I needed to take my new tent out for a spin. Since I also wanted to meet up with Sophie while she’s in Bendigo, and I wanted to use one of my Seniors free train vouchers, I was very pleased to find the 60 kilometre Leanganook Track between Castlemaine and Bendigo, thus killing not two but three birds with one stone.
So I took the train to Castlemaine and went hiking. The first bit was boring, but once I got into the forest and reached the Garfield water wheel remains things looked up. The water wheel brickwork was huge and I ate lunch while studying it. Then I found myself walking around in a circle and visited the same site again. This was the only time during the hike that I got lost; it was my fault as I had not looked at the marker sign carefully, and in fact the trail was well marked all the way.
Later in the afternoon I entered the Mount Alexander Regional Park and this was the highlight of the trail. I had to climb a bit in light forest and there were huge granite boulders all around. I surprised a large pack of kangaroos and saw lots of parrots. There were good views over the countryside, and on the first high point (which I initially thought was the peak) there was an elaborate timber bench/chair for comfortable viewing. Shortly after I detoured to the Leanganook picnic area and campsite for the night, 20 kilometres hiked.
This was a low key campsite and I hid myself among the trees. There seemed to be one other person staying there and sleeping in a ute, which spooked me a little, but I felt I was camped out of sight. In the night the wind picked up and was really noisy but I slept ok.
The hike continued to be great for the morning, with masses more of the large boulders, and I reached the top of Mount Alexander and its TV tower. It was very windy and also felt about to rain.
I descended for a while and got to the Coliban water channel, apparently an engineering marvel from Victorian days, but in reality a narrow and fast flowing water course with high concrete sides. At this point I must note that water availability on this trail was an issue; I wasn’t sure if there would be any water sources so I had brought three litres with me which is more than I would usually carry. I hoped I would find somewhere to refill, and when I read about this water channel I wondered if the water would be accessible to me or if I would be seeing it but unable to help myself to any. The latter soon seemed to be the case, as I could not reach the water due to the high concrete sides of the channel.
After many kilometres of flat plodding and a few undulations I noticed a place where there was a clump of grass growing low down on the inside of the channel wall and I thought I could balance on that to get some water, so I did this and no longer had to worry about running out of water. Not long after there were some man made waterfalls where the water in the channel changed level and the water gushed along much faster, so I was glad I had already got my water. But not long after this I came to the only rainwater tank on the trail and regretted having filled my bottle with the channel water, and treated it, as the rainwater looked perfectly drinkable. And not long after that I saw a dead kangaroo floating down the channel. Enough said.
The rainwater tank was near the only other campsite on the trail and it was too early to stop hiking so I continued on, now in a pleasant ironbark forest. It had been raining lightly on and off for the day before the sun finally came out to stay out. After another nine kilometres, 29 for the day, I decided to stop and pitch my tent in the forest. There wasn’t much forest without fairly dense undergrowth but I found a small clearing. I was very near the path, but I hadn’t seen anyone all day so I didn’t expect a lot of walkers to suddenly emerge in the late afternoon. In the night I realised I kept rolling sideways downhill.
On the third day I had 12 kilometres to hike in the forest coming into Bendigo. It was cool and quiet apart from the occasional kangaroo or parrot. It was all former mining areas with fenced off mine shafts and tailings heaps. Everything was so very dry.
Almost suddenly I found I was in a built up area and walking on suburban streets. Then I proceeded towards the very grand station and had a glimpse of the huge cathedral. I thought there might be a sign at the station saying well done, you’ve arrived but there was nothing. However, I had arrived and I was pleased with my little jaunt.
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