The Sunset Track walk is one of my favourite "suburban" walks in outer Melbourne. It is located in the three Melbourne "suburbs" of Belgrave Heights, Belgrave South and Lysterfield, in the Dandenong Ranges. You can enjoy views of Melbourne City and Port Philip Bay, as well as a very quiet semi-rural setting. Other attractions include the ridiculously steep Ryans Rd (do not attempt it in a small 2WD on a wet day!) and Birdsland Reserve with its picturesque lakes. If you are interested in native plants, the Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery located within Birdsland Reserve is well worth checking.
Part of the area burnt in March 2009, a few weeks after Black Saturday (and also in 1997 and 1983...). It has recovered well, but many of the blackwoods that used to populate sections of Sunset Track did not survive.
You can walk the entire loop walk (see map at the end) or park at the gates of Lysterfield National Park on Ryans Rd and do the walking tracks only. In the latter case, however, you will have to retrace your steps to return to the carpark. The loop walk includes street walking, most of it on quiet gravel roads, and should take an average adult 2 to 3 hours.
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| Near the intersection of Mount Morton Rd and Ryans Rd, facing north. |
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| The very steep Ryans Rd facing west. |
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| The burnt trunks of eucalyptus trees on Abrahams Track. |
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| Port Philip Bay viewed from Sunset Track. |
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| Sunset Track looking west towards the city. |
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| Melbourne City ~40 km away, viewed from Sunset Track. |
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| Going down towards Birdsland, facing Upwey. |
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| The larger Birdsland Lake, looking north. |
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| Map of the loop walk. Sunset Track is in the western section of the walk. |
