Bayview Park

Narre Warren

Melbourne has been in the grip of a cold snap and I haven’t been walking as much as I’d like. But in between two cold fronts we have had a couple of beautiful, sunny winter days and I decided to finally go and try a relatively new park in Narre Warren. Bayview Park was completed in 2019 and is on the site of an old tip. It comprises a circuit of steps and is touting itself as competition to Ferntree Gully National Park’s 1000 steps walk at the Kokoda Memorial Track.

There are certainly a lot of steps at Bayview Park, although it really can’t be compared with the 1000 steps at Ferntree Gully, as the location is entirely different. The Ferntree Gully walk is located deep within the forest in the National Park, whereas Bayview Park sits atop a very open hill. They are both terrific walks in their own right, however.

Bayview Park has a small car park located off Quarry Road, which is just off the Berwick side of Ernst Wanke Road. It was very busy and we could see lots of people on the hill as we approached. We were there on a Saturday afternoon and the carpark was almost full, with cars also lining up along Quarry Road. We started off up the steps, which are steep but not unmanageable. I think average fitness and a steady pace is all that’s required to enjoy this park. It’s entirely unsuitable for prams or wheelchairs, so you will need to carry your baby or go to one of Melbourne’s many wheel friendly places instead.

Welcome sign at Bayview Park, Narre Warren

The steps themselves aren’t very steep, some of them are barely steps at all. I found it easier in some places to walk beside the steps on the slope instead. Once we reached the top we turned to the right and over the horse friendly gate. The area is also an equestrian trail, although we didn’t see anyone riding while we were there. At the top we wandered around underneath the gentle hum of the electricity towers and took in the amazing view. You can see all the way to Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay, look out over the suburbs surrounding Dandenong and the City of Casey and back the other way, views of the southern side of the Dandenong Ranges.

Horse crossing gate at the top of the hill.

Originally a home sat upon the hill. It then became a quarry, following which the giant hole became a municipal tip. Interestingly, especially for a resident of the Dandenongs, a lot of the debris from the Ash Wednesday bushfires was taken to this tip. Following the tip closure a methane power plant was established and you can see the outlets poking out on the top of the hill. It is also part of the trail of high tension power lines that feed electricity from Gippsland to Melbourne. Bayview Park is adjacent to Kurll Park, which is off Brundrett Road, and a carpark here provides alternate access to the track if parking is difficult to find.

View looking back towards The Dandenong Ranges

After wandering around the top of the hill, which was a little muddy thanks to the amount of rain we’ve had recently, we made our way back to the track and headed down the other side. The track is set up as a big circuit. The hill is very exposed, which would make it very hot in summer, so bear that in mind if coming on a hot day. It isn’t a long walk and could be completed in half an hour, or less if you’re one of those super fit running types (which I have accepted I will never be!).

There are some trees along the back of the track.

All in all, I really enjoyed this walk. It provides something unique for the local people, something for all fitness abilities. There are some treed areas down the back that might be nice for a picnic on a nice day and the views are really interesting. I’ll definitely be popping back to this nearby walk.

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Edithvale Beach

Edithvale and Chelsea

A sunny, winter day is the perfect time to head for the beach. Too crowded in summer, it’s easy to park and you have lots of space for yourself. So on this particular Tuesday morning I took myself in more or less a straight line from where I started and ended up in Edithvale. I hadn’t been to Edithvale Beach since I was very young, so didn’t really know what it was like. Parking in a side street in a two hour free parking bay, I decided I would walk for an hour in one direction along the beach, and then come back along the road, so I could hopefully remember where my car was.

Love that first glimpse of the beach.
Edithvale.

Hitting the beach I immediately realised I had arrived during ‘dog time’. Every man and his dog, pardon the pun, were out for a stroll. This is because during the colder months, between 1 April and 31 October, dogs can be off leash before 11.00 am and after 3.00 pm. I had arrived just before 10.00 am. I walked south towards Chelsea with the water on my right. Despite all the dogs, it was really pleasant and calm. Dog owners tend to be really friendly, I’ve found, so there were lots of people who smiled and said hello. I can get really nervous around dogs, especially when they are off lead, but all the owners had good control of their animals the day I was there and I felt really safe.

Edithvale beach, looking toward Aspendale

It can be a challenge walking along the sand, but because it had been wet the sand was fairly hard and easy to walk on, especially closer to the water. This meant I could still walk at a reasonable pace. The views out over Port Phillip Bay are stunning from wherever you are along it, and this beach is no exception. The water was so clear and the sea was calm. I only saw one swimmer, unsurprisingly with the frigid Autumn temperatures.

I continued down to a little concrete jetty and walked along it. I wondered what it’s purpose was originally, perhaps only for fishing? It is fully fenced and would be dangerous to jump from, as it is really shallow. It was pretty though, allowed me out over the water and I got some nice photos.

Continuing on a little further, I then walked up to Winborne Avenue and on to Nepean Highway. From here I walked along the shopping strip to head back to the car. It is great to walk out in the fresh air and mostly my walks are in the bush, nature reserves or along the beach. But I do also find it enjoyable to walk along the streets and in more urban areas. I like looking at houses and meandering along roads. It’s sometimes how I find new little nature reserves or green pockets of land. So walking along the main street made for a nice change.

I called in to get a banana smoothie and walked back through Chelsea to Edithvale. There is a really interesting mix of housing along here. Lots of construction and modern apartment complexes are going up. But there are also a lot of the old original houses, with some in great condition and some really run down. Walking along the road was interesting and made it easier to remember where my car was! All up I walked for 6 kilometres at a very leisurely pace and it took 90 minutes. I was left with plenty of time to get back to my car before I could get a parking ticket!

Westgate Park

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Port Melbourne

I’ve been wanting to visit this park for ages, having viewed it from above on the Westgate Bridge many times. We were driving home from the airport and had some time, so decided to detour and have a look. I firstly went the wrong way, heading over the bridge instead of down Todd Road. So after crossing the Westgate Bridge in each direction I finally made it onto Todd Road and into the car park.

The Salt Lake at Westgate Park has been popular recently for its bright pink water, thanks to a rare occurrence with a special, single cell alga combined with a bacterium, described in the photo below. I had seen it’s pink hue whilst crossing the bridge a couple of times, but unfortunately it has now returned to its usual colour and is really just a murky lake.

Temporary sign explaining the pink lake at Westgate Park

We decided it didn’t matter, a walk is a walk and I’m always happy to discover new places. So we headed off to see what we could find. The first interesting thing we came across was an example of the bridge cross beam that you could climb up and have a look at. I found it fascinating, as I’ve always been interested in bridges and how they stay up. Kids younger than me would love to climb on it. Really little kids can’t get to the open part. Given that the park is largely there because of the bridge, it’s good to tie in some education using this interesting feature.

An example of the cross beam found on the bridge

We then headed off on the nearby path around the freshwater lake. There are a number of sculptures around the path, which are from Lyn Moore’s Earth Series. They are a combination of wood and concrete and I thought they fitted in beautifully in this natural, but also very commercial area.

There is no escaping the imposing sight of the Westgate Bridge as it looms over you; a constant reminder of its presence. Having never been underneath here from the Port Melbourne side before, it’s a really interesting view of the enormous construction. I really find bridges and engineering fascinating and it is incredible to look at it from a different perspective. The sheer enormity of it is impressive and it’s quite amazing knowing how much traffic crosses it each day. It is one of the highest roads in Australia, 58 metres up from the road and it is twice the length of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The bridge carries five lanes of traffic each way, and you can hear the constant drone of traffic from below.

Westgate Bridge and the beginning of the Bay Trail.

Continuing on, we followed the Bay Trail towards the Yarra River, not far from where it meets Port Phillip Bay. It’s a pleasant and flat walk, although a lot of mulch is deposited which can have a strong smell. It’s the time of year for finding mushrooms and other funghi, so below are some pretty (probably poisonous) mushrooms I found. If you know what type of mushroom it is, let me know in the comments.

As we popped around a corner I noticed we could see the Scienceworks building on the other side of the river. I then noticed a mammoth coming in from the right. An enormous container ship, not even fully laden, was heading out to the bay. It looked amazing and I quickened my step so I could have a closer look. I like ships as much as I like bridges, so I was a little over excited for an adult. They are so enormous and interesting to watch. We stopped here for a while, and then continued on past along the river. We went as far as Sardine Street before turning back and walking the other way.

Container ship heading out to Port Phillip near the mouth of the Yarra River

On our way back we walked along an inner path closer to the bridge, then around the freshwater lake. There were more sculptures and a windmill. The park itself is great, with barbeques available and some grassy areas suitable for picnics. We were there on a sunny, winter Sunday and it wasn’t busy. There were a few families riding bikes and people walking around. It seemed a very safe place to be during the day. This would be a great place for a quick walk suitable for all abilities. To extend the walk, you could walk into the city along the river or take the punt across to the other side and walk towards Williamstown.

Callaghan Avenue Reserve

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Glen Waverley

This was a little walk I plucked out of google maps, as it wasn’t too far away from school drop off. Located in Glen Waverley, it is more or less halfway between Springvale Road and Blackburn Road. It’s a short walk, less than two kilometres around the lake.

I began by parking in Winmalee Drive. There is no parking at this reserve but there is plenty of street parking. I then walked through an easement to the main reserve, which is located on Callaghan Avenue (surprising, I know). I imagine most people who walk around Callaghan Avenue Reserve are local and walk there from their homes.

The path is in great condition and is concrete all the way around. It is flat all the way around, although the surrounding houses are up a hill. There is a road crossing halfway where Herriotts Boulevard divides the lake in two. The road is quiet with slow traffic and not difficult to cross.

The walk is surrounded by beautiful houses, is well in off the main road and feels very tucked away. At the far end it abuts the Monash Freeway and you can hear the drone of the cars moving along and see trucks on the on-ramp for Ferntree Gully Road in the distance.

This was a really pleasant, albeit short, walk on a beautiful and sunny autumn day. A few mums and grandparents with prams and a couple of dog walkers were also out and about. Some very tame and friendly ducks were milling about and there seemed to be a lot of birdlife around the small lake. It would be a great little place for kids to explore, but I definitely wouldn’t be letting them anywhere near the water.

Friendly ducks at Callaghan Avenue Reserve

Walking along the local streets, it would be easy to connect with nearby Central Reserve on Springvale Road or Notting Hill/Pinewood Tennis Club. There are lots of small parks and green wedges throughout this part of Glen Waverley. Overall, this was a very pleasant walk to do.

Tirhatuan Wetlands Conservation Reserve

Rowville

A beautiful, sunny, autumn day brought me to Tirhatuan Wetlands Conservation Reserve in Rowville. It is situated off Stud Road and is north west of Rowville Lakes Golf Course. It is not to be confused with Tirhatuan Park, which is south of the golf course. I entered from Police Road and parked at the end of Mindara Avenue, where there is an entrance to the park.

This walk was quite the adventure! I got a little lost and ended up walking six kilometres, with a little back and forth around the lake. The lake path itself is quite short, but I ended up walking around some nearby streets as well, to give myself a longer walk.

Starting around the lake, I walked to the end and struggled to see a sign showing me where I was, which was where I became confused. There was a map and sign where I entered, but the other entrances didn’t have any sigange.

You can see by the picture of the route I took, using Map my Walk on my phone, that I did a lot of back and forth. I was also a little confused because I was chatting to a friend on the phone and was a little distracted. I ended up walking across a raised causeway type grass path that had been freshly mowed. At the end of this path I realised I was at the back of the golf course. After checking my location on Google Maps, I worked out where I was and got back on track.

Looking at my map, and not being tired, I ventured further and walked along Illawarra Avenue until I came to the end. I thought there was a reserve there, but I was a little thrown because a lot of workmen and machinery was operating in the area. I had a little chat to a kind man working nearby and he told me I could get through, just to be mindful of the workers. So I ventured on along the path at the end of Illawarra Avenue. There is a dam wall that crosses Dandenong Creek, near where Dandenong and Corhanwarrbul Creeks merge. Following on from there I joined Dandenong Creek trail on the other side.

I was conscious of the fact that I wouldn’t easily be able to walk back to my car or do a loop now that I was on the other side of Dandenong Creek. To do a circuit of both the wetlands and Tirhatuan Park I would have had to walk several kilomteres back on to Stud Road to get back around. In retrospect I probably should have started on the other side, but then I wouldn’t have found the dam or the wetlands. And I do like a mystery walk! I will do the Dandenong Creek trail and Tirhatuan Park another time. I walked to where Royal Oak Court meets the other side of Police Road before turning around and walking back.

I walked back along the dam wall, crossing the creek again and then decided, since I wasn’t tired yet, that I would turn left and keep walking. I walked along the trail that overlooks the rest of the Tirhatuan Wetlands area and walked through an easement that led up to George Knox Drive. I was now walking along suburban streets. With a relatively long walk it can be good sometimes to break it up a little, and it felt walking along here that I was on my third walk for the day! There was a reasonably steep hill that I climbed and I enjoyed looking at the big homes tucked away in here. I did a circuit up to Seebeck Road and back down to Illawarra Avenue, where I had first left the wetlands. It was nice to have a proper footpath under my feet for a while.

Once I reached the park again near the wetlands entrance I walked back to my car to head home. There is a nice playground nestled in here, so if you have small children you could easily combine a more manageable short walk around the lake with a play at the playground. I suspect this is a playground largely only known to nearby locals, so plenty of room to play or sit. This was a really enjoyable walk and I will certainly come back and explore this area some more.

Walk details
Length: 6 kilometres
Date of walk: May 2019

Birdsland

Belgrave Heights

Birdsland, nestled away in Belgrave Heights off McNichol Road, is one of my favourite places. I’ve been coming here ever since I was a child and it’s a very special place with lots of special memories. I played in the creek as a child, and as my child now does. I bounced around the lake twice on the last day of my pregnancy, trying to will my babe to come and meet us. I’ve pushed many a pram and walked many dogs. I particularly enjoy it alone when I’m feeling out of sorts – it helps refill my cup.

There are several easy walks you can do. Parking is a breeze, with plenty of parking in the inner carpark, or for a longer walk park on McNichol Road and follow the path in. It takes us about 20 minutes to reach the inner car park.

The second lake is a lovely walk with many friendly faces to greet along the way. On the other side of the lake you can veer off on another track and head up to see the creek spillway. It is from here that you’ll find many other tracks that lead to Lysterfield Lake. The walk around the second lake is fairly short, about a kilometre, and I often find myself doing a few laps. After heavy rain, part of the track can become flooded. But kind people usually sort this out with some strategically place bricks to help people pass.

There are two lakes, both teeming with birdlife and wildlife. I’m not much of a bird enthusiast, but I enjoy seeing egrets, ducks and other birds. It’s a nice flat walk with a good quality gravel path that is well maintained. It is perfect for pushing a pram or for young kids who need to practise their cycling skills. Heading towards the right from the carpark and picnic area you have Monbulk Creek on your left and the first lake on your right. The creek embankment is steep, but there are lots of rocks, fallen logs and bush to explore that kids enjoy. You might even see a platypus if you’re very lucky.

As you reach the second lake there is a little bridge crossing Monbulk Creek. On a warm day it is nice to put your feet in, and my young man loves to wander up and down the creek a little way. It’s very shallow here and flowing water. I’ve never worried about the water quality in the creek here, unless there has been heavy rain. It is not recommended to go in the water of either of the lakes though.

To walk back to the carpark, head on through the bush path, this time following the other side of Monbulk Creek. This track provides a more sheltered walk, with access to the nursery on the top of the hill and to other tracks.

There are toilets near the inner carpark, although they are often in very poor condition in relation to cleanliness. There is also a lovely picnic area with tables and an undercover shelter, barbeques and a natural play area for kids. It’s also handy that there are taps with clean water to fill up your water bottle or rinse off grubby feet. There are no bins, so be prepared to take your rubbish home.

What I like most about Birdsland is the variance you get on the walk. The lakes, the road track, the bush track and the grassy areas provide lots of interesting things to look at along the way.

Picnic shelter with natural play area in background

Dandenong Creek Wetlands

Jells Park carpark (Ferntree Gully Road) along the Eastlink Trail through the Dandenong Creek wetlands.

As a frequent driver along Ferntree Gully Road, I often wonder to myself what lies to the sides, and today I had some time to find out. I’m quite familiar with Jells Park and my inital plan was to walk around there and get some exercise. Instead I headed along the path that follows the main road, went under the bridge and over to the Dandenong Valley Wetlands.

The weather looked a little foreboding, so I didn’t want to wander too far from my car, in case in decided to pour down. Checking the map I realised I could more or less walk in circles around the wetlands. This seemed like a sensible approach.

The path was easy to walk on and there are houses on one side, with bush on the other. This was a very popular track with bicycle riders with many friendly casual riders passing me along the way. I arrived at a cross road and decided to venture into the wetlands, rather than continuing along to Wellington Road. I’ll choose that path on a drier day I think.

Bike path beside Dandenong Creek wetlands

I was surprised at how extensive the wetlands are. No wonder its such a popular spot, even first thing on a Monday morning. There were fewer people through the wetlands than on the bike trail, however. Veering off the asphalt path onto the gravel path, I found myself on my own. I felt quite safe though, as I didn’t feel too far removed from the rest of the world. It is easy to see the service station on Eastlink and you can walk up through the back to it, if you’re so inclined. The path was quite difficult to walk on, as it is really more of a road gravel than finer walking path gravel.

Walking around in circles, I was surprised that I did 9000 steps in about an hour. It was flat and easy to walk, and the path would be suitable for wheels. There was an abundance of bird life including my favourite, the pelican. Lots of frogs could be heard and one of the cyclists told me he had seen wallabies, although I didn’t notice any myself.

This was a great little walk with many more areas to explore. It’s easy and flat for children and a gentle walk. The underpass is prone to flooding, so keep an eye on the weather. The sign indicating the flooding made me laugh though.

Pathway leading to Ferntree Gully road underpass

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me as I wander around Melbourne. I like to get out in the open air, walking on the many trails and tracks that can be found in urban areas of Melbourne as well as on the outskirts. Sometimes I might even find myself wandering a little further. There is so much to discover, hidden away behind shopping strips, along rail lines, or former rail lines and tucked away to the sides of our major roads.

I really enjoy finding walks that are new to me. It is interesting to see what lies behind the roads I spend too much time driving on, to discover a new park and to explore and experience the diversity of wildlife and flora that can be seen.

Walking obviously has health benefits and it is good, gentle exercise to keep our body moving. But it is also integral to maintaining mental health by connecting with nature. We can all use a good dose of fresh air on a regular basis!

I look forward to sharing my adventures with you and welcome suggestions of new walks I should try and share. Please feel free to get in touch or leave a comment.

Pathway along the Eastlink Trail, Dandenong Valley Wetlands. — Eastlink Trail, Dandenong Valley Wetlands

Kylie on Tirhatuan Wetlands Conservation ReserveMay 30, 2019
What a great walk. I think we are all glad you got a little lost!
lmptravels on The Journey BeginsMay 7, 2019
Thanks Kylie. I hope people find it interesting and that it encourages people to get out and about in our…
Kylie on Dandenong Creek WetlandsMay 7, 2019
Lol love that sign – so expressive. Gorgeous photos too.
Kylie on The Journey BeginsMay 7, 2019
Can’t wait to read more about your exploration of Melbourne and her surrounds. Not to mention seeing your beautiful photography.