Merri Creek Bike Trail

I run the Merri Creek trail a couple of times a week and, despite my complete lack of physical fitness, it is an absolute joy every time.
The path follows Merri Creek for around 21 km through the Northern suburbs of Melbourne — Northcote through to the city. If you after a Sunday afternoon workout, I recommend starting with a look around the markets at Ceres and then casually strolling the path through to the markets at Abbotsford Convent — can you imagine better weekend plans? Nope.
The wildlife, particularly the birdlife, is the real stand out along this creek For instance, this morning while on a run I had to pause and let a duck and FIVE LITTLE DUCKLINGS cross the path to jump in to the river. It was so magical it was like I was in a children’s cartoon.

The bicycle path along the Merri Creek isn’t much good for getting anywhere because there are some more direct routes that you can take. But both C and I enjoy it as a pleasant place to ride through the parkland and along the creek. There are a couple of bridges to cross and plenty of steep hills requiring extensive gear changing as the path winds its way along the Merri Creek. C simply gets off her bike and pushes it up some of the steepest hills.
The bike path is shared with pedestrians, dog walkers, baby carriages, so it is not a place for a fast ride. If you want to ride fast try the Brunswick Velodrome along the bike path. I also pass by Ceres Environmental Park and the beautiful Russian Orthodox Church with its gold domes.
My favorite feature of this ride is Simon Perry’s Rolled Path. It is a fun sculpture that works perfectly with the bicycle path. The sculptor Simon Perry made «The Public Purse» in the Bourke Street Mall.
In Coburg the Merri Creeks joins up with the Coburg Lake Reserve where C and I have a break from our ride.

My mate gave me a bike a few years back and it changed my life. It was this rusty old thing he’d had chained to his fence for years and I had a few at his place and he let me take it home. It’s about three years down the track now and I’ve still got it. I reckon that’s a fair claim for its ownership. We have a relationship now.
One thing I discovered since getting my bike, is the Merri Creek Bike Trail and I fuckin’ love it. The trail meanders along the creek banks from Reservoir right through to Abbotsford. While it’s a totally indirect route to either of these places (or any of the in between suburbs), that’s kind of the point. You can just relax and cruise along at a leisurely pace and soak up the regenerating bushland and creek banks. There are birds and somehow the noise of nearby traffic evaporates. I love it so much, I’m goin’ there right now; not to go anywhere in particular mind… I’m just gonna be cruisin’ yo.