Two Creeks Walk, Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park - April 2021

There are a lot of these old gold mining relics up here.

I've walked sections of the Great Divide Track(GDT) around here many times although it's always been to the west of Porcupine Ridge Road, this afternoon would be the first time that I'd ventured east off the road. After a pleasant two and a half hour drive I left the ute parked at the spot where GDT crossed Porcupine Ridge Road, re-set the GPS and shuffled off into the afternoon to check things out.

Leaving the ute beside Porcupine Ridge Road I headed north east into the scrub along the GDT.

After leaving the ute the GDT dropped fairly gently through the dry open forest into the headwaters of Browns Gully (the first of the Two Creeks). The GDT is also used by my mountain bike brothers and sisters which means that the track itself generally has a fair flow about it and this section down along Browns Gully made for very nice walking this afternoon. After passing through an area that had obviously been extensively mined back in the day I arrived at the first ruin of the afternoon, these old stone buildings mostly date back to 1800's when the forest was alive with gold mining activity. Fifteen minutes or so after passing by the ruins I arrive at Browns Gully Crossing, crossed the dry gully started to climb into the hills.

The GDT dropping gently down into the headwaters of Browns Gully.

I followed a section of old water race for a little while.

Passing by some of the old diggings in Browns Gully.

Browns Gully ruins.

Now when I say climb into the hills I really should say gently climb as all the ascents and descents this afternoon were on the gentle side really. The low afternoon sun was now adding a bit of interest as I climbed my way up along the GDT to eventually cross Wewak Track (a major 4wd track) before dropping down to Sebastopol Creek (the second of the Two Creeks). Once again the GDT passed close by some more old ruins as I was dropping down to meet Sebastopol Creek and they were all worth spending a bit of time poking around and checking out.

Browns Gully.

The late afternoon light in Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park.

The climb up along the GDT to meet Wewak Track was probably the steepest of the day.

Sebastopol Creek ruins.

After reaching Sebastopol Creek I doubled back a few metres up the GDT before picking up a faint and un-signposted old 4wd track that initially headed upstream for a few metres before it climbed easily past some more old diggings before I emerged back onto Wewak Track again. Once I'd picked up Wewak Track I followed the quiet road west for fifteen minutes or so, the easy walking and the now late afternoon sun all adding to my good mood, the Kangaroo Grass and open forest all cast in a soft golden glow. 

The GDT crossing Sebastopol Creek - I backtracked a couple of minutes and followed an old 4wd track up stream.

The old 4wd track isn't signposted however it's pretty obvious.

Easy walking along Wewak Track.

The late afternoon sun lighting up the Kangaroo Grass beside Wewak Track.

All good things come to an end eventually though and as Wewak Track crossed Sebastopol Creek I left the 4wd track and started the off piste section of today's stroll. Mr Tempest mentions that there is an old 4wd track to follow along the initial section of my Sebastopol Creek walk although I'm buggered if I could find it, if I really used all of my Feral imagination then I may of occasionally been following something that once resembled a rough 4wd track, although for the most part I just followed the creek bed. The scrub along this section was fairly light for the most part, to be honest though that was a good thing as it was also particularly scratchy. 

On meeting Sebastopol Creek again I wandered off up stream - allegedly following an old 4wd track?

Easy off piste walking up Sebastopol Creek.

Getting closer to Porcupine Ridge Road the scrub got a little more insistent.

With the scrub starting to get fairly thick and the gully that I'd been following pretty well petering out I thankfully emerged from the scrub onto Porcupine Ridge Road - and all was pretty easy in my world again. Once on Porcupine Ridge Road it was just a matter of turning left (south) and shuffling the last kilometre or so back to the waiting ute. As far as road walks go then walking Porcupine Ridge Road was pretty good really and it made a nice little warm down from my afternoons stroll before I climbed into the ute and headed for home.

It appears as though I'd picked the only bit of the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park that hasn't had a prescribed burn through it recently to do the off track section of my stroll.

Porcupine Ridge Road has just come into view.

My afternoons adventure finished with a nice late afternoon stroll along Porcupine Ridge Road.

The Dirt.

According to my GPS I walked around 9.6 kilometres and climbed about 168 metres on what I'd call a medium grade day walk. The main reason that I'd call this a medium grade walk is because of the two kilometre section up Sebastopol Creek that is for all intents and purposes off track. Apart from the off piste section the rest of the walk is along either single track or a variety of 4wd tracks and quiet dirt roads. If anybody likes their old gold mining history or wants to practise their off track navigation in some easy terrain then this is a walk worth considering I think, the walk is easily done in half a day so if travelling from Melbourne there still should be plenty of time to complete the stroll. This walk was written up by Mr Tempest in his Victoria's Goldfields Walks book and I used his notes and map along with my GPS topos this afternoon. 

Relevant Posts.

Porcupine Ridge Road to Tarilta Gorge Camp, 2021.

Tarilta Creek Gorge Walk, 2020.

Porcupine Ridge Road - the sun is getting pretty low now.

The ute has just come into view - time to pull the boots off and settle in for the long drive home.