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Archive for the ‘Melbourne’ Category

Hot off the press! Melbourne’s Best River, Bay & Lakeside Walks

Posted in Australia, Bushwalking, Melbourne, Places to Visit, walking, Walking with Children, Walks, Walks with dogs, tagged , , , on 01/12/2019| 7 Comments »

Melbourne's Best River, Bay & Waterside Walks

Melbourne’s Best River, Bay & Waterside Walks

Well, perhaps explaining my absence here somewhat, I am very happy to announce the publication of my latest walking guidebook: Melbourne’s Best River, Bay and Lakeside Walks (Woodslane Press, 2018), which I have walked and written in conjunction with my favourite walking companion, Deb Heyes (for those of you who have had my previous guidebooks, she has very often been my patient photographic model – now turned author herself!), which has been a great deal of fun.

ch 3 photo2 solomons ford

Walk 16: Solomon’s Ford Walk

The new book is the first of a new 2-volume set for Melbourne – the original Melbourne’s Best Walks, has now sold some 10,000 copies, and we have decided to split it into 2 new books – one with a focus on water (this one) and the other on the bush, parklands and city (coming later this year).  We have re-walked the original walks from the first book, and added 40 new ones. There are some real gems in the Water book – as always, Melbourne never ceases to surprise me with all sorts of hidden nooks and crannies. I hope you enjoy discovering them too!

 

You will find the book (hard copy and e-book) available in all good local bookstores and online at places like Dymocks online or Angus and Robertson as well.  Let me know what you think when you get on the trail?  And since we are only about half way through the second one, let me know in the comments section if you have any ideas for fabulous walks you would like to see included.   

After the two Melbourne ones, we are heading further afield for the Grampians – watch this space for up dates!

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2nd print run of Geelong Walks book now available

Posted in Bellarine Peninsula, Brisbane Ranges, Coastal Walks, Dogs, Geelong, Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Travel, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 03/23/2015| Leave a Comment »

Best Walks of Geelong, the Bellarine and the Brisbane Ranges

Best Walks of Geelong, the Bellarine and the Brisbane Ranges

Hi everyone

Just a quick post to let you know that the 2nd print run of Best Walks of Geelong, the Bellarine and the Brisbane Ranges is now available and in stock at Woodslane Press, so your local bookseller should be able to order it. Yay!  Also, at the upcoming Melbourne Dog Lovers Show, on the first weekend in May, you’ll be able to pick up ‘Melbourne for Dogs’ at the show’s book shop, run by Avenue Bookstore. Amidst all that excitement, time for me to focus on the final write up of Best Walks of the Great Ocean Road, before my long-suffering co-author, Neil Fahey, over at Bushwalking Blog, falls asleep in disgust!  Should be out mid year.

Meantime, I am excited about my forthcoming birthday walk – 6 days on the Larapinta Trail – in central Australia. I love, love, LOVE deserts and one of my all time favourite travel moments was 4 days in the deserts of Wadi Rum in Jordan when I was doing that backpacker thang.

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Melbourne for Dogs book is here!

Posted in Bushwalking, dog parks, Dogs, Melbourne, Walks, Walks with dogs, tagged , , , , , , , on 04/07/2014| 1 Comment »

Melbourne for Dogs - who could resist that brown-eyed retriever? Not me!

Melbourne for Dogs – who could resist that brown-eyed retriever? Not me!

I can’t believe it’s been almost 3 months since I managed to update my blog!  Well, actually I can, as I have been pretty busy, with work trips to Mongolia, Canberra, Hanoi and Cambodia since then (plenty of stories and sights to share). But my big news is that the first copy of my new book, Melbourne for Dogs, has just arrived in my hot little hands today, as an advance copy from the printers.  Honestly – the anticipation has been almost too much to bear – it’s been somewhat like an elephant’s gestation, 2 years in the making and finally it has popped out fully formed in glossy, glorious colour!

RSPCA Victoria have come on board and endorsed it, which is wonderful, and we’ll be launching it at the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show, which will be at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton from 2nd – 4th May 2014.  You can pre-order it from Woodslane online, or after the show, it will be available in all good bookstores and online, as well as through RSPCA shops, and some vets and pet stores as well. It will retail for $24.95, but if you buy one at the show, it will be on special for $19.95. There are over 700 off-lead dog parks and 50+ off-lead beaches in there, as well as a series of longer dog and people-friendly walks to keep you entertained, in the style of the Melbourne’s Best Walks book.  I do hope you and your pooch enjoy using it to explore (off-lead) pastures new – Indie and I certainly enjoyed researching it!

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An evening stroll by the bay

Posted in Australia, Coastal Walks, Cycle paths, History, Melbourne, Places to Visit, Travel, Walks, tagged , , , , , on 11/28/2013| 6 Comments »

ImageSometimes you forget that the nicest walks are in your own backyard.  After a very hot 30C day yesterday, and just before the first clouds of mozzies descended, the kids and I headed out for fish and chips down at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, then walked along the promenade past Princes Pier where many of our soldiers embarked for northern wars in the last century. This beautiful sunset was showing off to everyone across the old pier’s pylons, and plenty of people were out walking, enjoying the gentle evening breeze. Further along and the walkway continues past quiet Sandridge beach, which is marked by recovered pier timbers engraved with the names of the old boats which sailed into Melbourne, bringing hopeful new immigrants arriving at Station Pier, eager to start a new life. Sad that we seem to have forgotten that, with notable First People exceptions, we were all boat people once.

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Melbourne for Dogs – some news!

Posted in dog parks, Dogs, Melbourne, Uncategorized, Walks with dogs, tagged , , , , , , on 11/28/2013| 3 Comments »

ImageWell, here’s a bit of excitement (for me, anyway!) – a sneak peek at the cover for Melbourne for Dogs has just arrived from the publishers. How can you resist the gorgeous golden retriever on the cover – she was at Cheltenham Park one overcast day in the winter, melting hearts all over – and yes, that’s a very mental looking Indie having fun in the water down at St Kilda West beach – we headed there yesterday to escape the heat and spent lots of time wading through the waters at low tide. Great way for dogs and their humans to cool off.  The other bit of exciting news about Melbourne for Dogs is that the book is going to be launched at the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show on 2nd-4th May next year at the Royal Exhibition Buildings in Carlton, where there will be a big wall display of the more than 750 off-lead parks and 52 off-lead beaches in Melbourne (taken from the book), and little old me and the books!  Looking forward to meeting some of you there!

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The St Kilda Corroboree Tree

Posted in Australia, History, Indigenous Australia, Melbourne, Places to Visit, Walks, tagged , , , , on 11/27/2012| 6 Comments »

The St Kilda Corroboree Tree, ‘Ngaree’ in Albert Park

I have recently done some ‘talking and walking’ for the National Heart Foundation, who have a fantastic Active Walking program, encouraging all sorts of people to get out together and go walking, through organising local walking groups. Today they had a meeting of coordinators from all over Victoria in Melbourne’s Albert Park, and I thought I would take them out to introduce them to one of Melbourne’s very special secrets – the ancient Corroboree Tree which is tucked away in the North East corner of Albert Park.  Thought to be one of the oldest living things in Melbourne, this ancient old red gum is between 300 and 500 years old, and has been a meeting place for the local Bunurong people since before European Settlers arrived. It is still considered a sacred site and used by Aboriginal Elders for important discussions and cultural business. The Bunurong tribe (sometimes spelt Boon Warrung) were one of the four language groups who made up the larger Kulin Nation.

There’s a lovely little walk tucked in behind the historic Junction Cricket Oval, which wanders through bushlands, native grasslands and a small wetland, to find the tree standing unbowed almost against one of Melbourne’s main arterial roads – which was diverted around the tree during its construction. What stories this Old Man Tree could tell.

The Corroboree Tree’s Story

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Walking Melbourne’s Historic Boathouses

Posted in Birdwatching, dog parks, Dogs, Melbourne, Places to Visit, Travel, Walking with Children, Walks, Walks with dogs, Wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 08/28/2012| Leave a Comment »

Studley Park Boathouse on the Yarra River, Melbourne

There were once 7 historic boathouses lining the banks of the Yarra River – popular in Melbourne’s Victorian and Edwardian eras, when people took their pleasure most seriously with days out for genteel boating and cream teas by the river. There are still two magnificent boathouses left on the Yarra today, and even more pleasingly, they are surrounded by wonderful riverside walks along this beautiful green corridor through the heart of Melbourne.  In some parts of Yarra Bend and Fairfield Parks you can feel a hundred miles from the city, surrounded by remnant river gums, native grasslands and beautiful escarpments, though the hum of traffic is always in the background. Probably the best way to take it all in is to take the riverside walk all the way from Fairfield Park Boathouse to Studley Park Boathouse, some 10 kilometres away, crossing the pipe bridge in front of Fairfield Boathouse and turning right beside the river to walk beneath the Eastern Freeway overpass, past the beautiful Bellbird Picnic area and around Yarra Bend to end up at Studley Park Boathouse.

View to the Pipe Bridge from Studley Park boathouse

Public transport isn’t great here, so either do it as a return walk (20km) or a full day circuit by crossing the river again at Studley Park boathouse and continuing left along the river, turning right at Dight Falls to follow alongside Merri Creek, and right again to follow the main Yarra Trail back towards the Pipe Bridge and boathouse.  Alternatively, arrange for a car shuttle, but make sure you include time for a bit of boating on the river and definitely a cream tea at either end! A fantastic spring walk full of bush, wattle and birdlife – smack in the middle of the city. Dogs are fine on this walk, and there is plenty for them to smell along the way, though they must be on lead and keep an eye out for speeding mountain bikers!

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Wheelchair walking by the Yarra

Posted in Bushwalking, dog parks, Dogs, Melbourne, Walking with Children, Walks, Walks with dogs, tagged , , , , , , , , on 08/27/2012| 2 Comments »

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Wattle-lined banks of the Yarra River at Fairfield Park

So, my perspective on what makes a good walk has changed dramatically in the last week, since my son managed to break his leg convincingly enough while skiing to end up in a wheelchair. Gone are the 10km narrow bush trails. Now what I look for is a good short level path which can still take us into the bush to enjoy the gorgeous spring wattle.  The slightest tree root or deep sand or gravel can stymie us and a too narrow path yesterday, on a bit of a slope, almost saw us tipping him into a lake!  No wonder he optimistically calls it off-roading!  A good sense of humour never goes astray at such moments, and we eventually giggled our way out of it.

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‘Have wheelchair, will travel’ – Bushland Circuit near Studley Park Boathouse, Fairfield Park

Anyway, the call of the sunshine and mild weather today was too much, so, dog in tow, we headed off to the Studley Park Boathouse and pushed around the pretty 1km Frank Macfarlane Burnett Bushland Circuit, which runs beside the Yarra River through 100 acres of native bush and grasslands.  It’s hard to believe you are right in the heart of the city. The incentive of an iced chocolate and light lunch in the sun at the Boathouse was an added bonus for our efforts, but the bush itself is just glorious at the moment.  Needless to say, this walk is both wheelchair and pram accessible and OK for dogs on lead – though I haven’t yet managed to train Indie to help me pull the wheelchair up the slopes!

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Proprietary Geese at Studley Park Boathouse, Fairfield Park

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Reader survey – how far do you like to walk?

Posted in Bushwalking, Melbourne, Walks, tagged , , , on 02/02/2012| 1 Comment »

I am keen to have a good feel for what my walks guidebook readers prefer in terms of the distances you like to walk.  Please let me know your ideal walk length, by voting in this poll, so I can take your views into account when designing my new walks.  Thanks!

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Melbourne for Dogs

Posted in Bushwalking, dog parks, Dogs, Melbourne, Walking with Children, Walks, tagged , , , , on 02/02/2012| 3 Comments »

Indie, 'Melbourne for Dogs' co-author

I’d like to introduce Indie to you – she’s our new spoodle pup – just 11 weeks old and has already stolen our hearts (though our cats are not so impressed!).  As well as keeping me company for the walks guidebooks I am currently writing, she is going to be helping me research a new book I am working on over the next 6 months: Melbourne for Dogs.  I know a lot of walkers in Melbourne like to take their canine friends when they go out for a walk (or perhaps it’s the other way around!), but it’s not always easy to find out where and when you can responsibly take your dog off leash.  In the Melbourne’s Best Bush, Bay and City Walks book, as well as the others I am working (Geelong and the Great Ocean Road, I have listed which walks are suitable for dogs.  However, this new book will be entirely dedicated to great walks, parks, beaches, cafes and events in Melbourne where your pooch is welcomed.  I would love to hear from you about your favourite off-leash and dog-friendly parks and open spaces in and around Melbourne, so that Indie and I can come and check them out!

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