Melbourne’s Best Bush, Bay & City Walks by Julie Mundy
This book has details and maps of 44 walks in Melbourne and surrounds. I’m going to use the book for Camino de Santiago training. The plan is to do every walk in the book over the course of the next twelve months. Some of the walks are quite short, at only a few kilometres, and easy, so there will be times that I join a few walks together to form one big day walk.
Here’s the list of walks which will show in red when I’ve completed them:
Inner City
1. Federation Square and SouthBank, 5km circuit. Easy
2. Parliament Hill and Fitzroy Gardens, 2.5km circuit. Easy
3. War and Peace, 5km circuit. Easy
4. Birrarang Marr and sporting icons, 5km circuit. Easy
5. Carlton & Queen Victoria Market, 5km circuit. Easy
6. Laneways & Melbourne heritage, 6km circuit. Easy
7. Arts Precinct, 4.5km circuit. Easy
8. Emerald Hill Heritage Precinct, 4km one way.Easy
9. Como House and Herring Island, 2.5km circuit. Easy
10. Docklands, 6km circuit. Easy
11. Albert Park Lake, 5.5km circuit. Easy
The Southwest
12. Williamstown Maritme history, 10.5km return. Easy
13. Altona Coastal Park, 7.5km circuit. Easy
14. Werribee Park and Mansion, 3km circuit. Easy
15. Point Cook Homestead and Park, 2.2km circuit. Easy
16. Cheetham Wetlands, 2.6km return. Easy
17. You Yangs East-West Track, 4.5km circuit. Medium
Melbourne’s West
18. Brimbank Park, 4km circuit. Medium
19. Pipemakers Park, Maribyrnong River, 8km circuit. Easy
20. Organ Pipes National Park, 2.5km circuit. Medium
21. Long Forest Nature Reserve, 4km circuit. Hard
Melbourne’s North
22. Yarra Bend Park & Dights Falls, 4.5km circuit.Easy
23. Royal Park and Zoo, 6.5km circuit. Easy
24. University Precinct, 3.7k circuit. Easy
25. Gellibrand Hill & Woodlands Park, 5.5km circuit. Easy
26. Yellowgum Park, Plenty River, 3km circuit. Medium
Melbourne’s East
27. Heide and Banksia Park, 2km circuit Easy
28. Kokoda Memorial Track 4 km circuit Hard
29. Dandenongs Summit 5km circuit Hard
30. Eastern Sherbrooke Forest 7km return Medium
31. RJ Hamer Aboretum 4.5km circuit Medium
32. Warrandyte Goldmining Trail 3.5km circuit Hard
33. Sugarloaf Reservoir 2.5km return Easy
The SouthEast
34. Braeside Park 5.5km circuit Easy
35. Australian Gardens Cranbourne 5.5km circuit Easy
36. Lysterfield Lake 6km circuit Medium
37. Churchill National Park 7.5km circuit Medium
SouthEast Bayside
38. Station Pier to Webb Dock 6km return Easy
39. St. Kilda to Station Pier 5km one way Easy
40. St. Kilda icons 5.5km circuit Easy
41. Elwood Canal and foreshore 5.5km circuit Easy
42. Brighton Beach Boxes 3.2km one way Easy
43. Red Bluff 6km return Medium
44. Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary 1.5km circuit Easy
Hi Jenifer, Here in Hobart there is a version of this book, poduced by Ingrid Roberts. A friend of mine and myself are walking our way through this book,as I myself have an interest in the Camino walk. Happy walking, Maree.
Thanks for the Hobart book tip Maree. I am going to be in Hobart next year with friends and we’re planning to do lots of walking. Will check out the book. Happy walking to you too.
Hi Jennifer – I am so delighted you are using the walks in my book and look forward to reading about your experiences! My next book, which covers Geelong, the Brisbane Ranges and the Bellarine Peninsula, is coming out in November, and includes the 3 day Burchell Trail in the Brisbane Ranges, so that might be something to work towards! I am also planning to walk the Camino when my kids finish school, in about 5 years, so will follow your blog with interest. Have you seen the Martin Sheen film, The Way? It’s set on the Camino and is incredibly inspiring. Enjoy your walking! Julie
Thank you for your lovely comments Julie. I will look forward to your next books. I did see the Way, and agree it is very inspiring. Especially when I saw that they actually did walk all of it. This film reignited my interest in the Camino. It’s been on my to-do list for years, and it finally decided me that the time is right. Looking forward to blogging about your walks.
Hi Jennifer – Happy New Year! Just wanted to check in and see how you are going through all the walks? My new book, for Geelong, teh Bellarine and the Brisbane Ranges, has just come out, so if you walk all the walks in both books, that will be around 500km and about 2/3rds of the Camino! J.
Thanks for your ongoing interest. I’ve done a few more of the walks that aren’t on the blog yet. Now that the hectic first couple of months of the year are over, I’m looking forward to ticking them off more quickly. Will look out for your now book definitely.