Chewton

Whilst here we have loved adventuring in the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, exploring remains of the settlements and abandon mines in the area.

Gold was first discovered by Europeans in the area in 1851 triggering the Mount Alexander gold rush leading to an influx of migrants from around the world and a population of 40-60,000 by 1852.

Our first 6km loop walk started at the Garfield Water Wheel, one of the largest in the world, along the earth and gravel tracks that many prospectors would have walked before us, to the ruins of the Nimrod Reef Mine and Welsh Village, discovered abandoned mine shafts, open cut mines and slate quarry along the way. Evidence all around of the homes and lives lived in the area at that time.

Next we headed on another 6km loop over Burns Hill to the Monster Meeting place, where 15 000 gold diggers met to protest an increase in mining fee in December 1851.

An almost 8km loop took us to the Pennyweight Flat Cemetery which began as an informal burial ground ending with almost 200, mostly children and babies, being buried there between 1852 and 1857.

A 10km loop taking in Forest Creek Trail took us through what was once the richest goldfield in the world to Expedition Pass Reservoir at Golden Point. The reservoir was constructed in 1868 to provide a reliable source of water to the Goldfields community and takes its name from the gap in the hills named by Major Mitchell on his 1836 expedition.

The 2.8km self guided Eureka Reef Heritage Walk took us to some of the oldest and best preserved quartz mining relics in Victoria

And finally the Garfield Bush walk (400m) and the Mine Heritage walk (500m)Read more