Circuit Walks/Rides
Circuits are our preferred way of traversing country. No car shuttles required and a great way to stray off well-beaten tracks and break new territory.
There is a cautionary qualification. You need to have some navigational experience as all the circuits devised lack specific way marking. While many of the circuit use the GDTN’s existing signed tracks as a springboard, all loop off onto unsigned tracks without posts to follow. You will need, at the very least, a compass and the ability to read a map.
The maps and accompanying track notes for the circuits here are presented in two parts. First, information is provided on the new circuits guidebook focused on the countryside around Daylesford, at the junction of the Goldfields and Lerderderg tracks. Second, we have devised circuits around the major regional towns along Goldfields Track, plus a few stragglers outside the GDTN.
New circuits guide
In July, 2021, the GDTA produced a new guide to 20 walk and 10 bike circuits within the Daylesford region, the Central Victorian Highlands Walk and Ride Circuits. Coincidentally, the guide’s publication occurred immediately in the aftermath of an extreme storm that caused extensive tree damage to a number of the circuits, particularly those near the top of the Divide.
Visit CVH Walks & Rides for updates on tracks affected and alerts for those circuits that are closed.
To learn more about this new guide to short, half day circuits within a 25km radius of Daylesford, read the CVH Walks & Rides Review.
Circuits around regional towns
As well as the new Daylesford region circuits guide, circuit walks and rides around five regional towns along the Goldfields Track have been previously developed and are presented here – namely,for Ballarat, Creswick, Daylesford, Castlemaine and Bendigo. There are also two ‘off-site’ circuit tracks – around Federation University and Ararat.
Although not specifically posted, the maps come with track notes that ought to be detailed enough so you don’t get lost. Where the walk circuits follow the Goldfields Track, the feature points that tie in with the track notes are highlighted in yellow.
Circuits have been designed for both walkers and bike riders. Cartography for the Goldfields Track walk circuits is by Laurie Anticaglia. Ken Dowling has selected routes and devised the cartography for all of the bike circuits. A list of the circuit maps and those who selected the routes follows:–
Goldfields Track circuits
> Ararat walk/ride circuit – Bill Casey
> Ballarat walk/ride circuits – Gib Wettenhall and Ken Dowling
> Bendigo walk/ride circuits – Gib Wettenhall and Ken Dowling
> Castlemaine walk/ride circuits – Barb Guerin, Lionel Jenkins and Ken Dowling
> Creswick walk/ride circuits – Gib Wettenhall and Ken Dowling
> Daylesford walk/ride circuits – Ed Butler and Ken Dowling
> Federation University walk circuit – Bill Casey