__NOTOC__ The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail is a

shared use path A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...

for

cyclists Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of Bicycle, cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", ...

and

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...

s, which follows the

Moonee Ponds Creek Moonee is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for ...

through the northern suburbs of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

History

A public meeting called by State Member of Parliament for Pascoe Vale, Kelvin Thompson in 1989 to discuss future of Moonee Ponds Creek's future, was attended by more than 50 people and indicated active community investment in its protection and improvement. The meeting formed the Moonee Ponds Creek Association as a coordinating body for five municipal councils and three Government departments.

Melbourne Water Melbourne Water is a Victorian Government-owned statutory authority that controls and manages much of the water bodies and supplies in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, including the reservoirs, lakes, wetlands, canals and urban cree ...

managed the plan. In 1991 a twenty kilometre bike path had already developed when these proposals to restore Moonee Ponds Creek were raised, and provisions to run the path beside the

Tullamarine Freeway The Tullamarine Freeway (commonly referred to as "The Tulla"), is a major urban freeway in Melbourne, linking Melbourne Airport to the Melbourne city centre, Melbourne City Centre. It carries up to 210,000 vehicles per day and is one of Australi ...

were announced by Thompson.

Following the path

The path commences in

Melbourne Docklands Docklands, also known as Melbourne Docklands, is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. Docklands recorded a population ...

on Footscray Road near where the creek enters the

Yarra River The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stre ...

. The lower reaches of the path are also the route of the

Capital City Trail __NOTOC__ The Capital City Trail is a shared use path in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which circles the city centre and some inner eastern and northern suburbs. It is 29km in length, and mostly consists of sections of other trails, such a ...

. The path then follows the creek, snaking under and around the

for several kilometres. There is a short on road section through Essendon along Vanberg Road. After Bell Street it leaves the Tullamarine Freeway and heads north on the east side of

Essendon Airport Essendon Fields Airport , colloquially known by its former name Essendon Airport, is a public airport serving scheduled commercial, corporate-jet, charter and general aviation flights. It is located next to the intersection of the Tullamarine ...

through a series of parks, including

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

and Kingsford Smith

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

reserves. Passing under the large rail

trestle bridge A trestle bridge is a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by closely spaced frames. A trestle (sometimes tressel) is a rigid frame used as a support, historically a tripod used to support a stool or a pair of isosceles trian ...

, the trail soon arrives at the

Western Ring Road The M80 Ring Road (also known as simply the Ring Road or by the name of its constituent parts: Western Ring Road and Metropolitan Ring Road) is a currently incomplete urban freeway ring road around Melbourne, Australia. This article will deal ...

and the

Western Ring Road Trail __NOTOC__ The M80 Trail (previously known as the Western Ring Road Trail) is a shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians that bridges the northern suburbs and follows the Western Ring Road/Metropolitan Ring Road (M80) freeway in Melbourne, ...

. 1.3 km along to the north is Jacana Reserve, near Johnstone Street. By crossing a small footbridge here, one arrives at the south end of the Broadmeadows Valley and the south end of the

Broadmeadows Valley Trail __NOTOC__ The Broadmeadows Valley Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Following the path The north end of the trail is most readily accessed from Craigieburn ...

. Continuing on the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail leads to Willowbrook Reserve near Mickleham Road, in

Westmeadows Westmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hume local government area. Westmeadows recorded a population of 6,502 at the . Mainly a residential sub ...

. West of Willowbrook Reserve, the path continues along the fence line of the

Woodlands Historic Park Woodlands may back refer to: * Woodland, a low-density forest Geography Australia * Woodlands, New South Wales * Woodlands, Ashgrove, Queensland, a heritage-listed house associated with John Henry Pepper * Woodlands, Marburg, Queensland, a he ...

, home of Living Legends.

Landmarks

Melbourne Airport Melbourne Airport , colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne, and the second busiest airport in Australia. It opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is t ...

Connections

The trail intersects the

in the north. Nearby it also intersects the

and meets the

in the south. Heading east 1 km along the

will take you to Jacana station and further still to the

Merri Creek Trail __NOTOC__ The Merri Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians that follows the Merri Creek through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Route The path commences at Dights Falls near where Merri Creek ente ...

Fawkner Fawkner is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Hume and Merri-bek local government areas. Fawkner recorded a population of 14,274 at the 2021 census. The ma ...

. Heading west along the

will lead you to

Brimbank Park Brimbank Park is a metropolitan regional park managed by Parks Victoria situated in the north-western Melbourne suburb of Keilor East, Victoria, Australia. History About 40,000 years ago: first signs of possible human habitation along the Marib ...

and the

Maribyrnong River Trail __NOTOC__ The Maribyrnong River Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Maribyrnong River through the north western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The path, sometimes along both sides of the river, ...

. North end at . South end at .

References

*''Bike rides around Melbourne'' 3rd edition, 2009, Julia Blunden, Open Spaces Publishing, * ''Bike Paths Victoria'' sixth edition, 2004. Edited and published by Sabey & Associates Pty Ltd. pp126.

External links

* An interactive map of the trail as well as others in the Melbourne area is available here
Walking and Cycling Trails in MelbourneParks Victoria - Woodlands Historic Park
* Bike paths in Melbourne Essendon, Victoria {{cycling-stub