Cathedral Range Southern Circuit, Victoria

A fun circuit walk in the small but prominent Cathedral Range, with extensive views from Sugarloaf Peak (920m), and along the rocky Razorback ridge track.

Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria

The Cathedral Range is a small but prominent mountain range in Victoria, about two hours north-east of Melbourne. It comprises a 7 kilometre ridge of upturned rock, and climbing then walking along this ridge makes for a fun day walk. A circuit at the southern end takes in the highest peak in the range – Sugarloaf Peak at 920m of elevation – and climbing this can be made a bit more adventurous by taking the Wells Cave Track option. There are extensive views from the top, and for much of the way as you walk north along the range, descending back down to the start at about half way.

We did this walk driving back from Melbourne to Sydney, as it doesn’t add a great deal to the overall trip. The Wells Cave Track involves a tight squeeze through Wells Cave, and then just a bit of scrambling and climbing to reach Sugarloaf Peak. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea then there is another easier option to the summit, the Canyon Track.

Track notes at the end. And I featured this walk in a compilation of my favourite bushwalks in Victoria.

Cathedral Range Southern Circuit: The Scenery

Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
A swamp wallaby I think.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Another wallaby.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Tall forest higher up on the mountain.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
The cliffs on Sugarloaf Peak.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Wells Cave, which gives this section of the route its name. It was quite a squeeze.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Climbing up through the cliffs.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
This was actually the trickiest bit of the climb, requiring just a little bit of actual rock climbing.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
On the summit of Sugarloaf Peak (920m).
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Looking north.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Admiring the view from the summit of Sugarloaf Peak.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
The walk continues along the ridge from the summit.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Looking down the spine of the Cathedral Range.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
All of the rocks in the range leant over in the same direction.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Looking back at Sugarloaf Peak (920m). We climbed up that quite sheer face.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
Sophia having lunch.
Cathedral Ranges Southern Circuit, Victoria
There was quite a relaxed lizard sunning itself next to us as we had lunch.

Track Notes

We used track notes on the Trail Hiking Australia website, but there’s information on the Vic Parks website also. We started at the Cooks Mill Campground, and took the following roads/tracks: Tweed Spur Road, Messmate Track, Wells Cave Track to the summit, and then the Razorback Track along the ridge to a clearing called The Farmyard, taking a short detour from here along the South Jawbone Track up to South Jawbone Peak, then back down and descending from the ridge via the Jawbone Creek Track to Jawbone Car Park, and finally taking the St Bernard Track back to the start. You can see these tracks in the Google Map below…

Author: Edward Hathway

I'm a clinical psychologist and keen hiker.

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