Churchill National Park Walk - November 2021

I was lucky to have a beautiful morning for this stroll at Churchill National Park.

When the Melbourne Cup Tuesday public holiday rolls around in Melbourne most people pull an extra annual leave day on the Monday and make it into a super long weekend, which sounded like a good plan to me. Unfortunately work got in the way again, just like last years post Covid period the end of our lockdown seem to be a signal for everyone to hit the shops en masse and consequently we are flat out at work - not really ideal after so long stuck at home. I'm not super bummed really as I've got some good stuff in the planning stage, so saving a days annual leave might come in handy next year. So anyway that's the reason I found myself out at Churchill National Park this Tuesday doing a walk that was within easy reach of home. 

There is only really room for a couple of vehicles at the start of this one.

The northern entry to Churchill National Park.

I decided to start this stroll on the northern side of the national park at a little car park off Bergins Road. I'm thinking that if anyone wants to do this walk at busier times (I was there at 7:30am) then maybe park at the southern carpark within the park (see my map) as there is only room for a couple of vehicles at this small carpark on the north side. Slipping through the boundary gate I set off into the park heading south along Army Track and straight away it felt like a typical Churchill National Park walk as I had Wattles flowering around me and Kangaroo's bounding along in front of me. On reaching Channel Track I climbed a couple of minutes to a small dam where I picked up an un-signposted walking track that climbed fairly solidly through a virtual tunnel of scrub as I made my way up to join North Boundary Track near some massive high tension powerlines. 

A typical Churchill National Park scene along Army Track.

It wasn't just the Roos keeping an eye on me.

Channel Track.

I followed this faint track as I climbed from Channel Track to North Boundary Track. 

Approaching North Boundary Track.

By the time I joined North Boundary Track most of the climbing on this section was over and I was now able to enjoy a bit of a roller coaster type of stroll along this fire track. The weather this morning was sensational and shuffling along the northern boundary of Churchill National Park I was in a pretty good head space as I enjoyed the early morning sun lighting up forest. After a nice stroll along North Boundary Track I swung right onto Stonemasons Track and started descending down a valley to the south. Stonemasons Track dropped fairly gently, passing by and old quarry as I made my way down to join Bayview Track, once again in the vicinity of the high tension powerlines. These huge, industrial scale powerlines supply power to Melbourne from our power stations down in the Latrobe Valley and are a bit of a feature of this small park unfortunately. Looking through my glass half full lens then I suppose you could say the juxtaposition between the industrial powerlines, the cobalt blue sky and the colourful native bush was interesting.

The Eastern Grey Kangaroos seem to like the grass beside North Boundary Track.

If I was a roo I think I'd like living here too.

Early morning on North Boundary Track.

North Boundary Track.

Hmm, I stayed fairly clear of this guy.

North Boundary Track.

Churchill National Park.

There are quite a few of these small dams in the park which I assume are for fire fighting, although I guess the local wildlife appreciate them as well.

After five minutes or so Bayview Track intersected with Channel Track and I swung south beside the the decommissioned water channel. As the track runs beside a water channel the going was pretty easy and level along here and stayed that way for ten minutes until I met the Kangaroo Track. Kangaroo Track is another walking track (unless I explicitly mention it then assume that the tracks a fire tracks) and I was now climbing again. Back under the high tension line I joined the grassy Ridge Track and continued to climb, I reckon whoever thought up this route and put it on Alltrails must of been in training for a bigger trek as all I seemed to be doing was going up and down the hills! Eventually I pretty well topped out again on Ridge Track and a few meters before meeting up with my outward route along North Boundary Track I swung left and descended down another walking track, this time I was shuffling down Bellbirds Track.

Descending Stonemasons Track.

Somewhat appropriately there is an old quarry on Stonemasons Track.

Bayview Track - with the typical Churchill National Park high tension lines above.

Channel Track

Ridge Track was a nice climb.

Bellbird Track dropped me back down onto Channel Track again (for the third time - yes, it was that kind of walk!). Yet again I found myself passing beneath the high tension power lines as I made my way down to pass through the main picnic area and car park on Army Track, passing by a few early morning punters settling in for a long Melbourne Cup Day in the park. I was now pretty well finishing my walk as I followed Army Track west before swinging north and passing beneath the powerlines for last time as I shuffled the last few metres back to the ute. 

Dropping down Bellbird Track.

Bellbird Track, Churchill National Park.

Churchill National Park.

The Dirt.

According to my GPS I walked around 8.2 kilometres and climbed about 197 metres on this easy walk. This walk is actually a little better than my somewhat mundane write up portrays I think, the bush, animals and great facilities more than make up for the negative of the high tension power lines I think. All of the tracks, with the exception of the walking track linking Channel Track to North Boundary Track near the start, are signposted and fairly clear. This was a walk I found on Alltrails again although I'm pretty sure Parks Vic have some free stuff online for this walk. I used my GPS topos as well as my phone app, Google Maps should get most people through.

Relevant Posts.

Churchill to Trig Point Lookout Walk, Churchill National Park, 2017.

Yep... there they are again.

There is a big picnic area on Army Track. There is also a big car park here which would make it an optional starting point.

Passing under the power lines as I headed back to the ute along Army Track.