Monda Track Healesville Area - anyone done?

[dougal73]

Hi all

Just wondering, has anyone done the Monda Track (Circuit) recently? It is the one that departs from the Dom Dom Saddle Picnic Area just out of Healesville. I can't find much of use online about this hike. I do have the Daywalks Around Melbourne book with this in it. But I am wondering if it is still ok? As I note some of the walks in the area have changed since the Kinglake Fires.

Any help, guidance appreciated.

[MickyB]

These sites might help you dougal73. They completed it almost a year ago so I think it would still be OK.

https://plus.google.com/photos/+SimonCo ... 0970538305
https://www.endomondo.com/users/2058877 ... /489569848

[PMD]

Yep, it's still a great walk. Mainly along vehicle tracks and firebreaks, but you still feel like you're really in amongst some terrific forest. The ferns and mountain ash are just majestic, especially in the longer second section NW of Maroondah Hwy. (Though I think one part does also have a scarred-looking section that has been recently logged).

Be careful on the bit you have to walk along the highway though, there's no shoulder on the road and a drop on one side. After a couple of close calls with cars I took my time going through the trees on the far side of the road.

Enjoy!

[dougal73]

Thanks heaps. It is likely to be a month or so before I can do but wanting to get research underway now.

[scroggin]

Thanks to this thread and a beautiful day yesterday I decided to do this walk.
It's a great walk, with the climb to the top quite steep and as mentioned the highway section is a bit unnerving.
I have a GPX file for it if you want it, but you have to tell me how I upload it to you as it's all a mystery to me.

[neilmny]

Thanks to this thread and a beautiful day yesterday I decided to do this walk.
It's a great walk, with the climb to the top quite steep and as mentioned the highway section is a bit unnerving.
I have a GPX file for it if you want it, but you have to tell me how I upload it to you as it's all a mystery to me.

Scroggin, if you follow this procedure - viewtopic.php?f=9&t=562 but instead of a picture choose the GPX file it should work. I posted one some time back on a PM that worked this way. It won't be shown as a track or anything just a link that you can click to download the GPX. Give it a go.

I've walked in the Monda area myself and one spot that sticks in my mind was the old giants (mountain ash) when coming down Archer Hill back towards Dom Dom Saddle. They were magnifient.
This picture from MickyB's link shows them https://plus.google.com/photos/10231175 ... 7372959090 Initially they might not look all that big but compare them to the people who are way back nearer to them.............Big!

[dougal73]

Thanks again to all for the info. I plan to do this on April 23, I'll post after that on how it went.

[dougal73]

Did this track yesterday. It is very nice, I do think the best part is the second half or so after Archer lookout. The Mountain Ash are really spectacular. The uphill section does provide a good lung workout. Whilst the whole thing does predominantly follow access roads or tracks (but with a couple of parts along firebreaks) it is still well worth doing.

I think the navigation is quite easy. But the guidebook we used (Chapmans Daywalks Around Melbourne) says the walk starts at the access gate at the South End of the carpark, that is not entirely true. You need to start the walk before you hit the gate...A subtle, but important difference....We walked for a little while after the gate looking for the road off to the left thinking there must be another other than the road before the gate. The maps only showed one..Anyhow we tweaked quickly and turned back and were underway. The section along the highway is a little bit hairy, but not too bad and is very short.

Plus the guidebook has the distance as 16.2km, we found it to be a shade over 18km. But then that is certainly not the first time I've found it, and the Tempest book, to be out with distances.

Anyhow, a very nice walk with a great sense of satisfaction at the end.