Walking Mount Lofty Wonga Park

If there ever was a view worth walking uphill for, this has to be it. For the average person this is a beginner friendly hike with clear trails and plenty of signage. The track meanders through gums and tea-trees, over creeks and along the Yarra River before rising to the summit of Mount Lofty. Birdlife, riverside environment, bush tracks, exposed ridgeline and magnificent views are just some of the treats that await you - all to the gentle sound of the Yarra River.

I have walked this trail before but this time we found ourselves parking by the river by accident (I blame my GPS!) and so we started by walking along the river and hoping the trail would meet up with the main loop at some point. Due to the recent storms and bad weather the trail by the water was not the easiest. A number of trees had the path itself had fallen into the water from erosion. Plenty of people had used the walking track since though as new walking trails had been forged and we were able to clamber over trees and up the incline to the main trail.

The trail is mostly very easy to follow but after your ascent, make sure you stick right at the two junctions to descend back down to the river. Once back at river level, turn left to retrace your steps back to the main carpark. We actually had to drift off to the left and take a different exit to meet up with Homestead road we’re we parked.

Keep an eye out near the summit for large groups of kangaroos grazing on the hillside.

I wont lie, this walk made me huff and puff to get up to the summit. I just took it one step at a time and we got there. Fortunately it wasn’t busy so I didn’t worry that I was getting in peoples way. I was happy to take some images at the top and I look forward to taking more throughout my journey to be able to compare and see my progress - not always easy to see when you see yourself every day.