About Avenel Granite Treks

Avenel Granite Treks are guided geology and nature walks for local residents to experience and learn about the spectacular granite landscapes around Avenel and the Strathbogie Ranges.

The treks are led by experienced local volunteers and renowned geologist Professor Neil Phillips of Melbourne University and the Strathbogie Granite Project.

Through the generosity of local landholders we visit landscapes, outcrops and viewpoints not usually accessible to the general public and learn about the local geology, flora and fauna.

Bunding Creek July 2024 large Stephen Onians.JPG

The Strathbogie Granite Project

The Strathbogie Granite Project is a long-term collaboration between Professor Neil Phillips of the University of Melbourne and Professor John Clemens of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and their colleagues.

The Strathbogie Granite extends 2000 km2 from Tallarook to Mount Samaria in central Victoria and is globally scientifically important due to the abundance of the mineral cordierite.

The project studies the geology of the iconic granite hills and plateaus of the Strathbogie Ranges, and also provides a valuable baseline for regional ground water, soil, vegetation, rock cover and agriculture studies.

Much project field work has only been possible with the support of landholders and local communities who have provided access to and shared their deep knowledge of the land.

Find out more about the Strathbogie Granite Project:

https://phillipsgold.com.au/strathbogie-granite-project

Strathbogie granite: a summary – G Neil Phillips 2017

Strathbogie granite: a platform for local science – G Neil Phillips, John D Clemens, Janet M Hergt 2019

Join the Avenel Granite Treks

There are usually several Granite Treks each year, in Spring and Autumn.

The treks are for reasonably fit walkers. Young people under 18 years of age are welcome with prior agreement and must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian.

Each trek is graded using the Australian Walking Track Grading System. Information is provided before each trek about the planned route, distance, duration, local features and participant responsibilities.

A qualified first aider attends each trek. Treks are free to attend.

Please contact Avenel Active to join the mailing list for the Avenel Granite Treks.

With thanks to Neil Phillips, the Avenel Granite Treks volunteers and participating landholders.

Recent Granite Treks

Mangalore Reserve and Hughes Creek Hill - November 2025

This was one of our easier walks featuring some beautiful, publicly accessible countryside near Avenel. The first part of the walk was through the Mangalore Nature Conservation Reserve a 55Ha area which was mined from 1872 for gravel ballast used in the construction of the north-east railway.

Paradoxically, this disturbance has created a variety of habitats for a wide range of plants from mallee-like trees to many different species of orchids, lilies and ground cover plants. Unfortunately, we arrived a bit late for many of the wildflowers in flower but did see Common Fringe Myrtle (Calytrix tetragona) in full bloom.

For those interested in learning more about this local 'Natural Treasure', the BEAM Enviro Group has published an excellent guide to the Mangalore Nature Conservation Reserve.

The second part of the walk required a 10km drive to the entrance of the Hughes Creek Hill Bushland Reserve. The walk up the hill was not too strenuous and was worth the effort with views of the surrounding countryside plus at the top hill, a wonderful stand of magnificent grasstrees.

Maddie, our first aider on this walk (fortunately her skills not required), taking a break on Hughes Creek Hill.

With thanks to Frank and Helen Dawson and Britta Wallner for photography.

20251101 - Mangalore Nature Reserve_edit

20251101 - Common Fringe Myrtle_edited.j

20251101 - Maddie resting Hughes Creek H

Creightons Creek - September 2025

19 keen walkers set off in good weather on a well-formed track up to the Creightons Creek Bushland Reserve and were rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside complemented by Neil Phillips' descriptions of large areas of granite representing some of the different types found in the Strathbogie Ranges.

Much of what we saw was a medium grained cordierite granite lacking the very large feldspar minerals we have seen on some other walks. No garnet, a few enclaves (xenoliths brought up from below when the liquid granite rose through the Earth’s crust), but we were lucky enough to see several large sprays of tourmaline up to 30 cm in length.

VicFlora lists 40 different plant species growing in the Bushland Reserve so there was plenty to see for the botanically inclined.

Milkmaids (Wuymbea dioica) were common in the grass. The higher rocky areas had Nodding Blue Lily (Stypandra glauca - below) in flower and a large stand of Cherry Ballart (Exocarpus cupressiformis) which is not that common now. A few Blunt Greenhood Orchids (Pterostylis curta - below) were growing near the lower track. Tree species were mainly Red Stringybark, Long leaf Box and Lightwood. Uplifting a few rocks revealed specimens of Boulenger's Skink and a Marbled Gecko.

The harder part of the walk was kept to the end with a descent from the hill without any track; but this was after a shady spot for a brief rest for lunch that was appreciated.

With thanks to David and Sue Vaughan and Jim Shovelton who gave permission to walk across their properties; to Glenys Pentland, Stephen Onians and Anna Burdett for photography; and to Neil Phillips for giving us his time and knowledge.

View from Creightons Creek Bushland Reserve.png

Bunding Creek, Avenel - June 2025

The trek followed a similar route to our 2024 Bunding Creek trek, except not traveling as far east to avoid some difficult fences. We followed the laneway east from Mittagong and down into Bunding Creek where the slabs were of typical coarse-grained granite.

Across the creek, over the next ridge and down into the second south-to-north creek, and along that valley towards an obvious saddle. However, just before the saddle the creek turned northwest and dropped more steeply on a completely different course - this was an outstanding example of creek capture and a wind gap. Our valley and walking route had been captured and we were forced northwest towards Bunding Creek; straight ahead is a large open valley.

The creek and valley can be described as misfit with the valley features not being in proportion to the creek flow and any catchment. (Note: the right-hand photo above was taken in June 2024).

The northwest route took us to the confluence with Bunding Creek and a beautiful area of gums, a lunch place, and some most interesting granite with exceptional tourmaline, garnet and cordierite. Following Bunding Creek south and upstream took us through a small gorge with horizontal layers of granite forming cliffs and pools before we exited to the west bank and made our way across country to our start.

The balancing boulders in this final section raised the question of how these boulders result in being stacked one upon another? Find out the answer at the next Granite Trek!

With thanks to the Lawrence and Newton families

for their kind permission to access this beautiful area

and to Stephen Onians for photography.

Where does the name 'Bunding Creek' come from?

Find out about the Bunting family connection to Avenel, with thanks to Frank Bunting.

Bunding Creek horizontal granite layers.jpg

Bunding Creek Balancing Boulders_edited.

Good Morning Bill Hill and Mt Tickatory, Ruffy - May 2025

Twenty-one intrepid walkers set off with guides Tim and Andrew Summons, who grew up on the property.

Andrew led us to a particularly old She-oak, a wombat and some caves on the side of Mt Tickatory, all the while talking through the history of the area from pre-1850 onwards.

Good Morning Bill Hill has a large Pinninger Cairn on a subsidiary summit and on Mt Tickatory there was a geodetic marker.

No trouble finding granite with much fine-grained Aplite on Good Morning Bill Hill, and coarser grained granite on Mt Tickatory.

Overall, it was an ideal day for walking being warm and dry, though the farms around would have appreciated some rain. A generally easy Grade 3 walk for most of the time but a somewhat harder sidle around the southside of Mt Tickatory to the cave (which people handled well).

Gawarn Baring, Trawool - August 2024

Gawarn Baring means Echidna Track in the Taungurung language. This walk climbs through mixed eucalypt forest and granite outcrops to the spectacular Trawool reservoir.

Gawarn Baring was developed in partnership between Goulburn Valley Water, Taungurung Land and Waters Council, Biik Cultural Land Management and the Victorian Government.

https://gvwater.vic.gov.au/gawarn-baring

Bunding Creek, Avenel - June 2024

This walk crossed grazing land and followed a small creek until joining the Bunding Creek, climbing through a small gorge with spectacular granite scenery.

The local geology comprises granite and some hornfels, and shows the power of floods to move rocks and debris around the landscape.

Mt Bernard, Avenel - August 2023

This trek climbed the western slopes of Mt Bernard, crossed the plateau and descended into valley grassy forest on the southeastern slopes.

Along the way the route passed through granitic hills woodland, heathy dry forest and grassy dry forest, each with their own distinctive vegetation and, of course, plenty of granite.

Kong Meng Hill, Avenel - June 2023

This walk was along the edge of the Strathbogie batholith. The geology is dominated by various types of Aplite (very fine-grained granitic rock). Other interesting features were numerous spring systems, dykes and pegmatites. Below Neil Phillips is pointing out coarse grain crystals in a pegmatite.

There was also much for the botanically inclined. Plants seen included Ausfeld's wattle (Acacia ausfeldii), Austral indigo (Indigofera australis), Hickory wattle (A. obliquinervia), Rock isotoma (Isotoma axillaris) and a giant Stringybark, below, possibly Cannon's Stringybark (E. macrorhyncha subsp. cannonii) which is normally restricted to NSW.