Blind Creek Trail

__NOTOC__MelbourneBikePath


DESCRIPTION=No image available yet
NAME=Blind Creek Trail
LENGTH=Approx 11.2 km
DIFFICULTY=Mostly easy
HILLS=Mostly flat
HAZARDS=Road underpasses regularly flood. Rough path surface in places.
WATER=
PATH=Shared use concrete or bitumen
BUS=
TRAIN=Ferntree Gully Station
TRAM=None

The Blind Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Blind Creek through the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. [ [http://maps.vicroads.vic.gov.au/website/bikes2b/viewer.htm VicRoads - Bicycle Facilities Map] ] [ [http://www.bigyak.net.au/gmaps/vicbiketrailsgmap.html?slct2=3 Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps] ] [ [http://www.bigyak.net.au/bike/bike.html#melgel Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Earth] ]

While this is the Blind Creek Trail, it is rarely signed as such. The trail can be unsuitable for use during wet weather as many of the road underpasses use the creek culvert itself as the trail surface. Most of these underpasses have alternative routes although some require crossing major roads.

Following the Path

The trail starts at the juncture with the Belgrave Rail Trail, 1.2km north of Ferntree Gully Station, at a train line underpass. Go through the underpass past the graffiti.

Traveling downhill and in a westerly direction, the trail soon passes the Tim Neville Arboretum and continues on without navigational difficulty to Scoresby Rd. It passes through a light industrial area and then follows the wall of Melbourne Water's retarding basin to the immediate north of Knox City Shopping Centre. Passing by the centre's car parks, it comes to a halt at Stud Rd and Burwood Highway. If coming from the east, note that the start of the path is far from clear at this point.

On the west side of Stud Rd the path restarts by one of the many pieces of art dedicated to Hubert Opperman, that are found in the City of Knox. See also the Oppy Family Fun Ride. Head south east and pass under Burwood Highway.

After 2.2km, the works (as of 2007) for EastLink are encountered. It is not possible to give directions for this section, as it changes depending on the works in progress. However, the EastLink developers have kept the trails open, so there should be an arrangement in place, to continue to a path that leads to Norton Ln.

The St Pauls Missionary college should be straight ahead. Turn left (south) down Norton's lane and pick up the trail at the end of the lane. 330m west from here is the Dandenong Creek Trail intersection. This junction is badly signed in all directions, so it pays to review this point before heading out.

Connections

The trail meets the Dandenong Creek Trail in the west and the Belgrave Rail Trail in the east. A decrepit path along Scoresby Rd leads to the Ferny Creek Trail to the south. Another path beside Stud Rd leads to the Dandenong Creek Trail to the north, via Waldheim Rd.

West end at coord|37.885239|S|145.196011|E.East end at coord|37.872150|S|145.290132|E.

References

* "Bike Paths Victoria" sixth edition, 2004. Edited and published by Sabey & Associates Pty Ltd. pp109. ISBN 0957959117
* "Bike rides around Melbourne" 2nd edition, 2006, Julia Blunden, Open Spaces Publishing, ISBN 0-9752333-2-7