4WD Treks Close to Melbourne: Validation of trek 16 - Amblers Lane
Date and time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Sunday 12 November 2023
Description: This trek winds its way through the Lerderderg State Park and Wombat State Forest. Starting on the Bacchus Marsh- Gisborne Road, we travel through open forest along varied and challenging but interesting tracks looking at some historic goldmining sites along the way. Along the way we pass through the Lerderderg Campground and O'Briens Crossing. We then travel along Amblers Track, after which the trek is named and, if time is available, some may wish to take a short walk from the track to the tunnel on the Lerderderg River. We will be finishing at Blackwood at 4.00pm where we can have a coffee or a drink at the historic Blackwood Pub. From Blackwood, it is an hour's drive back to the Melbourne CBD via the Western Highway. It is a suitable trip for those wishing to move from easy- medium tracks to harder tracks.
Please contact your trip leader if you are unsure of any of the following requirements for this trip.
Equipment: Below are the recommended vehicle requirements. If you are not sure if your vehicle is suitable for a trip, please discuss with the trip leader.
Morning tea and lunch will be in the bush – bring your own thermos, lunch, etc.
Take appropriate clothing, a coat and footwear for the weather on the day.
Good off-road tyres (All Terrain, 60 profile recommended as a minimum), UHF radio, fixed or handheld, a well-maintained vehicle with low range (or equivalent), good ground clearance (200mm recommended as a minimum), recovery points front and rear, standard recovery gear including dampener, rated snatch strap, shackles and shovel. Drivers must have completed the RRCV club training or equivalent.
Maps and Reference Material: Meridian Wombat State Forest Map, 5th edition. Route details are in the 4WD Treks Close to Melbourne book - Trek16.
Trip Standard: The trek is listed in the book as difficult as there are rutted tracks to navigate, some steep declines and inclines down to and up from a number of creek crossings and some rocky tracks. It is however a suitable trip for those wishing to move from easy- medium standard tracks to harder tracks.
Fuel: Fuel is available at Gisborne or Bacchus Marsh en-route to the starting point. There is no fuel at Blackwood.
Distance: 60km
Duration: 1 day
Convoy limit: 16 vehicles comprising 2 convoys of 10 and 6 vehicles.
Meeting arrangements: Meet at 9.00 am on the corner of Carrolls Lane and the Gisborne - Bacchus Marsh Road, 12km from Gisborne or 21km from Bacchus Marsh.
Club Guest Registration policy: It is club policy in regard to insurance cover that if a member brings any non-members on the trip they must be registered and have paid the required fee as Temporary Members BEFORE the event.
i.e. non- members can no longer register on the day with the trip leader.
Temporary Membership information and ways to register can be found at:
Temporary (Guest) Membership
Also if a non-member wishes to bring their own vehicle, the member inviting the non-member must contact the trip leader for approval to bring the vehicle. Such approval will take into account skills of the driver, suitability of the vehicle and whether or not a place within the convoy limit is available for a non-member's vehicle.
Trip Leader: Graeme Allen on 0477488434 if you have any queries. Guy Stevens will lead the second convoy.
