Bay Trail

The Bay Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians which follows the coastline of Port Phillip Bay through the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.^[1][2][3]

The trail begins at Austin Road, Seaford near the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands viewing platform and travels north. The trail ends just north of the West Gate Bridge in Port Melbourne. On weekends, a punt ferries pedestrians and bicycles across the Yarra River to Spotswood in the city's west.

North of Brighton the path is mostly split in two; providing separate facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. These areas are also popular with inline skaters.

Following the path

• In the south, the trail begins a short distance from Seaford railway station on the corner of Austin Road and Erwin Drive.
• The trail then heads north (on the side closer to the Bay).
• The trail appears to end at Armstrongs Road, Seaford, however it continues at the end of Wilson Grove, the first street to the right on Armstrongs Road.
• North of the Eel Race Drain footbridge on the bank of Kananook Creek, the trail splits into two. Take the trail on the left heading towards Port Phillip Bay.
• Cross Kananook Creek over a pedestrain footbridge and ride north-east through Roy Dore Reserve in Carrum. The trail on the right heads east towards Patterson Lakes shopping centre, and eventually connects with the Dandenong Creek Trail, so take the left trail heading North.
• A set of pedestrian lights have been installed on busy McLeod Road, Carrum, opposite McDougall Reserve. On the northern side of the crossing is Launching Way, where the trail continues towards the Patterson River boat launching ramps. Turn left ono the Danadenong Creek Trail/ Bay Trail where the trail then heads south-west for a short distance (0.5 km) towards the bay.
• A caged cycling/pedestrian bridge crosses Patterson River parallel to the railway bridge and Nepean Highway. Once on the north bank of the river, the trail heads north-east, inland, for approximately 2 km.
• After 2 km, merge left down an embankment onto the Long Beach/Bay Trail now heading north-west towards Mordialloc.
• The trail continues to head north-east. After St. Louis De Montoford Primary School there is a concrete path heading down the embankment that connects to the Mordialloc Creek Trail (Mordialloc to Aspendale Gardens, connecting to the Peninsula Link Trail). Keep on the gravel path heading North-East.
• The trail then goes under the railway bridge at Mordialloc. Ride through the carpark, then merge onto the Nepean Highway footpath.
• After crossing the Mordialloc Creek, take a sharp right and travel through the underpass at Nepean Highway. Follow the Trail to the Pier, and take the right path.
• From Mordialloc onward, the trail now runs along the coast between the sand and Beach Road. A short gravel section of the trail between Mordialloc and Parkdale is narrow and runs between the sand dunes. It connects with a concrete section that runs beneath the cliffs, ending at McBean Ramp in Beaumaris.
• From McBean Ramp, the trail heads south-west. A 750-metre section of the trail is missing between McBean Ramp and the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron, near Cromer Road. Cyclists in either direction should probably use Beach Road. Pedestrians may use the path that follows the cliff's edge, parallel to Beach Road.
• From Cromer Road onward, the trail is concrete, with a dashed line in the centre, heading south-west for 1 km, reaching Table Rock Point in Beaumaris.
• From Table Rock Point onward, navigation is fairly self-explanatory. The trail heads north-west towards Port Melbourne, passing through the suburbs of Black Rock, Sandringham, Hampton, Brighton, Elwood, St Kilda, Middle Park, and Albert Park.

Landmarks

• Port Phillip Bay
• Patterson River
• Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands
• Mordialloc Creek
• Ricketts Point Tea House
• Half Moon Bay
• Wreck of HMAS Cerberus
• Sandringham Harbour
• Elwood Canal & Elster Creek
• St Kilda Marina
• Station Pier
• Westgate Park
• West Gate Bridge

Connections

Cyclists from the western suburbs can access the northern end of the trail using the West Gate Punt when it is in service. Access from the Melbourne city centre is via the Sandridge Trail. In the south, there are numerous connections to other paths including the Mordialloc Creek and Braeside Park. At Patterson River, the trail meets the Dandenong Creek Trail (Ride on the southern embankment under neath Wells Road and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, which in turn connects to the EastLink Trail. The most southerly point is in Seaford at the southern end of the Seaford Swamp near Austin Rd.

A path runs along Elwood Canal / Elster Creek, ending near Gardenvale Station

North end at 37°49′45″S 144°54′03″E / 37.829302°S 144.900715°E / -37.829302; 144.900715. South end at 38°06′18″S 145°08′08″E / 38.105002°S 145.135552°E / -38.105002; 145.135552.

See also

• Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail

References

• 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. pp105–109. ISBN 0-9579591-1-7

External links

• Bicycle Network - Bay Trail 1 (Port Melbourne to Frankston)
• Bicycle Network - Bay Trail 2 (Frankston to Point Nepean)
• Bikely - Bayside Trail
• West Gate Punt
• Photos of the trail
• Geographic data related to Bay Trail at OpenStreetMap