The Croydon Walking Club invites you to join them on a walk from Cockatoo to Emerald Lake. This walk is part of the Try Bushwalking Month, celebrating the 90th Anniversary of Bushwalking Victoria, the peak body representing 60+ bushwalking clubs across Victoria.

Cockatoo to Emerald Lake – a pleasant walk through the Wright Forest Bushland Reserve reaching Emerald Lake Park for lunch in time to see Puffing Billy, then returning to Cockatoo for a well-earned coffee and perhaps cake!

DISTANCE: 10.5km return walk that will take nearly 4hrs, including a 30 min lunch stop.

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? The walk requires a reasonable level of fitness to cope with the uphill sections, as well as the distance. It could be managed by someone with some bushwalking experience and would be a great way for a more experienced walker to meet with our group in preparation for doing harder/longer walks. If someone is comfortable with 8 km walks, they should be fine.

CHILDREN AND PETS: This walk is for adults 18 years and over, and due to the nature of the walk, we ask you to leave dogs and other pets at home. Please contact the club directly to inquire about service animals, and any family or pet friendly walks.

AWT GRADE 3 (Medium): Suitable for most ages and fitness levels. Some bushwalking experience recommended. Tracks may have short steep hill sections a rough surface and many steps. AWT Grade information.

PACE: Steady pace, but adjusting if necessary to ensure the whole group is walking comfortably. Regular stops, particularly for fluid intake and on the uphill sections.

TOTAL ASCENT: 225m - there are two moderate to steepish climbs, each of around 50m, but flat to undulating for the rest of the walk.

WALK DESCRIPTION:

From the car park we leave Cockatoo via the Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail, cross over Cockatoo Creek then climb up into Wright Forest before following well-made tracks down past Wright Railway Station. After crossing Wattle Creek, we rejoin the Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail and head into Emerald Lake Park for our lunch stop. The return route is much the same, but we follow some different tracks through part of the forest area, including one steepish climb.

MEETING POINT: Participants normally meet at Yarrunga Community Centre, Croydon Hills Drive, Croydon Hills, to sign in and organise carpooling, ready for a 9.30 am departure to the starting point. Those wishing to go directly to the start are expected to contact the Leader the evening before to indicate their intention to join the walk and ascertain the meeting point along with the expected arrival time of those travelling from Yarrunga. For this walk the start is the car park next to the Cockatoo and District Bowls Club off McBride Street – but you need to be there by 10.15 am.

CARPOOLING/PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Carpooling is encouraged in our Club. On arrival at Yarrunga and signing in, participants can elect to either drive to the start point or go with another driver. Carpooling is a good way to get to know the regular club walkers.

PHONE SIGNAL: Both Telstra and Optus show 4G coverage in the walk area.

TOILETS: Toilets are available at Yarrunga Community Centre, at the start point in Cockatoo and at Emerald Lake Park. The forest area provides plenty of bushland for emergencies.

WHAT TO BRING

Mandatory:

Emergency contact form with medical info. Download this form here, or get one from the leader on the day.
1.5L water
Backpack
Wet weather gear (unless good conditions are expected)
Hiking boots/shoes
Personal first aid kit (your health is your responsibility)
Sun hat/sunscreen

Recommended:

Lunch
Hiking poles (if normally used)
Bug spray

LEADER: Bob Peterson 0412 997 958 (leader); Geoff Kitchen 0432 492 772(whip).

EXTRA INFORMATION: Please contact the leader directly if you have any queries.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RISK: When registering for this event, we ask that you view and agree to our Acknowledgement of Risk.

ABOUT OUR CLUB: Croydon Walking Club is a small (about 60 members) and friendly community-based walking group in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Walks are held on Fridays starting at either 8:30 am or 9:30 am, and occasionally at 8.00 am. While we are less regimented than some of the larger walking clubs, we are still able to offer a wide choice of walks from shorter suburban walks of up to 8 kms (generally Grade 2 level) to much longer walks in the hills and bush (generally Grade 3 to Grade 4 level, up to 20 kms), within a convenient drive from our base in Croydon Hills, Yarrunga Community Centre.

We are safety conscious and have both GPS and Satellite Phone support for the more remote walks and arrange carpooling from the meeting point to help members get to the start of each walk. Visit our website.

PRIVACY:

Your privacy is important to us. Bushwalking Victoria and its member clubs are committed to safeguarding your personal information and ensuring that your privacy is protected. The personal data we collect from you is used solely for the purpose of facilitating your participation and communicating important details about the event.

Please note that your contact information will be shared with Activity Leaders for the purpose of organising activities. Your information will not be shared with any external parties without your consent, except where required by law, but may be used for follow-up contact regarding your participation in this event.

You can view the BWV Privacy Policy on our website.

Inclusion in Photographs

We encourage participants to take photographs during activities, which may be shared publicly through various channels such as newspapers, magazines, websites and social media. If you do not wish to be included in any photographs, it is your responsibility to inform the photographer and take reasonable steps to avoid being captured in the images.