2020 04 24 & 27 Walks Florey Evatt Dam Wall Lake Ginninderra Florey
These were two nice walks of 5.7km & 5.8Km around a loop from Florey to Melba then along Ginninderra Ck through Evatt to the Dam Wall then around some of Lake Ginninderra and back into Florey. One was the reverse of the other with some variations through Florey. The views along Ginninderra Ck were sensational owing to the leaves turning vivid yellow and red.
Featured image is a view of the area along Ginninderra Ck next to South Evatt
On 24th April I started around 4.10PM on Friday afternoon, the day before Anzac Day. The weather was superb with one of those typical crisp clear autumn days. I decided to walk in a circular clockwise direction going north under Ginninderra Drive using an underpass that doesn’t carry cars but can only be used by pedestrians although it requires some flexibility as some of the local youth have partially blocked the way with concrete and wood blocks so that they could use it for skateboarding.
I then proceeded along, an at times vague, footpad until I reached a new path next to stone ponds installed to try and create wetlands, called Melba Wetlands. I then proceeded past some ponds and then turned east though an underpass below Copland Drive. On the other side I went up and took a route along Carlile St in an area some call New Evatt or South Evatt, although apparently it was orginally called the Gaslight Estate.
I then turned into Canaway Place which ends in a nice playground and park which goes down to Ginninderra Ck as well as leading to a footbridge across the creek to the main path along the creek on its north side. However its also possible to head east and upstream on the south side although its only a dirt well defined foot track along here. This is the way I went until I reached a track below the Ginninderra Dam Wall. There is a passover across the spillway that allows you to continue below the dam and then joins a track on the other side and continues up to the junction of Ginninderra Drive and William Web Drive. To continue around the Lake Ginninderra pathway I had to cross Ginninderra Dr at the lights which I did. Along the dam wall I got the usual great views across the lake to the Town centre which is now dominated by many apartment towers with several still under construction.
I then walked around the north side of the lake in an anti-clockwise direction taking shortcuts across grass sections where sensible, then I took the path west and under Coulter Drive and into Florey on Edman Close, across Twelve Trees Cres, down a side lane, along Tattersall Cres, up a lane way and under John Cleland Cres to near Florey Shops, then across Florey oval and home finishing around 5.30PM. This was 5.7Km.
On the morning of 27th April I set off around 8.25AM and walked past the oval to the Cafe Bolivar in Florey Shops and had a coffee with Steve who cycled there. From around 9AM I headed off by myself and walked 500m SE past the back of the Hindu Temple across open ground until I reached and crossed Coulter Drive, then turned NE and walked through the Hakea townhouse apartment estate which is well manicured to then cross Joynton Smith Drive, and walk along Macdermott Place to join the path around the lake again but this time in a clockwise direction.
I recrossed Ginninderra Drive and took paths down to walk again along the banks of Ginninderra Ck enjoying the beautiful setting of the deciduous trees. This time I met a local from the area with his Red Kelpie and he told me a little of the locals. We also came across two more dogs and the three then carried on somewhat. The local explained how I could cross the creek in a couple of spots which he often did with his dog. He also explained how the small flat area near a bridge has been planted with native grass that the gardeners would not mow. I then walked right down the banks until I reached near Copland Drive and went down and under the drive and took the way past the Melba Wetland Dams, under Ginninderra Drive again and back home into Florey. I reached home around 10.15AM having done 5.8Km.
Of course another option to these walks is to walk along the path next to Tattersall Cres and continue north and under Ginninderra Dr linking up with the route along Ginninderra Ck as indicated above. This would leave out the Melba Wetlands.
These were Easy walks.
Map of Afternoon Walk | Map of Morning Walk | More pictures in Google Photos | files including gps located in Google Drive
Notes re Maps: GPS map views provided using Garmin Mapsource with map base using OSM Garmin version
