The Pyrenees Ranges are widely renowned for their wine making expertise. At two hours drive west of Melbourne, this area has some fantastic and challenging tracks as well as great scenery and all within coo-ee of a nice country pub if you feel like a counter tea and catching up with the locals. There are a few camping places within the Pyrenees such as Cameron Track Campgrounds, however the Glenpatrick Reserve is idyllic. Once used for cricket, the reserve features a large cleared area, toilets, and a pavilion with sheltered tables and a large fireplace. The reserve is in the middle of many tracks and you can stay for a few days and not travel in and out on the same track twice. It is also the site of the now famous ExplorOz Victorian Gathering each November.
Venture north thru the ranges and you are at Warrenmang for fine food and wine, Remy also have vineyards to visit and Avoca has THE BEST Bakery in the area. Waterfalls Picnic and Campground is a quiet secluded area providing plenty of space for your pets to run. The 4WD tracks within the area are superb and rather challenging in places, and there are a couple of nice walks including ‘The Valley Walk’ - a one kilometre return, easy grade walk, and the one-way ‘Pyrenees Endurance Walk’, which is a more demanding 18km walk.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
This area is a classic eucalypt forest area, tracks, when dry, have good traction and a variety of wildlife including Koala, echidna and Kangaroo can be seen.
History
The area was a Chinese stronghold during the gold rush with many ounces being taken from the ground. Although not as rich as the
Ballarat and
Bendigo diggings there was still a good income to be hewn from the ground. There is an old
cemetery near the GlenPatrick Reserve and if you are lucky enough to meet Colin the local reserve committee member, ask him to show you further sites of historical significance in the area. It’s a decent walk but worth the effort.
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