Blue Tonge Bend hike in mid-winter, Warrandyte State Park

The Blue Tongue Bend Peninsula is a pleasant area in the Warrandyte State Park, 25 km east of the Melbourne CBD, next to the Yarra River.

The Blue Tongue Bend walking trail starts at the Jumping Creek Reserve, and follows the river for about 2.5 km, reaching rapids and rocks.

This is the viewpoint and is signed - the opposite bank is part of the Koornong, another section of the Park.

The track ends here - the return to Jumping Creek Reserve is via the fire management road.

Several interesting features are along this road, including the old stone/brick open-air Chapel, with its raised dais and rows of circular stone seats. This structure is not shown on any maps, nor is it signed. It's reached from an overgrown foot-track, about 1 km up from the Blue Tongue Bend view point. Its date of construction and purpose are not known.

Further along, from the ridge top, there is a good view of the preserved stables and outbuildings of the former Stane Brae farm, across the Yarra gorge. This farm site may be reached from a turn off from the fire management road, known as Freeland Road, and leads down to the river. Mobs of kangaroos live there!

Continuing along the fire management road, a picnic table is reached, at the junction of the Nature Trail. This trail disappears into dense scrub and reappears further along the road.

The walking distance was about 6 km, which included the visit to the mysterious Chapel. My visit was on a cold, bleak and wet Saturday afternoon, July 4, 2009.

A Brochure Box at the Jumping Creek Reserve contains laminated copies of the Parks Victoria Notes and map about Blue Tongue Bend. These notes should be returned to the Box after use!

The large covered Information Board at the Reserve has information about the area, with a large colored map.

Readers of this article who may have information about the history and purpose of the Chapel are invited to contact me privately via Email.

See the full set of Photos of my visit.