Yarra Bend Park facts for kids
Yarra Bend Park is a huge park covering 260 hectares (that's about 642 football fields!) in Melbourne, Australia. It's located in the suburb of Kew, just 4 kilometers northeast of the city center. This park is special because it's the biggest area of natural bushland left in inner Melbourne.
The most important part of the park is the Yarra River, which flows for 12 kilometers right through it. Yarra Bend Park has two golf courses, two old boathouses, and lots of paths for cycling and walking. Around 1.5 million people visit the park every year to enjoy nature and have fun!
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Fun Things to Do at Yarra Bend Park
There are many ways to explore Yarra Bend Park. You can find paths that are great for both cyclists and people walking. Two famous trails, the Capital City Trail and the Yarra River Trail, go right through the park.
If you love nature, you can join special tours for bushwalking or birdwatching. There's even a tour to see the amazing flying fox colony!
- Boating Fun: You can rent canoes and boats from the Studley Park Boathouse and paddle along the Yarra River.
- Sports and Games: The park has many sports fields like Corben Oval and Westfield South Oval. Some fields, like Fairlea East Oval, have special surfaces you can rent for friendly games.
- Picnic Time: There are several picnic areas with electric barbecues and toilets. You can even book shelters like Westfield or North Rotunda for your group. Popular picnic spots include Studley Park and Bellbird. Just remember, you can't fish near the flying fox colony at Bellbird picnic area.
- Fly-Casting Pool: Since 1978, there's been a special pool for fly-casting (a type of fishing) next to Fairlea East Oval. People often have tournaments there, especially in winter.
Amazing Wildlife in the Park
Yarra Bend Park is home to many different animals. You can spot lots of birds, bats, and other mammals. There are also reptiles like tiger snakes and blue-tongued lizards. Look out for colorful rainbow lorikeets, red-rumped parrots, and big yellow-tailed black cockatoos. You might also see water rats and different types of possums.
The Grey-Headed Flying Fox Colony
Yarra Bend Park is famous for its large colony of grey-headed flying foxes. These bats are considered vulnerable, which means their numbers are decreasing. They are very important because they help pollinate flowers and spread seeds of native trees.
The colony first lived in the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1986. But in 2003, they were moved to Yarra Bend Park, which is a more natural place for them. The number of bats changes throughout the year, from about 3,000 in winter to 30,000 in summer!
You can easily see the bats resting in the trees from the lookout at Bellbird Picnic Reserve. Watching them fly out at sunset is a truly amazing sight!
Visiting Yarra Bend Park
Here's what you need to know before you visit:
Opening Hours
The park is open for people walking 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If you're coming by car, the vehicle entrances are open from 8 AM until late.
Getting There
You can drive into the park from Studley Park Road and Yarra Boulevard in Kew, or Yarra Bend Road in Fairfield. The Yarra Bend Golf entrance is also off Yarra Bend Road.
Several buses also go to the park, including routes 200, 207, 609, 302, 304, and 546.
