Melbourne Walks

Old mineral springs well, Clifton Springs beach

It’s now officially autumn, and officially my favourite time of the year to walk – Victoria usually has wonderfully stable weather in March and April – cool nights, crisp mornings, warm but not too hot days and crystal blue skies. With my book due at the end of this month though, I am having to hunker down at home to write, map and organise my photos.  However, on Sunday, the weather was just too good, so I used the excuse of researching a walk variation for the Clifton Springs walk, to drag my son and his friend out.  The added incentive was hiring a boat from Mike at Clifton Springs Boat Harbour and motoring up and down the coast along the dramatic sea cliffs.  Afterwards, we walked along to The Dell, a sunken picnic ground beneath the cliffs, accessible only by steep stairs or the beach at low tide.  From there you can wander along the beach to explore the remains of what was once a popular mineral springs and spa complex.  In the late 1800’s, people traveled by ferry from Melbourne to take in the waters and purchase water from the bottling plant.  Today, you can see old wells, remnants of the curvy thick glass bottles, and most interestingly, the springs themselves, which still bubble up along the beach and seep out through rock pools and the sand. A terrific short walk for families which you could round off with a paddle in the shallow waters and a picnic and ball games at The Dell.

Mineral springs bubbling into rock pools at Clifton Springs beach

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