Gardiner Station to Alphington

Ride on 18/12/2020

For our first summer ride, eleven of us met at Gardiner Station ready to roll.

We headed off to find the Gardiners Creek Trail briefly before turning onto the green and verdant Ferndale Trail ready to steadily ride uphill for a long way. The ride took us through Glen Iris into Ashburton where we turned left onto the Anniversary Trail. Through more green and verdant surrounds, we followed the old outer circle railway. This section still has trains and is part of the Alamein line. However for the most part the trail is quiet and peaceful and you would not realise that you are following a working railway line. A favourite part of the route is the section near Canterbury Road passing under old bridges amidst lovely parkland. At Mont Albert Road we reached the highest, and halfway, point of our journey.

Soon after this we visited Town and Country on Whitehorse Road ready to indulge in our favourite beverages. Then it was back to riding, now mainly downhill. This part of the ride was much faster, and there were glimpses of Melbourne's mountains as we rode. The scenery continued to be delightful and we finally reached the Main Yarra Trail near the Kew Billabong. Here we rode along the Darebin Creek Trail to one, last muscle pump before reaching  Alphington Station.

Penny.

North Fitzroy to Coburg Lake via Merri Creek return

Ride on 19/6/2020

The weather was lovely, sunny, bracing and very breezy, a lively winter's day in Melbourne.

The Merri path gets better and better with improved trails and paths and a lot of good landscaping. So the route was just gorgeous – sun sparkling off the creek, not too many people on the track, and very lush greenery after recent rains.

Led by Pam, the first group of 11 headed off from Rushall Station at 10am, and split into two groups at Coburg Lake. Four riders chose to head further up Merri Creek, the rest went to the Boot Factory near the old Pentridge Prison for coffee and returned via the same route.

The second group of 12 followed at 10.15am were led by Ross. After visiting Coburg Lake they had their coffee at Ruby's  a 'retro diner-style cafe in coffee-barren Coburg' at 138 Nicholson Street, Coburg just off the trail near Joe’s Market Garden. 

Rodney briefed both groups on the indigenous sites near Coburg Lake, and mentioned the current co-operative venture at Joe’s Market Garden involving local indigenous people. Readers of Bruce Pascoe’s ‘Dark Emu’ will know about the daisy yam, which was prolific before European arrival. It’s now being grown again at the market garden, and sold to restaurants. Please see the Indigenous Notes for more information.