COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

Communication of Ducks!

On Friday we took our grand-daughter for a walk on the Dandenong Creek Trail starting from Wantirna Road. (More information on this section of the trail)

It was a cool but sunny day and she wanted to see the ducks.

We found a group of ducks plus some moorhens near the St David's Drive entrance to the trail.

Ducks usually congregate at this section of the creek especially as they know that passers-by might feed them. There were a number of other children also watching the ducks when we were there.

A white cockatoo in a nearby tree observed the passing parade.

A little further on two moorhens checked us out.

On the way back we stopped once more to watch the ducks. Before we arrived we heard a loud splash but the ducks were swimming around as normal when we arrived. Suddenly there was another splash as all the ducks disappeared under water at the same time. There was no obvious sign as to what instigated the dive but this manoeuvre was repeated about six times while we were there. Other passers-by stopped to watch and no-one had seen this behaviour before. Comments were made about synchronised duck diving!

When we went for another walk by this section of the creek on Sunday, ducks were in the same area swimming around contentedly.

Further along towards the footbridge near Armstrong Road we came across another group of ducks. A few were the brown ducks that normally frequent the creek but most of the ducks were a different breed that we had not seen in this area of the creek before.

We crossed the bridge and walked back on the other side of the creek. The ducks were still there but swimming in two groups. Suddenly one group of ducks took to the air and flew down the creek past the bridge. A few seconds later the second group did the same.

It would be interesting to know how ducks communicate so that they all respond to a situation, either diving sumultaneously or suddenly taking flight, at the same time.

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

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COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

Shepherds Bush

On the last Saturday in Autumn we decided to continue our exploration of the Dandenong Creek Trail by exploring Shepherds Bush.

Photo - Visit Shepherds Bush

We parked the car in carpark on High Street Road at the entrance to Shepherds Bush and then started exploring the path that included two boardwalks.

This was a most enjoyable walk through the bush.

The path ran next to the Dandenong Creek

providing many good views of the creek in a bush setting.

As with many of our recent walks it is often hard to believe that we are walking in an area in the suburbs of Melbourne. Because this path is narrow in places and unmade it is mainly used by pedestrians with few bikes encountered on this section of our walk. Cyclists use another of the paths in the park.

Shepherds Bush - Google Maps

Once through the bush we came to the main trail which ran beside farmland. A group of egrets was in one of the paddocks. A little further on we came to a gate leading to a conservation area and a path around the lake in Jells Park.

We used to visit Jells Park on many occasions when our sons were younger so it was a little like deja vu looking across the lake observing the many people enjoying the green park.

A little further on we saw a tree on small island covered with egrets.

Returning to the car we decided to take the bush path rather than the main trail. This proved to be a good decision as shortly after entering the path there was a commotion overhead as a flock of black cockatoos flew between the nearby trees. The Dandenong Trail through Shepherds Bush was another enjoyable walk.

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

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COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

Bushy Park
Recently we walked along the Koomba Park boardwalk and then crossed Burwood Highway (near Morack Road) at the lights to follow the Dandenong Creek Trail to Bushy Park.

Trail to Bushy Park - Google Maps

The trail took us past the skateboard ramp and the motorcross club as we skirted the Whitehorse Recycling and Waste Centre. Much of the walk was through bush until we came to open land near the entrance to Bushy Park. We shall explore Bushy Park on another occasion and also some of the smaller tracks we passed during the walk. The Dandenong Creek Trail through Bushy Park leads to Jells Park.

EastLink Trail to Blind Creek - Google Maps

On another occasion we left the Wantirna Reserve carpark and walked down Mountain Highway to Burwood Highway where we crossed at the lights. We then walked to the entrance of the EastLink Trail which we followed towards High Street Road. After crossing High Street Road we continued to follow the track past the Knox Waste Transfer Station and then branched off onto the Blind Creek path for a while before returning to the car.

Continuing along the EastLink Trail also leads to Jells Park. There are many paths for us to still explore.

NB: Today (26 May) was a perfect autumn day with bright blue sky and plenty of sunshine so we decided to drive to the entrance of Bushy Park Wetlands in High Street Road and walk back towards we entered the park two weeks ago. A short walk into the park took us past the wetlands.

A path led to the bird hide where we found a number of enthusiastic water birds including a variety of ducks and Eurasian coots. As soon as we approached the hide the birds enthusiastically swam towards us.

We then followed the path through the open parkland, passing some cattle grazing in a nearby paddock. When we arrived at the path leading to Burwood Highway we decided to climb the steps of a small steep hill. At the top there is a good view of the surrounding area. Following a path from the hill led to another track that we followed back to the main path near the recycling depot.

After a short walk back towards Bushy Park we turned right and walked down steps to another path which we followed until eventually coming to a small bridge, once again on the main track. Several other paths also lead back to the main track. Back in Bushy Park we strolled back to where we had parked the car.

Reference:

Bushy Park Wetlands and Dandenong Creek Trail - Tracks, trails and coasts near Melbourne

Burwood Walks No. 14 - Bushy Park Wetlands - Burwood Bulletin

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

See also all posts relating to COVID-19

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths

During the State of Emergency in Victoria one of the reasons that people could leave their homes was for exercise. Many people exercise when they walk their dogs and some energetic people go for a jog or a run. Walking around the block or in nearby parks has been a good way to exercise, especially for those of us who are older. Most people have been good at maintaining the required social / physical distancing. However the challenge when going for a walk has been encountering cyclists using the same path.

Most of the walking paths are paths shared with cyclists.

The expected etiquette on a shared path is that pedestrians and cyclists acknowledge that both groups have a right to use the path and should respect that right. Pedestrians should and usually do keep to the left of the path while signs on the side of the path, or on the path itself, remind cyclists that the path is a shared path.

Signs also remind cyclists that they should alert pedestrians that they are overtaking either by ringing a bell or calling out the intention to pass. Some do but many cyclists don't.

The RACV has information and a short video about pedestrians and cyclists using shared paths. Cyclists are also meant to slow done and if necessary even stop if it is not safe to pass a pedestrian or if there is a cyclist coming from the other direction when they want to pass a pedestrian.

Children under 13 are also allowed to ride on footpaths in Victoria. VicRoads has information about cycling on footpaths.

With the outbreak of COVID-19 in Victoria cycling has increased in popularity. As well as regular cyclists (usually wearing lycra and sometimes referred to as MAMILs), the shared paths are enjoyed by people, old and young, who have not ridden a bicycle for many years, if at all. Many cyclists using shared paths seem to think that they are cycling at a velodrome or competing in the Tour de France. The general assumption appears to be that everyone should immediately get out of their way - the track belongs only to them.

RACV - Victorian rules for cyclists

There have been occasions when cyclists have expressed displeasure when I have not stepped off a path into mud on the side of the path so they can pass without slowing down. One cyclist complained when he had to stop and wait because pedestrians and another cyclist coming from the opposite direction passed us at the same time that he wanted to pass us. We were walking in single file.

It has also been interesting to view the different types of bikes on the shared paths. Apart from conventional bicycles we have seen tandems, recumbent bikes and electric bikes not to mention people on skateboards, including electric skateboards, plus children (and sometimes adults) on scooters.

At both ends of the long boardwalk near Koomba Park there are warning signs for all users. Confirmation that cyclists cannot / don't read signs was confirmed the first time we walked along the boardwalk.

During the walk one cyclist was seen wheeling her bike along the boardwalk. When we thanked her for observing the sign she said that she had been wondering if she had made a mistake as all the other cyclists wizzed past. A short time after I took the above photo I watched a cyclist speed up as he passed the sign to ride along the boardwalk. As the boardwalk is a raised platform there is nowhere for a pedestrian to move to get out of the path of a speeding cyclist. I suspect that the boardwalk could also be dangerous if a cyclist lost control of their bike.

It is great to have so many shared paths in Knox where we can enjoy going for a walk. The shared paths should be a place for anyone to enjoy being out of the house for a while and exercising.

However I can well understand why some people, particularly older people, are reluctant to enjoy a walk as it may be dangerous due to the attitude and behaviour of some cyclists. We avoid some paths at weekends because it is too dangerous with so many cylists using the path as a place to ride as fast as possible.

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

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COVID-19 - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

When the boys were younger we often went for a walk down to Dandenong Creek where we usually explored part of the Bayswater side of the creek. During the past two months we have had many walks on paths bordering this section of the creek, though we normally choose to walk on the gravel track on the Heathmont side to avoid cyclists who generally prefer the bitumen track that leads to Bayswater.

When these photos were taken we had had several days of rain so the creek was flowing freely. Immediately after the rain the water levels would have been much higher and the creek floods in some places. It is a very pretty area and after the rain and cooler weather it was very green.

When we walked down to the creek in the 1980s and early 1990s there were rocks in a few sections of the creek which the boys, of course, wanted to climb on and try to cross the creek without falling in. Much work has more recently gone into managing the creek and rocks, in some sections, have been placed at intervals causing small rapids.

Near Armstrong Road is a pedestrian bridge crossing the creek from the Bayswater side to the Heathmont side. Another pedestrian bridge crosses the creek before Wantirna Road.

On the Heathmont side of the creek there is also another path closer to the bank but after rain it is defintely too muddy to use.

The trail on the Heathmont side of the creek is generally steeper than the Bayswater path and passes through bush. Replanting is ongoing in some areas.

On the Bayswater side walkers pass paddocks with horses, some factories and the back of the cricket grounds of J W Manson Reserve. Parker Reserve is on the Heathmont side near the bridge (Armstrong Road Road end).

View looking towards the Dandenongs with the Bayswater track on the right and the unofficial lower path on the left.

As on other sections of the Dandenong Cteek Trail there is always birdlife. In the above photo a cormant surveys the water while two ducks swim pass. Many ducks live by the river and there are a number of locations where the ducks congregate waiting for a feed from tame humans. (More about the birds)

There are two small billabongs close to the main path on the Heathmont side (Wantirna Road end)

We normally park at the carpark off Wantirna Road before the bridge. There are a number of other entrances on to this section of the Dandenong Creek Trail including Armstrong Road, Rachelle Drive and Waldheim Road (opposite Stud Road) or Ridandic Drive (these two join before reaching the creek path). In the past I used to enjoy walking along the track off Waldheim Road, especially when the path meandered through pine trees which were sometimes inhabited with black cockatoos. I have not seen any black cockatoos recently.

The pedestrian bridge near Wantirna Road has been decorated with padlocks.

We have come to know this section of the Dandenong Creek Trail well. In the future we will explore the track as it heads towards Bayswater itself, then towards The Basin and beyond.

NB: This week we walked the section of the Dandenong Creek Trail from the bridge near Armstrong Road to Dorset Road.

Dandenong Creek Trail to Dorset Road (Melways)

From the late 1800s the land on the Bayswater side of the creek from Warrandyte Road towards Bayswater was farming - mainly orchards and market gardens while the land near Boronia was largely used for growing flowers.

The section of the creek from the bridge to just before Bayswater Road has been recently daylighted - pipes through which the creek had been diverted have been removed allowing the creek to flow freely. A sign along the path includes the statement that floods are natural. An information board refers to floods that had occurred in the past including in 1934 when flood levels reached 6.8 metres. This was why the project to divert the creek water underground was undertaken in the 1930s.

This section of the Dandenong Creek Trail passes the back of Bayswater Secondary College then continues behind Bayswater Park. An underpass / floodway leads to the other side of Bayswater Road. The path continues past Glen Park then meanders on to Dorset Road and another underpass leading to the continuation of the trail - a walk for another day. There are also paths to tributaries of Dandenong Creek including Tarralla Creek - the list of possibilities keeps expanding.

See also other posts related to this topic:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

See also all posts relating to COVID-19

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)

There are lots of options for walks along the Dandenong Creek Trail. One walk is to continue on the main path, past the Winton Wetlands, towards Koomba Park and Wantirna Reserve which you enter via the Boronia Road underpass.

Koomba Park, Wantirna - Google Maps

The main path through Koomba Park goes to Wantirna Reserve but there are also numerous other tracks that can be explored, particularly in dryer weather. As the alternative tracks are usually dirt tracks they can be muddy after heavy rain, especially when cyclists have ridden along them. One of the tracks goes past a billabong and bird hide and leads on to a wide path near the power lines.

Another path passing water and reeds leads to the beginning of the back track.

Koomba Park, Wantirna - Google Maps

At Wantirna Reserve there is a cricket ground and other sports facilities. The Australian Jazz Museum is also close by.

Koomba Park, Wantirna - Google Maps

Continuing past the sports grounds is another track leading to the long boardwalk which ends at Burwood Highway.

The boardwalk meanders beside the creek.

In this area new plants have recently been added to the bushland.

It is a peaceful place to walk and from time to time the sound of bellbirds can be heard.

There are also views of the Morack Public Golf Course.

In autumn, by the sides of the boardwalk masses of pink flowers grow.

There are a number of ways of doing this walk. We often park at Wantirna Road and then walk along the trail to Wantirna Reserve. On other occasions we park the car near the sports grounds and explore the boardwalk and some of the smaller walks.

See Also:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Walking on Shared Paths

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

See also all posts relating to COVID-19