Heritage Park Walk/Ride
Castlemaine – Specimen Gully Rd junction
Through town from the railway station to follow revegetated Forest Crk. Links up with the northern end of the Chewton bypass. Steep climb on bush track to Manchester Reef. Soon after, you come to one of the more spectacular ruins of the whole track, the grand foundations of the Garfield Water Wheel, once 21.5m in diameter.
Another spectacular feature in this section are the stone ruins of the Welsh village and their extensive abandoned slate quarry walls. Worth a side trip. The Garfield Wheel and Welsh Village are part of a circuit walk.
Another side trip is a visit to the Expedition Pass Reservoir – also on the circuit walk.
At Specimen Gully Rd, walkers and bikers head in opposite directions. Walkers climb east and drop down to go through an underpass beneath the Calder Freeway. Bikers ride due west on Specimen Gully Rd to Harcourt and a long loop around the base of Mt Alexander. Parks Victoria bans bike riders from taking the steep track up and over the summit of Mt Alexander. It is not only technically challenging, but also prone to erosion. The track over the summit is designated for walkers-only.
The alternative route for bikers takes you past the site of the new $2 million Harcourt Mountain Bike Park (aka La Laa Ba Gower MTB Park) and its 34km purpose-built singletrack through the massive granite tors of Mt Alexander. You could have lunch at the Goldfields Track Café in Harcourt.
SUPPLIES & FACILITIES
Supplies in Castlemaine. Barbecue and toilets, Main Rd, Chewton. Food and toilets at the Goldfields Track Café in Harcourt.
Refer maps 24b - 27 of the Goldfields Track Walk or Ride Guide
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What you can expect to see
