A warm invitation to join Wayne and Bryan on their (pretty) regular fortnightly Sunday morning ride from Kooyong to Hampton (and sometimes Mordialloc). As we are preparing for Round The Bay on Oct 18, we will probaly ride to the Chain of Fools cafe (68 Beach Road Mentone) for a coffee and snack, then ride back home. There are plenty of stations along the way for bail out options.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Ride distance is approx 34 km from Kooyong to Hampton station. 48 km if you ride to Mordialloc. You add on your ride distance to home - or you catch the train back from Hampton or Mordy.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: This is a 'working-on-our-riding-fitness' ride. We do it every second Sunday morning - more or less. We begin at Kooyong Tennis Stadium at 7.25am and take Gardiners Creek Trail into the city. You are free to join at several points along the way. Kooyong (7.25am); Birrarung Marr Walk (7.50am); Port Melbourne Beach (8.40am). We ride the same route each time. We pick up Gardiners Creek at Glenferrie Road and ride to Birrarung Marr Walk, then through Southbank onto Lorimer Street - Westgate Park to Port Melbourne, Beaconsfield Parade to St Kilda and Beach Road to Hampton. We ride on trails, on quiet roads and a choice of bike path or road from Port Melbourne to Hampton. For the Beach Road section, riders choose whichever option (bike path or road) they are most comfortable with. At Hampton we stop for coffee - right next to Hampton station. We don't stop much on the ride apart from road crossings at lights and a toilet stop in Westgate Park. Oh Yeah :) We ride at a steady pace. We surge a bit down Lorimer Street. We take it carefully on Beach Road or bike paths where there are other forms of traffic (runners/ walkers/cyclists/cars etc). Coffee in Hampton is for about 30 mins, then we move on. Post-coffee choices are to ride onto Mordy, head home on your bike or catch the train. It's a morning ride and we aim to be back home by 11.00 - 11.30am. The rest of the day is yours and you're feeling great, having done a beautiful Sunday morning Melbourne ride.  BOOKING: We communicate via SMS if required, such as - "it's raining we're not going" or "good weather - we're on!". This generally happens on the morning of the ride. Early. Around 6.30am. Check your messages before you leave home. If you are keen to join this ride email Bryan and we can exchange numbers for communication purposes. Proposed ride dates at this stage are 12 & 26 July; 23 & 30 August; 13 September. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: Gardiner's Creek( next to Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club) at 7.25am. Birrarung Marr Walk at 7.50am. Port Melbourne Roundabout at 8.40am. All meeting times are sharp! MAP REFERENCE: Google map of the route: Kooyong Tennis Centre - Fed Square - Westgate Park - Hampton - Mordialloc. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The ride interlinks with trains at Flinders Street, Hampton and Mordialloc stations. FOOD: Water, rain gear, tube/pump, phone, helmet, glasses, $ for coffee/muffin APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Your riding gear. You know the drill.  LEADER: Bryan S. | Email Bryan on LeaderBryanS@nomads.org.au if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

SORRY WALK IS FULL NOW.  Explore the enchanting Dandenongs on a 16.5 km hike starting from Upper Ferntree Gully Railway Station and ending at Mt Dandenong Hotel, Olinda. This event is ideal training for the December overnight hike in Victorian Alps. It is not technically difficult, but we need to keep up 3-4 Km/hr to complete it. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Grade 4: Medium to Hard 16.5 km point-to-point walk (graded according to the AWTGS: Australian Walking Tracks Grading System), with public transport access at each end. There is quite a bit of climbing, and descending, on this walk, though there are no prolonged climbs. The total vertical climb is 967 m, and total descent is 588 m. The walk is expected to take at least 6 hours. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Is there a more enchanted forest than the Dandenongs? Tall mountain ash stretch to the sky whilst Gondwana ferns decorate the mossy gullies. With such Tolkien-like scenery, the bushwalker soon becomes convinced that pixies must surely live among the ferns. This hike follows little used trails from Upper Ferntree Gully Railway Station to Mt Dandenong Hotel. Mainly on track, with the occasional wombat trail, the route has a total elevation gain of almost a kilometre. Thankfully, not all this elevation comes at once. Rather there's a little uphill, then a little downhill, and so it goes until you reach your destination. On the way there are several sights including One Tree Hill and the Doongalla Picnic Ground, set in an English garden next to an historic homestead. It's probably the most romantic picnic ground you can find. There's also a number of hillbillies who live on the route and if you're lucky to get one talking, you will be spun a yarn about the history of the area. From the end of the walk, a bus will take you back to the start (or to Croydon Station if you prefer) following a charming route that is worth the price of the Myki pass alone. On weekends buses leave hourly. First though, a refreshing beverage at the Mt Dandenong Hotel is strongly recommended.  BOOKING: By Friday 02 October. To register click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. FURTHER INFORMATION: TrailHiking.com: The Dandenong's Pixie Waltz. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 9:20am at Railway Ave, at the top of the exit ramp (northern) exit of the Upper Ferntree Gully Railway Station (though an earlier start is being considered).  MAP REFERENCE: Google map (starting point): maps.app.goo.gl/H6PaBXCHQGG7dZMD7.  Route Map: TrailHiking.com Dandenongs Pixie Waltz DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 40 km, 1 hour 10 mins by train from Flinders Street Station.  PUBLIC TRANSPORT:  GETTING THERE: Take the Lilydale line train that departs from Flinders Street at 8:06am and change at Ringwood (on the other side of the platform) to the Belgrave line train, arriving in Upper Ferntree Gully at 9:15am. RETURNING: From the Mt Dandenong Hotel take a #688 bus from Ridge Rd/Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd (Olinda) to either Croydon or Belgrave, then catch a train back to the CBD. The bus stop for Upper Ferntree Gully is in front of the Mt Dandenong Hotel, and for Croydon is in front of Kelly's. Potential PT options: Olinda 3:55pm-5:27pm Flinders Street Station via Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave line Olinda 4:47pm-6:17pm Flinders Street Station via Croydon and Lilydale line Olinda 4:59pm-6:27pm Flinders Street Station via Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave line Olinda 5:45pm-7:17pm Flinders Street Station via Croydon and Lilydale line Olinda 5:54pm-7:36pm Flinders Street Station via Upper Ferntree Gully FOOD: Carry lunch, snacks and two litres of water. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking boots/shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. The Dandenongs are generally cooler than central Melbourne, but you won't be! Wear layers that can easily be added or removed. Bring a waterproof layer if there's any chance of rain. LEADER: RogerH. | Email LeaderRogerH@nomads.org.au if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Follow the Yarra River from Federation Square to Victoria St, Abbotsford with an optional short extension to Collingwood. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Grade 2: Moderate 10.8 km point to point walk (graded according to the AWTGS: Australian Walking Tracks Grading System).  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: After meeting at Federation Square, we head off along the Birrarung Marr walk, formally Batman Avenue before the development of Federation Square. This shortly becomes the Main Yarra Trail and we will walk along the north bank of the Yarra River. There is also a Main Yarra Trail on the south bank that goes from St Kilda Rd to Burnley, where it crosses the river to join the north bank trail. These are shared paths with many cyclists using them. The first half of the walk mostly follows Citylink out to Burnley which is above the walking trail. Our lunch break will be at McConchie Reserve, with Herring Island across the river. After lunch we continue walking along Yarra Blvd for 3 km then a further 2.4 km on the walking trail. After-walk refreshments can be had at the Terminus Hotel or the Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre. (An optional 1.4 km walk to Collingwood Station can be done if we are early). BOOKING: By Friday 2nd October. To register click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. NOTE: Daylight Saving starts on this day, clocks FORWARD 1 hour. FURTHER INFORMATION: Transport Victoria  MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 11am, Birrarung Marr Walk, Federation Square at Princess Bridge.  MAP REFERENCE: Google map goo.gl/RnYiBebtJZmFgLfm7.  DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 400m, approximately 15 minutes.  PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Catch a train or tram to Federation Square, Swanston Street. Return to city by tram #12 or #109 (Train from Collingwood}. FOOD: Carry lunch, snacks and a litre of water. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking boots/shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. LEADER: Paul K. | Email LeaderPaulK@nomads.org.au if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS