Summary

Stretch your legs in bushland on this 3.8 km loop in Woodlands Historic Park. This popular park has kangaroos, abundant birdlife and ancient River Red Gums along the Moonee Ponds Creek.

Description

If you're looking to stretch your legs in bushland close to Melbourne, Woodlands Historic Park has many walking paths worth exploring.

This 3.8 km loop walk begins by following the Moonee Ponds Creek along Murrup Gurrong Yan (Spiritual Creek Walk). The interpretative signage about Aboriginal culture and history is moving.

One of the highlights of this walk is the abundance of River Red Gums. With gnarly, sculptural trunks and limbs, these ancient trees alone make the park worth a visit.

Within the park, there is a large population of resident Eastern Grey Kangroos and a huge variety of birdlife. Look out for fairy-wrens, flame and rose robins, striated and spotted pardalotes, weebills, rosellas and kookaburras, to name a few.

Dogs are allowed but must be on leash at all times to protect the wildlife.

Woodlands Homestead is an easy detour off this map for history buffs interested in colonial Australia. The homestead is a rare example of a large pre-fabricated timber house brought to colonial Australia from Britain.

The park is close to Tullamarine Airport and bordered by busy Somerton Road and the Calder Fwy, so there can be a bit of traffic noise.

Woodlands Historic Park is managed by Parks Victoria and is open daily from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm. During daylight saving, the opening hours on weekends and public holidays are extended to 6.00 pm.

Toilets and drinking water at Somerton Road Picnic Area.

Thank you to Peter Mollison for contributing wildlife photographs for this walk.

This map was supported by Melbourne Water Liveable Communities, Liveable Waterways incentives program.

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Points of Interest

1. Start of walk

From the Somerton Road Picnic Area, head across the bridge and into the park.

2. Spectacular River Red Gum

Large, hollow-bearing red gums are widespread in the Moonee Ponds Creek flood plain.

3. Gravel path

Follow the wide, gravel path into the woodland.

4. Laughing Kookaburra

The park is home to a huge variety of birdlife including kookaburras and kingfishers. Photo: Peter Mollison

5. Sculptural forms

With gnarly, twisted trunks and limbs, no two red gums are the same.

6. Follow the creek

This walk follows the Moonee Ponds Creek beyond Murrup Gurrong Yan, Spiritual Creek Walk.

7. Slight uphill stretch

A gravel road leads towards the homestead. The paddock on the right is popular with kangaroos.

8. Eastern Grey Kangaroo

Kangaroos are easy to spot feeding in the open, grassy areas of the park. Photo: Peter Mollison

9. Weebill

Listen out for birdsong to help locate tiny birds such as weebills, thornbills and pardalotes. Photo: Peter Mollison

10. Red gums galore

The red gums support biodiversity in the park.

11. Bridge towards the picnic ground

Cross the creek once again the complete the loop.

12. Picnic area

The Somerton Road picnic area is a lovely place to have some lunch or a snack.

Features

Drinking water available

Public toilets

Historical interest

Nature trail

Lake, creek, river

Park / Garden