Mt St Leonard in winter

These pix were taken on June 12 2012 at Mt St Leonard, 70 km east of Melbourne, overlooking the town of Healesville.

They show the scenery and environment on a 3 km return hike to the summit, from Monda Rd, with spectacular panoramas across the Yarra Valley to Melbourne and beyond.

Some images have been included of the large communications towers on the summit.
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It is not commonly known, but in 1945 the Australian Army carried out experimental test transmissions from the summit to assess high frequency radio coverage, using the No.10 wireless set.

Sadly, much of the surrounding forest is being decimated by logging activity.

See a Slideshow with text and music, of my visit

Tawonga Huts Hike - Bogong High Plains

The Tawonga Huts are in the Bogong High Plains, about 4 km from the Pretty Valley Pondage carpark.

The carpark is is reached via a turn off from the Pretty Valley Rd, about 6 km from the Bogong High Plains Rd, which starts just past the Falls Creek Village.

The turn-off and descent to the Pondage is signposted, and this is an extremely rough, dusty, corrugated, 2 km track, with a surface consisting of large sharp loose rubble and stones.

The walk starts by crossing the Causeway (1637 m) near the carpark then a 4 km hike (each way) up the stony Fainter Fire Track. Over the top (1814 m), the track drops down into the valley of the Tawonga Huts Creek - the Huts are nearby (1675 m).

The Fainter Firetrack continues north, ultimately ending at Bogong Village.

A side footrack, starting at the huts, marked with orange triangles on trees, goes to the highest peak (1852 m) in the Jathmathangs, formerly known as the Niggerheads.

Maximum altitude reached is 1814 m - lowest is 1637 m.

The wide plain surrounding the huts is used as a major gathering point for cattle mustering each autumn.

The first hut in the area was built by John Ryder prior to 1888 but it was pulled down by a horse teathered to the post, and was then rebuilt in that year.

The third hut was built in 1923 of palings. Many cattlemen used the Tawonga huts, notably Ben Cooper, for whom a cairn sits nearby. This is passed at the top of the Fainter FT on the way in.

The current huts were built in the 1950s about 250m south of the original set. The "Refuge Hut" as named, was built by the SEC in 1928 and pulled here in the 1980s. The fourth hut, was originally a cookhouse and brought to the site on a truck by Billy Hicks, but was burnt down in 2000 and a replacement was then built, similar to that whch was destroyed.

All huts survived the 2003 fires.

The views are stupendous from the Fainter Firetrack, with a sweeping panorama extending from Mt Hotham in the south, then Mt Feathertop (1922 m), the twin peaks of Mt Fainter (1839 m and 1880 m), and the Bogong Massif (1986 m) to the north. The Jathmathangs (formerly known as the Niggerheads) are in front of Mt Feathertop. Mt McKay (1849 m) is nearby.

We visited the Huts on March 8, 2009.

See the complete set of Photos of our trip!

Blue Tongue Bend - Warrandyte State Park

The Blue Tongue Bend walking track is in the Warrandyte State Park, 20 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

The 4 km (return) track starts at the Jumping Creek Picnic Ground, off Jumping Creek Rd, and follows the Yarra River, through the Gorge.

The track, stony and steep in sections, passes through bushland until it ends at a sign "Blue Tongue Bend", where there are rapids.

My visit was on February 17, 2009.

See the full set of Photos of my trip!

Koornong Bushland Yarra River Walk - Warrandyte State Park

A relatively unknown 3 km (return) walk in an obscure section of the Warrandyte State Park is in the Koornong Bushland Reserve, 25 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

This section of the Park borders the Yarra River on its west, and is opposite Blue Tongue Bend.

The walk starts at a small car park and Park gate at the junction of Hamilton Rd and Koornong Crescent, North Warrandyte, reached from the the Kangaroo Ground-Warrandyte Rd via Osborne Rd.

The route follows an old logging track, now used for fire management, parallel to the river on the cliff top. It reaches another gate at the junction with unsealed Yarra River Court.

Follow a narrow access track to the right for about 100 metres, to a further junction, and continue downhill through forest to a high level viewpoint on a rock platform overlooking the Yarra at Blue Tongue Bend.

After viewing the river, return to the junction and turn right, following the formed track through bushland adjacent to the course of the Pigeon Bank Creek (dry at the time of my visit!)

A Boardwalk will be reached, and shortly after that the Track ends at the sealed Menzies Rd.

This walk is about 3 km and provides nice views of the Yarra from vantage points on its western border.

The Koornong Reserve is about 10 hectares, and is also known as "Frencham Land".

My visit was on Sunday November 16, 2008

See the full set of Photos

Exploring Menzies Creek, Victoria

Menzies Creek is a rural township in the Dandenong Ranges, 42 km south-east of Melbourne, and 5 km east of Belgrave.

It was the second station from Belgrave on the narrow gauge railway to Gembrook, now the "Puffing Billy" scenic railway. The station, however, was named Aura after a nearby property, and the two names co-existed until the 1940s. Aura is now part of the name of a lake linked to the Cardinia reservoir.

The name Menzies Creek came from James Menzies, an early miner on the Emerald diggings.

Extensive gold workings occurred in the Menzies Creek area in the 1860s, followed by timber splitters and, later, selectors in 1873. The slopes above Menzies Creek were noted for giant mountain ash trees and tree ferns.

In 1882 the Menzies Creek school was opened, but by 1900 when the railway was opened there was no general store or post office. These came the following year. An Anglican church was built in 1903. Unlike some other townships in the area, Menzies Creek did not attract weekenders because subdivision was stopped by owners who held land in large parcels.

A recreation reserve was established in 1929 and a public hall was built in 1953.

Near the "Puffing Billy" station there is a railway museum, the Menzies Creek store and tea room, the fire station and a kindergarten which operates in the public hall. There are several plant nurseries near the township.Menzies Creek's census populations have been 81 (1911) and 198 (1954).

I explored the region on March 25, 2008, for short hikes in Bob's Park adjacent to the Aura Vale Lake, and in the Black Hill Bushland Reserve.

There are superb views from Black Hill across open country and farmland to the Cardinia Reservoir and beyond.

Access to Bob's Park is now limited to walkers - the public access road has now been closed for an indefinite period.

See the full set of Photos