Como Park@South Yarra (My rating B)

Como Park is located on Alexandra Avenue, South Yarra.  The car park entry is via Como Avenue.  The park is an offleash park with playground, tables and benches, and toilet facilities.

The park is green and peaceful, with plenty of space for children to kick a ball, and dogs to run.  The park is also a home of many big trees, there would be no problem at all to find a shady place if the sun is burning hot.

The park isn't particularly wheelchair/pram friendly as it has stairs to go down to the oval.  And the other thing which isn't as good as the park itself is the toilets were a bit filthy when we were there on a Saturday morning. 

A day out in Kyneton (my rating B)

Kyneton is a town in Central Victoria, about 1.5hrs drive from Melbourne.  It is a nice town to explore and stroll on a sunny day with your kids and furry little one.

Our day tour starts at Kyneton Botanic Gardens (we park the car on Clowes St), we have a picnic lunch at the park. And afterwards, a short stroll in the gardens.  It is very pleasant and peaceful.  Dogs are welcome on-lead in the gardens.  There are toilets, tables and benches available in the park.

The Botanic Garden is next to Campaspe River, a riverside walk shall be relaxing.  There are 2 swings in the Gardens, FYI.

 

Turpins Falls and Trentham Falls are 2 of several waterfalls near Kyneton.  Each waterfall is about 30mins drive from Kyneton, but opposite directions.  Both Falls are OK with dogs.


Staff@Kyneton Visitor Centre suggests me to put "155 Shillidays Rd, Langley VIC 3444" onto my GPS for the direction to Turpins Falls, there is a sign on Shillidays Rd pointing to Turpins Falls, so you won't miss the  turn.

There is no amenities at Turpins Falls, however, there's a path to the river level, I'd suggest you to bring a hiking stick with you as the path to river level is quite steep and slippery when wet.

Trentham Falls@Trentham Falls Scenic Reserve is off Trentham Falls Road, there's a sign pointing to the Falls so you won't miss the turn.  There is a picnic ground at the Reserve, with tables, benches and toilet facilities.  It's a 70m short walk on a well defined path to the viewing platform. 
**** Extracted from Trentham Falls flyer *****
Trentham Falls Scenic Reserve offers you the best access to one of Victoria's highest single drop waterfalls.  Here the Coliban River plunges 32 meters over a sheer face of basalt rock.

No wonder you can hear the waterfall thunder from the carpark, and the view is spectacular.

You may also like to take the chance for a short walk in the reserve.  The walking map is available at the carpark.

There are other Points of Interests nearby, like Black Hill, Mineral Springs, and other waterfalls......... :)
We shall come back and explore more, for sure......


p.s.: It may be tricky to find a restaurant / cafe in a Sunday afternoon in a country town, thus we usually bring our own picnic lunch.

Greenmeadows Gardens at St Kilda East (my rating B)

Greenmeadows Gardens is in St Kilda East, it's a small garden with a fantastic playground.

The garden is beautiful, relaxing and peaceful, the grass is very green and comfortable.  There's no oval in the garden, thus no ball games.  But the open grassy areas are big enough for kicking a ball.

The shared path is good for scooters and in-line skates.  Drinking taps are available in the park.  The toilet is the "Exceloo", the computerized toilet.  Unfortunately the toilet wasn't in a clean state when we were there in a Saturday afternoon.

According to the sign and the Council Website, the park offers offleash area at the northern end (i.e.: Not the end where the playground is) between 6am and 9am.  Dogs must be on-leash all other times.

I was not made aware of the offleash time restriction until it was time to pack up and ready to go (when I read the sign).  However, Jessica stayed on the picnic rug all the time, so technically we didn't break the rule.  But I did see dogs run offleash, sniffing and wandering around freely, and apparently nobody made a fuss.  Looks like it's a friendly neighborhood.

Ardrie Park@Malvern East (my rating B)

Jessica's health has gone downhill noticeably.   There are days she's happy to have a walk, and mind other people's business;  There are days she sleeps a lot inside the house, and doesn't feel like to go out at all.  It often reminds me the book "Island of Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell..... Remember?  The first dog the young girl adopts, he grows older and older, and he stops chasing the sea gulls on the beach.....  He spends most of time sun bathing on the beach...... One day, he never wakes up again........


Come back to my Jessica.  My goal now is to make each day as pleasant as pleasant can be for her.

This afternoon, after a good afternoon nap, she gets up at 4.30pm, feels like to go out.  Here we are, Ardrie Park at Malvern East, after a short 15mins drive from home.

The park is certainly a hidden gem.  Quietly suited among residential areas with no dedicated car park, this park is beautifully maintained.  Offleash on the oval, Onleash in other parts of the park, fenced playground suitable for young and school aged children.  Plus drinking taps, toilets, benches......... It's a fantastic spot for picnic and relaxation.

 

(Playground)

 

(Oval, offleash)

 

(Oval Offleash)

Glen Park, Bayswater North (my rating B)

Glen Park in Bayswater North, about 40mins drive from Melbourne City, via M3 / Eastlink.

It's an offleash park, with a playground and toilet facilities, as well as tennis courts to public and a basketball court.  It has also a few fitness equipments near playground.

It is overall a nice park that can keep the kids busy for one or two hours.  My children loved the RAMP especially, they went round and round over the ramp in-line staking and scootering.

 

(RAMP close-shot)

 

(Ramp and Fitness Station)

 

(Playground)

Zeally Bay@Torquay (My rating B)

On a warm Saturday (28'C), we went to Zeally Bay at Torquay to 'chill out'.

Why Zeally Bay?  Partially because it's offleash till Dec 1, partially because there're toilet facilities near the beach, partially because beaches on Great Ocean Road are my favourites, partially because Torquay is my favourite town along Great Ocean Road, partially because..................

Why is Zeally Bay rated B only?  All because the offleash period is from May to Nov.  Where do I go when Summer Heat comes?  The Beach Winner goes..... on great ocean road, a bit further down the Anglesea, with toilet facilities, will announce the name when summer heat comes. :-)

 

(Look Right)

 

(and Look Left)

 

(Here's Zeally Bay, ample car park, from Council Website)

 

(This is what PURPLE means, from Council Website)

Ballam Park@Frankston (my rating B)

Ballam Park in Frankston is a big offleash park.  It features 2 big adventurous playgrounds, a half basketball court, toilets, car park, etc.

It seems very appealing to me, but the kids didn't really enjoy the adventurous playgrounds, and because it's a such popular park, the basketball court was always in use.

But Jessica liked the park, she was quite active in this park, and wagging her tail, introducing herself to other park users.

Ford Park@Bellfield (My Rating B)

Ford Park in Bellfield, a suburb in North-East Melbourne, 13km from CBD (about 30mins drive).  It's in Banyule City Council, offleash park.  (according to Banyule website, all parks in Banyule City are offleash, how good is that!)

2 big ovals, a small but nice playground, a basketball hoop and toilet facilities, plus trees and shades, and carpark, all make this park on my B list.

 

(Playground)

 

(Basketball Hoop)

 

(Oval on playground side)

 

(Oval on Basketball Hoop side)

 

(toilet)

Woodlands Historic Park@Greenvale (My rating B)

Greenvale is near Melbourne Airport, Woodlands Historic Park is a big natural park at Greenvale managed by Park Vic, boasts a homestead, several walking tracks and landscape.

Dogs are allowed on-leash in this park.


Obviously this park is popular.  We entered the park from Somerton Road on a cloudy Sunday, there, more than 10 cars had parked.  Don't worry, there're plenty of parking spots.  We parked near the Shed and Toilet Facilities.

The walk we did was 'Woodlands Hill Lookout', it is a easy 45mins return walk, suitable for toddlers and young children.  There are some rocks near the lookout, it won't surprise me to see children climbing them.

 

To start with, follow the sign "Gellibrand Hill", cross the bridge, walk for another 800m or so, you'll then see the sign "Woodlands Hill Lookout".

 

If you're lucky, you might be able to see some lizards sun bathing on the rocks.

At lookout, you can overlook the Melbourne Airport.

The walk 'Gellibrand Hill' takes about 4hrs return (according to informal info), I shall find another time to do it.


See pictures below, this is how easy the walk is:

We went to Sunbury for lunch and then Sunbury Recreation Reserve for the afternoon. This recreation park is on my A list.

Mussel Rocks Beach@Philip Island (My rating B)

Mussel Rocks Beach is an onleash beach in Cowes Philip Island, it's a short stroll from the Cowes City Centre.  there's a car park at the beach.

** the nearest toilet facilities are at the end of the Thompson Road (further down the Philip Island Road, in the area where dogs are not permitted which is very pity, you might want to have someone to look after your little pooch while you need to be excused).

The sandy beach is just beautiful, dogs are allowed in the early morning and evening during summer time (i.e.: 7-10am & 5-8pm Dec 1 to Apr 30), and no time restriction between May and Nov, but they need to be on-leash.

I would rate it A if dogs could come during the day in summer, and wish they could go offleash.............

 

(Sorry about the graffiti..........)

 

(Entry to the beach, guess that's why it's called Mussel Rocks)

See other places to go with your inseparable pooch on the island.

Red Rocks Beach@Philip Island (my rating B)

Red Rocks Beach is at the end of the Red Rocks Rd, there's a car park and toilet facilities, and BBQ. :-)

The sandy beach is just beautiful, dogs are allowed in the early morning and evening during summer time (i.e.: 7-10am & 5-8pm Dec 1 to Apr 30), and no time restriction between May and Nov, but they need to be on-leash.

I would rate it A if dogs could come during the day in summer, and wish they could go offleash.............

The grassy area at the car park is certainly another great spot for relaxation and enjoy the day!

 

(Red Rocks Beach)

 

(BBQ Facility) - Toilet is at the rear

 

(Grassy Area at Car Park)

See other places to go with your inseparable pooch.