Bushwalking: Birds Land

Photo: birds in the lake at Birds Land Reserve

Walk overview

Length: 10.5km circuit
Time: 3.5 hours
Grade: Medium
Ascent: 250m
Maximum height: 230m
Region: Dandenong Ranges, Victoria
Map: Melway maps 83, 84

"Nestling in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, not far from Belgrave, is a small park with the unusual name of Birds Land. Although rich in bird life, this reserve owes its name not to the birds but to a former owner..."

"Two man-made lakes, part of the Monbulk Creek Retarding Basin, are home for numerous ducks and water hens... Entering Lysterfield Lake Park the scenery takes on a more natural feel as eucalypt forest predominates. With luck, wallabies may be seen feeding in the grassland close to the shelter of the forest".

Source: Day Walks Melbourne

My comments

We decided to do an extra walk this weekend after yesterday's disappointing effort. The weather was perfect again--clear skies and cool, with just the tiniest sprinkling of rain for a few minutes at the start.

The reserve was filled with people walking dogs and feeding the birds, but we didn't see many people once we'd left the reserve: just a couple of guys mountain-biking, and two women who were out for a Sunday stroll rather than a strenuous walk. Chris was happy to see some Tibetan spaniels out for a walk, and their owner confirmed that the females of the breed have less than ideal temperaments (though anyone who has met Poppy would already know this).

Chris took his GPS unit again, and it performed well except for a small map discrepancy - I've no idea whether the GPS or the map was to blame. I was responsible for us missing a turn (and the GPS didn't alert us), and we then had to backtrack up a very steep hill, right after I'd commented that I was glad we were walking down and not up it!

I'd grade the walk easy to medium, since there wasn't a lot of climbing and no difficult terrain to negotiate. A good walk to do when you're not very fit or don't have a lot of time.

It would also be a nice place to take the family/dogs for a picnic and for those not inclined to exercise to relax and have a read while the walkers do their thing.