Robert Pepper's 4wd Treks Close to Melbourne -
Trek 20 - Cobaw State Forest
Date and time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Sunday 3rd December 2023
Description: This is a trip that is to validate Trek 20 in the Robert Pepper book. It is a short half-day trip, with the trek finishing in Kyneton around midday. At the completion of the trek, we will travel 10 minutes up the Calder Highway to the historic Malmsbury village where we will have lunch at the Malmsbury Bakery Cafe in a lovely shaded courtyard following which, we will visit the nearby Malmsbury Botanical Gardens and the historic Malmsbury Viaduct.
We will commence the trip at Lancefield, being an hour's drive from the Melbourne CBD. . We head north-west from Lancefield for 9km along sealed and unsealed roads to where we enter the Cobaw State Forest. Whilst the route through the forest is short at 13km, the 3km section of track known as Soil Pit Track will be slow due to the rocky ascent and the rocky and rutted descent , necessitating taking some bypass tracks on the descent where the main track is impassable due to rutting. This section of track will be challenging for both driver and vehicle but will be an adventure ! It would be advisable, if possible for each vehicle to have a spotter or one borrowed from another vehicle, for the descent section of the track, to ensure correct wheel placement around rocks and ruts. Once through the forest, we will then travel for 17km along unsealed and sealed roads to Kyneton where the trek finishes.
The Rooftops Cobaw State Forest Activities Map is the best map to use.
Please contact your trip leader if you are unsure of any of the requirements for this trip.
Weather: It should be mild, but being in the Central Highlands, be prepared for any change in weather on the day.
Equipment: Good off-road tyres (All Terrain, 60 profile recommended as a minimum), UHF radio, a well-maintained vehicle with low range (or equivalent), good ground clearance (200mm recommended as a minimum), recovery points, standard recovery gear including dampener, rated snatch strap, shackles and shovel. Drivers must have completed the RRCV club training or equivalent.
Trip Standard: Medium, apart from Soil Pit track which is difficult.
Fuel: Fuel is available at Lancefield
Distance: The approximate distance from Melbourne to Lancefield is 75 km with the trek distance of 39 km
Duration: 1 day
Convoy limit: 10 vehicles
Meeting arrangements: We will have a trip briefing at the Lancefield Bakery at 9:00am sharp so please have your coffee and tyres aired down before the briefing .
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: Brendon Telfer: contact either by mobile at 0416 214 145 or email at brendon.telfer@gmail.com
Trek Manager: Graeme Allen 047788434
