stephen blyth’s blog

I take my hat off to the city parents for their foresight. I’ve just got back from a cycle ride from Northcote 17km along the Merri Trail beside the creek of the same name. Apart from a few abberrant moments, where cyclists have to cross roads, the entire route is off-road. I’m sure, part of the reason for maintaining the open space was probably pragmatism - the creek floods regularly - and partly accidental, but nonetheless the green corridor is quite an achievement. Along with the parks and open spaces that surround them, the trails provide a space for people to escape to a natural environment, get some exercise, chase the dog, picnic, play cricket, or all of the above.

At times the path is narrow, cloistered in a tree filled gully, whereas in patches the creek teeters around the edge of a large open space. Let’s not get too precious about the amount of water flowing down - it would be a minnow beside even the Avon. But the floods can be sudden and voluminous. You can still see detrius lofted high in trees, and branches, leaves, silt and other storm remants obscure bridges and parts of the track.

The Merri Creek is home to the community environmental park Ceres (more on the park at a later date). And there is an active native habitat restoration group planting trees, holding education events, and the like. I have put the Friends of Merri Creek’s next outing in my diary: a litter clean-up on 14th March.

My ride didn’t stop at the end of the creek trail. Always wanting to cover new ground rather than back-track, I took the Ring Road path to join up with the Moonee Ponds track. Playing second fiddle to an enormous freeway doesn’t count as one of life’s pleasures: it was an ugly ride, through the outer, outer suburbs. Returning to the city from the Jacana wetlands along the Moonee Ponds track there none of the intimacy or natural beauty of the Merri Trail. Although the track follows Moonee Ponds Creek, for many kilometres it is a meagre flow in a massive concrete culvert. The track intersects and underpasses the Tullamarine Freeway - yet more concrete.

I was exhausted and relieved to reach home. Debriefing over a beer later, I reflected that when it comes to exploration you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth.