Seaford Foreshore Reserve Walking Track
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The Seaford Foreshore Walking Track is a flat, sandy trail through the coastal dunes behind Seaford beach, south-east of Melbourne.
The track runs for approximately five kilometres from Keast Park in the north, to Mile Bridge in the south. Keast Park has a large car parking area, but there is no dedicated parking area at the southern end of the track. There are plenty of additional pedestrian access options from Nepean Highway, which runs parallel to the track, so shorter sections can easily be walked.
For those after a longer walk, a great ten-kilometre option is to follow the full length of the Seaford Foreshore Walking Track in one direction and return by walking along the lovely white sand of Seaford beach in the other direction. The beach itself can also be accessed at regular intervals from the main walking track.
The track is set back from the beach between the primary and secondary dunes. It's a peaceful place to walk, and on a windy day it is much more sheltered than walking along the beach.
The track passes through an important 50-hectare patch of remnant indigenous coastal vegetation. The dunes are fenced off for their protection and there has been many years of hard work to restore and revegetate the dunes, creating valuable habitat for a variety of flora and fauna, particularly birds such as the White-browed Scrubwren and the Superb Fairy-wren.
Of particular importance is the Coast Banksia Woodland,
described as the finest example of this woodland type in Melbourne , as much of this vegetation has been cleared around the coastal strip of Port Phillip Bay. Other common plant species include Coast Tea-tree, White Correa, Coast Beard Heath and Coast Daisy-bush.
There are interpretive signs along the track with information about the foreshore's human history and ecology.
There are plenty of facilities along the track, including multiple toilet blocks, drinking fountains, rubbish bins and picnic areas. The largest picnic areas are at Keast Park (where there is also a playground), and at Seaford pier carpark, where the Seaford shops can also be easily accessed.
"The Hermitage", an art installation by Jacki Staude on the track near the Seaford pier carpark is fascinating. Interpretive signage tells the story of John Maddox, who lived as a hermit on the Seaford foreshore where he exchanged fish and labour for food with other locals. He apparently created a 'fantasy world from shells, bottles and driftwood', and died in 1917.
Dogs are allowed along the track on a leash, with time restrictions between December and March.
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#natural_attractions
#nature
#outdoor
#parks
#seaford
#south_east
#walks
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207856 - 2023-06-16 06:04:09