Majorca
Racecourse
The small town of Majorca, 12 km from Talbot, once had
a public racecourse. The area is now a protected area managed
by Parks Victoria and McCallums Creek Landcare. It is a
peaceful place
for a stroll amidst native grasses and protected Red Gums,
some of
which are around 500 years old. When visiting, please respect
the environment and watch out for falling limbs!
Directions
from Talbot: Head south along Scandinavian Crescent.
Turn
left into Oxford Street, just over the railway line and continue
straight on as it
become the Talbot-Majorca Road for around 4km. When you reach
a T-intersection turn left into McCallums Creek Road and proceed for
another approx 4 km. Turn right onto
Majorca-Talbot road, and continue for 3km bringing you into the centre
of Majorca. Turn right into Galloways Road and proceed for
around 2km. The racecourse will be on your left.
Mount Beckworth Scenic Reserve
Mount Beckworth is a picturesque granite outcrop, rewarding those
who climb to the summit with breathtaking views. Five pines were
planted atop Mount Beckworth in 1918, but four were cut down in
1945. The sole remaining pine had its lower branches pruned and
remains visible as a 'lollypop' landmark up to 50km away.
Photos thanks to Julian Kennard and Leah George. For
more see Mt Beckworth Climb album
In Spring the reserve is carpeted with more than 250 species of
wildflowers, and it is a sanctuary for many native animals including
kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas and over 100 species of
birds.
There are numerous walking tracks, including a 30
minute return path giving an overview of the surroundings (from The Dam
to The Oval), and a 2.5 hour return track from The Dam to the Summit
which passes old mullock heaps and great views. Several picnic
and camping areas are also available.
Further information about visiting Mount Beckworth can be found in this brochure with detailed map.
Directions
from Talbot: Drive south on the Ballarat-Maryborough Road for 13
km. You will come to an intersection on the right where the
railway line comes close to the road (signposted as being to the Golf
Course). Turn right, and follow this road (the Old
Ballarat-Maryborough Road) for around half a km, then turn into the
second road on the right (Kierces Road). Note, this becomes a
dirt road soon after you enter it but turns back into bitumen after the
next intersection. Proceed for 4km along Kierces Road until you
reach Mountain Creek Road. Turn right into and proceed for around
1.5 km when you will reach signs for the reserve.
Paddy's
Ranges State Park
Named after
an Irish miner 'Paddy' who reputedly roamed the area in the
1800s, Paddy's Ranges State Park is a
beautiful Box Ironbark
forest dotted with relics of an industrious past that included a
pastoral run, gold
mining, timber harvesting, eucalyptus oil and honey production.
In
Spring the park bursts into life, with over 230 species of wildflowers
recorded, including 30 species of orchid. The many Golden
Wattle,
Gold Dust Wattle and Bush Pea plants add further colour and perfume.
Thanks to
'Melburnian' for sharing
these photos of Paddy's Ranges wildflowers on Wikimedia
The
park is also a haven for wildlife. There are wallabies,
kangaroos
and echidnas, as well as nocturnal possums, antechnius and the rare
brush-tailed phascagale or tuan. There are birds galore, with
over 140 bird species recorded including the rare Swift Parrots who
migrate from Tasmania between autumn and spring, attracted by the
flowering eucalypts. Other birds in the park include Grey
Shrike-thrush, rare
Painted Honey-Eater, Golden and
Rufous Whistlers, Peregrine Falcons and Wedge-tailed Eagles.
There are BBQ, water and toilet facilities at the Settling Ponds
Picnic area. Facilities are also available at the Karri Dam
campground area. Walking tracks within the park are well
signposted. A pleasant track suitable for prams and
wheelchairs begins at the Settling Track picnic area and winds through
the forest to an old eucalyptus distillery dam (40 mins return).
There is also a self-guided Interprative Trail starting at
the
picnic area, and a forest walk to the campground.
Thanks to 'Melburnian' on Wikimedia, 'Chip_2904' on Flickr, and 'Kombi Dad'
at the KombiClub forum for sharing photos
of their Paddy's Ranges visits
Directions
from Talbot: Head north along the Ballarat-Maryborough Road,
towards Maryborough. There will be two signposted entrances
to
the park on your left. The first is approx 8km along, at
Whipstick Track. The second is approx 11km along, at Settling
Ponds Track.
Pyrenees
Ranges State Forest
Rising nearly 800 metres, the Pyrenees Ranges consist
of box-ironbark forests on the foothills, changing to mixed species
stringybark higher up. In Spring, native wildflowers abound
and the wattle trees make spectacular viewing.
Over 200 species of plants and 100 species of birds have been recorded
in the forest. Look out especially for wedge-tailed eagles,
parrots, galahs and smaller birds like rainbow bee-eaters.
There are also many other animals to watch out for including kangaroos,
koalas, echidnas, goannas, and bearded dragons.
Photos of the Waterfall walk and Lookout view thanks to Billabong B&B in Avoca
There are numerous picnic and walking sites within the park.
A pleasant after lunch walk (1km, 20 minutes) is signposted from the
Waterfalls Picnic Area and follows the course of a creek upstream to a
rock outcropping. Other picnic facilities are at Governors
Rock Lookout and Cameron's Track Campground.
Further information about visiting the Pyrenees Ranges
State Forest can be found in this brochure with detailed map.
Directions
from Talbot: Drive along the Talbot-Avoca Road for 15
km. Turn left into the Pyrenees Highway and proceed for a
further 9 km. Turn right at Faraday Street (2nd right after
crossing over Sunraysia Highway) and proceed to the end of the road
where it bends left and becomes Vinoca Road. Proceed for
around 10km through the Percydale wine district until you see signs for
the Pyrenees State Forest.
Quartz
Mountain
Quartz Mountain or the
Big Reef is a massive quartz outcrop in Paddy's Ranges between Amherst
and Lillicur, about 15 minutes drive from Talbot. The pure
quartz
masses stand over six metres above the
surface level of the adjoining hill. and, in one section, a magnificent
40 tonne boulder balances on top of the reef, the biggest remaining
quartz reef in the Southern Hemisphere.
Special thanks to Pictures
Collection, State
Library of Victoria for granting permission to display the 1890-1920's
era photograph (ref: pc002417). Other photos thanks to Tiffany Titshall.
The reef extends 800 metres north of the main outcrop. The area is rich
in wildflowers
with over 200 species, including about 30 species of orchids. The
dominant eucalypts are Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus sderoxylon), Grey Box
(Eucalyptus mircocarpa), and Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon). There
was a little goldmining at the southern end of the main hill in the
nineteenth century and a tunnel went in from the eastern side but,
after going through a considerable quantity of quartz and ore, was left
unfinished. Today, fossicking or prospecting in the area is
prohibited.
Directions
from Talbot: Drive along the Talbot-Avoca Road for 2km.
Turn left into McIntyres Road (before the Cemetery).
Continue along this gravel road for approx 3km until you
reach
timbered bushland. Proceed directly ahead along Mia Mia Track
for
1.5km until you reach a T-intersection. Turn left onto Tyler
Track, proceed for approx 1km (passing Quartz Dam on your left).
Turn right onto Quartz Track and you will see the reef and
sign
"Amherst Reef Geological Reserve" directly ahead on your left.
This page was last updated on 30 December 2009
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