The Golden Way - Dalesford
Date and time: 9:00am, Saturday 10 May 2025
Trip Standard: Easy – Mostly Easy, with some Medium – mix of gravel forestry roads, some medium rocky tracks and hills and small creek crossings.
Although most of this trek is suitable for AWD vehicles with good clearance, there are a number of hills and muddy sections that are best suited to vehicles with low-range.
This is an easier route in dry conditions. Seasonal closures do not apply to this route. Unless there has been recent flooding the creek crossings are likely to be dry or just trickling
Description: Please contact your trip leader if you are unsure of any of the following requirements for this trip.
Easy day to with a pleasant drive through the Hepburn Regional Park, from the historic town of Daylesford through forest old gold-mining areas, to historic Castlemaine.
Departing from Daylesford we pass through some wet forest with some historical site viewing along the way. The route follows some lush wet forest tracks, on to Vaughan mineral water springs, where you may be able to pump your own mineral water. There are some walks in the area that we can take depending on interest. The road goes through a few small creek fords before heading into Castlemaine.
This trip will try to follow Trek 10 of 4wd treks close to Melbourne and is not a validation trip.
Weather: As with all Victorian trips, potentially cold and wet. Review the weather forecast leading up to the trip and bring appropriate clothing, footwear and camping gear.
Equipment: Below are the recommended vehicle requirements. If you are not sure if you vehicle is suitable for a trip, please have a chat with the trip leader.
A well-maintained vehicle with normal road tyres are OK for this trip (All Terrain tyres would be preferred), UHF radio (or one borrowed from the club). Recovery gear is not mandatory, but if you have it, bring your standard recovery gear including, rated snatch strap, shackles and a shovel.
Additional Equipment required: Food and drinking water for the day in the bush or picnic grounds. Clothing for wet and cold conditions. Morning tea and lunches will be in the bush– byo simple, “on the move” lunches and morning teas (byo thermos).
No camper trailers, pets or firearms
Maps and Reference Material: The trip leader will be using HEMA Maps and the 4wd Treks close to Melbourne book
Fuel: A full tank ex Melbourne
Distance: Daylesford is approximately 132 km from Melbourne. The trip is mostly off-road and a few km of bitumen roads.
Duration: 1 day.
Convoy limit: 8 vehicles
Meeting arrangements: We will meet at 9:00 at the Visitor Information Centre on Vincent St, Daylesford, and depart at 9.30am. If you plan to get breakfast/coffee beforehand there are plenty of cafes a block or so away. We will aim to finish about mid-afternoon
Trip Leaders: Nick Everingham, Phone - 0400 628 779, Email - everingham1@mac.com
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.
