Trig Point Lookout

Trig Point Lookout is the highest point (218m) in the central section of the Lysterfield Park, 40 km SE of Melbourne.

The photos were taken on April 28, 2007, on a 6 km challenging return circuit walk up to the Lookout, starting at the main car park at Hallam North Rd.

The views were very good, and this vantage point is the best in the Park.

Cyclists, other walkers, and kangaroos were plentiful!

The photo album is at

http://worldisdround.com/articles/328556/index.html

Exploring Lysterfield Park - Valley View

Rock Garden Track

Kangas!

Valley View Track

Exploring Lysterfield Park.

The central section of the Lysterfield Park, 40 km east of Melbourne, has several interesting walking and cycling tracks.

The cycling tracks were constructed for the Mountain Bike Championships in the Commonwealth Games in 2006. Over 13,000 spectators lined the tracks on March 23, 2006 to watch the events!

The well-maintained cycle tracks are now used for local competitions, and walkers are not permitted to use them.

Separate tracks solely for walkers and horses are available.

I visited this section of the Park on April 26, 2007, doing a 5 km hike along the Valley View and Rock Garden Tracks, starting at the Hallam North Rd car-park.

Tthe photo album is at

http://worlisround.com/articles/328454/index.html

Lysterfield Park - Sunset Track Summit

The section of the north-easterly division of the Lysterfield State Park, 40 km east of Melbourne, contains several scenic walking tracks shared with management vehicles.

The highest point of this section of the Park, at 230m, is reached on Sunset Track - the challenge of the ascent is rewarded by good views across the Monbulk Creek Gully towards the Dandenong Ranges.

I explored this area on April 25, 2007, on a 6 km walk along Sunset, Abraham's, and Granite Tracks.

The photo album, including a satellite image, is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/328366/index.html

Dargon Homestead Track - Lysterfield Park

The Dargon Track is a fire access route, shared with walkers, in the north-eastern section of the Lysterfield Regional Park, 40 km SE of Melbourne.

The Dargon family were among the early owners of this large area of land, used from the 1860s for cattle grazing and agriculture.

The estate was purchased by the State Government in the 1970s and integrated into the Lysterfield Regional Park, and adjoins the Birdsland Reserve.

There are several shared walking/management tracks in the area, offering excellent views across the Park and towards the Dandenong Ranges.

Very little evidence remains of the original Homestead, excepting rows of trees planted by the original owners. These mature trees border the present-day Dargon Track.

I visited the area on April 24, 2007, on a 5 km circuit walk along the Gully, Dargon, and Granite Tracks.

The Photo Album is at http://worldisround.com/articles/328295/index.html

Lysterfield Park - Granite and Dargon Tracks

Lysterfield Park is a very large area of beautiful bushland and hills, 40 km east of Melbourne.

The Lysterfield Lake is part of the Park.

The northern section of the Park extends to the Yarra Ranges, comprising the former colonial Dargon pastoral property, settled in the 1860s.

The Birdsland Reserve is adjacent to the Park.

An interesting feature of this section of the Park is the extensive granite rocky outcrops, from which "Granite Track" evolved.

There are magnificent views towards the Yarra Ranges and the adjacent farmlands, where cabbages are cultivated.

Relics of the old farm may be seen, including fences, stiles, and tracks.

I visited the north-western area on April 23, 2007, following a 3 km route along the Dargon and Granite Tracks.

The starting/finishing point was at Wellington Rd, with a change of elevation from 120m to 201m.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/396006/index.html

Enfield State Park

The Enfield State Park is a large area of preserved rugged bushland, 137 km SW of Melbourne.

It was the site for extensive gold-mining in the 1850s, and many shafts and mounds remain.
Gold may still be found, and about half the Park has been set aside for fossicking.

We visited the Park on April 22, 2007, where we parked at the Surface Point picnic ground.

We did the main 7 km Circuit Track, through the Firth Gully, past Mt Misery, through Dunn's Gully and the old gold mining area near Surface Point.

The Park has many walking tracks and public fire-access gravel roads. The main junctions are signposted, but some walking tracks need good map reading and navigation skills!

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/index.html

Bryan's Walking Notes and News Blog

I have included a NEW PERMALINK on this Blog.

It's at http://www.walkingnotes.com/ and authored by fellow Melbourne-based walker and outdoors enthusiast Bryan.

Like myself, Bryan is hopeful that people reading his Blog will become motivated to move away from being couch potatoes and become bush potatoes, and consider becoming part of an active Victoria!

His Blog has many thoughtful and useful suggestions about walking, including ideas on accessories, equipment, clothing, footware, and safety.

Thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in walking/hiking, whether novice or experienced.

You can go to Bryan's Blog Link at any time - it's at the right of this page.

After looking through his Blog, post some comments, as we all like to have some feedback!

There's an RSS link there should you wish to subscribe to it.

As a matter of intrerest, did you know that there are over 250 km of walking tracks in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, close to Melbourne?

Happy hiking...!

Braeside Park

Braeside Park is a large (350 hectares) area reserve in the outer suburb of Braeside, 25 km SE of Melbourne.

It is close to high-density visually obtrusive residential development and adjacent to massive ugly industrial activity .

Prior to European squatters moving in during in the 1830s, it was the home of Aboriginal peoples.

Until 1909, it was cattle country, and in 1920 the land was used for horse-training and racing. In 1940, part of the site became a sewage treatment centre. In 1980, the sewage treatment facility was closed down, and in 1989 the reserve became a Regional Park and was revegitated.

Relics of former usage are apparent throughout the Park, which has several walking/cycling tracks.

Cattle are still grazed in the Park!

I visited the Park on April 18, 2007.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/328042/index.html

Woolley's Beach Reserve - Westernport Bay

Woolley's Beach picnic ground


Walking Track

Satellite image of my route

Woolley's Beach Reserve is a large coastal park on Westernport Bay, 60 km SE of Melbourne.

It is located at Crib Point, near the town of Hastings, and extends about 2 km to the Stony Point Ferry Terminal.

The main walking track passes through lush fern forests and bushland, with good views across the mangroves towards French Island.

I visited the park on April 17, 2007.

The Navy Museum is nearby, along with the decommissioned Oberon class submarine HMAS Otama.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327997/index.html

Pound Bend Rocks - Warrandyte State Park

Satellite Image

The Pound Bend Rocks is an unusual and interesting rocky outcrop in the Yarra River, Warrandyte State Park, 25 km NE of Melbourne.

The foot track starts at Norman Reserve, opposite the Pound Bend diversion tunnel, passing through bushland until it reaches the Rocks Formation some 2 km away.

The Pound Bend loop of the Yarra was once almost completely drained, in the 1850s, when the 300m diversion tunnel was built, and at that time was a frenzy of gold-miners with picks and shovels.

When the gold ran out, the river was allowed to flow again.

I visited the Rocks on April, 15, 2007.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327871/index.html

Exploring Pound Bend - Warrandyte State Park

Pound Bend Reserve is in the western section of the Warrandyte State Park, 25 km east of Melbourne.

I went there ont wo trips, April 12 and 13, 2007, rewarded with beautiful views of the Yarra River, the River Trail, and the little-known Summit Trail.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327751/index.html

Ruffey Lake Park - Doncaster

A visit to Ruffey Lake Park.

Ruffey Lake Park is a large (69 hectares) area of protected land in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Doncaster, 20 km from the city.

Parts of the Park are original bushland - other sections are the results of extensive revegitation efforts.

The site is of important historical significance to the descendants of the original Aboriginal people who occupied the land prior to the appearance of European settlers in the 1800s.

It was formerly an orchard, and offers walking tracks, cycling paths, lakes, bridges, foot-tracks, the Heritage Trail, lookouts, historical features, and playgrounds.

It is situated in the Ruffey Creek Valley.

I visited the Park on April 11, 2007, exploring about 4 km of the walking tracks.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327629/index.html

Cannon's Creek Coastal Park.

Exploring Cannon's Creek Coastal Park.

Cannon's Creek is a coastal village on northern Westernport Bay, classified as an International Conservation Zone, 65 km SE of Melbourne.

It is located on the Rutherford Inlet, with extensive mangroves and millions of crabs!

The main walking track includes a boardwalk and lookout, with splendid views across the estuary towards the settlement of Warneet.

I visited the Park on April 8, 2007.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327491/index.html

Warneet Coastal Reserve

A visit to Warneet, a coastal village on the northern shore of Westernport Bay, just off the South Gippsland Highway about 66 km SE of Melbourne.

It's a small village of only 230 houses and a population of about 500 people, on the Rutherford Inlet, opposite the even smaller coastal village of Cannons Creek.

Known for excellent fishing, birdwatching and pleasant walking tracks along the foreshore and in surrounding bushland, Warneet is not immune to the ever developing push in this world.

Recent conflict has arisen over the application for the subdivision of land blocks.

I visited this interesting village on April 10, 2007.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327587/index.html

Cannon's Creek Coastal Park.

Exploring Cannon's Creek Coastal Park.

Cannon's Creek is a coastal village on northern Westernport Bay, classified as an International Conservation Zone, 65 km SE of Melbourne. It is located on the Rutherford Inlet, with extensive mangroves and millions of crabs!

The main walking track includes a boardwalk and lookout, with splendid views across the estuary towards the settlement of Warneet.

I visited the Park on April 8, 2007.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/395006/index.html

Exploring the Devilband Reservoir Park

A visit to the Devilbend Reservoir Park.

The Devilbend Reservoir Park, and the surrounding public land, is located 55 km SE of Melbourne, in the Mornington Perninsula, having been opened in 1965.

In September 2006, it was announced that the Reservoir was no longer neded, and most of the 1025 hectare site was officially transferred to Parks Victoria.

A Management Plan is being formulated (April 2007), with Community involvement, to convert the site to a National Park, under public ownership.

The park would require a long-term program of habitat restoration to enhance its conservation features.

There are more than 150 native plant species and 80 significant fauna species, including the nationally vulnerable Dwarf Galaxias fish, on the site.

It is home to most of the threatened Blue-billed Duck and the White-bellied Sea-Eagle.

I explored the large picnic ground, adjacent to the Reservoir, on April 7, 2007.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327418/index.html

Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve

Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve, 40 km SE of Melbourne, is an island of relatively undisturbed natural bushland surrounded by the outer suburbs of Frankston and Langwarrin. Following recognition of its important conservation values, the Victorian Government purchased the former military area from the Commonwealth Government in 1982 and it was proclaimed as the Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve in December 1985.

The Langwarrin Military Reserve was established in 1886 and used for various activities by the Victorian Colonial Defence Forces. In April 1889, for instance, 2195 men were engaged in manoeuvres for four days, using 669 horses and 29 wagons. At Federation in 1901, the area passed to the Commonwealth.

During World War 1 German prisoners of war were detained at the reserve and a hospital was set up for the treatment of soldiers returning from France and Egypt with venereal disease.

Developments included many buildings, a rifle range, roads, water storage and distribution systems and an extensive drainage system. Most of the buildings were removed soon after World War 1 and although the area was rarely used by the Army, the area was retained by the Commonwealth because of its strategic value. About half the reserve was cleared to establish pasture for military horses and grazing leases were issued between 1908 and 1945. A hall, sheds and an oval were built for local community recreation activities.

Today all the buildings are gone. Remaining evidence of past use include earthworks, drainage and foundations and changes in the pattern of vegetation following regrowth after clearing.

I visited this large Reserve on April 6, 2007, exploring the main walking tracks.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327398/index.html

Mullum Mullum Creek Trail North - East Doncaster

The Mullum Mullum Creek Trail is a shared use sealed path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Mullum-Mullum Creek in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

I walked the 4 km (return) Northern Sector in Doncaster East on April 4, 2007, 20 km from the city.

This sector is opposite the Currawong Bush Park, on the other side of the Creek.

The photo album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/394868/index.html

Rifle Range Park - Smiths Gully

The Rifle Range Park is a large area of public bushland within the newly proclaimed Nature Conservation Reserve, linking the Warrandyte and Kinglake National Parks, 40 km NE of Melbourne.

I visited the Park on April 3, 2007, which straddles the Smith's Gully and Christmas Hills districts, and was rewarded with excellent views from the main Ridge Track.

The hike was about 4 km return, through pleasant forest and past old gold mining relics.

The Photo Album is at

http://worldisround.com/articles/327278/index.html