town with medium/hard daywalks accessible by train?

[jonnosan]

Howdy folks,

I'm a NSWer and it looks like I will be need to be in Melbourne for work on a friday and following monday sometime in March. So I am looking for some options for what to do on the weekend in between. I've done a search and found discussions on walks near trains, but nothing quite matched what I am looking for, so hopefully someone here can make some suggestions...

Given the primary reason for my trip is work stuff, I won't be able to bring much gear with me, so any overnight walks are out. But I am also looking for something thats a decent challenge, i.e. 6-8 hrs on rough tracks with a fair bit of vertical and maybe some scrambling. I would rather not hire a car, so strong preference for something I can get to via train.

The ideal for me would be some town I can get the train to on Friday evening, from which I can do some decent day hikes on sat & sun and then get a train back to melbourne CBD for 9:00am monday morning. The NSW version of what I am looking for would be the Blue Mountains - 2 hrs by train from Sydney CBD, and lots of day walks including 20km+ options like Mt Solitary and the Blue Gum Forest. Is there a Victorian equivalent?

[Earwig]

There isn't a real equivalent in Victoria. You could catch the Friday night bus to Marysville, hike the Keppels Lookout circuit on Saturday and then do a few shorter walks on Sunday and catch the bus back Sunday afternoon.

http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/225689/FS0034-Marysville-State-Forest.pdf

[jonnosan]

Thanks for the tip Earwig will do some more research on the area

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Only v/line connections( train and bus ) from Melb. to Halls Gap in the Grampians would come close to what you want.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

If you take the train from Wodonga to Wangaratta there is a bus from there to Harrietville and also another to Mt. Beauty. Both towns are near some great walking country and March is a good time of the year for weather in the Vic. Alps

[Earwig]

You can also take a train to Ferntree Gully and do some day walking in Dandenong Ranges NP. Although it's more in the tourist track category than medium-hard it is on the suburban train network and so an option for a day trip.