Razorback Track

The Razorback Track climbs out of the Lerderderg Gorge near Mount Blackwood, about an hour from Melbourne, and it is the hardest walk we have written up in this part of Victoria. The deciding fact is not the grade though. Lerderderg State Park sets its dog rules track by track, and several of its best-known walks are closed to dogs entirely.

The rules. Parks Victoria manages Lerderderg State Park, and access here is decided track by track rather than park-wide. Dogs on lead are permitted on the Lerderderg Heritage River Walk, on Byers Back Track and at O'Briens Crossing. Dogs are prohibited in the park's conservation and reference-area zones, at Mackenzies Flat and on the Lerderderg Gorge Circuit. Those two are the park's best-known destinations, which is exactly why people arrive with a dog and get turned around. Read the sign at the trailhead for the track you are walking, and if it is not named as dog-friendly, treat it as closed.

The walk. AllTrails rates it hard and logs 10.1 km at three and a half to four hours, which is honest for the terrain rather than the distance. Expect steep pitches, loose rock underfoot and real elevation change through dry eucalypt forest, with gorge views as the reward. Many walkers take it anti-clockwise so the steepest section becomes a descent. A short-legged or older dog will not enjoy this one.

Water. Carry all of it. The Lerderderg runs low or dry for much of the year and there is nothing on the ridge. Four hours of climbing in dry forest is a great deal of water for a dog.

Hazards. Loose rock on steep ground is the main one, hard on paws and on any dog that pulls. The forest is snake country in the warm months and summer is hot and dry. Tracks close in wet weather and for maintenance, so check with Parks Victoria first.

Getting there. No public transport reaches the trailhead. Drive the Western Freeway towards Bacchus Marsh, then head for Blackwood and Greendale to the gate on Mount Blackwood Road. The last roads are dirt, fine for a two-wheel drive in the dry and worth caution when wet. Drop toilets and picnic tables sit at O'Briens Crossing.

Nearby with the dogs. Lerderderg Campground on Upper Chadwick Track takes dogs, and Blackwood Mineral Springs Caravan Park is close by. The Whipstick Loop Walk is the gentler option nearby, and Little Lucky Cafe at Bacchus Marsh is on the drive home.

When to go. Autumn and spring. Start before ten to get parking on a sunny weekend, and skip summer altogether if you can. Good for big runners in hard condition, and wrong for almost everyone else.

Sources

• Byers Back Track - Parks Victoria · www.parks.vic.gov.au
• Lerderderg State Park - Parks Victoria · www.parks.vic.gov.au
• Razorback Track via Mount Blackwood, Victoria, Australia · www.alltrails.com

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