Category: Dookie Rail Trail

August - 'Dookie Rail Trail'

23/8/2024

Both the canola and the wattle came out for us on this walk, and the yellow looked beautiful against the blue sky. Eight walkers set off along the rail trail towards Caniambo, appreciating the well maintained track, the adjacent disused railway, and the rolling paddocks spread out around us. Returning to the pretty CWA gardens for lunch, we were joined by Bev and some very welcome treats. The after-lunch walk out to the quarry was a highlight of the day--what an amazing space!

Thank you to Andi for measuring our 8km walk, and for suggesting a route, and to Bev for the yo-yos!

Wednesday 4th September: Murray River Walk, Corowa

Meeting in Corowa at Bangerang Park, we will head onto the Willows Reserve trail along the Murray at Wahgunyah, returning to the park for a picnic lunch and some more exploration of the walking trails further along the river.

Meet at the Seniors’ carpark, Fawckner Drive to leave at 9.30am with confirmation to Julie by text, email or phone message on 0407823031 or [email protected]. Car sharing is usually available for a small contribution.

Wednesday 2nd October: Reef Hills Wildflowers

We will go local for this month’s walk, and ramble through the many trails at Reef Hills looking for wildflowers. BYO picnic lunch, and we will leave the Seniors’ carpark at 9.30am as usual, confirmation to Julie as above.

And finally, thank you to Bev Thornell for volunteering as convenor for 2025. We will look forward to some new and interesting walks!

Julie McNeill

Coming up - Violet Town History Walk and Dookie Rail Trail

22/6/2024

Wednesday 3rd July: Violet Town history walk

Bev has set us another challenge on this walk, with a list of answers to find as we explore Violet Town and get to know some local history. Answers will be shared at a late morning tea at the Produce Store, with a short walk along Honeysuckle Creek afterwards for those interested. BYO picnic lunch, or stock up at the Produce Store.

Meet at Seniors’ carpark, Fawckner Drive, to leave at 9.30am with confirmation to Julie by text, email or phone message on 0407823031 or [email protected]. Car sharing is usually available for a small contribution.

Wednesday 7th August: Dookie Rail Trail

It’s been a while since we’ve done this pleasant walk through the lovely landscape around Dookie. Starting from the centre of town, we will explore the easily accessible rail trail that leads off to views over local hills and farmland. A return to the pretty CWA Gardens for a BYO picnic lunch and a walk along the Main Street will round off our day.

We will leave Seniors’ carpark at 9.30am as usual, confirmation to Julie as above.

Julie McNeill

"Braving frosty weather we headed out on the Dookie Rail Trail"

25/7/2021

On July 7th, 14 walkers braved the frosty weather and headed out on the Dookie Rail Trail. Commencing at the CWA Gardens in the centre of town, we followed the well signposted trail in a loop around former settlements and rolling hills. It was hard to imagine that the quiet paddocks surrounding us had once been dotted with thriving villages, including Cashel, once thought to rival Benalla in potential.

A highlight of the walk was the visit to the beautiful, privately owned Chateau at the heart of the old wine growing district. All up, it was an enjoyable 9 kms and we were happy to sit down to our picnic lunch at Dookie!

Our thanks to Helen for her detailed organisation, and to Brian for an informative and interesting commentary on local history.

Glen and Julie

Check out previous post for more photos!

First photos from the Dookie mystery walk!

16/7/2021

"Wednesday's U3A Easy Walks tackled a 9km walk along the Dookie Rail Trail, detouring to explore the grounds of The stately Chateau and then returning via a gravel road passing the grand old Catholic Church. Lunch was enjoyed in the Dookie Park. Thanks Helen and Glenys for organising this outing."

From Bev Thornell's post on U3A's Facebook Page, July 11 2021. Thanks, Bev.

Easy Walks' mid July walk along the Dookie Rail Trail

16/7/2020

‘A day out of the box’ greeted 13 walkers who travelled to the township of Dookie on July 15th to walk the 4 km rail trail walk from the township towards Katandra. The beautiful sunny day highlighted the healthy crops, the pretty township and it’s historic church on the hill.

Two separate groups followed the trail with its explanatory sign boards.

The first group completed 3.5 kms of the trail, then returned via Saddleback Road which allowed closer viewing of St Mary’s Church on the hill behind the town.

Photographs: Andi Stevenson, Wendy Sturgess

The second group (or 'Gentle Amblers') completed a shorter stage of the trail, then returned back the way they had come.

Each group then had a leisurely lunch in the large picnic area in the centre of the town. This park features a tall clock with interesting history and one of Shepparton’s Mooving Art cows. Nearby is the Remembrance Day tree.

Dookie sits nicely between Mt Saddleback and Mt Major both of which provide more walking trails. Some people visited the nearby shop and the metal works business before everyone headed home after a very pleasant and enjoyable day.”

Wendy Sturgess

Photographs: Meg Dillon, Fujii Kyohei, Andi Stevenson, Wendy Sturgess, Marg Walshe

"It is wonderful to have so many people contributing to these walks by taking photos, offering to take small groups and assisting in so many ways ... a team effort." Marg Walshe

About - 'Bushwalking - Easywalks'

This is a group for those who have enjoyed 'Serious Bushwalking' in the past but who now need to moderate their walks.

It is a very social group for anyone interested in exploring the amazing tracks, trails and lookouts within an easy to medium drive from Benalla.

Even though the occasional weather glitch has challenged us over the past few years, Easy Walks has enjoyed many memorable times exploring our local area.

Meeting on the first Wednesday of each month, the walks are generally limited to 8kms on well-defined tracks, occasionally with a short easy climb.

Our days outing can include sites of historical or botanical interest and occasionally even a Winery!

Even though the walks are labelled Easy Walks, it is important that participants be able to walk at a reasonable pace and be able to keep up with the group. Sturdy shoes are essential! You will also need to carry a small daypack with lunch, drinks, hat, wet weather gear, etc as needed.

Meeting times

1st Wednesday of the month from March.

*Meeting times in 2025 will be 8.45 am to depart at 9.00 am, depending on distances covered, with the convenor notified of attendees three days prior to the day.

We leave from the carpark behind the Seniors Complex (U3A), Fawckner Drive, Benalla. Car sharing is usually available with a small cost.

Please note - Meeting times depend on the season and weather conditions or as determined by the walk leader. Check the U3A Newsletter and confirm any details with the walk leader.

Convenor 2025

Bev Thornell
0447 193 244

Retiring Convenor

Julie McNeill
0407 823 031

Thank you, Julie, for co-convening Easy Walks with Glen Chesselss in 2021-2; then convening the group in 2023-4.