Ben Cruachan Walking Club has been out and about with a recent hike near Walhalla being particularly enjoyable.
There is nothing like the lure of ‘Hikers Gold’ to bring a group together, regardless of the forecast of hot conditions.
For those a little unclear, Hikers Gold is when all elements of a hike are ‘Grand and Glorious’.
This hike offered tall forests, cool glades and an easy path to traverse. Along with the lure of walking in the footsteps of history – including those who came from abroad, and the First Nations people.
Located on the lands of the Gunaikurnai people, the Thomson River Diversion Tunnel Site includes the 220 metre tunnel through Stockriders Spur, located along a 1.2km section of river bed known as Horseshoe Bend. This is between the tunnel’s inlet and outlet points.
It was constructed by the Thomson River Alluvial Gold and Tailings Recovery Company between August 1911 and about October 1912. Once water was diverted, the decreased flow around Horseshoe Bend enabled the sluicing of the gravel deposits in the river bed. The diversion tunnel is the last and longest of the 13 river diversions tunnels surviving from the Victorian gold rush period.
Starting off at the designated parking spot, hikers dropped down on to the remnants of the old train line. This is what is left of the Moe to Walhalla train line, which was started in 1904. When the Walhalla mines closed, timber traffic was carried about the saw mills around Erica until the 1940s, and the line was closed in 1954. Tracks and buildings were removed by the 1960s.
What remains is Hikers Gold – a gentle gradient, impressive hand-hewn cuttings and equally impressive embankments dropping to the forest floor.
Bird song was a constant accompaniment to the hike, initially the raucous call of the black cockatoo, before more muted sounds formed the backdrop to an easy striding downhill. With the wind gently rustling through the tree tops, Eucalyptus soared skywards, sheltering an understory of soft tree ferns. Dicksonia and Cyathea varieties were prominent.
Gossamer threads from spiders were strung from trees and grasses. The smell of moist soil held in the air, despite the temperature gently climbing, and on some bends of the track, there was a welcoming tunnel of green as the foliage met above hikers.
Later zig-zagging downwards through a drier landscape, hikers came to the outlet point of the Diversion Tunnel. Taking some time to absorb the magnitude of this engineering feat, they turned towards the inlet point. This track took hikers along the edge of the river, before crossing over on super-sized stepping stones. From here, the track was less distinct, however, the directions were correct in so far as ‘just continue upstream’.
Then the group came to a deeper water crossing. However, crossing the river wasn’t to everyone’s liking. So, hikers backtracked a little to find a splendid riverside place for lunch. Hikers Gold again – lots of flat rocks to sit on, a pleasing view of flowing water, shade and a fine repast.
After this, it was time to turn back the way hikers had come. A slow climb out on those infamous sharp zig-zags had the group spread out. Regrouping at the top, hikers
then continued on.
With a few resting stops along the way to fully appreciate the landscape, the group finally arrived back at the vehicles.
Another aspect of a hike which makes it ‘Gold’ is to ‘find a pot of’ quality ice creams and drinks, suitably chilled. This was found at Tyers, where hikers basked in the glory of their hike and enjoyed a cool treat.
