Mt Kooyoora

The walk starts from the Crystal Mine Track car park (382m) which is about 2km north of the Melville Caves.  From the car park the vehicle track heads northwest past the White Swan Mine (about 300m from the car park).

 

From here, the track disappears and you navigate on a bearing of due north to the eastern spur of Mt Kooyoora.  Having reached the peak of the spur (about 2km from the car park at height of 440m) follow the ridge west to the summit of Mt Kooyoora (471m) where there are large boulders and a good bush campsite without any facilities or water.

Mt Kooyoora summit boulder, 471m 

Continue west from Mt Kooyoora along the ridge following red & white plastic tape markers and descending to 414m.  Continue west along the ridge towards the West Peak (420m).  There are several good, waterless campsites on the ridge at about two and a half hours into the walk. 

 

 

My hiking partner and also close friend, Allan (photo: top right) 

enjoys panoramic view from a large open slab (about 500m southeast of West Peak)

 From West Peak you can leave the ridge on a southwest bearing down to a fence line (300m) which you follow to the dirt road (MVO = Mt Kooyoora Tk).  Alternately, you can continue following the ridge west untill you reach the dirt road.  Either way, you turn south down the dirt track to the point where you can head east, past the south boundary of the fence barrier.  Proceed about 800m along the fence then follow the creek bed for about 400m and then climb about 400m up to Crystal Mine Track and car park.

 

Elevation profile

As there is no significant water source on this walk, the hiker should carry an adequate supply for the trip. 

Cathedral Range Circuit

I have been to the Cathedral Range a number of times.  These were walks with the YHA Bushwalking and the Springvale Community Health Service’s Bushwalking and Other Activities Group.

One other visit to the Cathedral Range was to lead an overnight walk in 2005 for Victorian National Parks Association’s Bushwalking and Other Activities Group.  The plan for the walk, that had been arranged is shown in the picture below.

Two day walk plan in Cathedral Range

Map for the two days of walking

Cathedral Range State Park is located 113 kilometres northeast of Melbourne and it takes about one and a half hours of driving to get there.  The closet town is Buxton and the turn-off to the park is about 10 kilometres to the east.  Cooks Mill Campground, in the park, was our meeting place early Saturday morning, the first day of the two day walk. 

On day one, four VNPA's members, including myself, left Cooks Mill Campground (an old logging mill site) with overnight packs, walking an easy one kilometre west-wards to the junction at Jawbone Carpark.  We ignored Cerberus Road to the left which led to Sugarloaf Saddle Carpark, and continued on by following Jawbone Creek walking track.  From here, the track became steadily steeper and we started to "keep an eye out" for a spring, which was located just after the track and creek junction, which was about 800 metres from the Jawbone Carpark.  Because water was not available at the Farmyard campsite, so after having had a rest, we took out a few containers and filled them up with water for both cooking meals and for carrying on walks including the next day.  

We arrived at The Farmyard campsite in good time, and so after our tents were up, we set off for Razor Ridge to go to Mt Sugarloaf in the Southern Range, then backtracked to the campsite for dinner and socialization.  It was quite chilly that night but we soon warmed up with a small campfire.  I read somewhere that today campfires are not allowed at the Farmyard campsite now.  I can understand why!

Lunch stop on the Razorback - Southern Range

On day two, we traversed the Northern Range, taking in the Cathedral Peak and the Little Cathedral walking tracks. 

 Wildlife

View from the Cathedral Range

 Second day lunch stop

Cathedral Peak

Rocky Ridgeline

 Looking south along the Cathedral Range

 

Cathedral North

 Little Cathedral

After leaving Little Cathedral, we retraced our steps to the junction, at which we took the walking track which led south-wards to Neds Saddle.  We then took Ned Gully walking track down to the Little River track.  It was an easy and pleasant walk along the river and it did not take us long to get back to our starting point at Cook Mill Campground.

We were lucky with the weather and I enjoyed the weekend and the company of the other walkers.

 Me on the range
Cathedral North, One day walk