

An interesting scenic shorter hike in the Olinda Forest is to the Lyrebird Creek Gully, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 35 km east of Melbourne town.

This Creek is a tributory to the Olinda Creek, and winds it way through beautiful fern gullies and tall regrowth forest.

I visited the area on Friday April 9, 2010, on a 3 km hike which started at the gate on Price's Track, at the junction with Silvan Rd.

I followed this track to a junction with Bulldog Track, then descended the unmarked Bridge Track. This took me down into the gully, reaching the old footbridge over the creek.

I returned to home base the same way, about 3 km total.

Some maps show a "Lyrebird Track" off Bridge Track. This was found, next to the creek, but was impassable, being blocked by fallen trees, branches and undergrowth.

The area was intensively logged in the 1870s to mid 1950s - the management roads were originally logging tracks used by bullock wagons to transport the timber to the railhead at the Mt Evelyn siding.

See all of the Photos of my visit!