You Yangs Regional Park hike - 19/4/2010

Woke up at 5:30am, sped down to Geelong from Burwood to meet my friend Jizz (James), grabbed him and left for the You Yangs and began hike around 9am walking all the trails their, which totaled around 20km. Departed at around 3:30pm. Quite a few people were around, especially couples.

Dandenong Ranges hike - Doongulla National Park to Silvan Reservoir - 4/4/2010

EASTER. Awoke at 8:00pm and pushed snooze 3 times before I got up and began packing my bag. 10mins later my housemate enters my room and reveals that daylight savings has ended, thus it was really 7:00pm. Jumped in the car and drove to Shell on Burwood Hwy and grabbed 2 Red Bull, then to the Basin (Kilsyth), off Sheffield Rd, where I parked (with Parks Victoria stalking me at every turn). I then made the ascent to the top of the mountain, near the TV transmission tower and onto Ridge Rd, stopped off at Olinda and purchased iced coffee from the milk bar there. Made my way down past the National Rhododendron Gardens then stopped at the footy ground and ate my slunch, tuna and wrap. Made my past the Olinda golf course and took a left down Mathias road? to the lookout, took some snaps and continued down following the perimeter of Silvan Reservoir for about an hour before I reached the Silvan Reservoir picnic grounds, where I had lunch with about a million families. Made my way back through tracks and up Barbers road (where I helped give directions to a couple and their 3 kids to Kalorama), took ages, all uphill. Stopped at Kalorama and bought a drink from a cafe and made the ascent up Ridge Rd and back down Doongulla NP to my car. Began hike at about 8am and finished around 4pm

Reflections: pack more water and food next time!!!! and print out a better map.

Dandenong Ck

Forest typical of the Dandenong Ranges

Forest typical of the Dandenong Ranges

Lyrebird putting on a show for me

Olinda

Eat time at the Olinda-Ferny Ck footy ground

Yarra Valley panorama shot

Yarra Valley lookout shot

Yarra Valley lookout shot

Unburnt piles of the perimeter

Part of the Vic Governments initiative to help reduce contaminated water catchments caused by fires, it' s like 600km long?, 20m wide perimeter containment line.

Entry to Silvan Dam, where I had my last tin of tuna

Exiting Silvan Dam, making my way back, All the families enjoying Easter dinner, makes me think I should've gone home with my family :(