- Where – 60km south from Horsham via Toolondo, Norton, Miss Williams, Holmes, Camerons, Mt Talbot Road
- What – Culturally significant small mountain on the northern tip of Burrnj (The Black Ranges)
- We were walking in the traditional lands of Wotjobaluk Nation and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging and thank them for allowing us to enjoy their country.
- 10 word – Golden morning, amazing rocks, unique perspectives, wallabies, enduring landscape, shelters
Today we climbed a little-known gem of the Southern Wimmera.
Perched between Red Rock – Lil Lil and the Black Ranges – Burrunj, Mount Talbot is a tiny peak with plenty of colour, character and history.
The 2020 Greater Gariwerd Landscape Draft Management Plan lists both artefact sites and rock art at this reserve and rock climbing is currently banned but we found no restrictions on following the walking path to the top.
Carbon dating of a Mt Talbot rock shelter and the nearby Mugadgadjin shelter at Burrunj (Black Ranges) shows evidence of occupation from more than 5,000 years ago.
We are definitely treading carefully and respectfully on this important landscape.
There are plenty of twist and turns as we navigate our way to our destination via Toolondo and roads including Miss Williams, Holmes, Camerons and Mt Talbot.
You will pass a plantation of trees just before the entrance but I would suggest you don’t head up the rutted hill track unless you have a four-wheel drive car.
Mt Talbot Scenic Reserve was established in 1983 and it looks like little more has been done to update it since. Fires swept through here several years ago and brittle, blackened trees still dominate the areas.
Mount Talbot was the name of a large station that covered this area from the mid 1800s. The original family is still in the district, as is the homestead which stands on the western side of Toolondo.
One descendant Charles Myles Officer learned the language of first nations people living on the land he farmed and he documented some of their stories.
According to Charles’ account lore stated ‘trees formerly had the power of locomotion’ and plants were as likely as animals to be ‘powered’ .This was reflected in placenames that illustrated them.
He also wrote of a conflict between Eagle and Cockatoo – who alone held fire. Cockatoo was struck on the head, which released the fire – which ‘raged across the land’ .
It is a fiery site that greets us when we arrive at this little mountain – bathed in shimmering golden sunshine.
The sun keeps its brilliant spotlight on the red-coloured rock face as we park the car and head for the start of the walk.
We are immediately struck by the number of big rocks scattered on and around the mountain as we skirt around the base.
The sun is blinding but also lights up the neighbouring native plant farm and the sweeping plains beyond.
A wallaby moves in the bush ahead and slowly bounces away. It is one of several we will see today.
On the northern side we come across the first small cairn, one of may that will guide us today.
We also spot a natural rock verandah, which would provide great protection from westerly winds and excellent views north and east. There is also a whole new perspective on Mt Arapiles.
Forgetting the cairn, and captivated by this view, we head northwest and waste way too much time around the other side of the mountain on a path to nowhere.
This may well be an unused climbers’ track which is not being accessed any more.
So – note to self – ‘when you can see Mt Arapiles from under a rocky shelf, turn around, look for a Cairn and head up the path beyond it’.
Back on track, we head upwards following a path along the flat rocks that are now taking us back in an easterly direction.
At one point we see a giant rock which seems to be perched precariously on the edge of the rocky cliff, seemingly held in place by a tiny stone balancing it at one end.
Around a corner and we see another shelter which sadly has been graffitied, with some names dating back to 1944.
I see one red coloured stone on the ground that looks like it has veins – similar to the bed of the salty pink lake near Dimboola.
We head around a rock and then up again and find ourselves between two peaks.
The highest point alludes us because we’d need to climb rocks to get to the top. There are remnants of former hand holds that may have been installed back in the 1980s and have since decayed.
So we head to the other side, led by cairns to the top.
We are rewarded by a magical view – atypical to the Wimmera.
Instead of a sea of cropping paddocks we see Gariwerd to the distant east, denim-coloured peaks of Burrunj (Black Range) spreading across the southern landscape and to the north – the smaller mounds of Lil Lil (Red Rock).
And below the mountain itself, neat lines of human planted-natives are etched into the sand.
My legs make ridiculously long shadows in the morning sun but standing before this breathtaking landscape makes me feel pretty small.
These rocks have seen so much over the past 5000 years. How many other pairs of legs walked this way and what did their owners do and see while they were here?
We enjoy an easy walk back down, taking time to look at the plants living in the rocks, stone shadows that make faces and the boulders that dominate this unique place.
More wallabies pop up and scarper but apart from that it is a quiet, uneventful and peaceful walk.
On the way home we call into Lil Lil to see just how red those rocks are.
Signs clearly tell us we can’t move past the fence so we take a photo from outside the barrier and leave.
Lil Lil’s rocks are incredibly red and I am reminded of the cockatoo’s fire story.
Could it be connected to this colourful place?
Thanks Mt Talbot, for great walk. So many wonderful things to see but so many questions unanswered.
# After our visit I discover in the Gariwerd management plan that removal of rocks is illegal so please – if you visit Mt Talbot – don’t make any more of these cairns and don’t disturb the rocks.
## Every care is taken to make this as factual as possible. Please let us know if this is not the case . We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
52 weeks 52 walks 