Taylors Creek and Maribyrnong River Walk

This walk follows Taylors Creek and the Maribyrnong River with a combination of parkland, natural landscapes, aircraft spotting and two impressive man-made structures to enjoy along the way.
GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: A moderate 14km point-to-point walk, mostly flat with two short steep sections.  Access to the walk is by public transport only.
MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 9:39am | in the front carriage of the Sunbury train departing Flinders Street Railway Station at 9:39am or meet the group en-route by arrangement with the leader.
MAP REFERENCE: Flinders Street Railway Station: Melway map 43 grid J9; Google map goo.gl/maps/np21GtDguLL2.
DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: The walk commences at Watergardens Railway Station which is 24km and 35 minutes by train from the city.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: We will travel to Watergardens Railway Station in the front carriage of the Sunbury train departing Flinders Street Railway Station at 9:39am or you may choose to meet the group en-route by arrangement with the event leader.  For the return journey we will catch a bus from Military Road, Avondale Heights which will take us through to Footscray Railway Station for a train to the city.  
COST: Myki money: full fare capped at $6.30; concession fare capped at $3.15; Seniors free.
FOOD: Pack food for lunch and snacks.  At least 1 litre of water should be carried. 
APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Wear a hat and clothing to meet the forecast weather conditions and footwear suitable for walking along concrete, asphalt and unsealed footpaths.
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Our walk commences at Watergardens Railway Station heading first through the adjacent shopping centre which straddles Taylors Creek.  The walk along Taylors Creek passes through both natural and manmade habitats.  The creek and surrounding wetlands are home to a variety of species of water birds.  The creek gully deepens along the way and there is a short steep section where we need to come out of the gully to cross Green Gully Road.  A little further along, the creek runs into the Maribyrnong River near Brimbank Park.  Picnic tables shortly before or within the park will provide an ideal place for our lunch break.  We will follow the Maribyrnong River for the remainder of the walk alongside many large river red gums.  The river gully is quite deep in this area and our walk takes us to the base of the second and third highest bridges in Victoria.  The EJ Whitten Bridge is part of the Western Ring Road and stands 54 metres above the river level.  The Maribyrnong River Viaduct, also known as the Quarter Mile Bridge or Albion Viaduct, is a trestle railway bridge completed in 1929 and is 55 metres high.  This section of the walk also features a good dose of aircraft spotting, being directly under a flight path for Tullamarine Airport.  
Shortly after passing under the bridges we will make our way out of the river valley with a short steep walk up to the street.  A short walk along the street will take us to the bus stop for the bus to Footscray Railway Station where we will take the train back to the city.
LEADER | BOOKING: Peter T. | by Thursday 12th July.

Image: commons.wikimedia.org