Yarra River Trail

The Yarra River 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 and suburbs to Westerfolds Park and Eltham. The Capital City Trail uses the same path up to Dights Falls, where it continues up the Merri Creek Trail as part of its loop around the city.

The path starts under the West Gate Bridge near the mouth of the Yarra River as it enters Port Phillip Bay. A small ferry under the West Gate Bridge allows cyclists and pedestrians to cross to Spotswood and the Williamstown Cycle Trail and the Scienceworks Museum .

From the West Gate Bridge the trail winds through Melbourne Docklands, sometimes as a dedicated path and as on-road cycling lanes. The trail passes the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, called by some Melburnians as Jeff's Shed, after the former Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett, and his government who commissioned the building. It then passes the Crown Casino and the restaurant sector of Southbank on the shared and often busy pedestrian boulevarde with excellent views of the Melbourne CBD across the Yarra River.

At the pedestrian bridge at Southbank you can choose to continue on the south bank or cross and follow the river on the north bank. The trail goes under the Princes Bridge next to Flinders Street Station, which is the starting point for the St. Kilda road cycling lane to St. Kilda beach; and Swanston street, a major cycling route through the city to Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology city campus, Melbourne University and the inner northern suburbs.

On the north side of the river you can visit Federation Square, the newly established riverside park of Birrarung Marr, Melbourne Park, Melbourne Cricket Ground. On the south bank of the Yarra river you pass several rowing clubs with their boatsheds. You may come across a rowing coach cycling one handed while yelling instructions through a megaphone to the rowing team on the river. You will pass the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and historic Como House nearby. At MacRobertson bridge the paths meet on the north side of the river.

In Richmond the path meets up with the Gardiners Creek Trail . After going under the Victoria street bridge in Abbotsford the path crosses the Yarra River by a shared bicycle and pedestrian bridge into Yarra Bend Park at Kew with a short steep hill to meet Yarra boulevarde, before it descends to cross the Yarra River again at a shared pedestrian and cycle bridge at Gipps Street.

At Gipps street, flights of steps connect to the concrete path on the western side of the river. Some cyclists choose to avoid the steps and ride the back streets of Abbotsford to meet the trail at the Collingwood Children's Farm.

A short way further the trail comes to Dights Falls, an ancient meeting place for the Wurundjeri people and tribes of the Kulin nation. Here the Capital City Trail follows the Merri Creek Trail up the Merri Creek. The Yarra River Trail crosses the Merri Creek here, passes under the Eastern Freeway and starts a long gradual up hill climb to Fairfield Hospital, before crossing the Yarra river at the pedestrian Pipe bridge at the Fairfield boathouse. The bridge is fairly narrow and you will need to walk across when it is busy. On the western side of the river the path climbs up steeply to Yarra boulevarde. Stop at the top to admire the sweeping views of the city skyline across Yarra Bend Park.

An interesting alternative to the main Yarra River Trail at Yarra Bend Park is to follow the Yarra boulevarde as it meanders through the parkland of Yarra Bend following the river. It is a tourist drive with on-road cycling lanes, which provides access to the Studley Park boathouse, where row boats can be hired. After crossing the Eastern Freeway the road climbs up a hill where it meets the Yarra Trail again.

From the top of the hill follow Yarra boulevarde down to the Chandler Highway . You can choose to wheel your bike down some steps to go under the bridge, or use the pedestrian crossing to access a gradual track down to the path next to the National Guide Dog and Mobility Centre. The path soon follows the Eastern Freeway beside a golf course before again rejoining the Yarra river.

Along river flats, beside sporting ovals, market gardening, and paddocks with horses: it is easy to forget this parkland is in the middle of Melbourne's suburbs as you ride through Ivanhoe, Heidelberg, Lower Plenty and Templestowe to Westerfolds Park where there are many paths to explore.

From the north east corner of Westerfolds park, a path continues up the Yarra River. The Diamond Creek Trail is a 4km link trail from Westerfolds park to Eltham railway station at Eltham. The Yarra trail continues to follow the river to meet the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail in Templestowe.

External Links

• Map of Yarra Trail
• Bicycle Victoria