Mount Dandenong Western Face Walk - SkyHigh To Sassafras

Explore the rugged terrain and varied vegetation of Mount Dandenong’s western face.

GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: A medium 11km point-to-point walk on bush tracks with several lengthy steep sections.

MEETING TIME | LOCATION: In the front carriage of the Lilydale train departing Ringwood Railway Station at 9:58am.

MAP REFERENCE: Ringwood Railway Station: Melway map 49 grid G8; Google map https://goo.gl/maps/Qw3wpoNCzmG2.

DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: The train journey from Flinders Street to Ringwood is 50 minutes. By road the drive to Ringwood is approximately 30 km, allow at least 40 minutes. There is ample parking at Ringwood Railway Station.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Access to and from this walk is by public transport only, meeting in the front carriage of the Lilydale train at or before Ringwood. For travel from the city, take the Lilydale train which departs Flinders Street at 9:06am and meet and travel with the group in the front carriage if you wish. At Ringwood we will all meet in the front carriage of the 9:58am Lilydale train. We will leave the train at Croydon for a connecting bus to SkyHigh, Mount Dandenong. For the homeward journey we will take a bus from Sassafras with the option to travel in either direction, depending on timing, to take us to either the Croydon or Upper Ferntree Gully station for a train back to or through Ringwood. The anticipated time of return to or through Ringwood is between 4 and 5pm. All travel is within myki zones 1 & 2 with weekend daily caps of $6.40 full fare, $3.20 concession and free for seniors.

FOOD: Pack food for lunch, and snacks. At least 1 litre of water must be carried.

APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Wear a hat and clothing to meet the forecast weather conditions for Mount Dandenong and footwear suitable for walking on steep bush tracks.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION:

The steep terrain of the western face of Mount Dandenong gives this walk its medium rating with several lengthy steep sections on bush tracks to be negotiated throughout the day. To commence the walk we arrive on the bus at SkyHigh, Mount Dandenong where we will take some time to enjoy the impressive views of the city, suburbs and countryside below. From SkyHigh we set off on a steep bush track to pass by Kyeema Memorial, the television transmission towers and Burkes Lookout. We continue along a steep downhill section of Zig Zag Track followed by a somewhat rocky section of track. Further on, the idyllic picnic grounds at the Doongalla Homestead and Stables sites offer great options for our lunch break. Leaving the homestead site a lengthy steep uphill section of track continues for a few hundred metres to reach Dandenong Creek Track. It's a pleasant walk along this track passing by the varied vegetation and crossing over the upper reaches of Dandenong Creek. We’ll then walk for a few hundred metres on a quiet gravel road before returning to bush tracks. Another lengthy steep uphill section of track needs to be negotiated before descending on the final stretch into the Sassafras township. A coffee or a rest in the village green will fill the time should we need to wait for a bus to commence the homeward journey.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.skyhighmtdandenong.com.au
https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/70360/download-report

LEADER | BOOKING: Peter Tocknell | by Thursday 9th May. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

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