Fancy a wee walk? Have you explored the streets and parks of your whole suburb over and over? Has your dog been thinking…. Yeah yeah, we did this yesterday? Then it’s Deep West Time.
Head to the bookend of the west side that is the You Yangs Precinct for an escape, an adventure, and a magnificent view back across the western plains of the Wadawurrung. ‘Youang’ is the traditional word for Big Hill, Big Mountain, or simply ‘Bald’, which from a distance seems to describe the mountain well.
The You Yangs Regional Park is home to walking tracks and separate mountain bike and horse trails. There are several popular walks for most levels of fitness, varying from one to a few hours duration. On a Sunday afternoon in early Spring, after a week of fairly average weather and lots of wind, the blue sky peaked through and the wind eased, so we made the trek to the You Yangs to walk up to Flinders Peak for some brisk walking through nature and views far around.
Despite the commonly held belief, the You Yangs were not formed by volcanic activity, but rather, 365 million years ago (give or take…) liquid hot magma that was just bursting to rise up through the earth and break free, instead slowly cooled and crystalised forming the small mountain range in an otherwise flat western plain.
The You Yangs Precinct is popular with filmmakers, most famously having played host to three rebels: the angry Mad Max, the naughty Ned Kelly, and the fabulous Tilly Dunnage (The Dressmaker).
This is striking landscape, and whilst it may not be the green rolling hills and fields of the Dandenongs in the east, it has its own beauty that we must protect and treasure.
Once on the Peak you can clearly see the Melbourne city skyline, the waters of Port Phillip from Williamstown all the way around to Geelong, the Werribee Plains, the Western Districts and the Brisbane Ranges. There are nicely formed boulders that play host to the various couples and groups that have climbed to the summit to chat, look around and take in the views and fresh air. Dogs are allowed on leash, and were loving the adventure.
You can plan to be there for as little as an hour, or even make a day of it. There are several BBQ areas nestled in amongst the foothills to the peak, nicely spread out so that each BBQ or picnic area offers privacy for each group. There are even open fire pits and plenty of fallen timber to be able to sit by a fire. You could easily make a whole day of it, and several families were doing just that. There is something so heartwarming about seeing a gathering of multiple generations of a family gathering around food amongst nature.
The tracks and trails are very well set up, with stone formed steps on the walking tracks, some seats along the way to take in the views and pretend you’re not puffing. There are hundreds of birds in the area and a myriad of plants and trees flowering this time of year. Koalas are in the area, while we didn’t see any today, Koala Clancy foundation monitors and records their numbers and undertakes important work improving their habitat both on the mountain and the foothills. To paraphrase Con; It’s the Flora and Fauna. The place is full of Flora and Fauna. Chockas.
If you fancy other activities there is mountain bike riding, with around 50 km of established trails that vary from beginners through to expert, from gentle to fully embracing the topography. There’s also rock climbing and abseiling areas, horse trails and a good old fashioned orienteering course.
From Melbourne take the Princes Freeway and the Little River turnoff. You’ll head through the hamlet of Little River, where there is the beloved Little River Hotel, probably the closest genuine country pub to Melbourne (perhaps a pub meal on the way home?). You’ll pass by the classic General Store, which is your last chance to secure fuel, food or coffee or, yes, an old-style bag of mixed lollies for the long walk ahead. It’s well under an hour’s drive from anywhere westside, and even a half day excursion will make you feel refreshed and invigorated.
The park is open daily from 7am to 8pm, and is gloriously free. Thanks Parks Victoria!
For more information visit: www.YouYangs.org
