Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve - June 2019

Dune Track.

Believe it or not one of the most popular posts that I’ve ever put onto my blog was a short little walk that Sam and I did out at the Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve late on a cool winters afternoon. With the reserve only 15 minutes from home I figured that it was about time for a re-visit. So after sitting out some rain this morning I pulled on my boots and made the short journey over to the Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve just after lunchtime today. Arriving at the large car park off McClelland Drive, I re-set the GPS and set off under slightly threatening skies.

There's plenty of parking here normally.

I headed off along the grassy McClellend Break.

Leaving the car park I headed north along the grassy firebreak called McClellend Break. I’ve walked this grassy opening in winter before and had to avoid large sections of water but with our fairly dry start to the year there wasn’t much water on the ground on this visit. After heading along the McClellend Break for 5 minutes my track arrived at the boundary fence for a Telstra depot and headed west around the perimeter for a few minutes. Arriving at the south east corner of the Telstra compound I headed off onto Dune Track, with Dune Track a designated walking track my the walking improved immensely.

The walking improved immensely once I picked up Dune Track.

You’d never have guessed it but Dune Track climbs onto a long dune along here, in one spot the track divides and I stayed left up the slightly overgrown pad. Once on top of the dune I was buffeted a little by the wind this afternoon, although for winter things were pretty mild temperature wise. This walk along the dune offer the best views of the whole walk, in one direction down across the park, and in the other direction across Melbourne’s sprawling south eastern suburbs towards the blue smudge of the Dandenong Ranges.

The left hand fork of Dune Track climbs onto a low dune.

The low dune allows for a bit of a view down over the rest of the park...

....in the other direction the Dandenong Ranges were a blue smudge on the horizon.

When Dune Track met up with Reservoir Track I took a short side trip south to check out the old reservoir. The Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve has a long military history, being first established as the Langwarrin Military Reserve way back in 1886 and the old reservoir is the biggest reminder of those days. With the sun coming and going as the clouds scudded through I mucked around here for a few minutes as I waited for some decent light. The old sandstone walls of the reservoir are actually quite photogenic in the right light and I think it was worth hanging around… Heading off again I retraced a couple of minutes to the spot where Dunes Track had come in onto Reservoir Track and then continued on through more heathland and Stringybarks until I arrived at the Owen Dawson Walking Track.

The old reservoir is a nice spot.

Stringybarks are the predominant trees in Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve.

Owen Dawson was a local naturalist and was president of the Peninsula Field Naturalists Club Inc for a number of years and was instrumental in having the Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve protected. Along with Dunes Track the Owen Dawson Track is the best walking of the day I think. The walking track meandering away through dense forest before arriving at some old Target Pits, before climbing a dune and then passing by an old water tank that the soldiers had taken pot shots at with their 303’s by the look of it.

Owen Dawson Track burrows through the trees.

The old Target Pits on Owen Dawson Track.

More good walking along Owen Dawson Track.

Finding something interesting to photograph tested me a bit this afternoon.

It looks like the boys had been taking pot shots at this old water tank with their 303's.

Crossing Long Crescent North I continued on along Owen Dawson Track, the track now heading towards the eastern border of the park. Reaching the more substantial Stringybark Track I turned right and passed through some more open heathland as I headed towards the Centre Break. As you could probably guess Centre Break dissects the middle of the reserve and it makes for an easy way to short cut any walks if the need arises. After a left/right dogleg over Centre Break I headed off into the bush again along Aqueduct Track. I’m guessing that Aqueduct Track has some more military history behind it but after an extensive two minutes on google I couldn’t find any information on it.

The country opened up a bit as I headed along Stringybark Track.

Stringybark Track.

Centre Break dissects the reserve and allows for an easy exit or entry into the park.

Whatever it’s history Aqueduct Track once again made for some pleasant strolling. I was now slowly starting to arc around and head back up to towards the the carpark, first along Aqueduct Track, then left along Long Crescent South and finally along Military Track. Apart from the sound of the occasional vehicle on the nearby Robinsons Road the walk still had a bit of a remote feel to it, although approaching the busy McClelland Road again meant that that illusion was shattered. Once on McClelland Break beside McClelland Drive again my nice walk was suddenly coming to its end. Reaching the carpark I looped through an old picnic area, checking out an old concrete fountain that is pretty well all that remains of the old military hospital that was once situated here. After checking out a couple of the Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve Humpies I emerged onto Centre Break near the site of the old German POW internment site and wandered the last few metres back up to the ute.

Aqueduct Track was another nice walk.

Forest litter on Aqueduct Track.

Military Track.

Heading along Military Track. The tall trees in the distance are marking the walks finish.

The Dirt.
I walked 7.4 kilometres and climbed 84 metres on this easy stroll. I’m guessing a bit but I’d imagine that the Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve would be one of the biggest stands of native scrub left on the Mornington Peninsula and the heath land and mostly open Stringybark forest makes for pleasant walking. The old military history of this place is also worth checking out I think. The Boonerwrung People also lived around here for many 1000’s of years but you’d need a better eye than me to still find evidence on the ground unfortunately. Walks in this small park have been written up walking guide books by Mr Thomas, Ken Martin and Julie Mundy over the years, I just used the free Parks Vic map today though and linked things together, it’s all pretty easy.

Relevant Posts.
Langwarrin Flora & Fauna Reserve, 2015.
Australian Gardens & Reserve, Cranbourne, 2019.
Mornington to Frankston Coast Walk, 2014.

Heading towards the car park along McClellend Break.

The old fountain is about all that remains at the site of the old hospital.

There's a few humpies in the old picnic ground now.

Emerging onto Centre Break the walk was nearly over.