So my first blog.....
About a month ago I decided to head up to Kilmore, on the Northern Highway about an hour from Melbourne, and do an easy walk. I managed to jag a day that wasn't too hot and so armed with some track notes from Tyrone Thomas I was off.
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| The old Bluestone Post Office at the start of the walk |
Kilmore is one of those places I'd always past through on the way to other adventures so my expectations weren't huge. The first thing I noticed was the old bluestone buildings obviously dating from the Ye Olde days, certainly more pleasant to the eye than the endless suburbs of Mc Mansions that are spreading out from Melbourne.
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| The track runs beside a dam in the golf course |
After parking I headed up Kilmore Creek for a few hundred metres before crossing a road and entering the local golf course, getting a few quizzical looks as I traipsed up a service road through the centre of the course. I was basically heading east to eventually gain the crest of a ridge which I followed south to a Lookout. The climb up to the top of the ridge was on old fire tracks and was fairly easy, even for an unfit old bloke like me. Gaining the ridge I followed a quiet dirt road along the ridge with great views to the east, the Sydney to Melbourne railway being in view in the valley to the east.
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| Climbing the old fire track onto the crest of the ridge. |
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| Approaching the crest. |
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| The view east towards the Melbourne to Sydney railway. |
Reaching the Bluestone Lookout I had to climb up for the obligatory summit pic, consuming most of my supply of snakes whilst I took in the view, which now included Kilmore to the west. With the crux of the walk now conquered I was soon heading down towards Kilmore via a series of old fire tracks, at one stage walking across the wall of a small dam which may have provided a swimming opportunity if I was desperate.
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| The lookout. |
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| A little history. |
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| Descending back down towards Kilmore. |
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| Crossing the dam wall, maybe worth a swim if it was really hot. |
The last kilometre of the walk involved walking down a bitumen road beside the golf course, stopping to take a couple of photo's of the old buildings at the hospital, before reaching the outward track beside Kilmore Creek. All up this pleasant walk had taken less than two hours, including breaks. Its a walk almost anyone could complete, with a bit of historical interest, a creek walk, some dry eucalypt, some views, and some suburban walking all included.
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| Old buildings at Kilmore hospital. |
The Dirt.
The notes for this walk are from 150 Walks in Victoria by Tyrone Thomas and Andrew Close, it is walk # 54.
According to my GPS the distance was 6.25 kilometres and involved 199 metres of total ascent.
Maybe I'll work out how to up load maps one day!
A couple of weeks after I completed this walk massive fires tore through the area so I presume the walk will be off limits for awhile.
Relevant Posts.
Mundy Gully, Spring Plains Nature Conservation Reserve, 2017.
Mt Ida & Dargile Forest, Heathcote-Greytown National Park, 2018.
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| The author happy after just achieving the summit :) |
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The track along Kilmore Creek
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