The Best Hiking Spots Near Melbourne: Pound Bend Reserve, Warrandyte State Park

When one son has your other son in a rear naked choke and your girls are about to claw one another’s eyes out, you know it’s time to get them out of the house for a hike.

Last year, I wrote a post here on Steemit called, “Why You Should Take Your Kids Hiking.” Here’s a quick summary:

1. Hiking makes memories.

2. Hiking builds character.

3. Hiking establishes life-long fitness disciplines.

4. Hiking is good for the brain.

Today, we only had a few hours, so I found a nice little spot about a 15-minute drive from our house, called Pound Bend Reserve. It's near the town of Warrandyte on the Yarra River.

The Pound Bend Walking Trail is only about 3.5km and it's mostly flat, so I knew there would be very little whinging from the kids on this hike. On the more grueling trails, it's not uncommon that I resort to bribery to get them to persevere.

Here's a clearer map of the Reserve in relation to Melbourne:

It was amazing how after just a few minutes of walking, the cobwebs were cleared, and everyone seemed to love one another again.

Here's the view from the parking lot as we set off on the trail. It's paved for the first 100 metres or so. You can see they weren't wasting any time!

There's some unique history here at Pound Bend. The Yarra River, particularly near the old mining town of Warrandyte, was known for its gold. In fact, the first recorded discovery of gold in Victoria was here at Warrandyte back in 1851.

It only took about six months for miners to deplete the alluvial gold in the gullies around the area (gold dust panned from dirt or the bed of a river). Then in 1854, miners came back to see what they could find in the river. They had to get creative, so they built a dam and bored a tunnel through 145 metres of hard rock to divert the water, which left 5 km of the old river bed exposed so it could be dredged for gold.

It just so happens this tunnel sits near the start of the Pound Ben walking trail.

Near the tunnel on the trail, you can find this sign sharing some of the history:

Here's a few more pics in front of and around the tunnel:

Be sure you're careful walking on the rocks. They can be really slippery!

After some exploration around the tunnel to take in the sounds of the rushing water, it was time to get down to business. We headed off down the trail and again my girls rushed ahead.

This one wanted to stop every 100 metres for a photo...

...and to inspect every potential wombat burrow.

This was a cool spot along the hike to stop and take in the peace and serenity of the Yarra River. It would also be an ideal place to go for a swim in the warmer months.

Most of this walk is along the Yarra River.

We couldn't pass up this fallen tree for a photo opp.

About 2 km in, you round a corner and come upon this big open field.

Just in case you're not Australian, and seeing wild kangaroos grazing in an open paddock really excites you, here's a video you may enjoy :)

This walking trail makes a big circle, finishing back at the tunnel near where we started. This was definitely the favourite spot. My youngest is always happy to pose for a pic.

The ultimate test of the quality of any family hike is...

What did the kids think?

Pound Bend Reserve, Kid Review #1

Pound Bend Reserve, Kid Review #2

Pound Bend Reserve, Kid Review #3

Pound Bend Reserve, Kid Review #4

No hike would be complete without a family pic...

Summary Thoughts

Whether you're a Melbournian or you're just visiting, if you're looking for a true Aussie bushland hiking experience, only a short drive from the city, the Pound Bend Reserve walking trail will not disappoint.

If you ever make it there, be sure to look me up :)

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Jason Staggers