The Camperdown Bushwalking Club invites you to join them on a walk along the Old Beechy Line Rail Trail, and into Melba Gully in the Otways Forest. 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.

We will walk through beautiful dense rainforest, ferns and farmland on a well-formed rail trail from Ferguson to Beech Forest. The Jewel of the Otways, Melba Gully, has Myrtle Beech, Blackwood, Tree-ferns and mosses to immerse yourself in. This walk involves 2 different areas and plenty of socialising.

DISTANCE: 4km - Old Beechy Line one-way that will take approx. 1hr, followed by a 1.2km loop walk through Melba Gully which will take around 30mins.

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? This is a walk for beginners and anyone wanting to enjoy an easy walk in the Otway’s region. It’s a great way to explore tracks with the safety and support of a group.

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): Suitable for most ages and fitness levels. AWT Grade information.

PACE: Slow and Steady

TOTAL ASCENT: Gentle inclines and some steps

WALK DESCRIPTION:

No bushwalking experience needed. The tracks have a compact surface which may have gentle hill sections and stairs.

MEETING POINT: You can choose to meet the group in Camperdown or Colac, and we will carpool/travel in convoy to the start point. Meeting location details will be provided once you have registered. See your confirmation email and ticket for details.

CARPOOLING/PUBLIC TRANSPORT: No public transport. Carpooling will be available from Camperdown at $15 per person and Colac at $10 per person, payable to the driver in cash. Please let the leader know if you would like to carpool.

PHONE SIGNAL: Generally available, maybe some small areas where there is no signal.

TOILETS: At Gellibrand, Beechforest and Melba Gully. Start, middle and end of walk.

WHAT TO BRING

Mandatory:

Emergency contact form with medical info. Download this form here, or get one from the leader on the day.
1L water
Backpack
Rain jacket
Personal first aid kit (your health is your responsibility)
Sun hat/sunscreen
Lunch

Recommended:

Bug spray
Cash for coffee purchase on way home

LEADER: Dianne Cleaver, 0419 590 018 and Karen Jeffs, 0407 052 941

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: We seek to promote walking, camping and related outdoor activities in natural environments. We offer a range of shorter walks to full-day hikes within an hour or two from Camperdown as well as multi–day hikes carrying all camping equipment. Trips also include multi-day base camps where we camp or stay in accommodation and complete day hikes. The Otways, Great Ocean Road, Grampians, Warrnambool, Port Fairy and the local Corangamite Shire are some of the areas we walk in. Sometimes we just enjoy a social meal, a BBQ, or a cuppa together. The club subscribes to minimal impact bushwalking values. Visit our Facebook page.

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.