Spring has once again sprung, and with it have emerged more walks around our great ranges. The first walk of spring was a gentle reintroduction to the art of ambling through the bush, with a fairly easy track to the top of the famous Golden Mountain in the Bogie Forest. The stunning views overlooking the Eildon valley and various mountain ranges make it an accessible treat for everyone.
The area is rich in history. Named after the discovery of gold at nearby Hells Hole Creek in 1851, Golden Mount is a favourite of bushwalkers, dirtbike riders and four-wheel-drivers. In the depth of the gold rush, an entire town developed in the area, complete with hotels, a bakery, a school and hundreds of inhabitants, both locals and Chinese immigrants. This was supplemented on and off by the local forestry industry, with makeshift mills permanently inhabited by workers throughout the forest. The area was subject to heavy sluicing with steam cannons, the results of which can still easily be seen today, the most famous being Cocker’s Sluice Hole (Hells Hole Sluice).
The walk kicked off at gentlemen’s hours, a leisurely 10:30am start. This turned out to be not a minute too soon, as the forecast rain held off until the final minutes of the walk. The track was originally a logging track, which then became a 4×4 track, with the cuttings still visible if you look for them. Over time the track has shrunk, kept open only by dirtbikes. A fairly flat start becomes a steepish but very manageable final ascent to the peak, intersecting with Golden Mount Track just before the lookout. Opposite the lookout is a short track that runs to the top of the mountain. While the views are mostly blocked by trees, there’s a surveyors marker directly underneath a trig point that local ne’er-do-wells have attempted to convert into a piece of modern art with the help of 4x4s.
This track features in our free walking guides, beside a heap of other great walks. Other local attractions are the nearby Queens and Kings crystal mines, the old gold mines off Tallangalook Road, Lima Falls, Whites Rock, Rocky Ned Falls, and the Rocky Ned walking track to name a few.
Thanks to those who came along, and especially those who helped with the carpool.
