Cork Oaks camp ground, Mt Beckworth, Clunes

see also:

• photography and camping main index page
• non-commercial camp grounds for tents within 2 hours of Melbourne
• Pyrenees region
• Victoria's volcanoes

• at the north end of Mt Beckworth in a scenic park which still has cork oak trees growing
• bollarded camp sites are at ~400m elevation and flat ground is hard to find;
• good phone service;
• 2WD accessible with care
• perhaps best in late Autumn if you wish to see ghost mushrooms but nights can be cold and foggy
• can be very hot in summer with no running rivers nearby
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86o7WZmePY4&t=195s

• north of Ballarat and just to the west of the lovely historic gold mining town of Clunes
• just over 1.5hrs, 130km from NW suburbs via Miners Rest (slightly longer via Creswick and Clunes and ~2hrs via Castlemaine);

• nice winter sun and good night skies but can be very cold at night on clear nights in autumn and winter in particular
  • on days of high pressure systems in July, expect sunny days with little wind and temperatures max 12-14degC falling to 0-2degC overnight and thick fog can occur at these times
    • nights tend to be 1degC warmer but days 0-1degC warmer than Mt Franklin reserve campground, near Daylesford according to BOM but inside the crater it could be colder
    • nights tend to be 0-2degC warmer but days 1degC colder than Green Hill Lakes Camping Reserve, Ararat and nights tend to be 1degC warmer and days 2-4degC warmer than Halls Gap (cold air falls down into the valley)
    • tends to be 1-2degC colder than Melville Caves campground, Kooyoora State Park and 1degC colder than Maldon Mt Tarrengower Butt's Reserve camp ground
    • tends to be 3-4 degC colder than Melbourne day and night

• my pics of ghost mushrooms at night in the area in autumn, especially May;
• various honey eater birds at morning / dusk;
• wallabies, possums, lizards, etc
• bush walks and nice views:
  • Mt Beckworth hits 629m and there is a 1.5-2hr return Feldspar walk for nice views and you could probably camp up there in a hiking tent leave no trace manner
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86o7WZmePY4&t=195s
• short drives to explore the regional volcanic features, historic deep lead gold mining area, a few ghost towns, ruins and relics, and some wineries
  • Clunes
    • the original Mad Max movie was partly filmed here
  • Creswick
    • La Gerche nature walk amongst a large oak forest and colorful autumn fly agaric mushrooms
    • Creswick woolen mills
  • Talbot 23min, 22km to north
  • Majorca ghost town, 30min, 30km to north east
  • Amherst and historic Chinese baths, 26min to north
  • Maryborough city - check out its fantastic train station
  • Smeaton 31km, 31min to south east - nice loop drive to see old gold mines
  • Avoca 47km, 42min to NW - nice pie shop
  • Dunolly 59km, 51min to north via Talbot and Maryborough
• ~47min 50km to the popular spa, gourmet food, LGBTI-friendly, tourist town of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs

• Clunes township
  • petrol, cafes, etc
  • 12km (18min by car)
• Creswick township is larger
  • 27km, (30min by car)
• Ballarat city
  • ~37min south via Miners Rest
  • Bunnings, supermarkets, major hospital and 24hr emergency department
  • Sovereign Hill tourist attraction
  • lake, botanical garden
• Maryborough city
  • 37km (34 min by car) to the north via Talbot

• within the Mt Beckworth Reserve:
  • nearby Dam Reserve picnic / camp area - flatter, more shady, bollarded camp sites and has fire pit and picnic table but no toilets; dam likely to be empty;
    • https://youtu.be/86o7WZmePY4?t=1145
  • nearby Manna Gums picnic area
    • flatter, bollarded camp sites and has fire pit and picnic table but no toilets; several walks
    • https://youtu.be/86o7WZmePY4?t=1145
• Slaty Creek gold prospecting campgrounds, Creswick
  • 33km, 38min to SE via Creswick
• Paddys Range campground, Maryborough
  • 38min, 36km to the north
• Avoca RV camp along the river - ? not for tents
  • 42min to NW
• Lake Burumbeet foreshore reserve (south end of the lake)
  • 42min to Sth
• Mt Franklin reserve campground, near Daylesford
  • 51min to east via Clunes and Yandoit (1hr via Smeaton and Daylesford)
  • nice camp ground inside a volcanic crater, but will be very cold in winter, and avoid on weekends or school hols at other times as can be very busy
• Laanecoorie riverside camp on the Loddon River
  • 54min 68km to NE via Carisbrook
• Avoca waterfalls picnic area
  • ~1hr to NW via Talbot, Avoca
• Warburton Bridge, Glenluce
  • ~1hr to NW via Newstead; popular with caravans, on the upper reaches of the Loddon River
• Maldon Mt Tarrengower Butt's Reserve camp ground
  • just under 1hr to NE
• Newbridge Recreation Reserve camp ground on the Loddon River
  • 1hr to north, $25/n; hot showers, river, pub
• Waanyarra gold prospecting area
  • 1hr to north
• Mt Buangor / Mount Cole / Langi Ghiran campgrounds and hikes
  • over 1hr drive to SW via Beaufort
• Green Hill Lakes Camping Reserve, Ararat
  • ~71min 91km drive to SW via Beaufort
• Teddington camp ground, Stuart Mill, Kara Kara NP
  • 75min to NW via Avoca
• Melville Caves campground, Kooyoora State Park
  • 80min to north via Talbot, Maryborough, Dunolly
• Lerderderg campground
  • 95min 100km via Ballan (102min via Daylesford and Trentham)
• camping in or near the Grampians
  • 2hrs to west via Beaufort, Ararat, Halls Gap