A STUNNING WALK AT THE BRIARS

Make fun while the sun shines... and our walk at The Briars, a place that was new for us down on the Mornington Peninsula, really was picture perfect.

The Briars is a wonderful place to visit: just inland from Mt Martha on the Peninsula, it's 230 hectares of conservation park and wildlife sanctuary, with a heritage homestead, a cafe and more. Entry to the Sanctuary, surprisingly, is free. And the property is open every day of the year - though the  Wildlife Sanctuary is closed Christmas Day, Good Friday, or when fire or severe weather threatens (closures are listed on Facebook).

But how is it even here? The Briars was one of the first houses built by Europeans on the Peninsula -  in 1840 by Captain James Reid, a retired army officer. Six years later, Alexander Balcombe, with wife Emma and baby daughter, took over and their descendants remained until 1976 when their descendant Richard a’Beckett sold 220 hectares to the Shire of Mornington and gifted The Briars Homestead (you can book a paid tour) and surrounds to the Shire and to the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). What a wonderful legacy!

There are several walks that you can choose - and all can be downloaded before you arrive, or picked up at the Visitor Centre. We choose the Woodland Walk which is about 4km for the entire circuit within the Wildlife Sanctuary, and we included a visit to the Chechingurk Bird Hide - the most "Hilton of bird hides" that we'e ever visited! That's where we spied the little pardalote in the opening photo. What a cutie.

Birdlife was plentiful, especially near the substantial lakes. The weather was sunny and just warm enough and we felt like we didn't have a care in the world (but we are always mindful of others doing it really tough, and especially those affected by the recent floods).

Meanwhile, back in Eden, we saw the resident emu, as well as many eastern rosellas (shy as usual, and difficult to photograph on this day!), a couple of butcher birds, blackbirds, red wattlebirds and a grey shrike-thrush. There were plenty of splendid fairy wrens playing in the reeds.

While the birds were lovely, the natural environment was the star! The Woodlands Walk meanders through several different treed areas, often bordering creeks, and is mostly an easy walk with a few easy hills here and there (not accessible for wheelchairs or prams).

​Back at the carpark, we opted to have our picnic lunch in the shaded area where there are sturdy chairs and tables - and plenty of others quietly enjoying the area. We didn't try the cafe on this visit, but we certainly will on another visit. We're also planning to do a different walk next time - the one that leads to Mt Martha Beach along the Balcombe Creek then the Harrap Creek Walkways (7km return). We're looking forward to that.