Plough & Harrow
Distance:
Spotted Gums trail – 3km and about an hour. (medium grade)
Fire trails – 3km and 1 hour. Add about 30 minutes if you park outside and come in and leave through the back entrance. (medium grade)
Medium grade is due to the steepish hills which are sometimes covered in loose gravel or dirt. I have fallen on my clumsy Butt more then once coming down those steep fire trails.
Plough and Harrow loop – 1.6 km (Easy) Cement bike trail.
Kangaroo trail – about 1.5 km (easy) Its not signposted or named but I call it this since it is common to see kangaroos as well as bunnys if you walk here in the late afternoon. My mapping skills suck, it probably looks nothing like this nor is it to scale at all. The track starts at a fork before you start climbing the hill toward the fire trails. Look for a gap in the wire fence and take a left where the sign tells you to continue straight for the Spotted Gum trail.
Address:
Elizabeth Drive Abbotsbury.
This section of the Parklands has a parking lot that is open beyond the normal opening hours of 6pm (8pm in summer) due to the fact that Amoretti’s restaurant is located inside the gates, so you can probably get away with that late afternoon walk without worrying about alternative places to park as long as the restaurant is open. However if you park on Kingston pl and cut through the children’s park there, you will find a back entrance to the Parklands that allows you to avoid the weekend crowds.
The Parklands are an amazing place to come and explore with your doggo. Even though you are in the middle of the suburbs, a few minutes walk will have you feeling like you are miles from everything.
I have been bringing Buffy to these fire trails since I first adopted her 4 years ago. She gets so excited whenever she realises where we are.
We have seen so much wildlife on these trails. A 5 foot long lizard climbing the trees, lots of kangaroos and an Echidna once. There are plenty of bunny rabbits to chase as well as Peacocks, black cockatoos and colourful king parrots to look out for.
There are plenty of dams and small lakes to visit along the way. A great place to sit and watch the ducks….
or chase them if your a border collie.
If you are here when the treetop parks are open you can walk underneath as people climb, swing and zip between the tree tops. If you leave your puppy at home you might even want to try it out yourself!
I really do love this place.. It is close to home with tons of easy parking and all the amenities and there is always this sense when you are in The Parklands that something interesting to explore is just around the next corner!
Have you seen…?
