Multi-day hikes without a car?

Victoria specific bushwalking discussion.
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Victoria specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Multi-day hikes without a car?

Postby stevage » Fri 28 Jan, 2022 9:41 am

A topic I'm always a bit curious about is doing multi-day hikes without a car, and especially by using public transport. So far I have done two in Victoria:

1. Belgrave to Lilydale, staying in a B&B in Mt Dandenong. (Really great walk, was able to connect lots of walking paths up).
2. Trentham to Ballan, camping near Blackwood, and in a gorge in Lerderderg. Pretty good, though it finished with 2 hours of road bashing into Ballan through Greendale which wasn't so fun.

It would presumably be possible to hike certain sections of the Goldfields Track (since it passes through Bendigo, Castlemaine, Daylesford and Ballarat, which all have PT).

Is anyone else interested in this topic? Any other routes that have worked for you?

(I do actually have a car. But I like the idea of not using it, and also I tend to hike in groups too small for a car shuffle).
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Re: Multi-day hikes without a car?

Postby ChrisJHC » Fri 28 Jan, 2022 1:18 pm

I’ve done this on the Goldfields Track.
Mainly because I solo-hike and don’t want to have to loop back to my car.

A slight alternative I did was to drive to the Castlemaine Railway Station (yes, I could have PT’d there), hike to Bendigo then get the train back to Castlemaine.

It’s a bit soul destroying to take three leisurely days to hike there and then have the return trip take 30 minutes :)
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Re: Multi-day hikes without a car?

Postby peregrinator » Fri 28 Jan, 2022 2:12 pm

This topic has come up in this forum a couple of times. Try searching on "public transport".
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Re: Multi-day hikes without a car?

Postby sandym » Fri 28 Jan, 2022 6:31 pm

Mallacoota to Wonboyn through the Nadgee is also possible with public transport. You do have to walk an extra 10 km along the road (or hitch) out to get the V line from the Wonboyn junction on the Pacific Hw. We did it car less.
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Re: Multi-day hikes without a car?

Postby GBW » Fri 28 Jan, 2022 7:29 pm

Just about anything is possible without a car if you're prepared to catch a train, bus, walk, utilise a bike or hitch.

Bus services offer some good options to access rural areas. Bus to Healesville or Marysville or train to Wangaratta then bus to Harrietville or ride from Wangaratta to Harrietville on the newly completed bike path. Plenty of options. I've ridden out to Baw Baw from Melbourne through Warby basically following the Upper Yarra Trail.
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Re: Multi-day hikes without a car?

Postby Razopom » Fri 04 Feb, 2022 5:08 pm

I've walked Great Ocean Walk and Great South West Walk with public transport.

Surf Coast Walk would also be accessible by public transport :)
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