Tag Archives: Graytown

Goulburn Broken Cycling: Graytown – Mt Black Quarry Loop

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Heathcote – Graytown National Park
Bump & Grind Cycling Route

Route Name: 
Graytown – Mt Black Quarry Loop
Heathcote – Graytown National Park
Start: Graytown Prisoner of War Camp Heathcote – Graytown Rd., Graytown 3608

Mode: 
Gravel, Mountain Bike, Hybrid, eBike

Start / Finish locations: 
Graytown Historic Prisoner of War Camp

Map:
-36.815797, 144.949878

Difficulty: 
Intermediate

Distance:
17km

Elevation:
Between 168 and 232m

Topography:
Gravelly, undulating hills, with some short steepish climbs

Surfaces: 
Loose gravel, dirt, clay with patches of dust in summer and mud in winter, some short rough rocky sections. Ruts and erosion in places.

Description and Features:
The dirt tracks and roads through Heathcote – Graytown National Park Box Ironbark Forest are dirt and in regular use. Very dry and hot in summer and can be very cold in winter. Riding conditions vary with the seasons and over time. 

This ride passes significant historic sites and lookouts you may choose to explore along the way including: Graytown POW Camp, Cemetery and diggings, Mt Black, Mt Black Quarry and Melville’s Lookout. See the walking track links below. 

Riding conditions: 
Dirt tracks shared with occasional vehicles and motorbikes.

Alternatives:
1.	Start anywhere either direction.
2.	You can choose to reduce or increase the distance. There are several dirt roads or tracks for various alternative routes. 
3.	Return via Surface Hill Rd and Graytown Cemetery Rd to avoid the 1.8km of Heathcote – Nagambie Rd bitumen.

Clockwise Cues: 
Start Graytown Historic POW Camp 
East on the dirt track below and parallel with Heathcote – Nagambie Rd
Left Graytown Cemetery Rd
Left Surface Hill Rd
Right Ballieston Rd
Roght Mt Black Quarry Rd
Right Tin Hut Track
Right Heathcote – Nagambie Rd back to start.

Amenities:
Car parking
Historic features
Road and track signage
Alternative routes
Flora and fauna habitat

Cautions:
Open water
Mine shafts
Steep climbs
Soft shoulders
Rocks may fall
Limbs may fall
Embankments
Uneven ground
No potable water
Slippery surfaces
Subject to flooding
Road surfaces vary
Snakes may be active
Beware of vehicle traffic
Mobile reception may be unreliable
Be mindful to keep within the Reserve
Carry food, water, First Aid, be SunSmart 
Be equipped for self-reliant riding 

Restrictions
No dogs
No firearms
No hunting
No camping
Take rubbish with you
No rubbish dumping
No firewood collection
Do not remove soil or rock
No theft of forest produce
Historic relics are protected
Native flora and fauna are protected
Do not remove timber from standing trees
No fires in the open
Closed on days of total fire ban
No 4WD or bike use of walking tracks
Drivers/motorbike riders must: use formed roads only, be licensed, be registered

Heathcote - Graytown National Park camping at Dargile (Heathcote-Graytown National Park) Camping & Picnic Ground, Plantation Track, Mt Camel 3523

Goulburn Broken Cycling #goulburnbrokencycling

For some excellent walks along this cycling route check out the links below .....

VictoriaWalks Mt Black walk: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4573
VictoriaWalks Melville's Lookout Walk: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4513
VictoriaWalks POW Camp, Gold Diggings and Cemetery Walk, Graytown:https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/4572
20201105_bro_cycling-graytown-mt-black-quarry-loopDownload

Melville’s Lookout Track (revisited)

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Title

Melville’s Lookout Track

Map

Lat: 36.812930

Lon: 144.996363

Distance, Grading and Cautions

Distance
10.5km
Difficulty
Grade 3
Duration
3 – 4 hours bushwalking
Alternative Recreational Uses
This is a good location for multi recreational use: bushwalking, mountain bikes, orienteering, rogaining and driving (on formed roads only)

Horse riding, motor bikes and 4WDs are only permitted on formed roads.
Seasonal Information
Wildflowers in autumn and spring. Muddy tracks in winter. Very hot and dry in summer.
Cautions
Grass trees are vulnerable to cinnamon fungus transfer: keep to formed roads and tracks.

Unauthorised tracks exist. Take care not to get lost!

No pets or firearms. No drones without a permit.

Rough ground, snakes, falling limbs, no potable water.
Amenities
Picnic tables and fire grates at the Lookout
Management and Support Groups
Parks Vic

Location

Embark from and return to the carpark (of sorts) on the corner of Mt Black Quarry Rd and Heathcote Nagambie Rd., Wirrate.

Track Notes

The main part of the track comprises Mt Black Quarry Rd. This is a dirt vehicle track with very little traffic. Take care, loose stones can make the track slippery. The track rises gently for 3.6km, where it arrives at the base of a steep, rough foot trail that ascends directly to the Lookout (at 4.2km). This foot trail then joins the dirt vehicle track on the opposite side of the summit. This dirt vehicle track loops back to the base of the hill. If the initial steep foot trail ascent looks too daunting, keep walking along the road approximately 100 metres until you get to the Melville’s Lookout 2km directional sign pointing left. Follow this track up and back down for a less demanding walk.

To the right of the Melville’s Lookout sign you will see remains of the old Goulburn Weir quarry site. Rocks from this location were cut to build the Goulburn River Weir wall at Nagambie in 1890. This area invites exploring. Kids will love it for all the climbing and hiding places. It makes for excellent mountain biking as well.

Options

  • For a shorter walk, you can comfortably 2WD drive in on Mt Black Quarry Rd to the base of the Melville’s Lookout.
  • A 4WD can take you all the way to the Lookout on the summit vehicle track, 2km from the Melville’s Lookout directional sign.
  • Walking 800 metres further along Mt Black Quarry Rd brings you to a walking track on the right going up to the Mt Black summit.
  • The nearest camping is permitted at Spring Creek or Dargile Camping and Picnic Grounds or the Whroo free camping area.

Topography and Geology

The National Park is composed of forested hills and gullies. The sand stone ridge lines are a result of folds in the earth’s crust. Look out for fossilised sea shells from the ancient sea bed.

Flora

This park comprises Victoria’s largest remaining box – ironbark forest, consisting of open woodland including ironbark, grey and yellow box and stringy bark. The understory features blackwood, gold dust wattle, silver wattle and drooping cassinia. Grass trees are numerous. Green rock fern is a common ground plant in milder months.

Wildflowers include grassland wood sorrel, shiny everlastings, tall bluebells and Nodding Greenhood orchids, with many more according to the season. Rare spider orchids may be also found.

Fauna

Eastern Grey kangaroos and goannas may be encountered.

Threatened species you may be lucky enough to see are the tuan and swift parrot

Birdlife

White winged choughs love the ground layer and white throated tree creepers are commonly seen running up midstory trunks. Red and little wattle birds and parrots particularly enjoy the canopy when eucalypts are in flower. And, of course, cockatoos abound. If you keep your wits about you, there are plenty more birds to be seen.

Pests

Damage from 4WD and motorbikes is not as bad as elsewhere, but sadly some clowns will always take pleasure in littering and tearing such places up.

March flies can be a problem in Autumn.

Local History

Naming:

Dargile (formerly Heathcote – Graytown) National Park.

Melville’s Lookout: Captain (Francis) Melville was a notorious goldrush era bushranger. After being transported to Australia at age 15 for housebreaking, he escaped Port Arthur to live with local aborigines for a year. He came to Victoria in 1851. Within a short time he had formed the Mt Macedon Gang that robbed travellers heading to and from the goldfields.