The Great Dividing Trail Association (GDA) is Celebrating International Mountain Day in Victoria’s Central Highlands.

The United Nations International Mountain Day (IMD) is celebrated each year on 11 December. Its goal is to raise awareness about the role that mountains play in the lives of people and their importance to our planet.

In 2025, during the week leading up to IMD, the GDTA is leading six interpretive loop walks to the summits of six diverse and special mountains in Victoria’s Central Highlands on Country which is the traditional land of First Nations peoples: the Dja Dja Wurrung, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri.

The walks are open to the public but numbers are limited and prior registration is essential. The walks are free for GDTA members and members of Bushwalking Victoria affiliated clubs. A $10 charge is payable for non-members to cover insurance costs.

  • Sat 6 Dec: Mount Kooyoora / Guyura (486m) including Melville Caves in Mt Kooyora State Park, near Dunolly. Stunning granite landscape. Leader: Barry Golding. 8 km. Medium. 10.30am meet at Melville Caves Picnic Ground.
  • Sun 7 Dec: Mount Buninyong / Bonan Youang (745m) in Mt Buninyong Scenic Reserve, south of Ballarat. Amazing volcanic craters, messmate forest & views. Leader: Tim Bach. 10 km. Medium. 9.30am meet in Buninyong township.
  • Mon 8 Dec: Mount Steiglitz / Kal Kal Karrah (637m) within the seldom visited Mt Steiglitz Scenic Reserve north of Ballan, including glacial deposits at nearby Pykes Creek. Overlooking extensive First Nations volcanic plains. Leader: Arie Baelde. 4 km. Steep but Easy. 9.30am meet at Pykes Creek Reservoir.
  • Tues 9 Dec (dawn walk): Mt Beckworth / Nyaninuk (629m), within Mt Beckworth Scenic Reserve near Clunes. Diverse granite landscape. Leader: Barry Golding. 6 km. Medium, some steep / off track. Meet 4.30am at Glendaruel CFA.
  • Wed 10 Dec: Wombat Hill (670m), a town walk around historic Daylesford in Dja Dja Wurrung Country, starting with a 10am Welcome to Country & launch of the Lerderderg Track Walk or Ride Guide by GDTA Patron, Steve Moneghetti, concluding with a picnic in Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens. Leader: Tim Bach. 7 km. Medium. 9.45am assemble at Lake Daylesford. Walk starts at 10.30am.
  • Thurs 11 Dec (IMD) Blue Mountain / Wuid Krruirk (871m), little known mountain within the newlycreated Wombat – Lerderderg National Park south of Trentham: on the forested Great Divide, between Dja Dja Wurrung, Wadawurrung & Wurundjeri Country. Leader: Arie Baelde. 10 km. Medium. Meet 9.30am Newbury.

Registrations for the walks are now open at https://www.gdt.org.au/events. Registrations for each walk close two days before the walk date.

For more information: Barry Golding 0427216337 b.golding@federation.edu.au