The Stzelecki Bushwalking Club invites you to join them on the Gold in them Far Hills! Knotts Siding to Thomson Station, then return via Horseshoe Bend - Grade 2 (Easy/Medium). 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.

A lovely forest walk along a rail trail to Thomson Station, where the Goldfields Railway to Walhalla begins. We will lunch here, then return, with an optional short (but steep) side trip to visit Horseshoe Bend, where gold miners diverted the Thomson River through a tunnel to enable them to mine the river bed.

DISTANCE: 10-11 km return that will take 4-5 hours.

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? Beginners, or those wanting a shorter, easy walk along fairly flat terrain and on a formed path. Must be comfortable walking gently for a few hours, and have a reasonable level of fitness.

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 2 (Easy/Medium): No bushwalking experience required. A hardened or compacted surface which may have gentle hill sections or occasional steps. AWT Grade information.

PACE: There will be no need to hurry. We can take rests as often as desired e.g. at Platina Station, and for photos.

WALK DESCRIPTION: A lovely forest walk along a rail trail to Thomson Station, where the Goldfields Railway to Walhalla begins. We will lunch here, then return, with an optional short (but steep) side trip to visit Horseshoe Bend, where gold miners diverted the Thomson River through a tunnel to enable them to mine the river bed.

MEETING POINT: This is at Knotts Siding, located at the intersection of Tyers-Walhalla Rd (C481) and Walhalla Rd (C461). These are both sealed roads suitable for 2-wheel drive vehicles. Google Maps.

DIRECTIONS: From Melbourne, take the Princes Freeway/Highway (M1) to Moe, then follow the C466 Moe-Walhalla Rd to a little past Erica, turn right on C481 Tyers-Walhalla Rd, go through Rawson, and continue until the Walhalla Rd C461 turn is reached. There is a car park next to the intersection.

CARPOOLING: Carpooling may be available depending on the direction you are coming from. Discuss with the walk leader. There is no public transport.

PHONE SIGNAL: There is phone reception at Tyers and Rawson townships, but depending on the provider signal may be poor or non-existent along parts of the trail.

TOILETS: None at the meeting point (but plenty of trees for privacy). Last public toilets at Tyers, Erica or Rawson. There are toilets at Thomson Station where we will stop for lunch.

WHAT TO BRING

Mandatory:

Emergency contact form with medical info. Download this form here, or get one from the leader on the day.
1.5 L water
Backpack
Rain jacket
Sturdy shoes or boots
Personal first aid kit/medications (your health is your responsibility)
Sun hat/sunscreen
Lunch and snacks

Recommended:

Walking poles if you are used to walking with these.
Insect repellent.

LEADER: Michael Haynes – contact (03) 5174 4635 or hahaynes@bigpond.com

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: Our club draws its membership principally from West Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley and meets in Trafalgar. We have around 150-160 members. We run day walks, mostly in West, South and Central Gippsland and some extended (multi-day) walks, which may be further afield, and other outdoor activities such as cycling, XC skiing and kayaking. We welcome new members. 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.