The Catholic Walking Club of Victoria invites you to join them on the Lerderderg Heritage River Walk. 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.

This walk is a ramble along old mining water races through a section of the Wombat State Forest near the town of Blackwood. It's a predominantly flat walk along the route of old water races built during the gold rush of the 1850’s. You will see glimpses of the Lerderderg River (upstream from the Lerderderg Gorge proper) at the site of the Crown Dam – once the source of the water for mining activities.

DISTANCE: A 10 Kilometre loop that will take approx. 4 hours.

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? Suitable for most ages and fitness levels.

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): An easy to medium walk suitable for most ages and fitness levels. Tracks may have short steep sections, a rough surface and many steps. AWT Grade information.

PACE: A relaxed walking pace.

TOTAL ASCENT: 120 metres. Walk includes one short steep descent including some steps.

WALK DESCRIPTION:

A predominantly flat walk along the route of old water races built during the gold rush of the 1850’s. Glimpses of the Lerderderg River (upstream from the Lerderderg Gorge proper) at the site of the Crown Dam – once the source of the water for mining activities. Sections of the forest include fern gullies, eucalypts, and blackwood.

Carry lunch, snacks and water for breaks during the walk. Afternoon tea may be available at The Garden of St Erth at the end of the walk.

The names in the area reflect the history – Lerderderg which is loosely based on Wurundjeri language and St Erth which is a nod and to the Cornish miners who came to this area in 1800s.

MEETING POINT: The Jack Cann Reserve next to The Garden of St Erth at Blackwood.

DIRECTIONS: From Melbourne take the Western Freeway for 67km to the Greendale exit. Drive the 6.5 km to Greendale and then turn right at the hotel on to the Greendale – Trentham Road and follow it for approx. 11 km to Blackwood. Just before the town centre turn left on to Simmons Reef Road and follow it for 1.5 km to the Jack Cann Reserve adjacent to The Garden of St Erth. GOOGLE MAPS: Garden of St Erth

CARPOOLING/PUBLIC TRANSPORT: There is no public transport to the area. Car-pooling may be available depending on the location of the person needing transport.

PHONE SIGNAL: Phone signal should be available throughout the day.

TOILETS: There is a toilet at the Jack Cann Reserve. Suggest you BYO toilet paper. There are no toilets along the walk itself.

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
Lunch
Backpack
Rain jacket
Hiking shoes/boots
Personal first aid kit (your health is your responsibility)
Sun hat/sunscreen

Recommended:

Hiking poles.
Bug spray

LEADER: Peter Wilson and Bernadette Madden - contact via info@catholicwalkingclubvic.org.au. The leaders will be in touch with participants by phone during the week prior to the walk to answer questions.

EXTRA INFORMATION: Please contact the leaders 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: The Catholic Walking Club of Victoria, founded in 1951, is a small club of approximately 100 members providing a variety of walking, cycling, cross country skiing and camping opportunities for anyone (not just Catholics!) with a love of the outdoors. 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.

Main photo credit - Stuart H, All Trails.