Short walk from Birdsland Reserve past Retarding Basin, Ruins up hill to Granite Track Summit for views to the city returning down Wellington North Break Track running parrallel to Wellington Road left to Abrahams Track , Lanes Track, Ballart Track back to Ruins returning via Blackwood Walk to cars. Distance is 10.5k easy walking with climb to Summit. Can car pool from Mullum Mullum Reserve meeting time 8.45am

IF HOT WILL BE CANELLED

A relaxing walk from Ceres Environmental centre along the Merri Creek and around Coburg Lake. We will pass street art along the way and the old Pentridge Prison. Bring morning tea and if you wish to relax then pack lunch to sit at the end of the walk. Bring your MYKI card as this involves a tram ride. Optional meeting spot is Ceres car park ready to walk at 9:15am. Approx 12 kms.

Starting from the Hurstbridge hub we will walk along Cherry Tree Rd to Panton Hill, going through to Wattle Glen and back on rail trail.  Some hills, country roads and bike track.  Lunch at Peppers Paddock, coffee available and back to Hurstbridge.  Will need to cancel if high temps.  Approximately 14 ks.

An easy ride along the Bay Trail to Half Moon Bay (Black Rock). Good views, no hills, about 35 km and will suit new riders or anyone who doesn't want a challenging ride. We will meet at the Edithavale Wetlands carpark in Edithvale Road.

This is an Easy/Medium 11km walk from Yarrambat Picnic Ground. This circuit track is a combination of open and narrow tracks. Some sections of the vegetation is waist high. There is a river crossing. However, an alternative route can be taken if the water level is too high. Poles are recommended as there are a couple of short,sharp declines. The maximum elevation is approximately 200 metres. Bring morning tea and plenty of water. The open road section is quite exposed. We should be finished by 1-130pm. You can either have lunch in the park or head home.

Walk from picnic ground car park at Donnelly's Weir to the summit of Mt St Leonards. This walk is around 8km each way and includes steep climbs particularly towards the summit. This walk can be slippery in wet conditions

Privately guided kayaking trip down the Yarra River from lower Homestead Road to Whittens Reserve in raft quality 2 person inflatable kayaks.  No experience necessary but general fitness and ability to swim 10 metres.  Course is through Grade 2 rapids along a beautiful stretch of the river.

Cost with group discount is $90 pp payable to DVBC bank account with reference Kayaking and your name. Payment is due when booking.

Please wear closed toe footwear and clothes that are ok to get wet.  Bring water bottle.  There are no changing facilities or toilets.  Items also supplied are life vest and helmet.  We will need to do a short car shuffle before a safety briefing.
Be ready by 8.20am.

There can be no refunds unless the payment can be transferred to another member.

Everyone is welcome afterwards to the Stonehouse Cafe, 321 Ringwood-Warrandyte Rd, Warrandyte for a post kayak debrief coffee/early lunch.

Challenging ascent & descent  from Warburton to the summit of Mt Donna Buang about 7km each way. Walk starts from Martyr Road on the edge of the golf course and mainly follows a steep track through the national park, crossing the aqueduct and Donna Buang summit road.

Some areas can be very slippery in wet weather. poles are useful.

New walk created by Karen Woolcock who is not walking at the present time so has allowed me to lead this walk. Never been done before and so close to home. Starting at corner of Scrubby Creek Rd & Ridge Road using bike tracks . Walk is about 13k with elevation of 238m. Car pooling could be arranged if people dont want to drive to Whittlesea - if you do suggest not using Ridge Road but going via Whittlesea then right on to Humevale Road and wind way to Scubby Creek.

Meeting place is Willsmere Chandler Park, Willow Grove Kew East, [Mel 45 F1], at 09.20 for a 9.30 start. 

   The walk begins at Willow Grove, Kew East, which is accessed off Kilby Road via the Belford Rd bridge (leading to Kew Golf course).  The walk follows the Eastern Freeway, with a diversion around Kew Billabong, to the Chandler Hwy, and on to Fairfield Boathouse for morning tea – distance about 4 km.  We then retrace our steps (without going around the Billabong) back to the cars about 3.5 km.   

3-day walk from Mt Buller to Mt Stirling, starting Tuesday 25th, visiting points of interest and return Thursday 27th. Likely stay Bluff Spur Hut campsite, at least for the first night. Exact route still to be discussed and finalised.

Bearing in mind the terrain and 3-day pack this will be a hard challenging walk. Participants will need to supply all their camping requirements and clothing necessary to be prepared for alpine weather extremes.

I will be running 2-3 hard walks to enable some fitness training and discussion of walk details on Wednesdays during February.

We meet below Heidelberg station, at the bottom of the Mount St (lower side) ramp at 09:00. Trains will not be running from Eltham to Heidelberg but there should be an express bus from Eltham station carpark to Heidelberg (about 20 minutes. If you prefer to drive, please note that all-day parking near Heidelberg station is very limited. I will send an email with some suggestions closer to the time if needed.

Continue down Burgundy St for a hard-earned coffe, then into the Warringal/Heidelberg Parklands. We walk upriver past the Banyule Wetlands and some creekside paths into Viewbank and Lower Plenty Road. Up and over past Rosanna Road to Rosanna station (toilets), then up the linear park along Salt Creek to near McLeod station, cross the bridge and return on the other side.

Uphill through some of the back streets of Rosanna to Mortimer Street and back into Heidelberg down a scenic part of Brown St near the Arthur Rylah environmental research station. Cross Burgundy St (toilets at Heidelberg station) and up Mount St into Eaglemont. Lunch in a parklet here (no toilets).

See the habitat of the Heidelberg school of painters, a number of significant houses and some of the beautiful streets of this Toorak of the north-east, designed by Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, Marion. Finish at Eaglement station.

EM 15 km. Quite a few short steep hills.

Keep this date free for another fun filled rubbish collecting morning.

Contact Marg King or Jeannie Suttie

We will walk down through Kalorama Park and up the Cascade Track to Olinda Falls for morning tea. Then along the reopened Mechanics Track to Mt Dandenong and back to Kalorama. Good views but also some steep climbs. About 10km.

This camp will include an 18 km walk at Cape Woolamai on Friday, a 15km walk from The Nobbies past the penguins, bird hide and circuit back along the northern beach on Saturday and Sunday consists of two shorter walks - one at Churchill Island and then along the George Bass Coastal Walk to Kilcunda.

We are staying at the BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Phillip Island - https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/vic/phillip-island/ingenia-holidays-phillip-island/accommodation?accommodationtype=cabins. Please organise with friends to book your cabin or camp site. Prices will increase as we get closer to the date and cabins may not be available, so please book your accommodation ASAP.

More information will be provided as we get closer to the camp.

Meet at Eltham Lower Park (Mel 21 H10) new toilets at 0915 for a and start at 0930. 

A pleasant circuit walk from Eltham Lower Park.  We walk directly to the bridge over the Yarra and turn left.  Just after the end of the board walk we take a right to the ridge and the follow the fence line along a couple of dam walls  until we reach a mown track.  From there we walk uphill and under the power lines and then veer right onto a bike track and follow it west until we reach a boundary fence.  Then we walk parallel to Fitzsimons Lane and walk north to the Yarra via the Orange Peel.  Toilets are nearby and then we return to Eltham Lower Park.

Grampians NP Basecamp Exploratory Recce #3

This is the third of perhaps at least three trips to the Grampians over the next 12 months to explore different areas (north/central/south/outlying).

These exploratory trips will only include day walks, but some of the walks will be rated medium-hard, and will include visits to peaks such as Briggs Bluff. Expect conditions such as: steep hills; exposed rocky paths; light rock scrambling; cliffs; no shelter; poor visibility; sustained ascent; walking along steep exposed ridge. Please of course consider your ability before booking. 

This third exploratory trip would include the southern Grampians. This would perhaps include: Mt Sturgeon; Signal Peak; Mt Abrupt; The Chimney Pots.

More details to follow. Final choice of walks to be decided. No doubt easier walks will be mixed in.

The main Grampians Basecamp will be from Monday 10th - Sunday 16th November, 2025. Walking grades are expected to be more moderate.

For the third exploratory basecamp, we will be staying in Dunkeld Caravan Park where there are cabins, caravan and camping sites. For all trips, please arrange your own accommodation.

This is a basecamp for strong, capable walkers who want, and will enjoy a physical challenge in Victoria’s amazing high country. We’re offering the below 4 walks over 3 days followed by an end of camp celebration dinner at the local pub, The General. As we have a Team of 4 running the walks, we’ll be able to offer 2 speeds of walk, making it achievable for more people to enjoy this amazing place at a pace that suits them.

The Base Camp team:
Lynda – Camp Coordinator & Leader moderate group
Muriel – Leader faster group
Joan – Whip & support to both leaders
Steve – Navigation & support to both leaders

Walks:
Day 1: Afternoon arrival walk Little Mt Higganbotham 2.6km circuit S-6-4 medium grade 1.5hrs
Evening sunset walk to Mt Hotham Summit 1.6km S-6-3 medium grade 1hr
Day 2 Feathertop via Razorback 22km return L-7-6 hard grade 8hrs
Day 3 Huts walk 16km L-7-5 medium/hard grade

Accommodation: will be at a local ski lodge on the mountain, where everyone buddies up and books their own share room, details TBC.

Food & Dinners: Full kitchen facilities at the Lodge, you will need to bring all your food requirements for breakfast, lunch and dinner BUT for those who wish to participate, there will be a group dinner at The General on the last night of the camp.

This walk is a 13.5 km walk in Marysville which starts by following the Steavenson River along the valley to Steavenson Falls. From there we climb (for some time) through mountain ash and stringybark forest to visit 4 lookouts with views across Marysville, the Cathedral Range state park and Steavenson Falls. There is a fairly steep descent down to the river which we follow back to the cars. The walk starts at the Gallipoli Park toilets which are behind the Trevor Harold Oval in Gallipoli Park. If you wish to meet there at 9:30 rather than car pool from the Eltham Little Theatre car park please note when booking.

Walks will include Two Towns Trail (easy), Mt Worth (medium) and rail trails (easy) north of Warragul.  Poles are strongly recommended for the Mt Worth walk.

The Friends of Mt Worth secured funding to produce the following videos which provide interesting viewing about the Mt Worth State Park.

A Year in the Life of Mount Worth State Park 

• History- https://youtu.be/HOxneK00NEI?si=hTCcPIwIqG0fTJYP

• Friends Activities- https://youtu.be/k6sDdy2VLow?si=BjqSCJweuWA7fwd2

• Birds- https://youtu.be/AqQstDwL3bI?si=f4SifWV00-lM-4sa

• Fungi- https://youtu.be/FfKsQsYblFM?si=joKO13CPekT-QI6y

• Ferns- https://youtu.be/XWU8TvGq0wQ?si=S5tmPjL2fvqsZthk

Walkers are encouraged to be in Warragul by 3:00pm on the Friday afternoon.  This will ensure you beat the Friday night traffic out of the city and, more importantly, are ready for a walk to Drouin along the Two Towns Trail and dinner at the Drouin Family Hotel.  We will return to Warragul by V-Line train so please bring your Myki card.

Dinner on the Saturday night will be pizza's at a local farm.  Bring food for breakfast, morning tea, lunches and happy hour on Saturday night.

Accommodation will be at the Warragul Gardens Holiday Park, 44 Burke Street, Warragul.  There are Superior Cabins and Family Cabins with everything provided. 1 nights' accommodation is required as a deposit and needs to be paid by 1 September 2024.  Payments are to be made directly to Warragul Gardens Holiday Park and they can be contacted on (03) 5623 2707 - please quote Diamond Valley Bushwalking Club. The final balance is due on arrival.