Yarra Trails regulars

Coaster

Likes Bikes and Dirt
ah yes the golf clubs ....... all that public land set aside for a few old people to play with their balls. one day hopefully the community will get that back.
I'm always amazed at how many courses there are along the Yarra. They seem to run into each other.

Particularly that par 3 course in Kew. I've never seen a single person on that.
 

Coaster

Likes Bikes and Dirt
BTW, I saw the biggest fucking tiger snake I have ever seen yesterday on the YTs in the dodgy area before Banksia. Easily my arm span and very thick. Was crossing the trail and just stopped....... And that was it for almost 10 mins while we stared each other off. Then in a flash it did a 180 and was gone. Didn't know how fast they move! I was 2m away, it would have covered it in seconds.
 
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Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Was heading back from bonds to Rosanna golf club this arvo and hear this hiss like noise as I approach the tree dip. Stop look around, see nothing. Think to myself, nah, I am just being paranoid..

Anyways continue on my merry way finish up and exit onto the main yarra trail and hear the same hissing and carry on on the direct opposite side of the trail. Pull up and look back and there is this puffed up snake with it's head upright ,about knee height ready to have a crack. Most of it in the scrub but it's head was out on trail so hard to tell how big. I ended about 4m away but it was angry as fk. Tried to get a pic but it calmed down and buggered off.
So yeah, them hissing noises you think you hear... Fk me.. Just bloody lucky nobody was heading west - east left on the trail right then..
 
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Big JD

Wheel size expert
Was heading back from bonds to Rosanna golf club this arvo and hear this hiss like noise as I approach the tree dip. Stop look around, see nothing. Think to myself, nah, I am just being paranoid..

Anyways continue on my merry way finish up and exit onto the main yarra trail and hear the same hissing and carry on on the direct opposite side of the trail. Pull up and look back and there is this puffed up snake with it's head upright ,about knee height ready to have a crack. Most of it in the scrub but it's head was out on trail so hard to tell how big. I ended about 4m away but it was angry as fk. Tried to get a pic but it calmed down and buggered off.
So yeah, them hissing noises you think you hear... Fk me.. Just bloody lucky nobody was heading west - east left on the trail right then..
you are terrifying me Kerplunk- Im staying home till May
 

Big AC

Likes Dirt
The slightly cooler days seem to be the worst for snakes, mid 20s bring them out. I’ve seen a Tiger on my last two rides on the YTs, one in Studley Park and one behind the Carey sports grounds.
 

Big JD

Wheel size expert
I just came across two tigers - one in Bruce's and one near Burke. I rode the rest on the bike path
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I just came across two tigers - one in Bruce's and one near Burke. I rode the rest on the bike path
Bloody hell mate, it's an end of days snake plague out there...

wow...you wouldnt expect that! they (tigers) definitely havent been shy or timid this year...seem to be around in abundance too
Franco, dunno if it was a tiger for sure, it was strippy and flattened it's head right out so most likely. But it was grumpy as fuck which isn't like the others I have seen..

Rant incoming..

I have been thinking about this for many many years but yesterday really brought it home.. The yarra from burke to bonds on the (Banyule side) is a weed infested vermin pit (this includes visitors near Banksia st) Whoever is in control have just let it go to shit. The area shouldn't be like a jungle, it should be like the worsterfolds river trails, odessey loop and near bonds rd. Minimal groundcover in summer and native grasses during winter..
Having a snake rear up, centemetres off the edge of the main yarra trail, protected by weed shrub is just a bullshit situation.
Atm the trails are infested with snakes over summer and a slosh pit during winter. Clearing out all the weeds would allow more light to the soil to dry it out over winter. Replanting with native grasses/sedges/trees that grow in wetter months spring/winter/autumn help draw water out of the soil and die back over summer. Atm all the growth is spring/summer active and goes dormant over winter. Taking back the land to it's natural ecology will make for better trails.
Basically the area needs revegetation..
Yes there will be snakes, it's only natural. But if re-veg'd or the weeds cleaned out, at least the users of the trails can adequately look out for snakes and avoid them as we do elsewhere on the network..
Few of you on here know a fair bit about the area so it would be interesting to get your take on it.. I am willingly to make some noise about this (i have a horticulture background) to the relevant bodies but the last thing I want is to lose the trails like what happened over near the chris cross landscape joint and yarra when they re veg'd that area.

Thoughts?
 
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pistonbroke

Eats Squid
ah yes the golf clubs ....... all that public land set aside for a few old people to play with their balls. one day hopefully the community will get that back.
Turn em all into motocross tracks. Yeah baby.







I wish I wasn't too old to ride mx. Now it just scares me.
 

al_

Likes Dirt
ah yes the golf clubs ....... all that public land set aside for a few old people to play with their balls. one day hopefully the community will get that back.
I know of three in the eastern suburbs under planning right now. The 'community' will get them back, provided they like McMansions and are willing to pay.
 

redbruce

Eats Squid
I have been thinking about this for many many years but yesterday really brought it home.. The yarra from burke to bonds on the (Banyule side) is a weed infested vermin pit (this includes visitors near Banksia st) Whoever is in control have just let it go to shit. The area shouldn't be like a jungle, it should be like the worsterfolds river trails, odessey loop and near bonds rd. Minimal groundcover in summer and native grasses during winter..
Having a snake rear up, centemetres off the edge of the main yarra trail, protected by weed shrub is just a bullshit situation.
Atm the trails are infested with snakes over summer and a slosh pit during winter. Clearing out all the weeds would allow more light to the soil to dry it out over winter. Replanting with native grasses/sedges/trees that grow in wetter months spring/winter/autumn help draw water out of the soil and die back over summer. Atm all the growth is spring/summer active and goes dormant over winter. Taking back the land to it's natural ecology will make for better trails.
Basically the area needs revegetation..
Yes there will be snakes, it's only natural. But if re-veg'd or the weeds cleaned out, at least the users of the trails can adequately look out for snakes and avoid them as we do elsewhere on the network..
Few of you on here know a fair bit about the area so it would be interesting to get your take on it.. I am willingly to make some noise about this (i have a horticulture background) to the relevant bodies but the last thing I want is to lose the trails like what happened over near the chris cross landscape joint and yarra when they re veg'd that area.

Thoughts?
Melbourne water have a number of reveg programs underway. (http://www.melbournewater.com.au/whatwedo/projectsaroundmelbourne/Pages/Projects-by-type.aspx)

For the Yarra, works have been completed in Richmond, and from Fairfield to Viewbank. Plenty more to go though.

I have had a snakes appear from nowhere alongside the trail at Lysty and Candlebark, even without weed infestation.
 
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Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
For the Yarra, works have been completed in Richmond, and from Fairfield to Viewbank. Plenty more to go though.
Cheers for that, Melb water do a good job. They cleaned up salty creek in Rosanna nicely. Although I am pretty sure parks control right up to the banks ivanhoe to bonds.

redbruce; said:
I have had a snakes appear from nowhere alongside the trail at Lysty and Candlebark, even without weed infestation.
Same, just not on every single ride.. Anecdotally nowhere else along the populated yarra seems as infested with snakes.. Is it a coincidence that this area is also smothered in weed groundcovers?
 
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redbruce

Eats Squid
Cheers for that, Melb water do a good job. They cleaned up salty creek in Rosanna nicely. Although I am pretty sure parks control right up to the banks ivanhoe to bonds.



Same, just not on every single ride.. Anecdotally nowhere else along the populated yarra seems as infested with snakes.. Is it a coincidence that this area is also smothered in weed groundcovers?
Probably. Snakes will inhabit areas with plentiful food.

The large lower dam area at Candlebark is full of snakes (just riders don't have cause to go there).

With this warm weather, seems our part of Yarra also looks safe for a post ride dip atm.

http://yarraandbay.vic.gov.au/yarra-watch
 
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cracker

Likes Dirt
what happened to the little pump/jumps track near ivanhoe tennis club? someones dug a drain or something threw it?
horrible planning....
 

Beej1

Senior Member
There's an awful lot of NIMBY's in Ivanhoe. Selfish fuckers.
I can't see it effecting any of the unofficial trails as it will just pop out at Willsmere Park.
From memory, some of the most vocal, but seemingly ineffective, opponents were 'friends of the wetlands' folk, who were focusing on this particular part where it meets the MYT. They were concerned that once complete, and once MTBers are using the link, that singletrack will inevitably form adjacent to it, and thus affect their wetlands (as well as the construction damage).

I seem to remember back when I lived in Kew and used to hit the singletrack right here from under the freeway, that there was already plenty of singletrack in the accessible areas of the wetlands from dog walkers anyway. I wonder if this will get used by MTBers once the link is done? It'll be my commute, so I'm keen to see what happens.

I'm also half expecting the trail to get tack'd once complete, given the opposition. But we'll see.

In any case, project "get my ridiculously unfit fat-arse back in the saddle and off the risk of death from obesity or blocked arteries or both list" is underway. A ride home along the trails upstream from FA Andrews scheduled this arvo at 4.40ish.

Snakes be damned.
 
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