It was a dreary old morning in Elwood this morning.
As is pretty usual for me I've walked this route before a couple of times over the years, so I had a pretty good idea what was coming up this morning. In my mind when I'd imagined my walk this morning I was meandering along under a blue sky while being warmed by the sun whilst a cooling zephyr coming in off Port Phillip Bay gently caressed me...yeah, that worked out well for me this morning! I did have some good news this morning though, yes, I arrived at the start of this walk in Elwood and not only managed to find some unlimited parking but also I was able to head off under dry skies....for a couple of minutes!...and that was pretty much where the good news ended really!
The good news was that I had no trouble finding a park and it had stopped raining.
The bad news was that as soon as I started heading along the Elwood Canal the rain returned... and didn't leave.
By the time I'd walked a few metres down St Kilda Street and picked the track along the side of the Elwood Canal the weather had deteriorated and to cut the story short it stayed that way for the duration of the walk. Now I've been so busy whinging about lockdowns and shitty weather I haven't actually mentioned the plan. This morning I was walking a loop that featured the historic Elwood Canal as well as longish section along Port Phillip Bay, before making my way back to the ute via some quiet suburban parkland. Heading along the historic Elwood Canal this morning I was more concerned with keeping my trekking umbrella from self destructing in the wind and rain than I was about taking in the blue stone lined canal though.
Elwood Canal.
Initially the old bluestone lined canal is more like a drain really.
Elwood Canal.
The wet weather did bring the colours out a little.
After crossing over the canal a couple of times I crossed the busy Glen Huntly Road and from here on the Elwood Canal morphed into a more major watercourse, I'm guessing a little however I assume that this end of the canal must be tidal. The weather was really crappy now so any photos that were taken were snapped quickly as I wrestled with my umbrella in the wind and rain. Now it is a bit of a shame that the weather wasn't co-operating this morning as this section of the walk is actually quite nice, walking beside the wide concrete lined canal is actually way better than maybe imagined.
After crossing over Glen Huntly Road, Elwood Canal morphed into something that more resembles a canal.
Elwood Canal.
Approaching Marine Parade along the Elwood Canal.
Crossing over Marine Parade my walking track intersected with the Bay Trail at the mouth of the Elwood Canal. In my mind I'd imagined myself promanading down here under blue skies, in reality this morning this was a fairly black walk. After climbing past the Point Ormond Shipping Beacon I set off south, heading for the distant Elwood Life Saving Club. For the most part I didn't even try and take photos along here as I was lashed by the cold wind and rain coming in straight off Port Phillip Bay, I only braved pulling the DSLR out of it's water resistant case for the quickest point and shoot type of shots.
Elwood Canal breaking out into a stormy Port Phillip Bay.
That's the Bay Trail heading towards Melbourne - I went the opposite way.
The Point Ormond Shipping Beacon provided the only real elevation along the whole walk.
Heading south along the Bay Trail in Elwood.
The coastal section of my stroll was almost over now.
Arriving at Head Street it was with some relief that I left the coast and headed back into the suburbs. With the houses at least blocking out some of the wind I shuffled my way east along Head Street until I reached Elsternwick Park. On reaching the sealed path that headed off north through the middle of the park I set off on the last section of my walk which was really just an amble through some manicured parklands. The rain had more or less stopped by now, although apart from a small lake there really wasn't a lot of interest to photograph along here I don't think. After a short stretch beside Ormond Road I swung right onto St Kilda Street, crossed Elster Creek again and shuffled the last few metres back to the ute.
Head Street street scene.
Elsternwick Park.
The Dirt.
I'm thinking that I'll have to come back a re-walk this walk on a more favourable day, these photos and report don't really too the walk justice I don't think, still I can only write bit as I see it. According to my GPS I walked around 5.6 kilometres and climbed about 62 metres on this easy stroll. This walk is pretty well completely along good paths, with the majority of the distance along paved paths. Depending on what current Covid restrictions Melbourne is living under then there are numerous opportunities for a coffee or a feed on this walk. This walk has been published by a few walking guide book writers over the years, most recently by Julie Mundy & Debra Heyes in their Melbourne's Best River, Bay, & Lakeside Walks book. I used the notes and map out of that book along with my GPS topos this morning although Google maps will get you through.
Relevant Posts.
The small lake in Elsternwick Park is probably the highlight of this section of the walk.
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