Little Boggy Creek Walk, Little Boggy Creek Reserve - September 2021

Boggy Creek, Langwarrin.

Up until the plague arrived I'd never really given a second thought to Boggy Creek. This little unremarkable stream flows a torturous ten kilometre path (I'm estimating) from it's headwaters in Langwarrin Upper, through housing estates, sand quarries, nature reserves, as well as crossing and re-crossing numerous big roads and freeways as it makes it's way down to join Eel Race Drain. Parts of the creek, like this section in the Little Boggy Creek Reserve, are still in an almost natural state while other sections are buried in pipes underground. Over our almost two years of lockdowns I've pretty well walked all the public access areas along this little creek, all the way from Langwarrin, through The Pines, down to Eel Race Drain and then finally along Kananook Creek where the water finally breaks out into Port Phillip Bay - yes, I've been livin' a life!

Parking wasn't an issue this morning.

This morning I was visiting the headwaters of Boggy Creek up in Langwarrin. Now a pristine mountain stream this isn't, the actual start of my walk had me walking through a supermarket carpark with the creek buried beneath a grassy easement beside me. After clearing the car park and crossing over Granite Drive the creek appeared above ground though. It was really early on another lockdown morning so there wasn't a lot of people out and about this morning, a few cars in the super market car park was about it really so once again I wasn't having too much trouble social distancing. Still, I was happy enough to cross over the deserted Granite Drive and enter the Little Boggy Creek Reserve and slip into the bush, slipping my mask into my pocket at the same time.

After crossing over Granite Drive I entered the Little Boggy Creek Reserve - and the walking got a fair bit better.

Little Boggy Creek Reserve.

I now started a anti clockwise circumnavigation of this tiny reserve. Initially I headed more or less north-west, keeping pretty well to the path that runs along the back fence line of the suburban houses of Langwarrin. While the creek itself was never more than twenty metres away to my left it was always hidden by the thick remnant vegetation - I could of pushed down one of the rougher informal tracks (that no doubt the local kids had created) however I was happy enough meandering along the good track under the early morning sun at this stage. 

The sun was trying its best to emerge from the clouds.

Most of the walk around Little Boggy Creek Reserve sticks close to the back fence line of the surrounding houses.

I'm thinking that this is some kind of Coral Fern?... although that could very well be a Feral Fact!...

... and I'm thinking that this is some kind of flowering gum tree - yes, feel free to consult me on all your botanical queries!

After around twenty minutes of fairly easy walking I arrived at Lexton Drive, the furtherest extremity of this mornings stroll. Crossing over Boggy Creek on the road bridge I once again headed back into the bush, now heading back towards the ute though. I was now walking towards the low morning sun as well which meant that photos required a little more thought, although really it wasn't like I had a lot to photograph anyway. After walking the concrete path for awhile I noticed a fairly decent pad dropping into the bush and heading for the creek, so with the main route that I'd been following not really looking like it was going to be featuring too many water views I thought that I may as well drop down and check things out. Sure enough after a short twenty metre detour I arrived on the banks of the gently trickling creek, yes it was all nice enough however my heart wasn't really in it now. Re-joining the main route I ambled the last few minutes to finish my loop and once again meandered through the supermarket carpark back to the ute. 

Heading back towards the ute I had a footpath to follow for awhile. 

Boggy Creek.

Early morning Little Boggy Creek Reserve.

Boggy Creek, Little Boggy Creek Reserve.

The Dirt.

As you may have guessed from my half hearted write up I'm really struggling finding a lot of joy from some of these urban parkland strolls, while they are nice enough in isolation, after more than a year and a half (and as I type this up still no end to our Melbourne lockdowns in sight) I'm really over it and am ready to take my chances with the virus (once everybody who wants to have the vaccination has had an opportunity). This easy stroll was around 2.3 kilometres and featured about 9 metres of climbing. For anyone that lives local then this walk is worth checking out I guess, I'm thinking early morning or late afternoon would be the best time. There is plenty of parking in the Woolies car park and I'm guessing that there would be a café inside the shopping centre if anyone wanted a feed. This walk popped up on Alltrails and I used that site along with Google Maps to plan it out, I used my GPS maps on the stroll.

Relevant Posts.

Boggy Creek & Darnley Tracks Walk, 2021.

Kananook Creek, Long Island Walk, 2021.

Little Boggy Creek near Granite Drive.

Heading back to the ute. Boggy Creek flows through a pipe buried beneath the easement on the left along here.