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.

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.

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.

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!).

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.