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| Strap yourself in for lots of photos of trees - big trees. |
With the Dandenong Ranges National Park being fairly close (in Australian terms) to where I’ve lived for me whole life, then I suppose it’s not surprising that I’ve spent a lot time walking up there. I’ve posted about walks in the Dandenong Ranges on numerous occasions over the years but I keep going back. It’s not only because that it’s close to home that it draws me back though, the towering Mountain Ash trees are a real feature in this national park, especially in the Sherbrooke Forest part of the park. It worries me a lot that with the climate getting warmer this magic spot will eventually be lost to us, even if we tackle climate change (and with so many privileged old white blokes making decisions that’s a big ‘if’) once a big fire does rip through here it won’t be the same in my lifetime again.
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| Grants Picnic Ground was pretty well deserted first thing this morning. |
With me still being in the middle of writing my big Kungsleden walk then I was looking to stretch my legs not far from home this morning, so Sherbrooke Forest it was. Pulling up in the almost deserted Grants Picnic Ground around 8am I soon had my boots on and was off on my way. Once on my way I crossed Monbulk Road and dropped into the bush. The initial section of this mornings stroll had me walking Clematis Track, firstly down over Clematis Creek before a fairly solid climb up to reach Sherbrooke Lodge Road. Straight away I was walking beneath a towering canopy of Mountain Ash trees and while they make for a sameness about my photos and my post, the trees are also pretty stunning I think - so you’ll have to excuse my photos all looking a little similar!
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After crossing Monbulk Road I disappeared into the bush.
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| Straight up I was walking beneath towering Mountain Ash. |
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My walk topped out for awhile as I climbed easily along the very quiet dirt Sherbrooke Lodge Road towards O’Donohue Picnic Ground. This picnic ground is generally a lot quieter than the nearby Grants Picnic Ground, although from my limited Feral observations this morning it looks like it might be on the backpacker radar now, as there was a couple of camper vans set up in car park. Dropping down through the picnic ground I followed Sherbrooke Track down to Sherbrooke Creek. Sherbrooke Creek is a very lush and green spot and consequently things can get a bit muddy down here. Although while it’s a bit muddy at the same time I’d say that my descent down Hillclimb Track beside Sherbrooke Creek is the best part of this walk.
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Sherbrooke Lodge Road
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Dropping down Sherbrooke Track beneath more towering Mountain Ash.
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| Hillclimb Track |
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I remember walking Hillclimb Track years ago and thinking how hard it was but nowadays it all seem a little easier, I’m not too sure why as I’m certainly not getting any younger or fitter! Anyway, after stopping to make my usual desultory attempt to take a decent photo of Sherbrooke Falls and watching a young Lyrebird forage around on the forest floor for awhile, I soon emerged from the wall of green at Micawber Tavern. This small pub would be an option for a drink I suppose although on all my walks here I’ve never actually been inside so I’m not sure if walkers are welcome or not. Passing by Micawber Tavern I was faced with the dodgiest bit of the whole walk, the crossing of the now very busy Monbulk Road again. The best idea here is to follow the narrow grassy verge of Monbulk Road for a couple of minutes towards Belgrave and then cross over to pick up a raised boardwalk on the other side of the road, you can see the traffic coming for a little bit further here than you can directly in front of the tavern.
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Sherbrooke Falls
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Hill Climb Track can get a little sloppy sometimes.
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Lush forest on Hill Climb Track.
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Towards the bottom of Hill Climb Track I passed back over Sherbrooke Creek again.
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| Crossing the busy Monbulk Road below Micawber Tavern to pick up this boardwalk is the dodgiest bit of the walk. |
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I now started another climb, firstly up Bleakley Track which more or less paralleled Monbulk Road which was down below me. There are some nice opportunities to look across into the ferny valley of Clematis Creek climbing up here which cancels out the sound of the busy road… a bit. Instead of continuing all the way up Bleakeley Track to my ute at Grants Picnic Ground I swung right onto Tregellas Track and climbed up onto Coles Ridge to meet Coles Ridge Track (who would of thought!). Once again I avoided the shortcut back to Grants Picnic Ground and turned right along Coles Ridge Track, dropping down, sometimes fairly steeply, to the walks lowest point at Jack The Miners after joining Welch Track on the way down.
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There were some nice views across to the Clematis Creek valley on my climb up Bleakeley Track.
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Bleakeley Track
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Coles Ridge Track is very nice walking.
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Welch Track drops steeply in parts down to Jack The Miners.
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| Jack The Miners - this grassy spot would make a nice spot for a picnic I think. |
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Jack The Miners is a grassy clearing that I suppose would make a nice spot for a picnic, it certainly looked nice on this very pleasant Melbourne spring morning. Jack The Miners is the spot where the last climb of my walk started as well, now on Paddy Track my route climbed fairly steeply in spots. While this climb can get the heart pumping it’s generally a pretty good one, the views west across Hardy Creek towards Coles Ridge meaning that there was always an excuse to stop! With the climb easing off I picked up firstly Neumann Track to my left and then Lyrebird Track on my left again, to finish off this mornings stroll with a fairly easy undulating walk. With the sound of traffic at the now very busy Grants Picnic Ground guiding me in I emerged from the trees and my very pleasant walk was over. Maybe another walk in the Dandenong Ranges isn’t what my blog really needs, although with me having a definite soft spot for these trees this probably won’t be the last!
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| I'm about to emerge from my green oasis back at Grants Picnic Ground. |
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| Grants Picnic Ground |
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I'm not sure who is exploiting who here?...I'm thinking that the Cockies might have the upper hand.
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