The CAEX Bushwalking Club invites you to join them on THE MALLEE IN MELTON Grade 3 (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.

Many of you will know of the famous Mallee scrub in North-West Victoria and some of you will have driven the 4-5 hours to camp or walk there. But not many people know there is one small patch of Mallee scrub near Melton – the only patch south of the Divide. This is a fascinating walk through this scrub, which unlike the Mallee country is through an impressive gorge which can be quite steep and spectacular at times. It’s a ‘genuine’ bushwalk where you will see what the Long Forest Fauna & Flora Reserve is famous for - the Bull Mallee and its arid landscape.

DISTANCE: 13km return and will take around 4 hours

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? This walk will suit both experienced bushwalkers and inexperienced but fit newcomers. We are keen to connect with bushwalkers who are experienced and are interested in joining a club, especially people thinking about retirement including singles and couples. It will also be suitable for those are new to bushwalking but are fit and curious about the bush and about how to get involved without getting lost.

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: This is graded Level 3 in the AWTGS grading system – ‘Suitable for most ages and fitness levels. Some bushwalking experience recommended. Tracks may have short steep hill sections a rough surface and many steps.’ You will need to be sure-footed as some parts are steep uphill and downhill and the surface is often stony with loose gravel. Tracks vary between wide vehicle tracks and narrow bush tracks. AWT Grade information.

PACE: The pace will be slow and steady and we will not leave anyone behind. We will re-group at regular intervals as needed, and will have stops for lunch and snacks where you can sit down.

TOTAL ASCENT: 350m gain which is roughly comparable to climbing Mt Dandenong – but it’s spread out over 4-5 short but sharp climbs.

WALK DESCRIPTION: The walk follows a number of linked walking tracks which show off the best parts of this Reserve including the Mallee and creek-side habitats. The majority of the walk is along the Coimadai Creek Trail which entails some up and down parts before the lunch and turning around point at a shaded and grassy glade where another tributary joins the Coimadai Creek. During the walk there will be short introductions to the local flora and birds, and useful apps and books for bushwalking.

MEETING POINT: The meeting point is the parking area for the ‘Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve’ (details below). If you use Melway it’s Map 335 Ref E3. There is only room for about ten cars in the car park here but room for 5-10 more off the road outside the entrance.

Directions: To reach this meeting spot (from Melbourne), take the Western Freeway past Melton and turn off at the Hopetoun Park Road off-ramp ( 5-10km past Melton). From the off-ramp, turn right following the sign to ‘Long Forest’ for one kilometre to the Western Highway. At the Highway do a dog-leg turn to the left then right following signs to ‘Lake Merrimu’. From the Highway, it is two kilometres to the (unmarked) car park and start of the walk on the left. Leave plenty of time to get there and be careful at the Western Highway dog-leg turn.

Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/pl... The meeting point is shown on Google Maps as the ‘Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve’ (-37.66257641312394, 144.50646674824466). If you use Melway it’s Map 335 Ref E3.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: There is no real public transport to the start of the walk but if you need a lift, please contact the organiser who will try to assist.

PHONE SIGNAL: There is mobile phone cover at the start of the walk (Telstra) but not available for the second half of the walk.

TOILETS: None official but there are plenty of unofficial trees to stand/squat behind (and the leader will have spare toilet paper and trowel).

WHAT TO BRING

Mandatory:

Emergency contact form with medical info (from welcome pack)
Backpack
Rain jacket
Hiking shoes/boots
Sun hat/sunscreen
1-1.5 litre water
Lunch

Recommended:

Personal first aid kit
Hiking poles

LEADER: Philip Thomas – email enquiries@caexbushwalkingclub.org.au. Leader will be in touch in the week before the event with their contact details and any extra event information.

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

ABOUT OUR CLUB: CAEX’s motto is “bushwalking for pleasure” so we see ourselves as both a bushwalking and social club. We started as a club by running bushwalking courses through the CAE (Council of Adult Education) in the 1980s and learning and adventure is part of our approach. The leader’s cake is a popular tradition at the end of each walk where we enjoy a cake and a thermos of tea or coffee. Our walks are across Melbourne and surrounds and usually within one hour’s drive.

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.