Dimmick's Beach - Blairgowrie - Mornington Peninsula National Park

Dimmick's Beach is a beautiful secluded section of coastline in the Mornington Peninsula National Park, about 80 km south of Melbourne, in the district of Blairgowrie.

It is reached by a foot track passing through interesting coastal bushland.

My visit started from a small car park at the corner of Tasman Drive and Harold Rd, then following the orange markers to the beach.

There are other tracks leading to the beach from Tasman Drive.

The coastal views are spectacular - at the western end of the beach is Jessie Kirwood's Rock, a rugged formation extending into Bass Strait.

Wooden seats are placed overlooking the Beach - one is quaintly signed as "The Office" !

The main access track forms part of the long Coastal Trail which runs from Portsea through to Cape Schanck.

My visit was on Monday afternoon, October 26, 2009.

See the full set of Photos of my visit!

Rockpooling at Point Leo Veach - Westenport Bay

Point Leo is a small coastal village on Westernport Bay, about 80 km south of Melbourne. It is popular with surfers, swimmers, beachwalkers, beachcombers, campers and rockpoolers.

I visited Pt Leo on Thursday aftrernoon October 29, 2009, an unusually hot day (29 degrees), exploring the reefs and beach on a 3 km (return) coastal hike towards the community of Merricks!

The tide was well out, exposing the spectacular reefs and rock pools.

A large group of students were on the beach, as part of a Surf School, learning to surf and being instructed in the skills of lifesaving.

See the complete set of Photos of my beach walk!

Silvertop Ridge Hike - Bunyip State Park

On Tuesday afternoon October 27, 2009, I went out to the Bunyip State Park, 60 km east of Melbourne.

The easiest access into this section of the Park from my home in Mont Albert is via Eastlink, Monash Freeway and Tynong North Rd.

From the Mortimer Picnic area, on Tynong North Rd, I undertook an 8 km (return) hike through the Black Snake Range forest, starting at gated Triangle (Link) Track.

Passing the western end of Silvertop Ridge fireline Tk, I continued along Triangle (Link) Tk, passing the southern access point to Nichol's Hut Tk, to the Tonimbuk Rd.

The eastern access to the Ferris Walking Tk is nearby, as well as the eastern end of the Silvertop Ridge fireline track.

From there, I returned the same way.

The hike, which follows the Silvertop Ridge and the Diamond Creek Gully, started at 174 m asl, and the highest point reached was 223 m, near a group of large granite boulders.

Anyone reading this, and wishing to do this hike, should note that there is confusion in the names of the tracks! The sign on the gate at the Mortimer picnic area declares the track to be "Triangle Track", different to Parks Vic which shows it as "Link Rd"!

Conversely, signs show this as "Link Rd", different to Rooftops and Parks Vic maps which declare it to be "Triangle Rd"!

Much of this hike passes through forest which was burnt out in the Bunyip Ridge fire of February 2009. The trees remain blackened, but there has been extensive regrowth.

Instead of walking on the fire management roads, a scenic alternative is to follow the signed Ferris Walking Trail, which is a lower level route, in the Diamond Creek Gully, parallel with Silvertop Ridge Track.

These tracks are fireline management roads and have been opened to walkers progressively by Parks Vic/DSE following the fires.

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Lyrebird Creek - Olinda Forest

One of my favourite hikes in the Olinda Forest, 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD, is along the Eagle Nest Track.

The hike starts at the Eagle Nest Picnic Ground, at the end of Eagle Nest Rd, turn off from Silvan Rd.

The route follows the Lyrebird Creek gully, reaching Hermon's Track, then circling back to the Picnic Ground, crossing the historical bridge oiver the Lyrebird Creek.

This hike is about 3 km in total, and passes through tall timber forest, fern gullies and tall tree ferns.

My visit was on Wednesday afternoon October 21, 2009

See the full set of Photos of my visit!

Mt St Leonard - summit hike

Mt St Leonard is a high peak, 1010m, 65 km NE of Melbourne, in the Yarra Ranges National Park.

The panoramas from the observation platform are magnificient, looking across the Yarra Valley, as far away as Port Phillip Bay, the You Yangs, and the Macedon Ranges.

The fire/communications tower is located at the summit, and is easily visible from most of greater Melbourne.

Public vehicular access to the summit is prohibited, and visitors walk the gated 3 km (return) track which starts at a car park at Monda Rd, reached by a winding and steep drive up from the Myers Creek Rd from Healesville.

This track has recently been reopened (October 2009) following the devastating bushfires of February 2009 which ravaged the surrounding forest.

There is an alternative very steep 8 km walking route (one way) which starts at the Donnelley's Creek Weir. As at the time of writing, that track is closed to walkers, due to the fire damage of Black Saturday, February 2009.

I visited the Summit on October 19, 2009.

See all of my Photos of this trip, which show the burnt and blackened forest along the main access track, the communications facility, and several beautiful views from the lookout platform.

Bushrangers Bay - Flinders Coast

Bushrangers Bay is in the Mornington Peninsula National Park, 90 km SW of Melbourne.

The 6 km (return) walking track (accessed from Boneo Road, near Cape Schank), is regarded by many visitors as the best scenic short coastal walk in Victoria.

I would certainly agree!

The Track is officially known as "Two Bays Track" and terminates at the Cape Schank Lighthouse.

The turnoff to Bushrangers Bay is about half way to the Lighthouse.

The sheltered beach is magnificent, other visitors were enjoying the waves and a picnic!

See the full set of Photos of my visit of October 20, 2009. Enjoy!

Sweetwater Creek Bushland Reserve - Frankston

The Sweetwater Creek Bushland Reserve is one of Frankston's best kept secrets, but discovering its beauty and tranquillity has just got a lot easier.

Frankston is about 30 km from the Melbourne CBD, on Port Phillip Bay.

Frankston City Council has recently completed construction of a new single span bridge and board walk that sits well above the 100 year flood path, and makes exploring the reserve far more accessible in all weather. The bridge and boardwalk comply with the Discrimination Act by having handrails and a gentle slope.

The new bridge and boardwalk can be accessed from Caladenia Circuit, Sycamore Road or Lawson Avenue in Frankston South and features fencing to help protect the natural habitat of the creek and bushland reserve.

The official opening was the culmination of over 18 month planning and design which includes approval from the Department of Environment Water Heritage and the Arts, Department of Sustainability and the Environment, Department of Planning and Community Development, Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, Melbourne Water, APA Group (gas supplier) along with local residents and environmental groups.

I visited the Reserve on Sunday October 18, 2009, for a 4 km exploration of this 14 ha scenic reserve, which took me along Creek Track, Grange Bridge Track, and Granites Track.

See the full set of Photos of my visit!

Somers Coastal Hike - Westernport Bay

Somers is a small coastal settlement 75 km SE of Melbourne, on the west side of Westernport Bay.

It is reached from the Frankston-Flinders Rd, to Balnarring, then along Sandy Point Rd, leading to the General Store at Somers Beach.

Two interesting short walking tracks start at the upper level car park - these are Koala Walk and Sheoak Walk, which are described on a large map board.

Sheoak Walk passes through bushland and its eastern end is on the beach. It is possible to walk all the way easterly from this point along the beach to Sandy Point, a return trip of about 12 km, ending at the high security fence surrounding HMAS Cerberus, the RAN naval facility.

I visited Somers Beach on October 17, 2009, completing the Koala and Sheoak Walks, as well as the beach walk extension towards Sandy Point, ahout 4 km in total.

From the viewpoint on Sheoak Walk, there are good views across the Bay to Phillip Island, about 12 km direct, with The Nobbies and Seal Rocks clearly visible.

See the complete set of Photos of my visit!

Rye Ocean Beach

The Rye Ocean Beach is about 90 km south of Melbourne, in the Mornington Peninsula National park.

It looks out to Bass Strait.

It is popular at all times of the year, with surfing when the waves are big.

I visited this beautiful stretch of coast on Sunday afternoon October 11, 2009, for a 6 km (return) beach hike west towards Dimmick's Beach.

The waves were good, and the coastal views towards Cape Schank were spectacular!

See all of the Photos of my visit, which include some of my "Candid Camera" images of the action along the coast!

Coolart Wetlands and Tulum Beach

On Saturday afternoon October 10, 2009, I went down to the Balranning Beach, 60 km south of Melbourne, on the Westernport Coast.

Balnarring Beach is also known as Tulum Beach.

From a starting point at the car park, I did a 6 km beach/bushland hike, which took me to the Merricks Creek Estuary, at Somers.

Merricks Creek enters the Bay at Somers, and is very wide at this point, with strong tidal flows.

After crossing the Creek at the big Suspension Bridge, I then returned along the beach to the boardwalk, which took me over the Small Bridge over the Creek.

This was my entry to the Coolart Wetlands, with a network of signed hiking trails, and I chose the Woodland Trail, reaching the Birdhide.

Nearby is the historical Coolart Homestead, for which an admission fee is charged, and reached by car from Coolart and Somers Rds.

Merricks Creek enters the Bay at Somers, and is very wide at this point, with strong tidal flows.

There was plenty of action on Tulum Beach!

See all of the Photos of my visit!

Tea Tree Creek Bay - Flinders Coast

Tea Tree Creek Bay is a wonderful secluded cove on the Flinders coast, 90 km from Melbourne, in the Mornington Peninsula National Park.

It is about 3 km west of the town of Flinders, and is accessed by a 1 km foot-track and staircase from the Boneo Rd. A small car park is located at the start of the signposted track.

There are magnificent views looking south across the open ocean of Bass Strait, as well as the dramatic coastlines from the clifftop, in either direction, with waves breaking over large basalt rock formations.

I visited the Bay on Thursday afternoon October 8, 2009. I usually go down there every six months - this was the spring trip! I followed the beach track to East Point and beyond, then back to the staircase, then up to the top of West Bluff, a total of about 3 km.

The cliffs rise about 50 m from sea level.

See the complete set of Photos of my visit!

Exploring Cannon's Ceeek in Spring

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, reached from the South Gippsland Highway, then along the Tooradin-Baxter Rd, then into Cannon's Creek Rd, to a small car park at the main jetty.

There are extensive mangroves and millions of crabs!

The Foreshore Reserve includes the main 2 km walking track, a boardwalk and lookout, with splendid views across the estuary towards the settlement of Warneet.

There are three jetties, reconstructed in 2008 by a cooperative effort between the Shire of Casey and local community groups.

A large sign at the car park dsscribes the development, fauna, flora and features of the Reserve.

I visited the Reserve on October 6, 2009

Please see the full set of Photos of my visit!

Possum Tk - colorful spring wildflowers

The Possum Track is deep in the Olinda Forest, linking Olinda Creek Rd with Hermon Track, about 25 km east of the Melbourne CBD, in the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

It is unsigned and is listed by Parks Victoria as a "closed" track.

It passes through some of the best regrowth forest environment in the Park, with beautiful ferns, fern gullies, mountain ash and tree ferns.

Two creek crossings are encountered, one of which was flowing (a tributary of the Lyrebird Creek) the other dry due to the extended drought.

I explored this marvellous track on Monday afternoon October 5, 2009.

My hike started at the the Olinda Creek Rd, then along gated Georges Track. The turn-off to Possum Track is opposite a sign denoting its junction withy Georges Track - it is easily missed, and is partially overgrown. Sections of it are steep and muddy, and it ends at signed Hermon Track, my turnaround point.

Many large ant nests were seen on George's Track, but the inhabitants were down below!

Distance travelled was about 4 km.

The tracks in the Olinda forest were originally logging routes from the 1860s up to the 1940s, where bullock trains hauled the cut logs down to the nearest railhead.

The original eucalypt forest was virtually destroyed by a series of bushfires between 1948 and 1955, and again in 1962. What is seen today is mainly regrowth.

See the full set of Photos of my trip!

80th Anniversary of the Trail Ride to Bogong High Plains and the Australian Alps

The second organized Trail Ride to the Bogong High Plains and the Australian Alps took place between December 21 1929 and January 1 1930.

About 50 horseback riders participated, in two groups, travelling the 120 km course starting at Shannon Vale, on the Mitte Mitta Rd, and ending at Harrietville.

They travelled by train from Melbourne to Bainrsdale, then by car to Omeo and Shannon Vale to collect their horses and supplies.

Their route was along part of what was to evolve into the Bogong High Plains Rd, around the site of the present Rocky Valley Dam, a sidetrip up to the Mt Nelse Summit, then on to the Fainter Firetrack, a side trip to the summit of Mt McKay, then a stopover at the Tawonga Huts. They passed the crossing of the present-day Australian Alps Walking Track (near Tawonga Huts), then past Mt Cope, passing what was to become the Falls Creek Village in later decades. Then on to Mt Hotham, and along the Razorback Track, to the Mt Feathertop summit.

After that, they encamped at the former Bungalow Hut, near Feathertop, then desended the Bungalow Spur Track to Harrietville, the end of their ride.

They then said goodbye to their horses, went by car back to Bright, and picked up the train at Bright for the trip back to Melbourne.

Some 30 amazing photographs and descriptions of their expedition, with a route map, may be viewed at the National Library of Australia website,

http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an23255611

Collin's Historical Settlement , Sorrento

Collins Settlement Historic Site, Sullivan Bay, just east of Sorrento, 70 km south of Melbourne, is the place where Lieutenant Colonel David Collins, accompanied by civil officers, marines, free settlers and 229 convicts landed in October 1803.

The settlement is significant because it was the first attempt to settle Europeans permanently in what is now Victoria.

A small part of Collins Settlement Historic Site was acquired in 1982 by the State Governement, with the help of public donations. Friends of Collins Settlement Sorrento Inc. assist with managing the area, which overlooks Cameron Bight.

For centuries before Collins landed, Aborigines used the site on a seasonal basis for collecting shellfish. Shell middens on the cliff tops contain evidence of their activities.

The new colonists quickly discovered that water was scarce, and suitable timber could not be found. The treacherous entrance to the bay made the site unsuitable for whaling and with few marines, the settlement was vulnerable to attack. Collins decided to abandon the settlement and move to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) in January 1804. Little evidence of the settlement exists.

Four graves on the eastern headland, (the Eastern Sister) and parts of barrels, leg irons, bottles and other pieces are all that remain. These can be seen in the Sorrento Museum, Melbourne Road, Sorrento.

I visited this Historic Place on Sunday October 4, 2009, exploring the Site, Cameron Bight Beach, Cameron Bight Jetty, the newly built Information Centre, the two Lookouts, and the Settlers' Graves site.

Interprative signs along the walking trail describe the history of the site.

The views from the Lookouts were marvellous, looking over Cameron Bight, Port Phillip Bay, Sullivan's Bay, with Arthur's Seat in the distance.

See the complete set of Photos of my visit!

Blow Hole at low tide - Flinders Coast

The Blow Hole is a spectacular natural rock formation, on the Flinders Coastline, 90 km south of Melbourne.

The access road is about 1 km west of Flinders township.

I visited the Blow Hole on Saturday October 3, 2009, descending the long wooden staircase to the rocks, along the beach to the east cliffs, and then along the top of the high west cliffs.

My 3 km exploration coincided with low tide, allowing access over the black rugged volcanic rocks easterly towards Flinders.

It is possible to walk all the way to the Flinders Ocean Beach at low tide over these rocks.

The coastal views were spectacular!