Gardiners Creek Trail

__NOTOC__MelbourneBikePath


DESCRIPTION=
NAME=Gardiners Creek Trail
LENGTH=Approx 17 km
DIFFICULTY=Mostly easy
HILLS=Mostly flat
HAZARDS=Can be very crowded
WATER=Water fountains at several locations
PATH=Bitumen
BUS=
TRAIN=Kooyong, East Malvern and Blackburn Stations
TRAM=

The Gardiners Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Gardiners Creek through the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. [ [http://maps.vicroads.vic.gov.au/website/bikes2b/viewer.htm VicRoads - Bicycle Facilities Map] ] [ [http://www.bigyak.net.au/gmaps/vicbiketrailsgmap.html?slct2=18 Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps] ] [ [http://www.bigyak.net.au/bike/bike.html#melgel Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Earth] ]

Bicycle Victoria is campaigning for a connection between Winton Rd and Warrigal Rd, to complete the gap in the trail at this point. It is proposed that the path would continue along the creek parallel to the Malvern Public Golf Course, spanning the gap from Winton Rd to Warrigal Rd. The Solway St footbridge would be replaced at a point 10m further to the east from the original.

The length of the gap was exacerbated for over a year, following the closure of the Solway St footbridge due to storm damage, sometime before April 2006. The old bridge was shored up and reopened in June 2007. A replacement bridge has been under discussion since at least 2003. [Stonnington council - annual plan 2003 2004 - annualplan20032004.pdf] [Boroondara Council - Monthly Performance Report February 2005] [Stonnington Council - Notice Paper 1 Aug 2005 p61 - NP01-08-05.pdf] .] As of April 2008 it remains under discussion. [ [http://www.progressleader.com.au/article/2007/03/27/12107_ppv_news.html Progress Leader Newspaper - Fight to reopen footbridge] ] [ [http://www.leadernews.com.au/article/2007/01/16/9239_ppv_news.html Progress Leader Newspaper - Bridge back in business] ] [ [http://www.progressleader.com.au/article/2007/05/08/14226_ppv_news.html Progress Leader Newspaper - Risky steps] ]

Following the Path

The path begins at the Yarra River, opposite St Kevin's College and Scotch College, close to Kooyong Railway Station (on the Glen Waverley line); between the suburbs of Toorak, Hawthorn, and Kooyong. The path snakes along Gardiners Creek, near the Monash Freeway. Its also goes past Solway Primary School.

Near East Malvern Railway Station it crosses Winton Rd. At this point, riders can continue straight ahead to East Malvern Railway Station to pick up the Scotchmans Creek Trail and East Malvern Station to Centre Rd Trail.

Cross the Solway St footbridge to Ryburne Rd. The very southern end of the Anniversary Trail appears on the left near the end of Ryburne Rd. Using the Anniversary Trail continue to Alamein station. Leave the trail at that point and continue down Markham Avenue and on to Victory Blvd. The trail restarts on the east side of Warrigal Rd and the south side of the creek.

The path continues northeast through Ashwood Reserve to High Street Road, and then north (near Ashwood College) through Gardiners Reserve to Highbury Road. Across a nearby pedestrian crossing, the path continues north to the south of the intersection of McIntyre Street, Elgar Road, and Burwood Highway (near Presbyterian Ladies' College).

From Burwood Highway (near the Burwood Campus of Deakin University, east of Elgar Road), the path continues to the north-east along Gardiners Creek to Station St, near the Box Hill Golf Club.

Once at Station St cross the new pedestrian crossing installed in 2007/2008. At Station St one has the choice of continuing along the Gardiners Creek Trail or diverting to the Wurundjeri Walk Trail.

Go left (north) up Old Station St, passing immediately by the golf club entrance. Turn right at the very quiet and dead end part of Riversdale Rd. The trail resumes at the end of Riversdale Rd.

Turning right after the pedestrian crossing leads to Boardman Close. The far end of the close leads to the Wurundjeri Walk Trail. The trail signs in the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing are non existent and to avoid getting lost, great care needs to be taken:

The Gardiners Creek Trail continues north east, via a path on the north side of the Box Hill Golf Course, to the intersection of Canterbury and Middleborough Roads in Box Hill South. It follows Middleborough Road through R.H.L. Sparks Reserve to Albion Road, the path continues east along Blacks Walk reserve and the Blackburn Creeklands reserve to Blackburn Road.

Cross Blackburn Road and use either Alandale Road or Jeffrey Street to enter Blackburn Lake Sanctuary. North of here is the Blackburn Station and Blackburn shopping centre.

Connections

The westernmost end of the trail meets the Capital City Trail/Yarra River Trail at the Yarra River. Centrally it connects with the Anniversary Trail, which runs along the Alamein railway line and to the nearby Scotchmans Creek Trail and East Malvern Station to Centre Rd Trail at East Malvern Station. At Warrigal Rd it connects to the Waverley Rail Trail. Towards the eastern most end it meets the Wurundjeri Walk Trail in Blackburn South, and finally ends at Blacks Walk in Blackburn and Blackburn Lake Sanctuary.

The Ferndale Park Trail acts as a short cut to the Anniversary Trail.

West end at coord|37.833995|S|145.023586|E.East end at coord|37.825926|S|145.166615|E.

References

* "Bike Paths Victoria" sixth edition, 2004. Edited and published by Sabey & Associates Pty Ltd. pp118. ISBN 0957959117
* "Bike rides around Melbourne" 2nd edition, 2006, Julia Blunden, Open Spaces Publishing, ISBN 0-9752333-2-7

External links

* [http://www.boroondarabug.org/wiki/index.php/Gardiners_Creek_Trail Boroondara BUG Gardiners Creek gap]
* [http://www.bv.com.au/change-the-world/10580/ Bicycle Victoria - Gardiners Creek Trail developments and improvements page]
* [http://treadly.thingoid.com/commute-may-2006/ Commute - East Malvern to City - 2006]
* [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~fogcv/welcome.htm Friends of Gardiners Creek Valley]