Mt Dandenong (Mt. Corhanwarrabul) circuit walk, 25th June 2022.
Text ML, RB, HR. Photos TW, RB
On a fine walking day with an invigorating breeze, we met as planned in Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges. Robert B. took the longer walkers (11) including guest Lucille B. The shorter walkers (7) relocated to the Olinda Falls car park with Harvey R.
Harvey, with Tony’s help, led the shorter walkers on a very pleasant circuit walk from the Olinda Falls. In the 1970’s there were several experimental plantings of trees from Mexico to Northern Europe with varying degrees of success. Despite the walk not being recently scoped, Harvey, with the help of fellow walkers googling their position from time to time, managed to finish the circuit walk with numbers happy and intact.
Those on the 15km walk followed the tracks below the summit. We were surrounded by bird calls, some of which were no doubt secretive lyrebirds. We pushed along in a chilly westerly, up the 150m climb of the Zig-zag Track to the base of the TV towers.
For those keen on a straight-up test, Barry C. led a short digression via mountain goat track towards the top of Mt Corhanwarrabul. We reached Bourke’s Lookout, where clear views of the city were our great reward. Here Robert was advised that the sloped picnic table was actually a Paraglider launching slope. Oops!
Further along, the walk presented a coffee-stop for lunch at the Observatory, then it was down-slope again to Olinda Falls and a very scenic recently cleared track along the Olinda Creek. Coming home on the Golf Course Track climb, Angela M.’s local knowledge steered us through the slopes of the public course, to short-cut our way back to cars after a lovely outing.
