Heidelberg to Templestowe Walk - January 2020

Banyule Flats Reserve

After recently completing a fairly epic two day (and a bit) drive home from Perth I decided to do a walk that was fairly close to home this week, happy not to have to drive more than an hour to reach the start of my stroll. I decided to head up to Heidleberg and walk along the Main Yarra Trail up to Westerfolds Park in Templestowe. Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a wilderness style walk but I like the variety…and it’s my blog;) Apart from a shorter drive the other reason that I decided to head up here was that I wanted to give my trail runners another run, so to speak. The last time I’d worn them on a fairly rough and long exploratory walk up to Briggs Bluff had seen me wearing an ankle brace for the following three days, hmmm!

I was off early again this morning.

Seeing that I was going to be doing quite a few kilometres along the shared use Main Yarra Trail I decided that an early start was called for, to hopefully get quite a few kilometres in before my lycra clad brothers and sisters descended on the track, oh and the light for my photos is always better at the start of the day. Pulling up at the almost deserted car park off Burgundy Street I was saddled up and on my way across the dewy grass before 7am this morning. Even though I’d be spending the majority of my morning on the Main Yarra Trail I actually started off the walk on lesser dirt track as it made it’s way around the southern side of an oval in Warringal Park, this early section of the walk featuring quite a few introduced deciduous trees.

This bridge over Salt Creek is a good reference point to start the walk.

The walk actually doesn't start off by following the Main Yarra Trail.

It was a fairly cold (for summer) and dewy morning.

Once I’d shuffled my way around the oval I met up with the concrete Main Yarra Trail and was on my way. As I’ve already mentioned the Main Yarra Trail is a shared use trail and it can get very busy with bikes, particularly towards the Melbourne CBD. Even taking into account of the bikes the Main Yarra Trail makes for pretty good walking, most of the riders are fairly good and the frequent glimpses of the Yarra River through the trees are nice. After walking for 20 minutes or so I arrived at the Banyule Flats Reserve and swung north away from the river - still on the Main Yarra Trail (MYT).

The Main Yarra Trail (MYT).

There are quite a few introduced trees near the start of the walk.

Yarra River views are a feature of this walk.

We'd had a fair bit of rain in Melbourne over the previous few days which not only meant that some of the side creeks were flowing well but also that the Yarra River looked even more like a chocolate milkshake then usual.

The Banyule Flats Reserve feature a nice wetland, made even nicer this morning as the still water was blanketed in a light fog that the early morning sun was slowly burning off. The MYT heads north around the edge of the reserve before swinging around and heading back towards the river again, skirting some more suburban ovals along the way. Now while so far things had been a little ho hum and had a suburban feeling, from here on the walking improved a fair bit in my opinion. Leaving the manicured football ovals I struck out east through more of a natural environment, the scrappy native bush making me immediately more at ease.

The trail divides at Bunyule Flats Reserve. I went straight on along the MYT before returning from the track on the right later in the morning.

The MYT heading around Bunyule Flats Reserve.

Early morning at Bunyule Flats Reserve.

Bunyule Flats Reserve

Bunyule Flats Reserve

After passing the turn off for the Plenty River Trail (another shared use trail) it wasn’t long before I crossed over the Plenty River itself on a substantial bridge, we’d had some very welcome rain in the last week and the Plenty River, like the Yarra River was flowing well today, although the chocolate coloured water didn’t look overly inviting. Crossing over the Plenty River I started another long section of the walk through mostly native scrub and re-claimed farm land, the open paddocks and their golden grass is home to big mobs of Kangaroos. Crossing over Brooks Road the MYT starts to climb and descend a little as it makes it’s way past the large suspension bridge across the river to Finns Reserve before then following a long section of boardwalk along the gorge like side of the river valley, with very few people around at what was still a fairly early hour this was nice walking.

Back on the MYT again the early morning views continued to slow me down.

The Plenty River bridge on the MYT.

Plenty River

The Roos were out enjoying the early morning sunlight.

The long suspension bridge over to Finns Reserve.

It's sometimes hard to believe that you are well and truly in the middle of Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

Another nice section along the MYT.

Twenty minutes or so after crossing over the end of Brooks Road the MYT dropped down and crossed a long suspension bridge to enter Westerfolds Park. Westerfolds Park is one of those large urban parks that feature areas of native scrub mixed in with manicured parkland and picnic areas so it’s got a little something for everyone really. I followed the MYT for a few more minutes before branching off along a lesser dirt track that stayed closer to the Yarra River. This track isn’t signposted however it was pretty easy to follow and I re-joined Mr Chapman’s described route at the Rapids Observation Deck around 750 metres further on after taking in a few more nice river views.

Approaching Westerfolds Park on the MYT.

Once in Westerfolds Park I picked up this informal pad along the river.

I got some more nice views from this dirt track.

Rapids in the Yarra River at Westerfolds Park.

Back on the described route I dropped down to cross the dry Kestrel Creek and then left the MYT and headed up towards the middle of the park, passing some roos grazing in the distance. Reaching a large car park I decided to head down and check out a short side track called the Homeshow Trail. Mr Chapmans describes and maps this walk as an optional short circuit stroll however it looks as though the bridge that crossed back over Kestrel Creek to form the loop has been decommissioned, the Homeshow Trail now stayed on the southern side of the creek before I once again picked up Mr Chapmans route as it climbed up the sealed path towards The Manor.

Leaving the MYT I followed this sealed path up into Westerfolds Park.

The locals were out and about in Westerfolds Park this morning.

Ok...

This bloke obviously missed the memo...!

The Homeshow Trail.

The Homeshow Trail was a nice little interlude on todays walk.

Westerfolds Park - the country is pretty dry at the moment.

The Manor is an English Cottage styled building that dates back to 1936. In the recent past the old building has homed a small gallery and a café at various times, although it is currently empty while the Parks Vic look for a new tenant. While you can’t enter The Manor you can still poke around the gardens a little bit, there is a great mosaic in the native section of the garden that’s worth hunting down. Leaving The Manor I stopped to check out the view out towards the Yarra Valley, although while I was at the highest point on today’s stroll at around 75 metres above sea level it was hardly alpine.

The Manor at Westerfolds Park.

There's a nice mosaic to hunt down and check out at The Manor.

I got some nice long range views east out towards the Yarra Valley from The Manor...

....and a few glimpses back west to where the walk started.

Apart from marking the highest point on todays stroll The Manor also marked the spot where I’d start heading back in the direction of the ute. After dropping down a little I soon passed another big car park before a few minutes later re-joining the MYT and starting my fairly long journey back to Heidelberg. With the morning getting on a bit now things were starting to heat up a bit so I didn’t really muck around too much on my walk back, my progress no doubt helped by the fact that I’d taken most of my photos in the softer early morning light on the way out. After retracing my outward route for an hour I took a short cut through the Banyule Flats Reserve, checking out a small outdoor museum featuring old farm machinery. After re-joining the MYT on the other side of Banyule Flats Reserve my walk was getting close to it’s end, reaching Warringul Park again I stayed on the MYT this time and avoided the lesser track around the south side of the oval. Arriving back at the ute a few minutes later I pulled off my trail runners, jumped into the ute and cranked up the air-con, happy to head home after this fairly decent length stroll without any ankle pain - maybe I might be able to get use to these trail runners after all.

Starting my long walk back to the ute the day was starting to heat up a bit.

I could tell you the name of this bird.....if I knew anything at all about birds!

Some of the small billabongs beside the trail had been topped up by recent rain.

Leaving Westerfolds Park I crossed the Yarra River again.

Back on the MYT there are some gnarly old Red Gums.

The Dirt.
I walked 18.3 kilometres and climbed 163 metres on what I’d call a medium grade stroll, although it’s only really a medium grade due to the length, in every other respect things are pretty easy. There are plenty of facilities scattered along this walk, from picnic tables to public toilets and even children's playgrounds. I loosely followed notes out of the House of Chapman’s book Day Walks Melbourne today, one little thing to note with the notes is that the short optional side trip along the Homeshow Trail in Westerfolds Park is a little different now - the bridge back over Kestrel Creek to form the loop isn’t there any more, it was just a matter of following the creek up stream for a few more minutes and I was back on the described route.

Relevant Posts.
Heidi Sculpture Walk & Banksia Park, 2017.
Banyule, Yarra Flats Walk, 2018.

Heading through the Banyule Flats Reserve on my journey back to the ute.

There is a nice open air museum in Bunyule Flats Reserve.

Back on the MYT, the introduced trees are telling me that I haven't got far to go.