Vic. Easter 2010, Mt Franklin (via Daylesford)with/out trips.

Alien d2

4x4 Earth Contributer
Vic. Easter 2010, Mt Franklin (via Daylesford)with trip report.

Modified trip now, see post 7...

As posted else where I've started this tread to keep it in one place:)

Campsite....Mt Franlin, @ 9Km North of Daylesford on the Midland Hwy.
You camp under the poplar trees in the base of the volcano, drop toilets,no water,walking track to the tree'd in lookout.
We would need to find fire wood if you want a camp fire though.
Room for the children to play ball games ect.(Seen kids on bikes too).
Arive any time Friday (or by 9:00Am Sat. for the tour).
All welcome to come and go as it suits, 1,2or 3 nights,or the days only -your call :D

Saturday trip:- Leave 9:30AM...
Back roads to Lyonville/Bullarto/Blue Mountain/Blackwood areas.
Taking in the local mineral springs, historic railway,look outs, 2 graveyards dating back to 1880's, gold diggings/mine sites around Blackwood ect..
##I have led this trip with another forum in reverse so happy to do it this way.

Sunday trip:-
Veg out at the camp site OR..
Explore Daylesford/Hepburn on your own (or we could do a small group).
Daylesford Spa Country Railway have a market each Sunday(exc. catasrofic fire days) at the station, train trips avalable also.
Shoping/browsing in Daylesford...antiques, new age, book barns ect.,botanic garden also if your into trees.
There is also the lakes and a winery or 2 in the area.
Come back via Hepburn Springs and don't forget to climb the look out.
Oh and The Chocolate Mill

Monday:- Break camp when ready.

No water at camp ground so self suficient camping required.
All services in Daylesford, fuel,food,grog,latte's,ect..

You'll need sturdy foot wear for the Sat. tour as some walking involved.
Tour is Easy to Medium. Aiming to be back at camp by @4PM.

I see it as a camping weekend for families with a join in or not feel for all trips(need a camp "baby sitter").
Come for 3 nights or just 1 or 2.
Subject to numbers here(earth) I'll consider opening it up to the other forum if it's a go.

Cheers Kyle.
 
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Traveller

Well-Known Member
Can get very busy in there on some w/e's. Would go for a campsite away from the road to the top of
the hill to avoid dust. Definatelly need to bring in wood too.
 

Alien d2

4x4 Earth Contributer
Can get very busy in there on some w/e's. Would go for a campsite away from the road to the top of
the hill to avoid dust. Definatelly need to bring in wood too.

Thanks, that was my thoughts too.
Got some old fence pailings I can take to get the fire going if we need them(only in the here).
 

CHUAH

Member
Thanks, that was my thoughts too.
Got some old fence pailings I can take to get the fire going if we need them(only in the here).

Hi Alan D2,

Nice meeting with you on the weekend....

We are actually going on Bushnut's proposed trip and going up with Grey Ghost on Easter Weekend.

Sorry, can't make it this time, but will be looking out for another one!

Have fun!
 

Alien d2

4x4 Earth Contributer
Hi Alan D2,

Nice meeting with you on the weekend....

We are actually going on Bushnut's proposed trip and going up with Grey Ghost on Easter Weekend.

Sorry, can't make it this time, but will be looking out for another one!

Have fun!

Enjoy your selfs up there:D
 

Alien d2

4x4 Earth Contributer
Trip canceled guys.


If any one wants to do the Blackwood tour (gold sites ect.) at any stage just PM me:)

Happy and safe Easter to all.
 

Alien d2

4x4 Earth Contributer
Back on.

Trip canceled guys.


If any one wants to do the Blackwood tour (gold sites ect.) at any stage just PM me:)

Happy and safe Easter to all.

Trip back on with a modifaction or 2.

Meeting at my place 10;30Am Friday, so PM me if your interested.
Camp site subject to numbers on Friday morning so it's proberly just out of Blackwood on the river:)
Friday meet, set up camp,gold panning and setting the fire.
Sat..Explore sites around Blackwood/Blue Mountain ect..
Sun..Break camp and wander home via Gisbourne through the scrub, Daylesford still an option.
 

Alien d2

4x4 Earth Contributer
Camp site details.

Camp site details for any one interested..
Plan is to camp just off Lerderderg Road between Blackwood and Bullarto.
This is the road we took to get to Otties Tk for the 4WDTV photo shot at the last aulro.com Blackwood gathering if you rember it.
From Blackwood turn towards the Garden Of St Earth and turn right onto the dirt just before it,then 5-6Kms.

Turn right if heading from Blackwood just after Loam Tk(which will be on your left).
If you hit Nolan Creek Picnic Area you have gone to far.
UHF 21, give us a yell when close.
It can be seen from the road if you know where to look
My phone will be on but does not always work out there:(/:D

Sat. trip leaves here @ 10;30AM.
We will head towards and around Blackwood till after lunch so if your close yell out on UHF 21.

Safe Easter to all.
 

davidsmile

New Member
Thanks Kyle organising the great trip
Good half touring and low range trip. We all had plenty of adventure, exploring & fun.
Photo up soon...
 

Alien d2

4x4 Earth Contributer
Report :)

Trip report Tiss a long one troups,with clicky pics.

Meeting point was my place in Bacchus Marsh on Easter Friday.
David (Davidsmile),Allen and William came in David's Toyota.
I was in my Disco with my daughter Dannielle an our dog Bella.
So after a quick look at the veiws from Bald Hill in the Marsh we headed off.
Next stop was Mt Blackwood for veiws over Wombat SF. Not as nice as usual as cloud was on the horizon line but still worth stoping.
Then onto the dirt for a look at Red White & Blue mine. All that remains is a hole that looks 40 feet deep. It used to be fenced off but looks are deceiving, it's recorded at 920 feet deep:eek:. the mullock heaps suround this site still.
Then off to find a camp site via Blackwood. A quick stop at a greated mine was done on the way(Photo's lads).
Our original camp site was taken...

so after looking at Nolan Creek Picnic Ground which is the site of a former timber mill we headed over the road and camped at the bottom of Nolan Ridge Track.
So fire set, tents up(eventually,first set up takes time :p), we kicked back for the night.

Next morning we headed off mid morning for our "mines and tracks" tour.
So after airing down and locking hubs ect. first Track was Otties:D

No problem for either beast but I did note when at the top I forgot to engage the centere diff lock, good thing I drive a Land Rover:p
Next stop was Easter Monday mine. Again the hole looks shallow but this ones 500 feet deep. Gold was first found here Easter Monday 1907 and just over 6000 ounces of gold was mined from this shaft till 1938.
Next off down the track to look over a site I hadn't been to before. We found lot of rubble(mullock mounds) and as we headed back to the 4bs I saw the tunnel entrance:)
So torches in hand we slowly ventured in. All the walls and roof looks good so slowly we proceded looking and accessing all the way. It goes in @100Mtr were a collapse stops progress but it looks like peole have gone on through the 400mm hole:confused:
So off to the rear of The Garden Of St Earth (which is one of the origanal buildings from Simmons Reef gold rush) for a look at the water diversion tunel for Imperial Mine(havn't found this one yet).

Then off to Blackwood for a look at the cemetary with graves from the gold rush, it's still in use today.
The Chinese sites are at the botom of the hill with simple rock head stones while the European sites are at the crest of the hill,one with Itilian marble dating 1910.
Then off to the crusher which was used in the erea and put on display in recent years.

Gold was found in Blackwood area @ 1885 with 13000 people living in the area at one stage, this is over around 6Kms of river frontage.
They started chasing alluvial gold and latter changed to under ground mining.
So after lunch at the local cafe it was off to Tyconnel mine.
While enroute we heard Discovery 300tdi tell out so we stoped and waited for him and his boys to catch up.
I don't know much about Tyconnel mine but I now have the local contact so a call will hapen soon.

Next stop was Albion mine site with lots of earth works it's hard to pick the shaft.
So we cotinued up Albion Tk towards Blue Mountain avoiding the bog/mud holes when we could.

The veiw from Blue Mountain is slowly being tree'd in.
Just off the side of Tower Tk is The cemetary. This dates back to 1880 with over 250 buriels listed.
There is only @ 13 headstones left and the blackburys and bracken are starting to take hold.
That was he last of the mineing sites we did as next was Trentham Falls.
From the falls we headed to Lyonville Springs:)
Well..I've never seen so many contorted faces in one place after trying the water:D
Each mineral spring in this area has a different taste as the water pickes up trace elliments from the rock it passes through(tested reguarly for 20 odd chemicals).
Then we tried Leitches Spring which was more to peoples tastes.
Bullarto rail station was our next stop. This rail line from Carlsrue to Daylesford opened in 1880,and then on to Ballarat in 1887.
In 1884 it carried 50,000 pasengers,potatoes and timber(some from the mill near or camp site).
It was then back tto camp with a diversion down Bobby Tk.

So with the fire being set Simon and I(with David as passenger) checked out Nolan Ridge Tk.(good for a night run:)).
Back for dinner and Discovery 300tdi headed for home once it was dark to avoid roo's.

Sunday was more relaxed with the Three Lost Childrens monument being visited before we hit the Daylesford market.

The market is held at the rail station where train trips on historic motor cars are offered.
From there we tried the water at Hepburn Springs before heading up Jacksons Lookout for another tree'd in veiw:mad:

Then a quick look at Mt Franklin with a full camp ground as they have clossed the centre area off. Right on this one Traveller:)
So then..Ahh CHOCOLATE..The Chocolate mill:D
A hot drink for some and milk shakes for others after a small:eek: spend at the shop, I also meet some one here as planed:)
Then off to home with a look at a the packed area of Jubilee Lake and Sailors Fall (seen a hose with more flow:().
A early arvo stop at Ballan Service Centre East bound for good byes and wosho, she was over.

More pics here........camp lerdie pictures by aliend2 - Photobucket (Fuzzy ones miss 14's. she's learning)
And from last trip....wombat mines 12 of 09 pictures by aliend2 - Photobucket

Top w/end out with more to come.
Trips around the mine sites open to any one who wants to do them, Just PM me.
 
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Discovery300Tdi

New Member
Well here are my pics of the day at the camp site, vid's will be posted up shortly. Like Kyle said i met up with them all for a bit of a play and it was great meeting new faces from the site. Enjoy..:D

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Landover

Member
Looks like you had a great trip Kyle, Sorry I could not make it, wish I had now. I'll try to get on the next one. Anything going on on the long weekend comming up. Let me know if you are.
Cheers, David.
 
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