Tipperary Spring via Blowhole Circuit

A 10 km circuit along Sailors Creek in Hepburn Regional Park, linking the Tipperary Springs mineral spring with the Blowhole, a tunnel 1850s miners cut through the hillside to divert the creek and work the bend below. Dogs are welcome on lead. Check the Parks Victoria page before you drive out, because storm damage has closed parts of this track network.

The closures. Parks Victoria currently has the Twin Bridges to Tipperary Springs track closed on the east side, and the Blowhole to Golden Spring track closed, both until further notice after storm damage. Between them they cut into the standard circuit, so treat the full loop as unavailable until the park says otherwise and plan an out and back on whatever is open. Notices are posted on the Hepburn Regional Park page.

The walk. AllTrails logs the full circuit at 10.1 km and moderate, around three to three and a half hours. It follows Sailors Creek through old gold rush workings and water races, with the Blowhole viewing platform as the natural turning point. The track is uneven, narrow in places, close to the creek, and slippery after rain. Shorter versions exist: Parks Victoria describes both a long and a short loop through the diggings around the Blowhole, and the walk from Tipperary Springs to Twin Bridges is the gentle option once it reopens.

The rules. On-lead throughout, in a Parks Victoria regional park. Hepburn is one of six Aboriginal Title parks in central west Victoria, jointly managed by the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria. Part of the 210 km Goldfields Track runs through here and is shared with mountain bikers, so keep the lead short where the routes join. Fires are permitted in constructed fire pits only, and not at all on days of total fire ban.

Water. Sailors Creek runs alongside most of the walk, though flow depends on recent rain. After a wet spell the Blowhole turns into a cascade, which is the best time to see it and the worst time to trust the rocks. There is a hand pump for the effervescent mineral water at the Tipperary Springs picnic area, and a big Manna Gum shading the tables.

Hazards. A narrow track with the creek below it, slick rock after rain, and gold era mine workings scattered through the bush off-path. Koalas and kangaroos are common and echidnas turn up on the tracks, so stay on the formed trail.

Getting there. Start at the Tipperary Springs picnic area on Tipperary Springs Road, five to ten minutes south of central Daylesford. Free gravel parking there, plus a smaller separate car park at the Blowhole. Toilets and picnic tables at Tipperary Springs. The park is 110 km north west of Melbourne via the Western Freeway and the Ballan-Daylesford Road, and there is effectively no public transport to the trailhead.

Nearby with the dogs. Three Lost Children Walk is the other Daylesford classic, and La Gerche Forest Walk at Creswick is a solid backup while the Hepburn tracks are shut. In town, The Farmers Arms has a courtyard that takes dogs and Muffins and More handles the coffee. Jubilee Lake Holiday Park has pet-friendly cabins.

When to go. Autumn for the colour, or mid-winter when the falls and the Blowhole are actually running. Weekdays, or before 10 am on a weekend. Good for big runners with a long morning to spend, once the tracks are open again.

Sources

• Hepburn Regional Park, Parks Victoria · www.parks.vic.gov.au
• Hepburn Regional Park Visitor Guide, Parks Victoria · www.parks.vic.gov.au
• Tipperary Spring via Blowhole Circuit, Victoria - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.