Belgrave Lake Park — Attraction in Melbourne

There's something primordial about the reservoir, walking around it on the westerly path on a sunny winter day. The walk is short, less than a kilometre from the upper car park to Old Reservoir Road (more on that in a bit) but wet and slippery and a little steep in places and definitely not wheelchair friendly. But the rest of the park is, with defined tracks and one of the best kiddie playgrounds I've seen in a while.

There is also a strange, Flinstones-like spot down from the loos that I didn't photograph but others have and I've no idea what it's for, but it looks terrific fun for kids as well.

Parking is okay, there are a few levels but I'd imagine they would fill up quickly in summer, as would the bbq facilities, no doubt. And there's not a lot of seating, given the playground, or shaded areas outside the walking tracks, so expect extreme UV exposure when the sun is out.

With the western walking track, because of the weir and private property, it terminates on the road, which means either turning around and walking back, or walking south on Old Reservoir Road to the Belgrave-Hallam Road, then back to the park along Judkins Avenue or Park Drive. We chose Park Drive because it is sealed, but when the weather is less wet, Judkins Avenue would be more in keeping with the terrain.

Now, to the reason I did not give the park five stars.

Noise!

It's astoundingly noisy, with neighbours, construction, and cars catching in what seems to be the amplified hollow that the park sits in, creating a cacophony that's not restful. Someone in a house up the hill on the northern side had dance music blaring and they may as well have parked the boom box in the playground, it was so clear...and loud!

I think, if you're looking for a place to let the kids run free for a bit, this is awesome. But if you're looking for a relaxing, back-to-nature walk,...

A picturesque location for recreational activities, and close to the lake. Surrounded by protected bushland, enjoyable walks can be had near Monbulk Creek and around the lake. The new playground is quite impressive, with some useful adult exercise equipment adjacent to it. Its a very popular area for dog walking and a dog club, but be aware that dog owners here can be pretty lax - and the majority have their dogs off-lead when they shouldn't (this is particularly concerning in the playground area, but also on the walking paths). Owners need to realize that only the centre designated grassed area is off-lead (with effective voice control) and not the walking paths/playground/surrounding bushland. Very few visitors with dogs seem to understand that, and the council is aware but has been unable to address the issue. 'Belgrave Dog Park' would now be a more apt name. Hopefully in the future it will return to a more balanced, multi-purpose space for the...

Good place to bring your family if you haven't got young kids or babies! A German Shepherd attacked my 12month old baby and knocked her over so fast we didn't stand a chance. People with aggressive large dogs must have the dog on a lead or consider going to a park where there aren't babies or little children who are vulnerable, prone to dogs mauling and killing babies. A terrifying afternoon for my family and child who was understandably shocked. It could have been worse if the situation was to turn south! Unbelievably bad effort by council as they haven't really thought it out! Does a child have to die before someone takes...