ABOUT THIS EVENT

Take advantage of the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday and the awesome 27 degree sunny weather forecast and join Dan & Nath for a full day of fun and adventure with a beautiful hike through the Balcombe Reserve and Briars Wildlife Sanctuary followed by a beach picnic lunch and an afternoon of swimming and relaxation at Mt Martha Beach!

Our Social Walks are a great way to get outside, get your body moving and make some amazing new friends along the way!

Meet our group and stay up to date with all our events here in our Facebook Group - Melbourne Social Walks

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Balcombe Reserve and Ker-Bur-Rer Walks are one of the best keep secrets on the Mornington Peninsula. Starting at the Balcombe Estuary Reserve, the trail begins where the Balcombe Creek meets Port Phillip Bay and wanders north easterly all the way to and through the Briars Wildlife Sanctuary.

This trail is roughly 11km long and will take around 3 hours to complete depending on our pace. The trail is mostly flat with only around 100 metres of elevation. Overall, this is a great trail for beginners and newbies wanting to give walking a go while also having a great chance of spotting some iconic native Australian animals. This trail is packed full of amazing native fauna and flora and if we are lucky we may encounter animals including koalas, emus, kangaroos and echidnas in the wildlife sanctuary.

We will aim to finish the hike around 12:30pm-1:00pm where we then head to Mt Marth beach for a picnic lunch and an afternoon at the beach! Bring your bather, paddle boards, snorkels - everything! The weather forecast is a Sunny 27 degrees, which will be perfect for splashing around in the water!

All ages and fitness levels are welcome to this event.

NOTE: A small portion of the boardwalk between the Balcombe Reserve and the Briars is currently closed, our guides have arranged an alternative route for this part of the trail.

START TIME AND MEET LOCATION

MEETING LOCATION: Balcombe Estuary Reserve - Mirang Avenue, Mount Martha VIC 3934

MEETING TIME: Arrive between 9:00am - 9:20am to meetup for a 9:30am sharp Departure (Plan to arrive early and give yourself extra time for parking as the location may be very busy due to the great weather and public holiday).

NOTE: Arriving on time is critical to the Walk getting away on time. Participants not checked-in by 9:20 may be left behind.

PARKING: There is free parking at the end of Mirang Avenue at the Balcombe Estuary Reserve. There is additional parking at the beginning of Mirang Avenue and also more parking at the Ritchie's SUPA IGA Mt Martha only 400m from the start of the trail.

CARPOOLING: Need help finding a ride to the hike, feel free to post in the Melbourne Social Walks Facebook Group.

WHAT TO BRING

- Water (at least 2-3L)

- Snack food for the hike

- Picnic Lunch for the Beach

- Bather & Towel for a Swim after the hike

- Beach Sun Shelter (optional)

WHAT TO WEAR

- Comfortable Walking Shoes

- Comfortable Weather Suitable Clothing

- Hat / Beanie

- Sunscreen

FINISH

The Hike should take around 3 hours with small breaks to enjoy some sightseeing and wildlife spotting. We will aim to have our picnic lunch at the beach around 1pm and hang around at the beach until 4pm. For those keen to kick on even longer - we may try to find a pub that can fit us all in for drink & dinner plus and epic cheers!

The walk starts and finishes in the same location.

There is no cost to enter the Briars Wildlife Sanctuary

Can't wait to see you there!

Nathan & Dan!