NOTES: ~ Bring some good tennis shoes or hiking boots. I…read moredidn't expect us to end up here when my friends and I went out for a drive and ended up needing to navigate through Kangaroo poop and rocks with open-toed heels. La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary is great for people who want a nice experience of Australian wildlife, but don't have the money to go deep into the outback. I fit the bill, and I genuinely really like this place! It is quiet, serene, and even better if you play the Jurassic Park theme song in your head while wandering through the pristine jungle-like reserve. Prepare to meet KANGAROOS! We saw some adorable kangaroos and silently watched them for a bit of time. Because the kangaroos aren't kept in cages or enclosures, the experience at this wildlife sanctuary is even better than an actual zoo! The kangaroos are free to roam - just be careful not to piss anything off! La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary is a fantastic nature experience and I would definitely bring anyone here. In fact, it makes me quite jealous of students attending La Trobe University! They get easy access to a beautiful reserve!~

An ancient gem. Ahuge, vast old volcano /parkland hidden off the Calder Hwy…read more You drive in through the gates and the noise of the highway disappears and is replaced by bush sounds. Peace and quiet are valued and other park attendees respect each others' space and individual nature experiences. Walkers, joggers, hikers, day trippers, locals; all types are here and hanging out. Those that walk down the steep mountainside are greatly rewarded with a view of The Pipes. An old volcano stood here eons ago. Soo Ancient this place is We are the guardians' of this sacred place, treat it as you would your own home. Soo much sacred geometry to view here, for those that can see. I'm lucky to live within 5kms and get to frequent this place. I can see how some people might get bored here but you have to explore every rock, path, grass mound, butterfly, organ pipe, river, etc with a open, childlike engry to get the most out of this place. I often see wallabies and kangaroos; side note: I hit a roo on my way out one night, driving at low speed at sunset. Roo was fine. Car had acouple scratches. Roo was jumping in a pack then randonly darted in the direction of the road and hit me. Best be careful of the inhabitants and respect their home. Cows grazing on the other side of the mountain Beautiful river flowing down the bottom. Snakes are around, my friend has seen them but I sadly have not. Take sandwiches, crackers, water, snacks for lunch or dinner down by the river or in the picnic area. Take a bag to take your rubbish home, no bins. Bascic, clean bathrooms located in the carpark. Free parking. No attendants work here, its unmanned. Police drive around occasionally. Enjoy the place and remember, you are where you are suppose to be, trust the process & explore

This national park is right off the Calder Freeway, and with all those fast cars, make sure you…read moredrive carefully. As we rode on up, we saw a truck just outside the gate with a official looking man and thought - you've got to be kidding me, as he was closing the entrance gate. Asking him, he said the gates close at 4:30 but we can park outside and he can't stop us from going inside. Lesson learned and we did just that. We followed the pavement leading to the actual car park, then followed the track downwards into the valley. There were a few different walks, 80m to the right are the Organ Pipes. 240m to the left are the Rosette rock and the Tesselated pavement formation. To any one who knows rock talk formation stuff, this can be a learning experience. I, on the other hand, read some of the info boards and thought okay cool, this looks different, and how weird. I'm sure there is more to be appreciated here. Anyways, there are a ton of picnic benches here, so come for a picnic and a walk. Because I was here after closing times, it was the time of day that rock wallabies and kangaroos were out and about. And that was by far cooler than the cool rock formations I saw, it added to my time here. For a small park, its good for a drive up and a few hours of sunlight to picnic in and see some different formations. This park really defines the Aussie landscape, hilly, rocky, dry with kangaroos. Oh and its opposing the Calder Freeway, so even with being guarded by hills, you still get the noise factor from the cars.

Greenery? Check. Fresh air? Check. Uphill walking tracks that will guarantee a good workout? Check!…read more I love the 1000 steps! It seems to have gained in popularity over the years so if you're coming on a weekend, prepare to arrive super early. I came at 8am on a Saturday, quite pleased with myself at waking up so early and the carpark was entirely full. It does detract from the experience a little bit but I'll just have to learn to share. Returning on a weekday was completely different. Barely any people on the track and I thoroughly enjoyed my walk up those steps! The 1000 steps don't take too long to complete and the hardest part is that last 5-10 minutes where the steps get bigger. Thankfully, there are plenty of rest stops and people are generally courteous about moving out of the way if your smashing out a workout without needing a rest. I love the sound of water running, kookaburras laughing and the different birds rustling around in the trees. The only slight inconvenience is the parking situation at peak times and high volume of people passing through.

This place puts even the fittest of fit to shame. If you think this is just a nice stroll up the…read moremountain, you'll wish you wore your exercise clothing instead. In case anybody wonders (and people always do), there are actually less than 1000 steps. But the walk uphill before the actual stairway makes up for the shortage of steps of the stairway. Before you start, there is a sign that tells you to leave your water bottle and other belongings. As long as you know not to litter, you can disregard that sign. I'd recommend going up the stairs and then taking the other non-stair path back down. But then everybody has their own preferences. Plenty of shade, so you won't be baking in the sun. On the other hand, you can't actually see your progress since all you'll see are more and more stairs. There are certain parts that are leveled, and you'll see a few benches available to sit. Most people we encounter along this trail seem to be at least somewhat fit. The most resilient hikers end up being the older individuals. Overall, it's a great place to get a good exercise. You'll be compelled to finish the trip the moment you start.

Nestled at the foot of the Dandenongs, The Retarding Basin is the perfect place to take the dog and…read moreunwind whilst taking a stroll around the track. A crushed rock path weaves its way through the open fields, around the large water basin, and across a huge field, before crossing the river and through the mangroves lake. Beautiful stuff. All the while, there's a great view of the mountain looming above you, and although civilization is minutes away, you feel like you're in your own private universe. With many others knowing the place, its best to keep your pup on a lead to avoid any instances, that way, both you and your best friend can enjoy the stroll in peace.

A beautiful place to walk with great paths and two lakes. No Shelter, bbqs, toilets and only a…read morecouple of seats, so don't plan to stay for the day unless you come prepared. Perfect for your dogs to swim and play and socialise, but please don't take unsocialised animals there unless you're prepared to introduce your dog slowly and gently to other dogs, as you could turn any corner and come face to face with a giant Jack Russell or some other breed equally intimidating . Most dogs you meet will be off leash and having a great time, fetching balls and sticks and having a good time. Not all people like each other and sometimes dogs take a dislike to each other too and trouble ensues, which is horrible for the owners. It is always better to be prepared if you can. Just letting you know beforehand so you will have a wonderful time with your dogs when you get there. I don't mean to be patronising but I have seen a couple of dogfights in my time and I don't want to see another one. And... the views to the Dandenongs are lovely too. Hope to see you there.

Lately I have been enjoying a little running here and there. I have begun to like this place after…read moregoing there many times. Firstly its this quiet place where you get to meet the Kangaroos, joeys, echidna and some native birds on their own. The cycling, walking, horse riding and a few 4WD's roads (no sure if they are allowed however but you do see the tracks) are all unpaved roads. So just for a precaution take some good shoes that will withstand those kinds of environments. As for the crowds. People tend to be mostly chilling on the side of the lake where there are chairs and some grassland. Some times a few people here and there will also be running or cycling around the tracks but most of the times you are just on your own. There are no sipping water along the miles of those tracks so make sure you either drink enough water that will last you for at least an hour or take some water with yourself. Just don't give up. You'll finish those lines and at the end the feelings are just great.

The mountain bike princess in me loves the single tracks that flow freely through Lysterield Park…read more A great place for beginners to get out an about, get dirty and learn some skills on nice open single track.

This state forest is stunning! The highway is a great ride. It's short and there are plenty of…read moreturnouts to take in the sights. Near where the highway becomes New York (or MA depending on your direction), there is a huge turnout where you can take a trail to the very top of the mountain and overlook this gorgeous area.