Happy Valley Track to Coimadai Creek Track Return

Situated  45kms West North West from Melbourne CBD, in the Long Forest Flora & Fauna Reserve, between Melton and Bacchus Marsh.

The drive is via Western Hwy (M8) and get off the M8 at Hopetoun Park signpost. Turn right on Hopetown Park Road, cross the Old Western Hwy to get on to the Long Forest Road, and drive a further 2-3kms to the reserve car park in which there is an information shelter with map and a signpost leading to the Happy Valley Track.

Happy Valley Trailhead carparking on Long Forest Road.

No toilets or rubbish bins are provided. Take your rubbish home. 

The Walk: 

The Happy Valley Track (~2 km) is a wide, dry and well-maintained track. The official track ends at the junction of the Coimadai Creek Trail on the east bank of the Coimadai Creek (was called the Pyrites Creek until recently).  At the junction of the two tracks, the Old Happy Valley Track continues across the Coimadai/Pyrites Creek and then follows the creek north on the west bank for about 4kms.  Meanwhile the Coimadai Creek Trail follows the east bank of the creek for about 1km and then the old Happy Valley Track crosses the Coimadai/Pyrites Creek and rejoins the Coimadai Creek Trail and continues north to the Coimadai Track junction.

A beautiful flat near the junction of the Happy Valley Trk's end and the Comadai Creek Trail.

Because of this mix-up in the track and creek names, we first walked from the Long Forest carpark down the official Happy Valley Track to the junction, then walked up the Coimadai Creek Trail about half way, made a wrong turn, up an unnamed track, and then realised we were not following the older Garmin/OSM/Alltrails route we had taken as our track guide and turned back to retrace our track to the Happy Valley Track end and then followed the Old Happy Valley Track route onto the west bank, as the Garmin Topo map.  As this deprecated track is no longer maintained, it did require good navigation skills to follow it to where the track recrosses the Coimadai/Pyrites Creek back onto the Coimadai Creek Trail and then we continued north to the trail's end.  After lunch we turned back and followed the Coimadai Creek Trail and Official Happy Valley Track back to the carpark.

Lunch near the Coimadai Creek Trail and Comadai Track junction

GPX route on OSM Victoria map and the graph of the walk.

Note the "official" version of this walk is available on the Parks Victoria website and through Avenza Maps.   

However this "official" track route and naming disagrees with almost all other sources of track navigation in this area.  If you wish to have a simple walk then follow the Parks and Wildlife map.  If you want a bush-bashing navigation adventure then follow the tracks given on almost all other bushwalk navigation sites. 

 

Traffic on West Gate Bridge.

 

Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock, a rare volcanic formation over 6 million years old, is in the Macedon Ranges and is less than an hour from Melbourne CBD (about 75km) via the M79 Calder Freeway, or just a short drive from Woodend in Central Victoria.

Entry Fees is $15 per car.  The fees are payable at the automatic ticket machine which is located
opposite the café entrance. Pay before you leave the Reserve. Parking charges is to help with upkeep and maintenance.

 

The trail is marked. For safety, stay on the marked paths and only walk it if weather permitting.

 

It is just a 4km walk but there is plenty to see. The steps route to the summit is so beautiful with the spectacular granite rocks. Start early to make the most of your time.

  

 Steps to the Hanging Rock and the summit

 

the Hanging Rock

 

Many more interesting rock formations

  

 

 

 

After completing the Hanging Rock walk, we then drove to Camels Hump for the sunset view.  Camels Hump is approximately 4.2 km south of Hanging Rock as the crow flies, but considerably further by road.

Hanging Rock walk and the Camels Hump viewing platform 

Rubicon Valley

Getting there 

Rubicon is located about 150 km north east of Melbourne CBD, between Lake Eildon and Maroondah Hwy (B360), and can be accessed via Taggerty-Thornton Rd (C515). 

 Camping Areas 

Rubicon has two camping areas namely Kendalls and The Boys which are located on the Rubicon Road, about 2-3 kms north of Rubicon. Kendalls was closed in mid Oct and The Boys campground was rather busy on the fine weekend in Spring. There is no toilet at Tin Hut Camping Area which means that it is suitable only for campers who bring their own potty.

Rubicon SF map and The Boys Camping Area (no phone reception).

Short walk starts from the camping area

Rubicon River

Rubicon Heritage Loop and The Tramway Walk

Starts from the Rubicon Heritage Walk parking area on Royston Rd, about 6-7 kms south south east of Rubicon Power Station and about 2 kms past Le Bruns Rd.

I followed the signs and walked clockwise around the short loop. The trail was easy to follow and well maintained.

After about 800 m walk through the forest and about 700 m walk along one of Rubicon Aqueducts, I reached Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme structure.

View of Royston Power Station 

The picturesque Royston Power Station

Royston Trestle Bridge

The first snake was spot here, between the tramline and Royston Trestle Bridge, one of the four trestle bridges in the Rubicon Historic Valley. 

One of the sawmills in the Rubicon forest.

Rubicon River Road Trestle Bridge

 

After crossing Rubicon River Road Trestle Bridge, you could follow the sign and cross the aqueduct to continue Rubicon Heritage Walk (short loop) which will take you back to Rubicon Heritage Walk carpark on Royston Road after a further one km east or so along the trail .

Instead of following the sign to return to the Rubicon Heritage Walk parking area, I took Rubicon Tramway//Aqueduct Walk. It is about 4 km of winding flat track through the forest and then it took me up to the Winch House at the top of the ridge where the aqueduct delivers water into the pipeline servicing the Rubicon Power Station in the valley below.

I also spent a bit of time to check out if there was a comfortable way to get down to Rubicon Falls Power Station but, because I was not equipped for bush bashing, I did not attempt it (GPX file ref).

On the return along the tramway and aqueduct, I also woke up another snake near the Rubicon Heritage Walk (short loop) turnoff where I followed the sign, crossed the aqueduct and walked out. Loved the one km scenic track to the carpark.

All in all, I enjoyed the walk even though I missed the side trip to Rubicon Dam to see two more  bridges: Beech Creek Trestle and Lubra Creek Trestle, about 1.5-2 kms south of Royston Trestle Bridge.

GPS file route (16.7 kms) of Rubicon Heritage Loop and Tramway Walk

Link to the information about the area

Snobs Creek Falls

Located on Snobs Creek Road, 6 kms off Goulburn Valley Hwy (B340) between Thornton and Eildon. A short walk from the car parking area to the viewing platforms offers spectacular views of one of the most spectacular falls in Victoria. The falls drop more than 100 metres over rocky outcrops.