Darebin Creek Trail

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Darebin Creek Trail
Length About 25km
Difficulty Medium
Hills Some
Hazards Gaps in the trail
Connecting Transport
Train Epping, Darebin stations

The Darebin Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians which follows Darebin Creek in the inner and outer northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1][2]

The path consists of a 8 km section north of the Western Ring Road and a 17 km section south of the Western Ring Road. The two sections are separated by a 0.85 km section of path along the Western Ring Road Trail.

Bicycle Victoria announced on 7 August 2009 on its web site that the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) had approved the issuing of permits for the Lower Darebin Trail and associated bridge over the Yarra. Work on the Lower Darebin trail is expected to start late in 2010, and to be completed several years later.[3][4] 28 October 2009 City of Darebin has been awarded $96,500 from the Federal Government towards the construction of a shared path from the Darebin Creek Trail to Bundoora Park in Bundoora. As of May 2012 no result has occurred from these initiatives.

Following the path

The northern section starts on the very edge of Melbourne surburbia next to open countryside. Travelling south through remnant vegetation and 2.2 km later, one arrives at Hendersons Rd. Epping station is 500m to the west along Hendersons Rd and the station is soon followed by Epping Plaza.

The path arrives at Childs Road, 1.3 km further along, having crossed a small footbridge earlier. Cross the Childs Road bridge to the east. The Hendersons Road Drain Trail is on the left (north) and the Darebin Creek Trail continues on the right (south), on the other side of Childs Road.

900m later the path forks to the left and right. Take the path towards the footbridge but do not cross it - continue straight ahead. After 2 km, McKimmies Road is approached. The path does not proceed under the road. Go across the McKimmies Rd bridge and also cross McKimmies Road itself. After another 1.5 km the path intersects the Western Ring Road Trail. A small wetland nearby harbours the Growling Grass Frog.

Travel 850m east along the Western Ring Road Trail to where the Darebin Creek Trail continues to the south on its west bank. The creek name is signed for road users but not for trail users.

Leaving the Western Ring Road Trail the southern section starts by descending to the creek and tracking along the west bank of the creek. After crossing McCleans Road, the path splits in two, as it enters a Norris Bank Reserve. Either path can be taken as they rejoin at the far end of the reserve at Settlement Road.

On the south side of Settlement Road the path continues on the west side of the creek until it reaches the eastern end of Rathcown Rd, by the sheep. Continue down Rathcown Rd and turn left into Chenies Street. The path resumes 200m on the right by following the creek again. At Dunne Street and Plenty Rd, change sides of the creek. An unsigned path looms up on the left, that leads to the Bundoora campus of La Trobe University and is surveyed by a lone park bench.

800m later cross the footbridge to the east bank of the creek. The trail continues south past another footbridge on the right (west) that leads to Northland Shopping Centre. Do not cross the bridge, just continue onwards.

One km later the bitumen trail meets a crossing with a concrete trail. Turn right (west) onto the concrete trail and head downhill. Going straight ahead on the bitumen trail leads to the Austin Hospital helipad (Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital) near Bell Street.

Three km later the trail meets the north end of Ford Grove. Continue to the south end of Ford Grove where the trail continues. After another 500m the trail forks at a wooden boardwalk section: To the left (east) it crosses a footbridge. Take the right path and continue straight ahead towards Smith Street. The trail passes under the large and high steel bridge that carries the Hurstbridge railway line, and then under the bluestone and concrete Darebin Creek Bridge (Heidelberg Road), before finishing at Sparks Reserve.

Epping to South Morang rail extension

The extension of the rail line from Epping to South Morang [5] intersects the Darebin Creek Trail in the vicinity of Sunrise Crt and Maywood Drv, the Hendersons Road Drain Trail near Maywood Drv and the route to the City Of Whittlesea's Mill Park Leisure Centre in Morang Drv.

Connections

Dead end in the north at Porsche Crt. Intersects the Hendersons Road Drain Trail in Mill Park at Childs Rd and the Western Ring Road Trail in Bundoora.

From Sparks Reserve, bicycle riders can access the Main Yarra Trail by heading east along The Boulevard (Ivanhoe East). After approximately one kilometre, and just past Ivanhoe Grammar School, turn right down the steep access road to Wilson's Reserve. Travelling east, the heavily tree-shaded and mostly unpaved trail passes Chelsworth Park, Ivanhoe Public Golf Course and Eaglemont Tennis Club before joining the Main Yarra Trail at a bridge crossing the Yarra River, just west of where Burke Road crosses the Eastern Freeway. The Main Yarra Trail also joins the Koonung Creek Trail at this point.

Alternatively, from Sparks Reserve, riders can access the Main Yarra Trail by travelling west using Heidelberg Road, turning left at Chandler Highway (just past the soon-to-be decommissioned Amcor Paper Mill) to join the Main Yarra Trail at the east end of the Yarra Boulevard. The vehicle traffic on both Heidelberg Road and Chandler Highway is frequently heavy, and Heidelberg Road's on-road bicycle lane is not continuous and often narrow.

North end at 37°38′09″S 145°02′06″E / 37.635830°S 145.034885°E / -37.635830; 145.034885. South end at 37°46′37″S 145°02′06″E / 37.777068°S 145.034873°E / -37.777068; 145.034873.

References

  1. ↑ Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps
  2. ↑ Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Earth
  3. ↑ Northcote Leader - Darebin Cyclists Frustrated
  4. ↑ Progress Leader - Bike path bridge too far away
  5. ↑ South Morang rail extension
  • Bike rides around Melbourne 3rd edition, 2009, Julia Blunden, Open Spaces Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9752333-4-4
  • Bike Paths Victoria sixth edition, 2004. Edited and published by Sabey & Associates Pty Ltd. pp114. ISBN 0-9579591-1-7

External links

Bicycle trails in Melbourne
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