After watching several vlogs of people hiking in the Grand Canyon (my favourite place in the world) I was in the mood to get as close a local experience to that as I could and, if memory served me correctly, both Anakie Gorge and Werribee Gorge would help me to scratch that itch!
A two hour drive to the west of Melbourne got me to my first destination and I started the day in Anakie Gorge, and set off on the Gorge Walk and the Ted Errey Nature Trail.
It was a glorious, cool, sunny morning, the air was filled with birdsong and even at this time of winter there were still plenty of flowers in bloom.
About 15 minutes into the walk there is a sharp, steep climb to the ridge. Up there are lots of magnificent Grass Trees, and some even more magnificent views across the gorge and the ranges. The first viewpoint is Nelson Lookout.
Walking along the trail to the next viewpoint I noticed evidence of past bushfires...
The trail along the rim is fairly open and what I would describe as "very Australian" in its look.
The next viewpoint, labelled simply as "outlook" on the map is equally as beautiful as Nelson Lookout, if not more so.
And the soil is very red-hued indeed!
From there it was a short descent into a temperate and damp gully,
before another rise and then an easy descent to the Stony Creek picnic ground. From here, I choose to take a short detour to see Stony Creek Reservoir,
before taking the return trail,
back to Anakie Gorge Picnic Ground.
The picnic ground was host to a number of Fairy Wrens and I watched them and enjoyed their antics in the warm sun as I ate my lunch.
Then, it was a short drive to my second destination for the day, Werribee Gorge. Werribee Gorge is shorter, but rather more dramatic than Anakie Gorge and, by the time I arrived, it was also rather more popular - with most carparks being quite full.
Luckily, I managed to get a spot at the Quarry carpark and I headed off from there to join the Aquaduct Trail and to start the circuit walk.
Werribee Gorge immediately feels wild and remote and the relaxing sound of the river at it's bottom fills the canyon walls.
The walls tower above you, giving a fantastic sense of scale.
The trail also has a couple of interesting sections, one where a rope is provided and another where thin rock ledges provided a short, but exciting traverse.
Yep, that rock wall on the right is the trail!
With the afternoon sun blazing orange the rock walls took on beautiful colours.
The final part of the circuit follows a rough trail
from the gorge bottom to the rim and the rim trail,
which leads to a number of spectacular view points, both down into the gorge,
and all the way back to Melbourne City!
As the sun began to set I returned to my car feeling very satisfied with my day. Both Gorges, although easily accessible, feel miles from anywhere and it is possible to have a very solitary and remote experience in either - the perfect antidote to life today.
It's perfectly possible to spend a full day in each - and as I drove home I began to plan my next visits to further explore and get to know these two fantastic locations.
Cheers,
Big Al.
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