BENDIGO BASE CAMP.
Stay at Big 4 Bendigo Park Park Lane on McIvor Highway from Monday 23rd March to Thursday 26th or Friday 27th. A Group booking would be made. Mixture Cabins and Camping – good camp kitchen can be busy on Friday/Saturday nights with families.
DAY 1. On arrival an afternoon walk – leave at 2.00 pm for a walk around Kennington Reservoir – about 10kms- 2.5 hours. Walk up Highway, cross road and walk around school to you get to the bike track and take the bike track up the hill, walk straight once you hit the little streets and you will reach the Reservoir – walk around the lake clockwise on the left side and back again. You could car shuffle and have some cars at the lake if you didn’t want to walk back – also bike ride possible.
DAY 2. Morning. Car shuffle – leaving cars at Lake Weerona – all day parking. Walk from Caravan Park up the O’Keefe Rail Trail to the junction then turned left and walk to Lake Weerona for morning tea (could be a coffee cart on the left side of the lake) – then walk about 2.5kms along the Bendigo Creek Trail to Rosalind Park – walk up the main street alongside the park to see the Historic Buildings then back into the park and up the viewing platform and to the old Gaol – lunch in the Park. Walk back to Lake Weerona for the cars – can have a coffee at the Café, go shopping or back to Caravan Park.
EVENING OUTING on the Talking Drinks Tram (only during daylight savings) $10 including drink – highly recommended.
DINNER across the road from the Talking Tram at the Deborah Gold Mine – National Hotel – cheap – happy hour till 7pm and good food – will give you a private room for large group.
DAY 3. Morning – drive to Kangaroo Flat Bushland Reserve. Drop all walkers off then drop cars off at Crusoe Reservoir. Walk from Bushland Reserve about 6kms to the reservoir for morning tea – then a 7km walk around the reservoir – really pretty and bushy. Lunch back at the undercover hut at the carpark at the Reservoir. Start walking about 9.30am and finish at about 1.30pm.
Optional afternoon walk to One Tree Hill – starting point depends upon how long you want to walk – can walk half an hour gradually up and do a circle back. You can drive up and look as well.
DAY 4. Morning – car shuffle – leaving cars at Bendigo Botanical Gardens. Walk up O’keefe Rail Trail to the Bushland Trail – through the bush to near the gardens then a bit along the highway to reach the gardens. Wide dirt roads through bush – no traffic – about 12kms in total. Also must see the Garden of the Future. Very Pretty.
You can then leave to go home or say the night and go to the Axedale Hotel for dinner.
