Trip Overview

Kooyoora state park in central Victoria is accessed from the Calder Highway, about 60km past Bendigo.  The park consists of grassland and open forest interspersed with granite tors and rock formations providing scenic views.   During August and September the park is particularly colourful, with an abundance of birdlife complementing the early spring wildflower display.   This weekend trip will explore the highlights of Kooyoora state park as a combination of short hikes with a day pack and an overnight camp near the base of Mt Kooyoora, the park’s highest point.

Camping

The campsite is an attractive location, but has no facilities such as a toilet or water tank.   Water will be from a nearby spring, which is normally flowing at this time of year unless it has been exceptionally dry (it will be checked a couple of weeks beforehand – if dry, the alternative will be a base-camp).   There is plenty of firewood, so a campfire will provide an opportunity for classic bush tucker such as coal-baked potatoes and damper.

Itinerary and Walk Descriptions

Distance: Saturday 5km day-pack + 8km overnight pack,

Sunday 7km day-pack + 8km overnight pack

Depart Melbourne Saturday morning  ~7.00am, meet in Bridgewater for breakfast/coffee.   From there we will drive to Kooyoora.   During the morning the five kilometre Eastern Circuit will be done with a day pack.   After lunch back at the main picnic ground, the eight kilometre overnight-pack section commences, visiting the remnants of a Crystal Mine before a 130m ascent to the summit of Mt Kooyoora.   The ridgeline of Mt Kooyoora provides panoramic views and interesting formations of its own (watch out for “Egg Rock”); it is followed for a couple of kilometres before descending to a 4WD track, then onto the campsite.

 

Sunday, return to the car park (8 km / 2.5hours) following a combination of 4WD track or cross-country across open grassland.  The Southern Circuit (6.5km / 2 hours) will then be done with day-packs, with lunch either on this section or upon return to the vehicles.

 

The walk is suitable for those with little or no pack-carrying experience, but anyone participating should have done several “medium” grade day walks.  The hardest part will be the ~100m uphill to Mt Kooyoora.   Some sections of the walk are off-track however the terrain is open and there is a natural route along Mt Kooyoora ridgeline.

Transport

Transport to and from the walk location is by car. Please indicate your transport requirements and preferences on the booking request form when you book in.

Although drivers can choose whether they wish to take passengers or not, given the distance from Melbourne car-pooling is recommended and will be organised by the leader for those willing to participate.

Passengers must pay the driver their share of car-pooling costs as described on the Car-pooling page. Please discuss the preferred method of payment with your driver.

Booking

Booking is  required for this walk; please indicate what walks you have done recently (i.e. in the past few months) to give the leader confidence that you are capable of doing this one.

Refer to Walking Grades which, in conjunction with the walk description, will help you assess whether you have the required walking fitness and experience to do this walk.

The Leader will confirm your acceptance on the walk, or not, via email.  The leader will provide details of where and when to meet.

Booking Fee:
Members: free.     Non-members: $10.

Payment:
To avoid handling cash, non-members are required to pre-pay their booking fee.
Payment by Paypal or card is the quickest method, but if you choose to pay by EFT please follow the instruction to email the Treasurer with your payment details.

Cancellation:
If you need to cancel, please advise the leader as soon as possible, so that someone else has the opportunity.
There will be no refunds, so please do not book unless you are fully committed to walking.

 

What to Bring

All the equipment, clothing, and food for an overnight camp (refer Trip details above).   A separate day-pack is recommended for the walks before and after the  overnight pack-carrying section.

Refer to our Gear Checklist page for more details, or discuss with the leader.  If you are not properly equipped, the walk leader can decide not to let you participate on this walk.

 

Emergency Club Contact

The emergency club contact for this walk is Ken.  The leader can provide you with the contact’s phone number, if you wish to pass this on to any friend/family member who may be concerned if you return late.

 

COVID-19 Requirements

We need to follow all state government requirements regarding COVID-19 as explained here:   Coronavirus Victoria: How we live

• You should not be attending this walk if you are Covid-19 positive and/or are required to be in quarantine or isolation.
• If you have any Covid-19 symptoms, you should get tested and follow the instructions in the Coronavirus Victoria website.
• If you are a Household Contact (Close Contact) or a Social or Workplace Contact, you must follow the instructions in the Coronavirus Victoria website.

Check out our Covid-19 status.

 

Safety and Ambulance Insurance

We strongly recommend that you have Ambulance cover. For more details refer to: Joining a walk and your safety

 

Still have questions?

Check out What happens on a walk.

Check out Weekend and extended walks.

Contact the leader using the “Enquiry” button.

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