See my post about the Brisbane Ranges National Park for general information and details about the Park.
Boar Gully circuit walk elevation. Click for a larger image.
Boar Gully Circuit map. Click for a larger image.
This walk starts in the Boar Gully campground. From Melbourne, take the Western Freeway and take the Bacchus Marsh exit and follow the Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road and turn off at Glenmore Road then turn off at Reids Road which becomes Brisbane Ranges Road and cuts right through the Park. Boar Gully campground is on the eastern side of the Park and it is signposted.
If you want to camp at Boar Gully, you have to book online through the Parks Victoria Online Booking Service. It's a very basic campground with only picnic tables, manky pit toilets and unreliable tank water.
The walk starts at the opposite end of the campground. Look out for the sign that directs you to the "Little River Picnic Area 10km". There are orange markers throughout the Brisbane Ranges which indicate you're on the Burchell Trail. Initially follow the orange markers for 500m to a track junction, keep to the left and then soon after turn right onto Little River Track. Follow this track for about 1.5km after which it descends into a gully and then takes you across a ridge to another gully before meeting a track junction at the next ridge. Turn right into Kangaroo Track and descend steeply into the gully and up again to an easier walking stretch along Kangaroo Track.
Turn right onto Wallaby Track and stay on this until you get to Thompsons Road. Look out for the orange markers in the car park area on Thompsons Road. Follow the markers and descend steeper and further than the last gully, but make sure you take in the great views along the way. At the creek in the bottom of the gully, turn left and head steeply up the old water race to the bridge across the creek. Keep climbing uphill until you get to Slate Track. Keep to the left at a track junction at the top of the climb and follow those orange markers to Quarry Track where you'll turn left and continue along this track to Thompsons Road. Turn right at Thompsons Road and walk along here for about 500m. Keep an eye out for Old Thompson Track and follow this back into the trees until you reach the junction with Kangaroo Track.
Now it's time to start ignoring those friendly orange markers by turning right and staying on Old Thompson Track until you reach Little River Track and rejoin the track where you started, taking you back to the Boar Bully Camp Ground.
Watch your step! Parts of this walk are slow going during the steep descents.
Parks Victoria – Brisbane Ranges National Park – free, downloadable PDF of the Brisbane Ranges National Park.