Whipstick Loop Walk, Wombat State Forest - March 2021

The Wombat State Forest was looking about as good as it gets this morning. 

I've been thinking about heading up here and checking the Whipstick Loop for awhile, I remember way back in the golden age of bushwalking blogging Mt Fiasco had published his take on this stroll, however up until today apathy has held me back though. I'm thinking of doing the Daylesford to Bacchus Marsh leg of the Great Dividing Trail soon and I've got a rough idea of spending a night in a cottage in Blackwood on that stroll, so I figured that a visit to Blackwood this morning would kill two birds - I could walk the Whipstick Loop and I could suss out a few accommodation options. Oh, there was one more reason I headed up here today, yes this was a Saturday on a long weekend and with the population of Melbourne still desperate to get beyond the ring of steel that had kept us locked in for so many months last year I figured that most of the more popular walking spots in the state would be a bit like of a circus today.

Blackwood was reasonably quiet when I set off this morning.

Thankfully when I arrived in Blackwood this morning the nice little town wasn't yet over run with tourists so it looked like my cunning plan might pay off. After locking the ute and checking out a couple of accommodation options I shuffled out of town and back up the Greendale - Trentham Road for a few hundred metres before branching of right along the Great Dividing Trail up the steepish Cann Street. Now if there are any real bushwalking trainspotters out there then they'll probably be muttering to themselves around now that the Whipstick Walk starts at the Jack Cann Reserve and not in town... and that is true, however a little extra length is alway's a good thing (so I'm told) so I decided walk from town this morning. After Cann Street topped out I dropped down the lesser McLennon Street and followed the GDT markers down to officially reach the Whipstick Track.

The old servo in Blackwood is now the Post Office/General Store. Apart from the Pub and the Caravan Park this was the only commercial operation open in town this morning.

The Tea Rooms look like they are closed.

The walk out of town along the Greendale - Trentham Road was little un-inspiring.

I picked up the GDT track markers when I turned up Cann Street.

Dropping down McLennon Street to meet the Whipstick Walk.

The Wombat State Forest was looking sensational this morning.

Once I'd arrived at the signposted Whipstick Track I turned left and started a fairly long walk south up the Whipstick Creek Valley. Initially the benched track intersected with a 4wd track a couple of times before it entered an area of the Wombat State Forest that was mostly untouched by 4wd tracks, something that is not that common up here in my experience. It wasn't just that scarcity of interacting tracks that I noticed this morning either, the other thing that stood out for me was the wet forest and ferns, in spots it was almost as though I was walking in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne and even at the end of summer the gully still had a bit of water flowing down it. 

Manna Gums on the Whipstick Walk.

Whipstick Walk, Wombat State Forest.

The track was surprisingly well marked and maintained today.

Some of the gullies on the Whipstick Walk are surprisingly lush.

Like I said, lush.

Eventually the track swung over Whipstick Creek and I started my return journey downstream, climbing around the base of a spur I then crossed over German Gully and picked up a water race that I followed downstream. This walk has a lot of old gold mining history and from here on it would be fairly constant as apart from the fact that I was walking a water race there was also the occasion sluicing scar or old mine shaft to check out. I haven't mentioned it yet however I'd jagged a beautiful morning for this walk, so not only was I walking largely deserted tracks through some very nice bush but I was also doing it under a bright blue and sunny sky... life was good.

Whipstick Walk, Wombat State Forest.

Wombat State Forest.

Dropping back down steam the Whipstick Walk follows some old water races.

This type of dry and open forest is more typical of the country up in the Wombat State Forest in my experience.

Approaching Back Creek on the Whispstick Walk.

Just after crossing over Back Creek the Whipstick Walk passes by this deep (fenced) mine shaft.

Arriving at the side track out to the Jack Cann Reserve and the Garden of St Erth I wandered up for a bit of a look. Now while the Whipstick Walk had been pretty well devoid of people (I'd met two couples) I successfully located the crowds at the Garden of St Erth, this spot was heaving with people on this beautiful morning. After perusing the very bucolic Garden of St Erth for a little while I retired back to the nearby Jack Cann Reserve to enjoy a quick break on one of the picnic tables. The Garden of St Erth has a café however if you BYO your own supplies then the Jack Cann Reserve has shade, picnic tables and a toilet which is all you really need I suppose.

The Garden of St Erth.

The Jack Cann Reserve - time for smoko.

The St Erth Humpy at Jack Cann Reserve.

There is another big mine shaft just down from the Jack Cann Reserve - this one isn't fenced off.

Leaving the Jack Cann Reserve I backtracked a few hundred metres to re-join the Whipstick Walk and set off down along Back Creek again (the Whipstick Walk had left Whipstick Creek, crossed a spur and was now following Back Creek). The next section down Back Creek was along another old water race and this was probably the roughest section of today's little stroll with the water race benched into sometimes a very steep hillside. Like Whipstick Creek, Back Creek still had a bit of water flowing down today, something that is a little unusual up here towards the end of summer (even the more major Lerderderg River is normally a series of pools by the end of most summers). After crossing over Back Creek, or maybe it was Whipstick Creek as they had converged by now, I climbed up to meet my outward route and headed back into town. Meandering through town warmed by the sun, beneath the bright blue sky I pondered why I'd never checked out this stroll before, the Whipstick Walk had made for pleasant stroll this morning.

The Whipstick Walk along Back Creek was a little rougher.

The Whipstick Walk above Back Creek.

Following the old water race downstream. 

Whipstick Walk, Wombat State Forest.

Wombat State Forest.

After crossing Back Creek (or is it Whipstick Creek?) the Whipstick Track climbed a little and I completed the circuit part of the walk.

The Dirt.

I walked 9.4 kilometres and climbed 235 metres on this easy stroll. Now to be honest this walk is probably best done starting and finishing at the Jack Cann Reserve and omitting the 1.5 kilometre each way walk out from Blackwood, the Whipstick Walk section was very nice walking indeed - the road bash in and out of Blackwood, not so much. In spots the damp bush along this walk was more reminiscent of the Dandenong Ranges than the drier Goldfields region of Victoria. I used the notes and map out of Mr Tempest's Melbourne's Western Gorges book along with my GPS topos this morning.

Relevant Posts.

Lerderderg East Walk, Lerderderg State Park, 2018.

Byers Back Track & Shaws Lake, Lerderderg State Park, 2018.

Alright... time to head back into Blackwood.

Following the GDT track back into town through the Wombat State Forest.

I dropped down this informal pad instead of walking the Greendale - Trentham Road as I headed back to town.

Blackwood was a lot busier when I arrived back in the early afternoon.