Unlock Melbourne
Classic Melbourne Walks
Melbourne is surrounded by green spaces, beautiful gardens, great beaches and miles of trails for both walking and cycling. Whether its along the trails of Port Phillip Bay or the Yarra River there is something for everyone and these walks are easily accessible from the CBD. Take along a picnic lunch or try your luck along the way - you are never too far from a cafe anywhere in Melbourne.
THE YARRA TRAIL
The Yarra River is one of the most cherished Melbourne icons. It has been the dreaming path for the Wurundjeri tribe, fresh water for settlers, and muse and subject for the painters of the Heidelberg School. For us it is a winding green corridor of park and bushland that takes us from the inner suburbs right into the bushy Melbourne edges - almost untouched by traffic and noise. This section of the Yarra Trail will take you from the Hoddle Street Bridge in Richmond to the beautiful Dights Falls in Kew - its a 15km round trip but the walk is super flat and very easy to walk or ride.
There is plenty to see along the way including the beautiful Abbotsford Convent - comprised of 11 historic buildings, gardens and car park spread over 6.8 Hectares in a sweeping bend in the Yarra River. With a focus on creativity, culture and learning the Convent is now home to over 100 artist studios and offices for small businesses, a radio station, four eateries, an open air cinema, food and craft markets, two galleries, an extensive program of events and venues for rehearsals, performances, classes, workshops and conferences. Our top pick here is Lentil as Anything, a vegetarian restaurant that operates a pay-as-you-feel model that believes that everyone deserves a place at the table. As a non-profit organisation, Lentil provides nutritious food to all members of the community without drawing attention to someone’s ability to pay, and has found that those who can afford to pay cover for those who can’t. It has been successfully running on this donation basis for over 13 years.Most meals are vegan and gluten free and are prepared with organic fruit and vegetables as much as possible. Lentil as Anything also offers organic, fair-trade tea and coffee and homemade chai.
Located just next door to the convent is the awesome Collingwood Childrens Farm where the whole family can enjoy time spent with animals of all shapes and sizes - the cafe here is awesome if you are in need of a coffee or something to drink.
Unlock More of Melbourne