DR. ALFIE’S BIKE RIDE
Bike Riding from Point Cook to Williamstown:
Cycling on a Sunday morning before everybody gets up, gets your exercise over and done with. This track is scenic, calming and a view of West Side Melbourne you can’t catch in a car.
YVONNE’S WALKING TRACK
Altona Beach to Altona Coastal Park:
Starting from the Altona station on the Werribee line. Walk towards the foreshore along Pier St. Turn left (west) into the Esplanade and follow the beach path. The path leaves the Esplanade and follows the water past Altona Yacht Club and Altona Angling Club and through the boat ramp car park off Altona Road. Continue over the footbridge, past Altona Sports Club and Altona Bowling Club.
At the end of the beach is Altona Coastal Park. It is the former site for the Williamstown Racecourse where only the ruins are left now with one lonely palm tree. A 4-metre sculpture called Requiem for a Champion commemorates the location of the former third largest racecourse in Victoria, graced by Australian thoroughbred champions, including Phar Lap.
For a longer walk or run, keep going down the beach path and this will take you to Williamstown Beach. Walking the trail takes 2.5 hours one way (Altona to Williamstown) while running it at 6.5km/hr pace will take about 1 hr one way.
This trail is amazing as it gives you good views of the beach and the different animals and fauna of the local area. It also passes a dog beach to those in love with dogs!
DR. HELENA (and Pacey’s) HIKE TRACK
You Yangs:
Not only do I get to experience an amazing scenic hike, but my Labrador Pacey does too! It’s an on lead dog friendly trail that takes you around Flinders Peak with the option to head up to the lookout for that panoramic shot. The trail is approximately 4.5 km which takes just under 2 hours to complete. We made sure to pack lots of water, a foldable water bowl for Pacey, our trusty iPhone camera and a few snacks for us all. This trail is only 44km away from Point Cook – such a great spot if you’re looking for a countryside break from the city skyscrapers.
HELYA’S HIKING TRAIL
You Yangs:
A perfect trail to get in some exercise and immerse yourself in our country’s Indigenous history. You Yangs, derived from the Indigenous title ‘’Wurdi Youang’ which means ‘big mountain in the middle of a plain’.
I love coming here for a break from the busy day to day life in Melbourne, a nice change of air and scenery never goes wrong. With plenty of BBQs and picnic space, it makes for a perfect family and friends outing.
MONETA’S RIVER WALK
Maribyrnong River:
The river is my favourite walking track because the views and overall atmosphere are amazing. If you park at the end of Afton Street and walk towards anglers tavern before crossing the bridge, it’ll be a breezy 45 minute walk. I like to walk the track twice or sometimes even walk to highpoint, grab a boost juice and walk back.
There are little gym areas set up along the walking track if you feel like doing some abs while you go. There are several cafes spread across the track, plus kids playgrounds on either side of the river. If you’re a green-thumb like me, you have to stop over at Poyntons Nursery to check out their extensive range of plants.. oh! And you’ll see A LOT OF DOGS!!
ELAINE’S INDOOR EXERCISE
Pacific Werribee Shopping Centre:
To be honest I really don’t do any walking trails. I guess I can provide ideas to the group of people who aren’t as obsessed with healthy habits or those who mainly stay indoors. The most (fave) walk which I usually/always do is while I’m either shopping/window shopping at pacific Werribee or any shopping centres or melbourne cbd. In this case I’ll talk about pacific werribee since it is closest to us. Can take up to two hours for just one walk. Distance is about 15mins from Point Cook if there’s no bad traffic. Best feature which I love about the place is the lighting there since the roof allows natural light to shine in most of the time. I enjoy doing it with my family on weekends/day off.
YVETTE’S WATERFALL EXPERIENCE
Erskine Falls:
Although Erskine Falls isn’t normally a walking trail, it’s definitely quite the hike for a very picture-worthy view. There’s maybe 3-4 flights of stairs going down to the base of the waterfall, which even I have trouble going up and down without struggling. The waterfall even allows you (at your own risk) to walk through all the rocks to get to the waterfall itself!
You won’t realise how deprived your body is of fresh air until you breathe the air at a waterfall. If you’re feeling even more adventurous, walking away from the falls and down the gully leads to another walking trail which apparently leads straight to Lorne Beach! That’s if you plan to walk for 3 hours… LOL
