Bunurong Marine National Park

The Bunurong Marine National Park extends along approximately 5 km of coastline from 2.5 km east of Cape Paterson in Southern Gippsland (120 km SE of Melbourne) to the eastern end of Eagles Nest Beach (about 6 kilometres south-west of Inverloch), and offshore for approximately three nautical miles to the limit of Victorian waters, encompassing a total of approximately 2,100 hectares.

The Bunurong coast is special - a coast full of striking rock formations, attractive sandy coves, rugged sandstone cliffs and prominent headlands. The coastal waters also contain a remarkable range of habitats that support abundant marine life, nurtured by an unusual set of environmental conditions.

The name "Bunurong" refers to the local Aboriginal group that have lived in this area for thousands of years and have used the coast extensively for food gathering.

These coastal waters share the cool waters of Victoria's central and western coasts, but unlike those shores, are relatively protected from the southwesterly swell by the position of far away King Island. The gently sloping rocky seafloor is also uncommon in Victoria.

The park contains extensive intertidal platforms and subtidal rocky reefs that are uncommon along the Victorian coast. These sandstone areas provide numerous microhabitats and contribute to the area having a very high diversity of intertidal and shallow subtidal invertebrates. There is a mixed assemblage of brown algae and seagrass, supporting a high proportion of Victoria's marine invertebrates, including brittle stars, sea cucumbers, barnacles, sea anemones and chitons.

(The above information is acknowledged to Parks Victoria)
See http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=254

I visited this spectacular region on April 8 2009, which included Cape Paterson. My trip included a 3 km (return) walk along the cliff tops from Cape Paterson to The Channel Beach and westerly along the surf beach. I also visited Undertow Bay, Twin Reefs Bay, and The Oaks Bay, which are east of Cape Paterson.

These Bays may be viewed from observation points from signed car parks off the Inverloch Rd, and are accessed by staircases.

See the full set of Photos of my visit.

Sherbroooke Falls in early Autumn

On April 4, 2009, I did a 3 km circuit walk to the Sherbrooke Falls, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

My journey started at the Sherbrooke Picnic Ground car park, then along Sherbrooke Track, to the Falls viewing bridge, along Ridge Track and O'Donohue's Track, then along Link Track, and back to the Sherbrooke Picnic Ground.

Most of the walk was in the rain, through the mist - other walkers passed me, well rugged up and we exchanged pleasantries!

This section of the Forest is very pretty, at any time of the year, passing through tall timber and fern gullies.

New emergency signage has been placed at some of the track junctions, advising people in difficulties to ring OOO and quote the designated emergency number.

These signs are very prominent, white on blue background.

See the full set of Photos of this visit!

Badger Weir Park - reopened after the bushfires

The Badger Weir Park is 65 km east of Melbourne, near the town of Healesville, in the Melbourne Water catchment area.

Three walking tracks lead from the picnic ground to the Weir, passing through superb sub-tropical rain forest and tree ferns.

The Lyrebird Track has been reconstructed and passes next to the creek.

The area is a habitat for lyrebirds.

The picnic ground is excellent, with innumerable rosellas and cockatoos!

I visited the Park on April 2, 2008, on a 3 km early autumn hike which took me on a circuit along the Lyrebird, Coranderrk and Slip Creek Tracks.

The Park had been closed for several weeks after the disastrous bushfires of early February 2009, which threatened Healesville, and was reopened on March 31.

Thankfully, the Park was spared from the fires.

See the full set of Photos of my visit.

Corinella - Westernport Bay

Corinella is an idyllic seaside town, about 110 km SE of Melbourne, on Westernport Bay. It's a small peninsula of land surrounded on three sides by water, and reached from the Bass Highway, along the Corinella Rd.

Corinella is blessed with panoramic picturesque views of the sea and islands along with a very pleasant year-round climate and has ideal access to the bay for most types of boating craft.

A lovely blend of rural grazing and farming land surrounds the Corinella peninsula with a broad range of agricultural production, including prestigious thoroughbred racing horse farms, beef and dairy cattle, red deer farming, flower and herb growers, winery viticulture and many more, all prospering in this ideal seaside climate.

Corinella is a very important historic town, and is one of the first towns settled in the state of Victoria, indeed Australia.

Its historic significance to Australia's settled history is very important and is not widely recognised or advertised. Most historical talk of Australia's settlement birth is always focused on Sydney and NSW; however Corinella was actually the site of the first Government House in Victoria and was a town at federation.

One of the first British settlements in what is now Victoria was established here, albeit briefly, in 1826.

In that year, a French vessel under Dumont d'Urville examined Westernport, arousing apprehensions about French colonisation of the southern coastline. Coupled with this was the favourable report of the Westernport district made by explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell who believed that their 1824 overland journey from NSW had terminated at Westernport.

Unfortunately they were mistaken, having actually completed their trek at Port Phillip.

On the basis of their comments, Governor Darling decided to forestall any prospective French plans by establishing a military and agricultural settlement at Westernport.

Captain Wright was dispatched with troops, 21 convicts and William Hovell. Wright established a small military settlement at the present-day site of Rhyll on the north coast of Phillip Island and called it Fort Dumaresq. However, fresh water proved a problem and the outpost was moved to Corinella which was called Settlement Point.

The above information is sourced to the "Visit Corinella" website, at http://www.visitcorinella.com, and used with acknowledgement.

I visited Corinella for the first time on April 1, 2009, and my exploration took me to Settlement Point, the walking track to the lookout and the jetties.

I found the historical cairn on the hill at the end of Jamieson St, which marks the site of the original settlement, from which a walking track took me to good views of the Bay.

I also visited the nice beach at nearby Coronet Bay.

Two beautiful pelicans were near the jetties - several small fishing boats were in the main channel, and the Corinella to French Island ferry was chugging its way across the Bay.

See the full set of Photos of my visit!

Shiprock Falls - Kurth Kiln Park

The Shiprock Falls Reserve is in the northern section of the Kurth Kiln Regional Park, 65 km east of Melbourne, and 7 km from the town of Gembrook, just off the Gembrook-Woori Yallock Rd.

The McCrae Creek flows through the Reserve, and the falls cascade down from rock cliffs and past huge granite boulders.

I visited the Reserve on September 3, 2007, exploring 1 km of walking tracks, with good views of the falls.

See the full set of Photos

Spring Creek Cove - Flinders Coast

Spring Creek Cove is a little known 2 km (return) walking destination west of Flinders Ocean Beach, west of Flinders township, 90 km SE of Melbourne.

It is reached from a car park at the end of King St, near the Golf Course.

The track descends through tall pines to a cleared area, then to the Cove, via wooden steps.
Spring Creek enters the ocean here, at the bottom of the cliffs.

The Cove consists of a secluded beach and grey stones.

There are good views from the cliff top towards the West Head, Phillip Island, and the nearby Ocean Beach.

My visit was on Monday March 30, 2009, which included a visit to the Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary and Ocean Beach, and the Flinders Jetty.

See the full set of Photos of this trip.

Gunnamatta Coastal Walk

The Gunnamatta Surf Beach is about 90 km south of Melbourne, in the Mornington Peninsula National Park.

I visited the Beach on March 21, 2009, on a 5 km (return) beachwalk to the southeast, reaching the rocks at the base of the rugged cliffs near Fingal.

The surf was up, with big waves, and the Surf Patrol was vigilant!

The main walking track from Gunamatta to Cape Schank follows the beach along the sand dunes, for about 1 km, where it then veers inland and continues along the cliff top, passing the turn-off to Fingal Beach.

The coastal views towards the Cape Schank Lighthouse were spectacular!

Note that there is an admission fee of $4.40 per car.

My Photos show the scenery, surf, dunes, fishing, swimmers, waves, beach and cliffs with some "candid camera" shots!

Tomahawak Creek Track - Kurth Kiln Park

Tomahawk Creek Walking Track, 4 km, is in the Kurth Kiln State Park, 65 km east of Melbourne.

Starting at the Kurth Kiln Picnic Ground, it passes through lush green fern gullies, tall forest, and along the banks of the Creek.

There are many unusual large rock formations and an interesting Gorge and waterfalls.

The historical Kiln, outbuildings and large dam are nearby.

My visit was on March 14, 2009.

See the complete set of Photos of my trip!

Tawonga Huts Hike - Bogong High Plains

The Tawonga Huts are in the Bogong High Plains, about 4 km from the Pretty Valley Pondage carpark.

The carpark is is reached via a turn off from the Pretty Valley Rd, about 6 km from the Bogong High Plains Rd, which starts just past the Falls Creek Village.

The turn-off and descent to the Pondage is signposted, and this is an extremely rough, dusty, corrugated, 2 km track, with a surface consisting of large sharp loose rubble and stones.

The walk starts by crossing the Causeway (1637 m) near the carpark then a 4 km hike (each way) up the stony Fainter Fire Track. Over the top (1814 m), the track drops down into the valley of the Tawonga Huts Creek - the Huts are nearby (1675 m).

The Fainter Firetrack continues north, ultimately ending at Bogong Village.

A side footrack, starting at the huts, marked with orange triangles on trees, goes to the highest peak (1852 m) in the Jathmathangs, formerly known as the Niggerheads.

Maximum altitude reached is 1814 m - lowest is 1637 m.

The wide plain surrounding the huts is used as a major gathering point for cattle mustering each autumn.

The first hut in the area was built by John Ryder prior to 1888 but it was pulled down by a horse teathered to the post, and was then rebuilt in that year.

The third hut was built in 1923 of palings. Many cattlemen used the Tawonga huts, notably Ben Cooper, for whom a cairn sits nearby. This is passed at the top of the Fainter FT on the way in.

The current huts were built in the 1950s about 250m south of the original set. The "Refuge Hut" as named, was built by the SEC in 1928 and pulled here in the 1980s. The fourth hut, was originally a cookhouse and brought to the site on a truck by Billy Hicks, but was burnt down in 2000 and a replacement was then built, similar to that whch was destroyed.

All huts survived the 2003 fires.

The views are stupendous from the Fainter Firetrack, with a sweeping panorama extending from Mt Hotham in the south, then Mt Feathertop (1922 m), the twin peaks of Mt Fainter (1839 m and 1880 m), and the Bogong Massif (1986 m) to the north. The Jathmathangs (formerly known as the Niggerheads) are in front of Mt Feathertop. Mt McKay (1849 m) is nearby.

We visited the Huts on March 8, 2009.

See the complete set of Photos of our trip!

Flinders Coast - West Head Beachwalk

The coastal settlement of Flinders is about 90 km SE of Melbourne, and dates back to the 1830s.

On the western edge of the village is an outstanding and long-established golf course which sits atop the cliffs overlooking Bass Strait.

Near the entrance to the Golf Gourse is the the West Head Lookout, which offers grand views across Bass Strait, Westernport Bay, the Back Beach, Mushroom Reef, and the ocean coast towards Cape Schanck.

A walking track/stairway descends from the Lookout to Back Beach.

At the western end of Back Beach is the start of the Ocean Beach, adjacent to the Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary.

When the tide is out it is possible to see how the rocks form a T-shape which is thought to be a partial modification of a natural feature realised by the local Aborigines in order to aid their fishing activities.

Yellow triangular markers designate the boundaries of the Reef.

My visit was on Tuesday March 3, 2009, on a 4 km (return) beachwalk from the West Head Lookout along the Back Beach and Coastal Beach.

See the full set of Photos of this trip.

Somers Coastline and Beachwalk

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 March 1, 2009, completing the Koala and Sheoak Walks, as well as the beach walk extension towards Sandy Point, about 5 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.

On this day, groups of dolphins had come to about 20 m from the beach in search of fish!

See the full set of Photos of my trip, and the dolphins!

Rye Beachwalk

Situated on the popular holiday destination of Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula and nestled between Tootgarook and Blairgowrie is the coastal town of Rye.

Rye's main beach, fronting Port Phillip Bay, offers safe sandy beaches, a jetty, and attractive foreshore facilities. From 2001 to 2007, the foreshore was the venue of an annual sand sculpting event which showcased the talents of artists as they carved figurines and landscapes out of tonnes of sand. Point Nepean Road separates the wide foreshore from Rye's main shopping strip.

Around a kilometre west of the Rye Jetty is an outcrop of land called White Cliffs. At the base of the cliffs is a reconstructed old Lime Burners Kiln - a reminder of the mid-1800s when the extraction of lime was the area's primary industry. Scenic views along the coast can be enjoyed from lookout above the kiln.

Rye Jetty is one of the longest in the region, dating back to the 1830s.

My visit was on February 26, 2009, on a 2 km exploration of the beach between Rye and Tootgarook, and the Jetty.

Fiddler's Gully - Warrandyte State Park

Fiddler's Gully was once the centre of frenzied goldmining in the 1850s, in what is now the Warrandyte State Park, 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

An interesting 4 km circuit hike starts at the small car park/picnic area on Gold Memorial Rd, ascending Wildcat Gully Track, into Wildcat Link Track, then along public access Webb Rd, and on to Fiddler's Gully Track.

Fiddler's Gully Track descends steeply past old gold mining relics and rejoins Webb Rd, then into Wildcat Link and back to the start.

My hike was on February 25, 2009, a grey and overcast day.

See the full set of Photos of my trip!

Gunnamatta Beach - scenic Coastal Walk

Gunnamatta Beach is a popular destination in the Mornington Peninsula National Park, about 80 km south of Melbourne.

I visited this magnificent ocean beach on February 22 2009, on a 4 km (return) coastal walk west to St Andrew's Beach.

The tide was out, exposing a vast array of rock pools.

The surf was up, with big waves!

The coastal vews were superb, with Cape Schank and the Lighthouse to the east, and the long sweeping beaches to Point Nepean to the west.

The Beach is at the end of Trueman's Rd, turn off from the Point Nepean Rd at Tootgarook.

An admission fee of $4.40 per car is charged for entry.

See the full set of Photos of my visit!

Exploring the Olinda Falls in mid-summer

The Olinda Falls are among the most popular attractions in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, 30 km from the Melbourne CBD.

There are actully three falls - the upper, middle and lower cascades, with viewing areas for each along the 1 km steep track which starts at the picnic ground on Falls Rd.

Visitors have enjoyed the Falls since the 1860s, well before motor cars made their appearance in Melbourne, when they travelled up Mt Dandenong by horse and buggy!

The Falls were originally known as the "Valinda Falls", the name of the district, which then became "Olinda".

Olinda settlement is perched on the rim of the ancient volcano crater, which last erupted 200 million years ago!

Please see my Photo Album of the trip, which shows the walking track, signposts to nearby trails, the falls, the picnic ground, the car park, and the viewing platforms. It includes two archival photographs, showing the Falls Walking Track, and what the Falls looked like around the year 1910.

I visited the Olinda Falls on February 20, 2009.

A Hike in the Sherbooke Forest to the Falls

This album shows the scenery, wildlife and features in the Sherbrooke Forest, Dandenong Ranges National Park, about 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

I visited this timeless beautiful forest on February 18, 2009, starting at the Sherbrooke Picnic Ground, on a 3 km circuit hike along the Sherbrooke and O'Donohue's Tracks, passing the Falls.

Sadly, the Falls were only a trickle, due to the extended drought.

The rosellas will always entertain you!

See my Photo Abum, of the trip, which includes an image of the Falls, as they looked around the year 1940.

Gurdies Bushland Reserve and Lookout

The Gurdies, represents some of the largest remaining areas of native vegetation on the eastern shore of Western Port and covers an area of about 260 hectares.

In 1798, Western Port and Bass Strait were discovered by George Bass and a volunteer crew, who sailed and rowed from Port Jackson in an open whaleboat. Many features of the local area have been named after George Bass, such as the Bass Highway, the township of Bass, the Bass Ranges and the Bass River. During the 1800s Western Port was a very busy harbour and areas such as Corinella and Grantville were settled. Also during the 1800s, many of the grand eucalypts of the ranges such as Messmate and Bluegum (some 70 metres in height), were felled and used in the construction of wharves, railway bridges and railway lines.

In 1977, the Gurdies bushland area was recognised as significant in terms of its flora and fauna values and in 1992 the area was was proclaimed a Flora and Fauna Reserve.

The main entrance to the Reserve is at the car park, picnic area, and information kiosk, located on the Bass Highway, about 80 km SE of Melbourne, 12 km south-east of its intersection with the South Gippsland Highway.

The signposted walk starts here, initially passing through bushland, then joining a wide management track. This track is followed up a gentle gradient, through regrowth forest, eventually reaching the Lookout picnic area, adjacent to cleared private property at the end of Dunbabbar Rd.

There is a spectacular view across Westernport, and an information board describes the history of Westernport.

There is a rise in altitude from 41 m to 123 m.

The return descent to the car park is along the same route - a side trip can be made to the nearby quarry if desired.

There are several other tracks in the Reserve, offering alternative routes to and from the Bass Highway - these are well signposted with distances shown.

Nearby is the settlement of Grantville, and a visit to the jetty is worthwhile, just off the Bass Highway, with good views across Westernport to French Island and the mountains to the north.

My visit was on February 14, 2009 - walking distance was about 5 km total.

For further information, see the Track Notes/Map from Parks Victoria, at
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources05/05_2304.pdf

See the full set of Photos of my trip

Point Leo Coastal Walk

Point Leo is a small settlement on Westernport Bay, about 70 km south of Melbourne. It has an excellent surf beach, and extensive reefs are exposed at low tide.

I visited Pt Leo on Monday February 9, 2009, doing a 5 km (return) beachwalk from the car-park.

As it was a weekday, and temperature was down to about 19 degrees, there wasn't much activity there, apart from a school group trying out their cricketing skills on the beach!

I passed an echidna, a resident of the nearby bushland, on the access track to the beach on the sand dunes!

See the full set of Photos!

Merricks Beach - Westernport Bay

Merricks is a small settlement on Westernport Bay, about 70 south of Melbourne.

I visited Merricks on February 1, 2009, and did a 4 beachwalk north to Balnarring and back.

The tide was out, and the reef was exposed, with many water fowls waiting for fish!

Other beachwalkers, some with hounds, and a few swimmers, were enjoying themselves!

Please see the complete set of Photos of this trip, which includes an historical image taken around the year 1940, showing the beach, looking south to Merricks.

Beachwalk - Shoreham to Point Leo

Shoreham is a peaceful coastal settlement about 100 km south of Melbourne, on Westernport Bay.

On January 30,2009, I visited Shoreham, at low tide, and undertook a 4 km (return) Beachwalk to Pt Leo.

This was during a ferocious heatwave, with the shade temperature reaching 45 degrees - the temperature on the beach was a more comfortable 33 degrees!

See the complete set of Photos of my trip!