Explore some of the great parks that circle inner Melbourne, one of the "jewels" that make Melbourne one of the world's most liveable cities. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Easy 11.5 km point-to-point walk.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:30am at the Royal Park Station.   MAP REFERENCE: Melway Map 29 grid E11 | Google map goo.gl/maps/124bomFMRnx.   PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Take the Upfield line train to Royal Park Station or tram #58 to stop 27 (Royal Park Station). FOOD: Preference is to also BYO lunch to save time but snacks and drinks can be obtained from the many shops and cafes along the route. BYO plenty of water or a container that can be refilled from public drinking fountains. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Wear a hat and clothing to meet the forecast weather conditions, and footwear suitable for walking on sealed suburban footpaths and some gravel paths. BYO sunscreen plus towel and togs for the optional swim. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: The great parks that circle inner Melbourne are one of the "jewels" that makes it one of the world’s liveable cities, and provide for a cool refuge on a hot summer’s day. This walk tracks through Royal Park, Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens, Yarra Park, Royal Botanical Gardens and into Albert Park. Along the way attention will be given to the many historic and noteworthy buildings and features of inner Melbourne. With suitable weather there will be an extension to Middle Park Beach for a swim to conclude the day's activities. The route crosses many tram routes so there are opportunities to depart earlier if required (after advising the event leader). LEADER | BOOKING: Don V. | by Thursday 2nd 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.

A scenic, relaxing ride along the Darebin and Merri Creeks on Anzac Day. NOTE: the weather forecast is indicating that a westerly wind is likely during the day, so we'll reverse the direction of the ride. It will still start and end beside Fairfield Railway Station (meeting at the Fifteen Pounds Cafe), but lunch will be at the Lady Bower Cafe in Reservoir (10% surcharge still applies). This route will be a little shorter - around 41 km.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Medium, approximately 47 km, cycling circuit with many options to shorten the ride if necessary.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:30am at the Fifteen Pounds Cafe, 21-23 Railway Place, Fairfield. This is across the road from the city-bound exit of the Fairfield Station. MAP REFERENCE: Melway map 30 grid K11 | Google map goo.gl/maps/XjChNUD818t.   DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 8-10 km, allow 30 minutes to drive, 26 minutes by train. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: a Hurstbridge train leaves Flinders Street platform 1 at 9:58am, arriving at Fairfield Station via the City Loop at 10:24am. FOOD: Carry water and snacks if you wish. Lunch will be purchased at Zagames Reservoir (a 10% public holiday surcharge will apply). APPAREL | EQUIPMENT: Helmet, sunglasses and clothing matched to the forecast. A light water-proof layer, as well as a spare tube to fit your bike, are recommended. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We will start the day with a coffee at the Fifteen Pounds Cafe while waiting for everybody to arrive. Afterwards, we'll head to the nearby Darebin Creek Trail and follow that northwards all the way to the Western Ring Road Trail. We'll take that, heading west, for about 7.5 km to the top of the Merri Creek Path, where we'll head south as far as the Broadhurst Av exit. Broadhurst Av and the Edgars Ck Path will take us directly to our lunch point overlooking Edwardes Lake, Zagames Reservoir, 257 Edwardes St, Reservoir. After lunch we'll retrace our steps back to the Merri Ck and follow that southwards back to our starting point at Fairfield Station, or to any convenient exit point along the way. This route gives us a lot of options in case of inclement weather, and the final stages of the ride connect with a host of convenient cycling paths and train stations. LEADER | BOOKING: Alan D. | by Tuesday 22nd April. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

Enjoy a medium grade, social bike ride, almost entirely on bike trails, on scenic inner Melbourne trails.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Medium, 30-40 km cycling circuit. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10.30am departure from ACMI Cafe, Federation Square. Arrive a bit earlier for a coffee and chat beforehand. Bikes can be parked on Birrarung Marr (on the river side, opposite the Federation Square car park) or beside Transport Public Bar on Swanston St, opposite Flinders Street Station). MAP REFERENCE: Melway map 1B grid P10 | Google map goo.gl/maps/c6gWtPEmWds. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR | FOOD: Bike, helmet and spare tube. Dress for the forecast weather conditions. Don't forget sunscreen, drinking water and waterproof gear if the weather forecast indicates any chance of rain. Lunch will be purchased from a cafe in Fairfield. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We'll depart from the ACMI cafe at 10.30am, heading along the Main Yarra Trail to the Gardiners Creek Trail, to connect with the Anniversary Trail via a scenic Ferndale Trail shortcut. We'll follow that all the way to rejoin the Main Yarra Trail briefly in order to link up with the Darebin Creek Trail via the extremely scenic Darebin Creek / Main Yarra Trail link. Lunch will be at a cafe in Station Street, Fairfield. Please be sure to register if you're planning to come along, so we can organise the lunch booking. After lunch it will be a short ride to the Merri Creek Trail, where there are many options to get you home - taking one of the many cycling routes, or exiting via a train station such as Clifton Hill, Rushall, Flinders Street or Royal Park. There are also bailout options all the way along the Anniversary Trail if needed. The distance to the lunch point will be a little over 30 km. There are no hills of note and most of this ride will be on off-road cycling paths, though there will be some short on-road connections needed to get to and from the lunch spot. LEADER | BOOKING: Alan D. | by Wednesday 17th April. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

This walk has a challenging climb to get to the Razorback Ridge where breathtaking views are to be had. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Hard, 10.5 km circuit walk involving rock scrambling.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10am for a 10:15am start at Cooks Mill Campground, Taggerty.   MAP REFERENCE: Melway map X910 grid S9 | Google map goo.gl/maps/FpMh2DBDHoF2 (Latitude: -37.37988885, Longitude: 145.7606619198166).   DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 120 km | 2 hours 10 minutes. FOOD: Carry lunch, snacks and at least 2 litre of water. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Strong, comfortable supporting walking boots/shoes is a must. Choose clothing according to the weather forecast. Bring hat and sunglasses. As we will be at a high altitude on an exposed ridge, please bring windproof warm clothes if cold, and waterproof gear if wet weather is forecast. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: The circuit walk should take about 5 hours to complete and will involve rock scrambling and a steep ascent. The track along the ridge will be rocky underfoot. Downhill sections may be hard on the knees. Starting at Cooks Mill Campground we walk along the base of the range and then climb steadily to Sugarloaf Saddle Carpark where we commence a quite steep rocky ascent to the top of Sugarloaf Peak. We then traverse the range along Razorback Ridge to Farmyard where we descend back to Cooks Mill with the option to climb South Jawbone and/or North Jawbone peaks. FURTHER INFORMATION: Cathedral Range State Park Visitor Guide. LEADER | BOOKING: Geoff L. | by Thursday 11th April. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members -> Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

Visit Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, RJ Hamer Arboretum and Silvan Reservoir Park to take in the autumn colour, eucalypt forests and ferny gullies. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: A moderate 13 km point-to-point walk on sealed & unsealed footpaths and bush tracks. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: In the front carriage of the Belgrave train departing Ringwood Railway Station at 10am. MAP REFERENCE: Ringwood Railway Station: Melway map 49 grid G8 | Google map 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 on the train at or before Ringwood. For travel from the city take the Lilydale train which departs Flinders Street at 09:06am and travels via the City Loop to connect at Ringwood with a Belgrave train. At Ringwood we will all meet in the front carriage of the 10am Belgrave train. We will leave the train at Upper Ferntree Gully for a connecting bus to Olinda. For the homeward journey we will take a bus from Monbulk Rd, Silvan with the option to travel in either direction, depending on timing, to take us to either the Belgrave or Lilydale station for a train back to or through Ringwood. 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 and footwear suitable for walking on sealed and unsealed footpaths and bush tracks. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: This event utilises two bus routes which provide a scenic journey and an ideal transport option for point-to-point walks in the Mount Dandenong, Olinda and Silvan areas. From the bus stop in Olinda township we will make our way to the nearby Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden (formerly National Rhododendron Gardens) with its spectacular display of Autumn colours. Leaving the gardens we will proceed on a foot track alongside the road past the Olinda Hall and Olinda Recreation Reserve then through the parklands being developed on the former golf course site. We'll utilise picnic tables at one of these locations for lunch. After lunch we will make our way through the RJ Hamer Arboretum to enjoy more autumn colour as we pass through the large stands of trees. From the arboretum we make our way through eucalypt forest and ferny gullies to ultimately reach Silvan Reservoir Park. A final foot track will take us to the bus stop on Monbulk Rd to commence the homeward journey. The anticipated time of return to or through Ringwood is 5pm. FURTHER INFORMATION:  visitdandenongranges.com.au/activity/dandenong-ranges-botanic-garden parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/rj-hamer-arboretum-gardens-of-the-dandenongs LEADER | BOOKING: Peter Tocknell | by Thursday 4th April. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under the Members->Leader Contacts tab when logged in to the website.

** This event has been postponed until spring 2019. Enjoy a moderate 3 day rail trail ride in Victoria’s North East Alpine region, with two overnights in Myrtleford. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Moderate 3 day cycling circuit, approximately 180 km in total, including two nights accommodation in Myrtleford.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: Wangaratta Station at 9:53am on Friday 5th April. Most people will meet at the Melbourne Southern Cross Station at approximately 6:35am to catch the 7:05am Albury Train service.  MAP REFERENCE: Melway map X922 grid C7 | Google map goo.gl/maps/ryUNLT5qDQF2.   DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 250 km from the GPO. Allow 3 hours driving/train. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: V/line service departing Melbourne Southern Cross at 7:05am Friday 5th April, arriving Wangaratta 9:53am. Return service: departing Wangaratta 6:14pm on Sunday 7th April, arriving Melbourne Southern Cross 9:44pm. TRAIN COST: Concession / Senior $33 return. Full price $66 return. Reservations are required for this service. Bikes will be carried in the luggage car, but it’s best if they’re booked in. The leader will book in the bikes once numbers are confirmed, but you will need to purchase a paper ticket (Myki is not applicable for this route). No need to use your Myki if travelling to/from Southern Cross by train ‐ just show your V/line paper ticket at the barriers. FOOD | MEALS | WATER: Bring snacks if required and a water bottle ‐ there are water refill points along the way. Lunch will probably be in Everton on Friday (pub or general store), in Bright on Saturday, and Everton again for the return on Sunday. Evening meals will be at a restaurant, pub or cafe in Myrtleford. For breakfast we will source a reasonable cost café in Myrtleford or you could bring a small plastic bowl, spoon, cereal and milk and make your own. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Bring suitable bike attire to match the weather forecast, and to cater for all possible contingencies. It could be cold in the region in April. Be sure to bring at least one spare tube. Bring something suitable to wear in the evenings, and perhaps for the return train trip (for the wellbeing of your fellow travellers)! Bring minimal personal effects for the trip as you will have to carry everything with you on your bike. ACCOMMODATION: Those who book early will be accommodated at The Rails Hotel Motel, Myrtleford (on a “first in first served” basis for who gets what rooms and who goes in them)! There are 5 x (2-bed) rooms which have been reserved for 10 people for $115 per person for the 2 nights and 2 x (1-bed) rooms which have been reserved for 2 people for $189 per person for 2 nights. In each room is a queen bed so you sort out between you who goes in that bed! Latecomers will need to organise their own accommodation for Friday and Saturday nights in Myrtleford. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We will be riding from Wangaratta Station to Bright, and back, via the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail. Friday: we will commence at the Wangaratta Railway Station and ride to Everton Station, which at 26 km is the halfway point to Myrtleford. We’ll have a picnic lunch, which you can bring from home or purchase in Wangaratta. After lunch, we’ll have the only significant climb, up to Taylors Gap. From there it’s a gentle descent all the way to Myrtleford, however we’ll stop off 7 km before Myrtleford at the delightful Gapstead Winery to taste some wines and purchase some supplies for the coming two evenings.  Saturday: this will be a very relaxed day. After a leisurely breakfast, we cycle the flat 30 km to Bright for lunch and a look around this picturesque town before returning to Myrtleford for dinner. Sunday: our only deadline for Sunday is to ensure we get back to Wangaratta Station in time to catch the train at 6:14pm. Lunch will be at the halfway point - a picnic lunch you buy in Myrtleford in the morning. We could potentially take an 18 km diversion to visit the Cock’s Eldorado Dredge. The approximate distances are: Day 1, from Wangaratta to Myrtleford: 55 km; Day 2, from Myrtleford to Bright and back: 60 km; Day 3, from Myrtleford to Wangaratta: 55 km. The entire trail is sealed and suitable for road bikes, though the surface is a little rough in places. Being a rail trail, the gradient is gentle ‐ Bright is only about 150 m higher in altitude than Wangaratta. From Wangaratta the trail climbs gently to Everton, rising around 35 m in altitude over 22 km. It then undulates a little prior to climbing 150 m to Taylors Gap. From there it’s gently downhill all the way to Myrtleford, then quite flat between Myrtleford and Bright. FURTHER INFORMATION: www.tourisminternet.com.au/brirail.htm. LEADER | BOOKING: Kevin K. | by Thursday 22nd March. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Don’t delay, book as early as possible in order to get the best accommodation deal and to secure your participation in the event. The aim is to limit the event to only 12 people. You will need to select, and pay for, your preferred accommodation option at the time of booking. If you are not a Nomads member, you will need to first take out a one-month Nomads Temporary Membership (cost $8) prior to booking your accommodation. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

Our quarterly planning night, in conjunction with the regular monthly social night. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm at the Skinny Dog Hotel, 155 High St, Kew for planning followed at around 7:30pm by the monthly social event. MAP REFERENCE: Melway map 45 grid C6 | Google map goo.gl/maps/ZpGeg8b6NvA2. DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 6 km and 20 minutes by tram from Collins St. PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND PARKING: The Skinny Dog is right outside stop 33 on tram routes 48 and 109. The terminus of tram route 16 (Cotham Rd and Glenferrie Rd) is a short walk away. Bus routes 200 and 207 from the City via Johnston St stop in Studley Park Rd at Kew Junction before turning left into Princess St. Ample FREE parking is available on-street and right behind the hotel (enter via Brougham St). FOOD: Information about the Skinny Dog can be found at www.skinnydoghotel.com.au. Click on “Sports and Entertainment” for details of the Tuesday night steak specials or “Food and Drink” for other options. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION:  Do you want to see more of a particular activity, or do you have a particularly favourite area of Victoria you would like to share with others? Do you have an idea for something apart from the regular walks? Come along to the planning meeting, and then stay for our monthly social evening where members talk about upcoming events, share a meal and compare notes on past activities. All members are welcome – you don't have to volunteer for an activity. New members are especially invited to this meeting as an orientation to Nomads activities. LEADER | BOOKING: Garry O. | by Monday 2nd April. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

We have been invited to a relaxing nude afternoon and optional overnight at The Farmhouse north of Lancefield. Many people will be attending the Nude Walk and Overnight at Chewton which finishes at about 11 am on Sun 31st March, and some of them would like to continue their nude weekend after this. They can now do so at the comfortable Farmhouse near Lancefield. Other people who were unable to attend the earlier event are also welcome to come along. GRADE | TYPE: Social and easy optional naturist walk.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: Between 11am and 1pm at the farmhouse.  The exact address and directions will be provided after you register. FOOD: BYO Drinks, meat and vegan items. Provided: bread and salads. Also breakfast. Contributions for Sunday afternoon tea welcomed. ACCOMMODATION: There are two queen size beds available. Also there is a double blow up mattress and three foam mats which can be placed on the carpet. Please bring any other sleeping gear that you require. Plenty of space for tents and campervans etc. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking boots/shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: OUTLINE FOR THE EVENT: 11am to 1pm: Gather at the Farmhouse 1pm to 2.30pm: Lunch 2.30pm to 6.00pm: Chatting, tea, coffee on the patio or in the comfortable lounge. Optional nude walk or drive around the district. 6pm to 9pm: Dinner 11pm approx: Bed 8.30am: Cooked breakfast 10am: Play it by ear. LEADER | BOOKING: The maximum number of participants is 20. Booking is required. 1. Send an email to the leader Russell at RussellW@mail.tidyhq.com to say (i) that you'd like to come along (ii) stating what you would like to do for accommodation. 2. If you don't hold a ticket from the Castlemaine Diggings Walk and/or the Chewton Overnight, could you please Get a Ticket for this event.  Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website. Looking forward to seeing you for a relaxing afternoon at the Farmhouse.

This circuit walk has some steep sections and some rock scrambling is required along the track near the river where 50m of it has cable handhelds for assistance. The upper reaches of the track have great views of the gorge. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Moderate/difficult 10 km, approximately 4.5 hour circuit walk. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10am at Meikles Point Picnic Area, Inglston. MAP REFERENCE: Melway map X911 grid E2 | Google map goo.gl/maps/DzcJtFqMat22. DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: about 70 to 75km depending on the route, allow 1 hour 30 minutes by car. FOOD: Carry lunch, snacks and at least 2 litres of water. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable sturdy walking boots/shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We start at Meikles Point Picnic Area and take the track to Quarry Picnic Area where we begin a steady climb to the beginning of the Centenary Track where we vere west to stay on the Circuit Track. We pass various lookout points before descending steeply into the gorge. Along the river the track takes us across some rocky sections. We scramble over these and cable handhelds assists us for a part of it. At Lionhead Beach there is a chance to have a dip for those who want to. From here we return to Meikles Point Picnic Area. FURTHER INFORMATION: Werribee Gorge State Park Visitor Guide. LEADER | BOOKING: Geoff L | by Thursday 28th March. Email the leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members -> Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

A pleasant bushwalk in a now long deserted forest near the Loddon River at Glenluce, plus an optional swim in a waterhole. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Medium 9 km circuit walk mostly through the open forest, sometimes on kangaroo trails and sometimes on 4WD tracks.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: Meet at 10:15am for coffee and registration at the Malmsbury Bakery, 77 Mollison St, Malmsbury. LHS of the main road through Malmsbury. After about 30 minutes for coffee and registration we will convoy to the start of the walk near Glenluce (18 km, 25 minutes). The road is bitumen until we reach the forest, then there is about 6 km of 2WD gravel. If you don't wish to drive on the gravel we can car pool from the end of the bitumen. MAP REFERENCE: Meeting point: Melway map X909 grid E7 | Google map goo.gl/maps/poVoeXhWeo52.  Walk Start: This is near Glenluce, Melway map X909 grid D7 | VicRoads Map 59 grid E4.   DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 97 km. Allow 1 hour 10 minutes. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: There is a very early train arriving in Malmsbury at 8.33am on Saturday. However it might be easier to email/message the leader to see if we can arrange a lift for you from Melbourne. Please include your suburb of residence. COSTS:  WALK: $7, free for Nomads financial members. Please Get Ticket for this event. ACTIVITIES: To cover the cost of heating the big shed and the spas overnight, there is a charge of $10. Please pay by cash at the venue. BREAKFAST: If you'd like to include breakfast, the total is $15. Paid by cash at the venue. FOOD: Carry lunch, snacks and water. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses. Wear comfortable walking shoes/boots. Hopefully we will be able to strip off at the cars and walk straight into the forest, so shorts may not be required. A small towel to dry off after swimming. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: This event is for Naturists. Enjoy a pleasant walk through the open forest and the grassy valleys. At times we should be high enough for a view and at other times we will be in the creek valleys. We hope there has been enough rain to have some water in the waterholes. Optional afternoon tea, evening BBQ, Overnight and Breakfast at Chewton: After the walk we have kindly been invited back to "Castlemaine Cosmex", actually Steve and Brett's place in Chewton for further nude socialising. This is 15 km and 20 minutes from the end of the walk. The address of the property will be sent to all those who have RSVP'd by midnight on Wednesday 27th March. It will also be given out at the walk on the Saturday, or if you make a booking with Steve by email. BBQ: BYO meat and drinks. Basic salads and bread will be supplied. SPA | SHOWER | MASSAGE: Please BYO towels for spa/shower/massage. We now have 2 spas, a 4m heated swimming pool and massage tables. There is comfortable furniture to relax on and chat, and board games are available if you would like them. OVERNIGHT: For those staying overnight, there are various beds available (double and single). BYO linen, blankets and pillows or sleeping bag. There is room for tents in the back garden. If staying overnight it is essential that you book and arrange your accommodation by emailing Steve at cosmex.melb@gmail.com. If you don't want to leave food in the car all day during the walk, you could go via the IGA Supermarket in Castlemaine on the way back to Chewton, where you can purchase meat and drinks. For those wanting a bit more nude exercise on the Sunday morning, we will arrange a short walk of about 1 to 1.5 hours in the forest behind the Chewton property. If you are unable to come on the Saturday walk, but would still like to come to the BBQ or stay overnight and/or Sunday activities, you may do this. However please email Steve at cosmex.melb@gmail.com to let him know your planned arrangements. LEADER | BOOKING: Russell W. | by Wednesday 27th March. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members ->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website. RSVP for BBQ, Overnight and Breakfast: to Steve by email to cosmex.melb@gmail.com.

Cap off your long weekend at ChillOut Festival with this scenic walk in the goldfields/mineral springs region, or alternatively, do part or all of it as a day walk.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Easy 5 or 9 km point-to-point walk or moderate 19 km circuit walk. This walk will be done in three stages and, by arrangement with the leader, you will be able to join or leave it at any of Lake Daylesford, Jubilee Lake or Sailors Falls. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10am beside the Bookbarn Cafe at the Lake Daylesford car park, 2 Leggatt St, Daylesford. 11.30am approximately at the cafe of the Jubilee Lake Holiday Park. 1pm approximately at the visitor shelter of the Sailors Falls Mineral Springs, Ballan-Daylesford Rd, Sailors Falls. MAP REFERENCE: Melway map X909 grid C9 | Google map - see MEETING TIME | LOCATION above.   DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: Via Western Fwy 118 km, 1 hour 25 minutes | via Calder Fwy 117 km, 1 hour 30 minutes. FOOD: Carry lunch, snacks and at least 1 litre of water. You will be able to sample natural spring water in the second and third walk stages. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking boots/shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. Depending on recent rainfall, you may get wet feet in some creek crossings. Some sections contain sharp rocks.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: This very scenic walk "has it all", passing by lakes and a small waterfall, through many forests, some farmlands and goldfield remnants. Virtually all of the walk is on well formed, signed trails, though in places the surface is a little rough. There are some short climbs, steep at times, but for the most part the route is relatively flat. There are several creek crossings where you can normally step across, but if rain has fallen in the lead up to the walk, you could get wet feet. The walk consists of three separate components – it's your choice whether you do one, two or all three of them (though you should notify the leader if you don't expect to do all three stages so that appropriate transport can be organised): STAGE ONE: 5 km – Lake Daylesford to Jubilee Lake: after walking around the lake we follow a couple of short streets to join the Great Dividing Trail which takes us around Cornish Hill and along a former railroad track to the Jubilee Lake Holiday Park, where some of us will have camped for the ChillOut Festival Weekend. We'll rest there for refreshments at the excellent cafe.  STAGE TWO: 5.2 km – Jubilee Lake to Sailors Falls: after refreshments at the Jubilee Lake Cafe, we'll head off through some heavily wooded areas. We'll be mostly heading due south, first along the Great Dividing Trail, then the Three Lost Children Trail, Star Track and west along "Manna Gum Road" (though the first part of that "road" is little more than a goat track)! The end of the road pops out directly opposite the Sailors Falls picnic area, a perfect lunch location, where you can taste some "lemonade like" natural spring water. Anybody who plans to only do the third stage of the walk could arrive early and do some of the walks to and around the falls, though we will visit the falls at the start of the third stage. STAGE THREE: 9 km – Sailors Falls to Daylesford: from the visitor shelter we'll take the steel stairs down to Sailors Falls. Afterwards, we'll follow the Wallaby Track and Goldfields Track back to Daylesford. On reaching the outskirts of Daylesford we'll divert along a narrow track to follow the pretty Wombat Creek, which eventually takes us back to Lake Daylesford via a couple of operational mineral springs. FURTHER INFORMATION: Bushwalking Victoria: Daylesford Forests, Lakes and Falls. This walk, along with the Nomads ChillOut Morning Bushwalk and the Nomads Pants Off, Mixed Nude Bushwalk and Swim on Saturday 9th March, forms part of the ChillOut Festival Weekend, where you can camp at the Jubilee Lake Holiday Park and participate in some of the ChillOut Festival activities, including the Pride Parade and Carnival on Sunday 10th March. Carnival ticket prices: Pre-sales online: $30 full, $20 concession, $15 under 21 | Gate sales: $35 full, $25 concession, $15 under 21 | Under 12 free.  LEADER | BOOKING: Alan D. | by Friday 8th March. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

Travel as a group by private vehicle to Daylesford in the Central Highlands to enjoy the spectacle of the annual ChillOut Parade and partake of luncheon then return by late afternoon. GRADE | TYPE: Easy, social.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 8am outside Jolimont Station on Wellington Pde, East Melbourne to car pool. Jolimont Station is easily accessible by Mernda/Hurstbridge line trains and route 48/75 trams along Wellington Pde.   FOOD | BEVERAGES: All available in Daylesford or BYO. Be sure to carry adequate water. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Enjoy a day in the picturesque country town of Daylesford in the Central Highlands of Victoria whilst witnessing the spectacle that is the annual Chillout Festival and Parade then partake of luncheon in a local eatery. LEADER | BOOKING: Peter N-G. | by Thursday 7th March. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

Enjoy a pleasant stroll, in the buff, during the ChillOut Festival weekend at Daylesford. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Easy, approximately 3 km circuit walk.  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 2.30pm at Bolton's Takeaway, 31A East St, Daylesford. There is plenty of parking on the vacant grassy block on the SE corner of East St and Mink St. This shop is 1.2 km east of Vincent St (Daylesford's main street). If you would like a lift from Daylesford, send an email or post a comment on Meetup and we will try to arrange a ride for you.  MAP REFERENCE: Melway map X909 grid C9 | Google map goo.gl/maps/ETcZnnjGD1R2.   DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 1 hour 25 minutes (114 km). COST: Free for Nomads members, $7 for non-members. However if you are a non-member and have paid your $10 for the Morning Chillout walk, you can come along for free. You need to Get Tickets here though. FOOD: You may wish to bring about 600ml of water. However as the walk is relatively short you may just wish to have a drink before we depart, and have another when we return for afternoon tea. Food is not required but you can take a snack if you like. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Sunscreen, hat, dark glasses, repellent (maybe). Wear comfortable walking shoes/boots. Hopefully we will be able to strip off at the cars and walk straight into the forest. So shorts may not be required. A small towel to dry off after the swim. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: This event is for naturists. Enjoy a pleasant nude stroll through the tall trees and along the picturesque creeks of the Wombat State Forest near Daylesford. A good chance for a chat, or just enjoy the pleasure of being in the forest, nude. The country is undulating and not steep. The tracks are gravel or grass. The walk should take about an hour and a half, followed by afternoon tea (snacks, fruit, drinks in the forest). At about 4.30pm we head for our swimming place and can swim until about 5.30 to 6pm before some of us will need to return to Daylesford for the Saturday night activities. The swimming place is about 8 km (12 minutes) from Daylesford. People can leave from the swimming place whenever they need to return to Daylesford. FURTHER INFORMATION: This walk, along with the Nomads ChillOut Morning Bushwalk at 10:15am on Saturday 9th March and the Nomads Daylesford to Sailors Falls Circuit Walk on Monday 11th March, forms part of the ChillOut Festival Weekend, where you can camp at the Jubilee Lake Holiday Park and participate in some of the ChillOut Festival activities, including the Pride Parade and Carnival on Sunday 10th March. LEADER | BOOKING: Russell W. | by Thursday 7th March. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

Join us for a walk along the creeks and through the bush of Hepburn Springs, and make new friends along the way. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Easy to medium, approximately 4.5 km, circuit walk, with a couple of short steep sections. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:15am at Mineral Springs Reserve Rd, Hepburn Springs - in the carpark at the end of the road, (8 minutes from Daylesford). This road goes past the bathhouse and spa complex. COST: $5 for Nomads members | $10 for visitors - includes afternoon tea with drinks, fruit and snacks. FOOD: refreshments - drinks, fruit & snacks (included in the fee), will be provided at the halfway point. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking boots/shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Join The Nomads for the annual morning walk for the Chillout Festival. Taste the strange water from a Mineral Spring and visit Jackson's Lookout Tower high above Hepburn. The walk is approx 4.5 km long and has a couple of short steep sections. We will stop for refreshments at the half way point. Bring water, hat, apply sunscreen, wear sensible shoes. FURTHER INFORMATION: This walk, along with the Nomads Pants Off, Mixed Nude Bushwalk and Swim at 2:30pm on Saturday 9th March and the Nomads Daylesford to Sailors Falls Circuit Walk on Monday 11th March, forms part of the ChillOut Festival Weekend, where you can camp at the Jubilee Lake Holiday Park and participate in some of the ChillOut Festival activities, including the Pride Parade and Carnival on Sunday 10th March. Carnival ticket prices: Pre-sales online: $30 full, $20 concession, $15 under 21 | Gate sales: $35 full, $25 concession, $15 under 21 | Under 12 free. LEADER | BOOKING: Russell W. | by Thursday 7th March. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.

We’ll use the Jubilee Lake Holiday Park as our base for doing some walks in the Daylesford region whilst also participating in the ChillOut Festival. This park is a little out of the centre of Daylesford, but much nicer and less crowded than the caravan park beside the ChillOut Carnival site.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Varying from easy to medium | walks, social events and camping - during the ChillOut Festival. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 6-10pm on Friday 8th March at the Jubilee Lake Holiday Park, Daylesford. MAP REFERENCE: Melway map X909 grid C9 | Google map goo.gl/maps/cXKMzKvqni22. DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: Via Western Fwy 118 km, 1 hour 30 minutes | via Calder Fwy 117 km, 1 hour 35 minutes. ACCOMMODATION: The Nomads “base camp” will be a cluster of unpowered camp sites. Although each site can only have one car parked beside the tents, it can include a number of tents (and a number of people). Additional cars can be parked in the car park, which is fairly close by. We have booked and paid deposits for three sites with the understanding that we can make some adjustments to the booking a week prior to ChillOut, but it would be helpful if you could get a ticket ASAP if you are planning to attend. Because this is a high season weekend, we needed to book each site for a minimum of three nights. Accommodation options at the park other than camping are now booked out. COST: The Nomads have booked the sites - you don't need to book individually! The base cost of each unpowered campsite is $30 per night, which covers two adults plus one car on the site. Up to four additional adults can be added to each site at a cost of $10 each. We will work out the exact cost per participant by dividing the total cost ($30 for a site and two adults per night plus $10 per extra adult per night) equally among the total number of attendees. The leader will collect each participant's accommodation contribution upon arrival at the park. FOOD: there are BBQ facilities and a cafe at the holiday park. Alternatively, you can bring your own food for the weekend or dine in Daylesford. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION:  There are many events you can attend as part of ChillOut Festival, which is regional Australia’s largest LGBTQI festival, and the Nomads have also organised a number of walks to coincide with it. The Jubilee Lake Holiday Park is a little out of the centre of Daylesford, but much nicer and less crowded than the caravan park beside the ChillOut Carnival site, thus making a great base for your ChillOut long weekend.  Some activities to consider attending include: Saturday 10:15am: The Nomads ChillOut Community Saturday Morning Walk Saturday 2:30pm: The Nomads Pants Off, Mixed Nude Bushwalk and Swim, including afternoon tea Saturday evening: the famous ChillOut Bush Dance + many performance events Sunday 10am: ChillOut Festival Pride Parade (free) Sunday 11am: ChillOut Festival Carnival (see prices below) Monday 10am: The Nomads Daylesford to Sailors Falls Circuit Walk. Note for non-members: the ChillOut weekend consists of a number of events. If you take out a 1 month temporary membership (cost $8) prior to booking any events, you don't need to pay the $7 visitor fees to any of these events. Once you have taken out your membership, select Get Tickets to get your member ticket on each event that you wish to attend.  FURTHER INFORMATION: Carnival ticket prices: Pre-sales online: $30 full, $20 concession, $15 under 21 Gate sales: $35 full, $25 concession, $15 under 21 | Under 12 free. LEADER | BOOKING: Alan D. | by Thursday 28th February or ASAP. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.