Macedon Ranges Circuit - May 2016

With the cut on my face still not healed up after last weeks walk up at the Cathedral Range State Park I was keen for a gentler walk this week, hopefully a walk that wouldn't cause me any lasting scars. Autumn is always a good time to head up to Mt Macedon due to the extensive gardens of exotic trees up there, the golden leaves brightening up the many greens of the Australian Bush. Mount Macedon started life as something of a hill station for the more well off European settlers in the 19th century, its elevation giving some relief from the heat in summer. Like last weekend the forecast was for a low 20 Celsius day with blue skies, so I set off confident that the camera would get a good workout.

It was a little on the atmospheric side this morning.

Pulling up at the Camels Hump Car Park at 8:30 am I was starting to question the forecast as the area was enveloped in a thick mist. My initial plan had my making the quick climb up to the summit of Camels Hump to get some great early morning photos of Hanging Rock below me in the mist filled valley, well there was plenty of mist but it wasn't in the valleys it was blanketing the tops of the mountains, the summit of Camels Hump got relegated until my return this afternoon. With the temperature read out in the ute saying that the ambient temperature was hovering around 11c I quickly pulled on my boots and headed off into the gloom, anxious to be moving and generating a bit of body heat. For the majority of today's amble I'd be following the well marked Macedon Ranges Walking Trail (MRWT) and it wasn't long after leaving the ute that my first marker appeared out of the mist.

Heading around below the cliffs of Camels Hump.

The first part of my route had me dropping down the steep hillside to contour under the high cliffs of the Camels Hump, on a nice day you can normally see rock climbers defying gravity on its crags, today I couldn't even see the cliffs. The mist did have its positive side though, it allowed ample opportunity for atmospheric shots, so strap yourself in for a heap of grey photos that you ca't quite make out what it was that I was trying to photograph. Passing under Camels Hump I made my way along MRWT towards Days Picnic Ground, it was along here that I came across my first deciduous trees on today's walk, the grey misty atmosphere lending the scene a bit of a bleak Northern European autumn feel. Arriving at the huge grassy Days Picnic Ground provided my toughest navigational challenge of the day, yeah finding the continuation of the MRWT in the mist required a little bit of detective work.

This stroll has an almost European feel to it in parts.

Trusting my instincts I wondered off into the mist towards what I figured would be the start of the track to Sanatorium Lake on the tree line, sure enough first the tree line and then the walking track materialized out of the mist and I followed the now ferny track down to the small lake. Sanatorium Lake was constructed in 1899 to supply water to a tuberculosis sanatorium way down in the valley, today its a pretty dam surrounded by some fine forests, you'll have to take my word for that though as all I got photo wise is more atmospheric shots, oh yeah and Welcome Home (Sanitarium) was now in high rotation in my head (A big hello to all my metal followers... what's that, oh its only me..). After a quick circumnavigation of the small lake I made my way down to another extensive picnic area, this time Sanatorium Lake Picnic Ground, the Radiata Pines there seeming to provide a good habitat for fungi. I was still enveloped in mist at this stage but luckily my ongoing route followed the access road out of the picnic ground so there was no navigational issues here.

Sanatorium Lake.

There are some quite impressive Mountain Ash around Sanatorium Lake.

Fungi at Sanatorium Lake Picnic Ground, check out how a professional does it at Mildly Extreme.

Leaving Sanatorium Lake Picnic Area I picked up Zig Zag Track and followed the fire track down hill towards Hemphills Track, it was along here that the mist slowly started to clear to reveal some blue sky above, my mood lifting with the mist. After just over a kilometre on Hemphills Track I turned off the fire track onto the Mount Towrong Walking Track, the walking track initially follows the crest of the ridge to the cairn marking the top of Mount Towrong, its summit enclosed in forest preventing any real views. The views open up a bit though as the walking track starts its zig zagging descent down to Anzac Road, the steady descent crosses some open grassy sections that allow for views across the valley to Mount Macedon (still enveloped in cloud today) as well as down into the Mt Macedon township, The township was what was holding my interest though as due to another alpine start (well 8:30am is early for me) I hadn't actually had a coffee or any brekky this morning so I was keen to get down to town in case I started to waste away. Once on Anzac Road the route starts to pass plenty of country estates as it slowly descends to the valley, the fine gardens would provide lots of interest to any keen gardeners out there but I was pretty focused on getting my caffeine hit at this stage. Arriving at the Mount Macedon Trading Post I gratefully grabbed the only empty table and settled in for my muesli and coffee's, the only thing missing from my normal Saturday routine was my papers, I'd managed to leave them at home and I refuse to spend money on Murdoch's rag so I had to settle for reading my walking guide book for probably the hundredth time.

Zig Zag Track.

The summit cairn on Mt Towrong.

Mt Macedon is still blanketed in cloud, the village is in the valley below.

Hardcore walking Feral style, err maybe not!

An hour later, with my caffeine craving satiated I resumed my walk. Leaving the excellent Trading Post Cafe I picked up the bitumen Douglas Road and followed it out of town, the road eventually turning to dirt and contouring across the hillside beneath Mount Macedon. The quiet road wasn't bad to walk on really, the views down towards Macedon through the sparse tree cover keeping me entertained until I picked up the MRWT again as it climbed steeply to the summit of Mount Macedon. This is the steepest and most sustained climb of the walk but really its pretty cruisey, and anyway there is always something to stop and take a photo of if my breathing starts to get a bit laboured...amazing that! The climb up to the memorial cross from Douglas Road initially passes through an area that has been burn't fairly severely before getting into some wetter fernier country higher up. Near the top the flora changes again to a more alpine feel, including my favourite Snow Gums as well as a few open Snow Grass sections that allow for great views to the west, although unfortunately they look down over extensive pine plantations in the Wombat State Forest near Woodend.

Leaving town up Douglas Road.

The MRWT passes through a damp section on the climb up to the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross.

Slightly higher and it passes through some Snow Gums.

Arriving at the Mt Macedon Memorial Cross I joined the tourists paying their respects and taking in the extensive view, Melbourne just visible in the distance in the blue haze. The original cross was erected by a well off local resident William Cameron in 1934 to commemorate the fallen soldiers from WW1, the original cross eventually fell into disrepair though and this one was generously donated to the people of Victoria by Bruno and Rino Grollo in 1995. The cross and summit area is now a memorial to all our fallen, no matter what the campaign. 

If you squint you might just make out Melbourne.

I was now on the homeward stretch of today's walk so I decided that seeing that the Tearooms on top of Mt Macedon were open I may as well go in and refuel again (like I said, this walk was hardcore!). The Mt Macedon Tearooms were only around 25% full so I had no trouble finding a table by the window, the afternoon sun streaming in and almost sending me to sleep. Leaving the warm and cosy tea rooms the MRWT contours around the top of the western flanks of the mountain, occasional grassy opening allowing for some views but for the most part the route stays in the trees, but what trees they are, the Snow Gums and Mountain Ash are largely un-burnt along here and make for beautiful walking. The MRWT slowly starts to turn along the northern flanks of the mountain before arriving at McGregors Picnic Ground, the large grassy area playing host to numerous families out enjoying a picnic on what was now a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Looking west over pine plantations.

The MRWT sidling the western flank of the mountain makes for great walking.

Leaving the McGregors Picnic Ground I was on the home stretch now though, after descending a little on the damp track I picked up this mornings outward route, the contrast between this morning damp and misty conditions and the sunny blue skies that were now overhead was stark. Climbing back up to the Camels Hump Car Park I walked straight past the ute and instead headed for the summit, what's another twenty minutes anyway! The track up Camels Hump has had some love, its gravel surface no doubt to help cater for the extra visitors that climb this rugged little summit, at 1011 metres the summit of Camels Hump is actually slightly higher than the main summit of Mt Macedon. Camels Hump is crowned by a sparse cover of Snow Gums which allow for great views, especially if your confident scrambling around the rocky ramparts to get the best vantage point. Looking down at Hanging Rock in the valley, sipping on the last of my water, Camels Hump provided a suitable full stop to today's stroll, all that was left now was to wander back to the ute and settle in for the two hour drive home, no injuries today, life is good.

Hanging Rock (in the middle of the photo) from the summit of Camels Hump.

Snow Gums on Camels Hump.

Looking back towards the communication towers on the summit of Mt Macedon.

The Dirt.

I walked 22.3 kilometres and climbed 911 metres on this medium grade (although fairly long) walk. Chapman, Tempest and Thomas have all written up this walk although Mr Thomas' book is probably out of print. I used Mr Chapman's book on this occasion as it was the one closest to hand when I left home. Parks Vic also have a lot of stuff on line about the area. The walk is fairly long but follows good, well signposted tracks and roads for its whole journey, I started at Camels Hump hoping to get some early morning views, but the other advantage of starting there is that it splits the day into three stages with a cafe stop in Mt Macedon village and on the summit breaking up the walk. Allow a fair chunk of the day for this walk especially if you plan on frequenting the cafes, I was on the trail for 7.5 hours. 

Camels Hump Car Park, time to head home.