By Lisa Field
Out ‘n About is a regular series exploring some of the best walks, rides and day trips across Melbourne’s west and beyond. Explore at your own pace, take care, and enjoy discovering this wonderful part of Victoria.
Moonee Ponds Creek Trail
The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail is full of surprises, with the scenery changing dramatically around almost every bend – from reedy creek corridors and concrete channels, to beautifully restored natural landscapes that are part of Melbourne Water’s Reimagining Moonee Ponds Creek project.
We started our ride via the M80 Trail in the little-known suburb of Gowanbrae, where the route descends steeply to the creek, offering views of the historic aqueduct spanning the valley.
The trail passes through a succession of suburbs before reaching Docklands, where we stumbled across a pop-up park that made the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. From there, we cycled to Footscray to catch the train home, finishing the day with a 30km ride.
Hopetoun Park Walk
Just before Bacchus Marsh, the rural community of Hopetoun Park offers an interesting circuit walk, available on the All-Trails app, with lovely views of the Werribee River and parts of Djerriwarrh Creek.
The route follows a maintenance track to Melton Reservoir and is easy to follow once you locate the trailhead. We did have some trouble finding our car at the end, so our planned 8 km walk turned into 11 km!
Highlights included sightings of large kangaroos, expansive rural properties and local children happily playing barefoot despite the winter chill. While there were invasive weeds in places, it was encouraging to see evidence of ongoing conservation works along the way.
Heritage Fruit Tree Festival
The popular Heritage Fruit Tree Festival returns on Sunday 9 August at the historic Werribee Park precinct. Explore the old stables, heritage orchard and picturesque Werribee River surrounds, with grafting demonstrations, plant and produce stalls, food trucks and plenty more to enjoy. Entry is via Gate 5, K Road, Werribee. Admission is free, with $2 parking.
If time permits, take a short detour to the nearby Werribee River Red Cliffs, where recent upgrades include impressive viewing platforms and new stairs leading down to the river.
Bay Trail Ride
Catch the train to Frankston (usually one train transfer involved), then head to the nearby beach and follow the scenic Kananook Creek Trail. Continue along the shared path beside the railway through Carrum to Mordialloc, where the Bay Trail officially begins.
From there, enjoy Melbourne’s spectacular coastline through Black Rock, Sandringham, Brighton, Elwood, St Kilda and Port Melbourne. The impressive bayside homes are almost as memorable as the views.
The return journey takes in West Gate Park, the $3 punt across the Yarra to Spotswood, the newer sections of the Federation Trail and finally the Kororoit Creek Trail back home. At around 70 km, I was more than a little chuffed with my achievement.
Conservation & Gardening
Winter is tree planting season, making it the perfect time to pull on your gloves, rug up and join one of the many Landcare or Friends groups working to restore local waterways and parks.
I recently enjoyed a rewarding midweek morning with the friendly Friends of Kororoit Creek, where extensive revegetation works are underway. The scale of the restoration is impressive, and the creek is undergoing a remarkable transformation.
Whether you’re planting trees, pulling weeds or simply meeting like-minded people, it’s a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors while giving back to your local environment.
Got a suggestion? Or query? Send me a line at lisamareefield12@gmail.com — maybe I can continue to spruik different ways to explore this amazing part of the world.
