Mt Alexander Regional Park

Mt Alexander Regional Park is a breathtaking natural regional park located near Castlemaine and Harcourt in central Victoria, offering an idyllic escape for nature lovers, hikers, campers and adventurers.

Unique Highlight: Multitude of large granite boulders.

Mount Alexander Regional Park — *Images: West Melbourne and Beyond.*

The park, centred around the granite peak of Mount Alexander, provides stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes, including orchards, vineyards, and native bushland. Its accessibility and natural beauty make it a beloved destination for locals and visitors alike.

Park Map and Visitor Guide

Visitor Guide: You can download the Parks Victoria Mt Alexander Regoional Park Guide here.

Disclaimer: This information may be out of date. Use at your own discretion. Always check for up to date weather and safety conditions when visiting a nature area.

Parking Spots: There are four main parking spots in Mount Alexander Regional Park.

The Oaks
Dog Rocks
Leanganook Picnic Area
Television Towers

Basically select how far you want to walk or the track(s) that interest you the most and from that select the car park to begin your walk from.

Three main walks: There are roughly three walking scenario's to choose from:

Walks on the western side from The Oaks car park
A small circuit walk around the Leanganook Enclosure starting from Leanganook car park
A full walk from the Television towers to Shepherds Flat lookout then to Dog Rocks and then proceeding to Leanganook Picnic Area around the western side of Leanganook enclosure and then looping all the way back.

Conversely you can do this complete walk starting from Leanganook Picnic Area instead.

Lang's Lookout: Although not visibly shown on the map Lang's Lookout is just before the Television Towers as you drive into the carpark area on your right.

If you are walking from Leanganook Picnic Area then when you reach the summit and the Television Towers keep walking past the towers a bit and on the left is Lang's Lookout.

Lang's Lookout and the Televsion Towers also happen to be a starting point for the full walk all the way to Leanganook Car Park via Shepherds Flat, Dog Rocks and the Leanganook Enclosure. For this reason if you are an avid walker this is a great place to start your walk.

Scenery: The scenery is what can be described at semi or partially tree covered with scrubby bush. If you like lush green scenery then this isn't the place for you. However this type of countryside is par the course for most of the Goldfields track and goldfield areas across Victoria in general.

In general terms while the vegetation is semi scrubby it is probably a bit more dense than many area (such as around Maldon) as as such does provide reasonable cover from any harsh sunlight.

Shepherds Flat Lookout

If you want to be lazy and go directly to Shepherds Flat Lookout it is accessible from the Television Towers and is only 800m one way and 1.6km return. Yes, you have to get back somehow.

For more avid walkers we do recommend the walk from Leanganook Picnic Area to the Television Towers (or complete in reverse) noting that this is not a loop track and you will have to retread your steps. Yes a bummer but loop tracks are a bit thin on the ground.

Leanganook Picnic Area

The Leanganook Picnic Area is a perfect place to start your walk as it has sheltered eating areas, picnic areas and tables, a public toilet and camping spots.

The Leanganook Picnic Area is of course the starting point if you want to do a walk to Dog Rocks, Shepherds Flat Lookout or the Television Towers (and Lang's Lookout).

Walk: Leanganook Picnic Area to Lang's Lookout

The walk from Leanganook Picnic Area to the Television Towers direct is 3.6km (one way).

The walk can be broken in the following way:

Leanganook Picnic Area to Dog Rocks (900m)
Dog Rocks to Television Towers and Lang's Lookout(2.7km)

Start point of Walk: The beginning of the walk can be confusing as you just reach this sign with no indication of whether to turn left or right. Anyway thankfully for you we can advise you that to head to Dog Rocks, Shepherds Flat Lookout and more head RIGHT (to Bendigo). Refer to image above.

Optional extra - Leanganook Enclosure: For those walkers who would like a longer walk turn left at the walk starting point towards Castlemaine (as per image above).

Leanganook Enclosure: You will be rewarded will a few more views looking west if you walk the Leanganook Enclosure.

WARNING: Just make sure to head downwards and to your right eventually otherwise you may accidentally continue walking on the Goldfields track towards Castlemaine. Unfortunately signage in Mt Alexander Regional Park is only passable.

Personally we recommend adding walking the Leanganook Enclosure to the walk for the nice additional view, encountering some boulders similar to those at dog rocks as well as adding a bit more walking distance to the hike.

Leanganook Starting Point to Dog Rocks: After turning right at the walk starting point just keep following the track and you'll eventually hit Dog Rocks. This section of the walk is the best signposted. At the beginning of this section you'll come across a nice granite wall.

The scenery will generally be semi scrubby and you'll encounter boulders of varying shapes and sizes until you reach Dog Rocks where you'll encounter the biggest of the rocks on the walk.

Dog Rocks to the Television Towers (Lang's Lookout): This section of the walk is 2.7km.

At Dog Rocks it pays to take your time and enjoy the size and grandeur of Dog Rocks themselves. If taking photographs I'd suggest you include people so the image lets you take in the scale of the rocks.

If your images don't include anything of which to measure a sense of size Dog Rocks will not seem as impressive as they actually are.

Dog Rocks Trivia: The rocks were named in 1846 by Lockhart Morton, the manager of Sutton Grange station, after he noticed many dingoes in the area. Today it is clearly a much safer area.

It pays to appreciate the magnitude of Dog Rocks. I have visited them a number of times and sometimes they feel a bit underwhelming for such an interesting name. However, if you just look at the image above you can tell the boulder is impressively large.

It really pays to take in the environment at Dog Rocks to appreciate natures grandeur.

Don't miss the track up: On the track it is quite easy to miss the arrow marker that points upwards and leads upwards towards Shepherds Flat Lookout. Anyway, keep an eagle eye and if the track feels a bit like it is missing in action it means you've probably missed the track to go to Shepherds Flat Lookout and the Television Tower and you are in fact walking on the Goldfields Track and heading towards Bendigo. If this happens to you backtrack and you'll probably then see the marker.

WARNING: Don't look for a sign that says "Shepherd's Flat Lookout" or "Television Towers". You won't find it. You need to follow a track upwards and the marker looks like this.

If you found the track by yourself later on you'll come across a sign later on that looks like this (see image below). This means you've successfully walked on the correct track.

Optional Extra - Shepherd's Flat Lookout: We highly recommend taking the walk up to Shepherd's Flat Lookout.

The walk up to Shepherd's Flat Lookout is 600mm one way so will add 1.2km (return) to your walk. This section includes a moderate climb but isn't too strenuous and the views are worth the effort.

If you do the optional Shepherds Falt Lookout walk then just head up otherwise ignore the sign and keep following the track. This will be uphill all the way up to the Television Towers.

Wildlife

In addition to a native koala plantation Mt Alexander Regional Park is host to lots of native Australian wildlife. Expect anything from black wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos, echidnas, brushtail and ringtail possums, sugar gliders and the rare Tuan or Brush Tailed Phascogale.

Arrive early in the morning and you'll definitely see wallabies or kangaroos about.

Location

From Taradale Town Centre: Oxart Pottery is a 1 minute drive and located at 128 High St, Taradale VIC 3447.

From Malmsbury: Oxart Pottery is a 6 minute drive from Malmsbury.

From Kyneton: Oxart Pottery is a 15 minute drive from Kyneton.

In A Nutshell

Oxart Pottery comes as highly recommended. Oxart Pottery is the premiere or should we say only shop in Taradale. You cannot miss it when you drive into Taradale and if you are the curious type you may be rewarded.

We have no real interest in pottery or ceramics but were still enticed to visit Oxart Pottery. Oxart Pottery happens to be a great place to look for unique and one of a kind gifts while also supporting a local small enterprise.

We happily came away with a yarnball to gift away to my mother so it was all worth while making the special effort to visit and NOT drive on by.

Oxart Pottery Facebook

The official Oxart Pottery Facebook is here.

Other Things To Do Around Taradale

Highlights of Bacchus Marsh — *Taradale Viaduct. Image: West Melbourne and Beyond.*

While you are at Mount Alexander Regional Park why not consider:

Taradale Mineral Springs.
Taradale Viaduct.
Shop at Oxart Pottery.
Have lunch at the Elphinstone Hotel
Visit Mica Grange Open Garden.
Visit the sights in Malmsbury only 6 mins drive away.
Visit new hipster travel destination of Kyneton.
Walk one of the Taradale Walking Trails.
Go wine tasting at Zig Zag Road Winery. A 9 min drive away.
Lunch at The Stables Mediterranean restaurant & Pizzeria. A 6 min drive away in Malmsbury.
Enjoy the Malmsbury Farmers & Artists Market every 3rd Sunday of the month. A 6 min drive away to Malmsbury.