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The Plenty River 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
Plenty River
The Plenty River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the north-eastern Greater Melbourne region of the Australian state of Victoria.
Course and features
The Plenty River rises in the forested slopes of Mount Disapp ...
through the suburbs of
Greensborough and
Lower Plenty in
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 ...
.
Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Earth
/ref>
The last major gap in the trail was eliminated by the completion of a footbridge
A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
across the river, south of the Heidelberg Golf Club, in March 2007. The trail now runs all the way from the Yarra River to the Greensborough Bypass Greensborough can refer to:
* Greensborough, Victoria, Australian suburb
* Greensborough, Ontario
Greensborough ( 2006 population estimated 5,000) ''(Census Tract Number 5350403.03)'' is a community in the city of Markham in the Regional Munici ...
and points further north.
The trail is badly signed but provides a pleasant environment.
Following the path
Although there is a sign near the most northerly bend of Punkerri Circuit which declares this as the end of the Trail, the actual track starts further north off an easement, at the most northerly bend of Plenty River Drive, 120 m from Acworth Court. When the path reaches the signed end point, it is well-defined but somewhat rough, narrow and overgrown.
Not far down the path is a bus stop, which surprisingly can be found in this heavily-treed area. Further along, past a pipe bridge and 1.6 km later, the Greensborough Bypass Greensborough can refer to:
* Greensborough, Victoria, Australian suburb
* Greensborough, Ontario
Greensborough ( 2006 population estimated 5,000) ''(Census Tract Number 5350403.03)'' is a community in the city of Markham in the Regional Munici ...
bridge spans the valley. On the east side of the road a path goes up to a goat track, which can be used to access the Western Ring Road Trail
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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, ...
. The Western Ring Road Trail
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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, ...
passes across the bridge on the bridge's north side.
Leaving the bridge behind, the path gradually improves and arrives 1 km later at a footbridge. Paths run off in all directions on both sides of the footbridge. Just continue across the footbridge and continue straight ahead across Kalparrin Ave and along the north side of the Whatmough Park oval.
On the far side of the oval is a suspension footbridge. There are no signs here. The rule in this case, is always to do a very sharp right turn immediately after crossing the bridge, regardless of from what direction one arrives. Do not go straight ahead.
The path goes under Main Street and 800 m later arrives at an apparent dead end at the end of a small street - Bicton Street. Turn right (west) and head along Bicton Street. The path resumes at its far end.
Continuing leads to an athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
track, complete with the characteristic red brick colored track. Skirt round the east side of the track and cross a small footbridge on its south side. 2 km later another footbridge appears (near Allima Court). There are no signs here and its possible to lose the trail; maintain a NE - SW direction.
Past a stand of large Monkey Puzzle trees and further on to the old Lower Plenty Road iron bridge, built on bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:
* basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand
* dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge)
* felds ...
supports. Cross the bridge, turn right and go past the Heidelberg golf course and over the final and newest footbridge.
The trail moves into a more open area above the Plenty river where horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
s are kept. The trail goes up and up, past the large transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...
antenna
Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves
* Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
, past the old grain silos in the distance and affords excellent views of the immediate area. It overlooks the ancient floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
surrounding the confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the Plenty and Yarra Rivers.
Finally the trail drops about 30 m to the floor of the Yarra valley, to meet with the Yarra River Trail
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The Yarra Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Yarra River through the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The trail follows the river from near its mouth, through the city a ...
.
Connections
Western Ring Road Trail
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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, ...
in the north and Yarra River Trail
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The Yarra Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Yarra River through the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The trail follows the river from near its mouth, through the city a ...
in the south.
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. pp128.
*
{{Bicycle Trails in Melbourne
Bike paths in Melbourne