We love going for a nice walk, and thankfully, there are lots to try around Melbourne and Victoria. With a whole stack of easy walks, walks near public transport, forest trails and coastal strolls, there’s plenty of options to choose from the next time you’re craving an outdoor adventure. And there’s heaps of benefits too, from improving your physical and mental wellbeing, to simply feeling connected with nature. And, as you amble along the path and take in your surroundings, you might see or hear some feathered friends among the trees. If you love birdwatching, AllTrails has put together a list of the top trails near Melbourne, so you can look out for cockatoos, wedge-tailed eagles, kookaburras and more.
If you’d like to feel a part of the birdwatching community, share your findings on eBird, so other birding enthusiasts can know what to expect. Sharing your findings is also helpful for conservation, as scientists can keep tabs on bird numbers, habitat use and more.
Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk
You’ll find the Werribee Gorge Circuit Walk one hour away from Melbourne, within Werribee Gorge State Park. This particular loop is 7.7km long and requires a moderate level of fitness. It starts from Meikles Point Picnic Area and will take you along the Werribee River. Expect some scrambling along the way, as well as a short cliff section with cables along an exposed rock face. You can tackle the circuit from either direction, but going anti-clockwise is recommended.
As you make your way along the track, look out for birds of prey, such as wedge-tailed eagles and peregrine falcons. You might also see smaller birds, such as cockatoos, honeyeaters and dusky moorhens.
If you don’t feel like taking this particular trail, there’s also a variety of shorter and longer loop walks to try in the park.
Mount Lofty Loop
Head over to Wonga Park in Warrandyte State Park, and take in the view with a trip around the Mount Lofty Loop. Also known as the Mount Lofty Circuit Walk, this 5km trail takes roughly 90 minutes to complete, and is filled with a few inclines and downhills, making it moderately challenging. But, the view is well certainly worth going uphill, as you can take in lovely sights of the surrounding hill, the Yarra River and the Yarra Valley.
This circuit is a popular area for birdwatching, with over 120 bird species recorded around the park, including the rare powerful owl, kingfishers, kookaburras, robins, honeyeaters and birds of prey, like wedge-tailed eagles. Apart from the birds, you’ll also see other wildlife, such as kangaroos and wallabies.
Cape Woolamai Circuit
If you like to pair your walks with an ocean view, why don’t you try the Cape Woolamai Circuit? This trail is 8.4km long, and takes you along dramatic cliffs and scenic beaches. The circuit takes about four hours to complete, and it’s best to plan your visit around low tide, so you can comfortably walk along the beach.
Cape Woolamai itself is a great spot for birdwatching, as it’s home to over a million short-tailed shearwaters, who migrate to Phillip Island from Alaska. These birds arrive in September, and lay a single egg inthe sand dunes in November. They raise their young, and fly off back to Alaska in April. If it’s not the right season for shearwaters, you can also look out for hooded plovers and pelicans.
For other walks in Cape Woolamai, click here. Stick around Phillip Island after dark to see the famous penguins.
Sherbrooke Forest Circuit
If you prefer to feel immersed in the trees, take a hike along the Sherbrooke Forest Circuit. Located in the Dandenong Ranges, you’ll walk underneath tall mountain ash trees, and see lush fern gullies. As you go, you’ll move past Sherbrooke Falls, where you can pause and listen to the gentle tumble of the cascades. This circuit is just under 12km long, and takes about four hours to complete. There’s a few steep points, so you’ll get your heart pumping.
Listen out for superb lyrebirds as you go, as well as crimson rosellas, sulphur-crested cockatoos and white-throated needletails. If the circuit is too long, you could also try the Sherbrooke Falls walk, which is just a short stroll away from either the Sherbrooke Picnic Ground and O’Donohue Picnic Ground.
Lyrebird Walk, Neuman, Paddy, and Coles Ridge Loop
Similarly, the Lyrebird Walk, Neuman, Paddy, and Coles Ridge Loop is also one of the top walks for birdwatching near Melbourne. Also located in the Dandenong Ranges, you’ll embark on a moderately challenging hike through different sections of the forest. The track is 6.8km long, and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Walk beneath towering trees, past an open meadow and across a creek.
As you can guess from the name, you might encounter lyrebirds along the trail, as well as kookaburras, honeywaters, mistletoebirds and large-billed scrubwrens. You might also see other kinds of wildlife, like wallabies.