Warrawee Forest Reserve was a jewel in the Municipality of Latrobe. It was a drawcard for tourists and locals alike. Then in June 2016 a major weather event devastated the area. It took eighteen months before the reserve was partially reopened to the public. Walker access is now available but private cars are not. We anticipated that this cache would have been a victim of the extreme floods and that was confirmed during our recent visit. For historical reasons, we have retained part of the original cache description provided by CarrollEyre.
Original Description
This cache is very near a short trail at the end of Shale Road that follows the Mersey River. The Shale Road picnic ground is a popular place for locals and has the usual picnic ground amenities though the Barbeques are the traditional wood fired models. The grounds have been the starting point of many CEyre adventures of floating down the river on either rafts or canoes. The cache is a short walk away from the picnic grounds along the trail that follows a fern gulley up to the top of the ridge. This is a rough trail with some biggish rocks to negotiate as you walk along the river.
Updated Description
On their return after the devastating floods, the initial reaction of those who knew the area is shock and disbelief, and overwhelming sympathy for the volunteers who had given so much of their life to conservation and promotion of Warrawee. However it is still a lovely area to visit and in which to wander for the natural environment, for a stern reminder of the power of nature and for learning a little about the mining history of the area. The section of the Shale Trail along the Mersey River leading to this cache is still picturesque and a pleasure to visit. The replacement cache is a 400mL container and has been hidden close to the original hide location.
After parking your car at the suggested parking location, it is an easy 1.5km walk along a formed service road to the former picnic area. It is another 300m to this cache. We trust that you will enjoy the visit.