Urban Forest

Mount Waverley to Oakleigh, Distance: 12 km
Region: Eastern Melbourne
Written up by: U3A Yarra City OYB
Last ridden: 26 April 2019

Cafes  |  Terrain  |  Ride Details  |  Variations  |  Maps

Overview

This is the ride for those who enjoy exploring pockets of bush in urban Melbourne. It goes from Mt Waverley station to East Malvern station.
Glide through the sylvan delights of Valley Reserve to the Scotchmans Creek bike path and run through sun-dappled parklands and wetlands to Atkinson Street, Oakleigh for coffee at the famous Nikos Greek cake shop. Then continue via the Rosstown rail trail, gaze in awe at Skyrail at Hughesdale station and coast through the nearby Urban Forest reserve to East Malvern station.

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Mt Waverley Station to Scotchmans Creek Trail, Glen Waverley (1.6km)

1. The ride starts on the south side of Mt Waverley station.

2. Head east alongside the trail next to the railway line until you have crossed under Stephensons Road.

3. Turn right and go on the footpath along Stephensons Road to Amber Grove.

4. Turn left onto Amber Grove and follow it around a right bend near Dunsmuir Street until you reach Waimarie Street.

5. Just across Waimarie Street and to the left you will see an entrance to Valley Reserve.

6. Follow the trail down through Valley Reserve. It is important to keep going downhill through the reserve following the creek.

7. Ride through the parking area in the middle of the reserve and take the exit onto the continuation of the trail at the south-east corner. Continue until you reach the end of the reserve crossing Regent Street. Just after Regent Street you meet the Scotchmans Creek Trail. Turn right onto this.
   
   Scotchmans Creek Trail, Glen Waverley to Oakleigh (5.9km)
   

8. Cross Waverley Road and turn right to cross Anthony Drive to pick up the trail.

9. Continue along Scotchmans Creek Trail crossing three main roads – Forster Road, Stephensons Road and Huntingdale Road. Ignore branches in the trail which lead you away from the creek.

10. The trail now takes you through a golf course to Park Road.

11. Cross Park Road and continue on the trail to the next street – Atkinson Street.

12. Turn left and go along Atkinson Street.

13. Just after the lights at Atherton Road and over the crest of the low hill is the main shopping centre in Oakleigh. It is worth stopping at Nikos Cakes in Eaton Mall, to the right and parallel to Atkinson Street between Chester and Portman Streets. Nikos is on the corner of the mall and Portman Street.
    
    Oakleigh to Hughesdale (1.9km)
    

14. Turn right into Portman Street and wheel your bike along this to find Oakleigh station.

15. Go through the pedestrian underpass at Oakleigh station.

16. Turn right onto Haughton Road and follow this, going under Warrigal Road, to find Richardson Street.

17. Turn right into Richardson Street and then left onto the trail next to the railway line.

18. Follow this trail to Hughesdale station on Poath Road and cross the road where the path continues.
    
    Hughesdale to East Malvern Station (2.3km)
    

19. Continue on the path for 100m until you see a path on the right that leads to an unnamed park.

20. Turn right and head north under the railway line and through the unnamed park.

21. Cross Neerim Road.

22. Follow the trail north through Boyd Park to Dandenong Road.

23. Note that at this point Google Maps takes you straight across Dandenong Road. Traffic makes this very dangerous. Instead

    • Turn left into the service road alongside Dandenong Road.

    • Ride up to the pedestrian light to cross Dandenong Road and do a U-turn.

    • Ride back along the north side of Dandenong Road to the Urban Forest.

24. Enter the Urban Forest, just near Hyslop Street.

25. Ride through the Urban Forest to Waverley Road.

26. Cross Waverley Road to enter the East Malvern station carpark. Ride through the carpark to the station.

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Shorten the ride

• by finishing at Oakleigh Station.

Extend the ride by taking the footbridge across East Malvern station and past the golf course then either

• turning left on the Gardiners Creek Trail to do the last part of Gardiners Creek or Ashburton Circuit, or

• continuing straight ahead to do the first part of Anniversary Trail South in reverse.

• Melway or Melway Online: Starts at map reference 70 G1

• Google:

  • Please click on box with arrow at top left corner to see the map legend.

  • Please click on box at top right corner to see the map in Google Maps. You must be logged into Google Maps to do this.

Google maps is missing much of the initial route for this ride. Look at Melway/Melway online from map reference 70 G1 to 70 G3 for this. At the break between Sections 2 and 3 of the ride, wheel your bike through the underpass at Oakleigh Station.

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