Map
Last Visited: 06/12/2008
Length (km): approx. 2.3 km (according to MapMyHike.com)
Time (hrs/min): 40 mins
Grade: Easy
Return / Circuit / One-Way / Partial Circuit: Circuit
Region: Melbourne
Park: Yellow Gum Park
Closest Town: South Morang
Maximum Elevation: approx. 126 m (according to MapMyHike.com)
Total Ascent: approx. 64 m (according to MapMyHike.com)
Car Access: Access is via the Greensborough Bypass. At Yan Yean Road I turned left and then left again onto Memorial Drive. At the end of Memorial Drive, I turned left and followed the track to the carpark near the toilets.
Last Visited: 06/12/2008
Length (km): approx. 2.3 km (according to MapMyHike.com)
Time (hrs/min): 40 mins
Grade: Easy
Return / Circuit / One-Way / Partial Circuit: Circuit
Region: Melbourne
Park: Yellow Gum Park
Closest Town: South Morang
Maximum Elevation: approx. 126 m (according to MapMyHike.com)
Total Ascent: approx. 64 m (according to MapMyHike.com)
Car Access: Access is via the Greensborough Bypass. At Yan Yean Road I turned left and then left again onto Memorial Drive. At the end of Memorial Drive, I turned left and followed the track to the carpark near the toilets.
A really nice short walk, especially considering its suburban location. Disappointingly there was quite a bit of rubbish around but I guess that is to be expected, especially because it seems to be the drinking place for the local youth.
The lake is the result of a quarry but is now a very nice feature for Yellow Gum Park. The park is well set up for recreational purposes and all tracks are wide and well maintained. A section of the walk is also along the Plenty River.
Plenty River
Have you visited the Blue Lake? If you have any stories, updates or corrections, please let us know by commenting below. Do you like Bushwalking Blog? You can either sign up for e-mail updates in the side-bar, or get updates via the RSS feed, Facebook or Twitter.
Would anyone keep fish from there if there are any? Or is it not clean enough?
Hey Greg,
Will be interesting to see what others respond with here. I have seen people both fishing and swimming in Blue Lake but I personally wouldn’t do either. I’m far from being any kind of expert but it seems pretty polluted to me.
Cheers
Neil
first went to the blue lake as a kid with a bunch of mates 10or 11 year olds we would hike from greensborough up through the aqua duct country then through the jane fields and an old dairyfarm to the lake it was an all day adventure some where on the south side there is an old cave we used to go in a couple of hundred metres long closed now there was still the explosive tunnels and some sheds and equiptment here in the late seventies early eighties then in the nineties took the wife and kids there was a couple hippies who let the locals swim there for a donation set it up for camping had some great indian teepees in a nice bushed area for campers ive swam there many times and went back again this year to find it taken over bye the parks not sure how that felt it didn’t seen totally rite the spot id been going to for over 38 years was now littered with bottles bags and all types of rubbish the water didn’t look as clean as it once was there were restricted areas fences and such was a great place I suppose everything changes with progress as kids it was our secrete place we had names for land marks like bold bluff and death cliff loony pass and hells run was a area we run through because it was infested with tiger and brown snakes we would play war games in the bunkers and on the equiptment then later as teens we would take our girl friends there and swim all school holidays what a great place and great memories and is great to know my son still goes there for a swim at times
Hi Ace,
Thank you sooooo much for sharing this little slice of history with us! Your comment was an absolutely fascinating read. 🙂 I’ll have to rewrite this post sometime and include your story in it. Wow. Can’t thank you enough.
Cheers
Neil
Yes I remember Blue lake during the late 1980’s, As teenagers we’d often gain access via the cliff behind at the back of the old Mill Park riding school.The lake was full of trout back then and we’d always catch plenty.Later on during the 90’s it was taken over by a Christian church group.Who still allowed us access and even to drive down and camp on the odd occasion but the fishing by that stage was starting to die off.I still walk around the lake from time to time but haven’t fished it in years.I hear that the lake has yellow belly and still a few trout and I have seen fish jumping there. I guess I’ll head down and give it a try soon.I remember the Indian teepees and also the cave although we never went inside.We’d often fish and camp on the Plenty river at the back of the riding school and the river then was full of roach,Eels,Redfin and a few small trout as well as blackfish.
Hi,
I just wanted to know if it was safe to swim in the lake?
I certainly wouldn’t swim there myself. It just seems a bit gross. However, I can’t offer you any solid information though. The fact that Parks Victoria don’t have swimming listed as a suggested activity on their park note is probably a sign. Hope that helps.
Cheers
Neil
I use to live in mount gambier,ya can’t swim in the blue lake,and haven’t been able to swim in it since I can remember…..
Mount Gambier? We’re talking about the Blue Lake in Melbourne’s Plenty Gorge. Thanks for the comment, though!
Cheers
Neil
You guys got me woundering what was in the lake,so i went there today and scuba dived it with a few freinds,about 20meters off the bank its about 3-4meters deep and very brown then a few meters ferther it went compleatly black about (5 meters deep),i think because of all the caol down there.so we stayed in the shalows found some old bikes and other rubbish but no fish life onle a couple of turtles in the weeds.
Max depth we got inthe center was about 7 meters,
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for the info! That’s really interesting. I wouldn’t have expected any fish life in there but great to hear there were some turtles!
Love your work!
Cheers
Neil
Anyone know what they used to quarry here? Bluestone?
Hi Sean,
Byron’s comment below might give you some clues, but I have no idea personally.
Maybe someone else will comment and confirm. Make sure you’re subscribed to comment notifications.
Cheers
Neil
Yes, this area is worth a look. It is interesting to think about how the area has been used in the past through the use of land as a quarry and exactly when and therefore how it was mined? Unfortunately, I found little to answer these questions. Nonetheless, if one wanted to have a picnic in the area and take young kids on a short walk I recommend a visit.
There used to be an underground explosives store, like a long echoing tunnel, first closed, now removed. This was at the picnic area above the lake.
The piles of gravel left over from the quarry consist of mainly spherical, light, foamy rock. Many of these pebbles float in water. The cliffs above the lake are vertical yellow strata of sandstone or mudstone, which may have been heated, as it fractures into cubes and rhomboids.
Quite a magical place.
Awesome! Yes, it’s certainly a bit of a hidden gem in the suburbs. Thanks for the info Byron (and thanks for stopping by).