Summer Day Hikes in Victoria

Summer hikes around Melbourne are beautiful. Think of the ferny, cool glades of Mt Dandenong, the well-watered forest of the Otways and the ever-popular Wilsons Promontory.

I love summer – the sun is out, the sky is blue and the days are long. Of course, summer hiking can create rather undesirable experiences – for instance, walking shadeless plains in 40-degree heat, or stopping for lunch at a fly-ridden picnic area. The key to a good time is choosing a fair-weather day (no scorchers, no summer thunderstorms forecast); wearing appropriate light, breathable outdoor clothing; and choosing an appropriate destination – that is, one with some shade, and either the altitude or position (e.g. along the coast) to produce a climate that's generally a few degrees cooler than other places.

With all this in mind, I thought I'd look at some summer walks – some that I've done and some that I haven't – but, each of them on my to-do list.

Cape Liptrap Day Hike

Cape Liptrap Coastal Park

This Cape Liptrap hike is hardly a daytrip – in that it's quite a long drive from Melbourne (unless you live in Pakenham, in which case it's only a one-hour and 45-minute drive – as opposed to three hours from Melbourne CBD). Cape Liptrap is also a stone's throw from the summer-favourite Wilsons Promontory National Park, which could explain why you don't often hear of people hiking at Cape Liptrap.

That said, guidebook author Glenn Tempest rates it as "one of the most rewarding coastal walks in Victoria." From the beginning of the walk – as described in his book, Daywalks Around Victoria – to the end, there aren't any open public access points, which adds to its sense of isolation. This is a wild, rugged hike across wave-cut platforms, black cliffs, shingle beaches, silent woodland and a weird landscape of rock that, over time, has been twisted into strange shapes.

Starting at Cape Liptrap Carpark, the walk follows the coast along Morgan Beach, past some unusual limestone cliffs, through coastal heath and small dunes and, finally, across golden sand.

• Walk distance: 16.3km
• Walk type: Point-to-point (car shuffle required)
• Features: Rock pools, cliffs, isolated beaches
• Guidebook: Daywalks Around Victoria by Glenn Tempest

Central Buffalo Plateau Day Hike

Mt Buffalo National Park

When summer's here, the alternative to high-tailing it to the beach is heading for the hills. Mt Buffalo's Central Plateau is a little exposed for an ultra-hot, 40-degree day – but, on a cooler day (and, it tends to be cooler up there than elsewhere around sea level) it's a non-coastal, remote-feeling landscape. The sub-alpine mountain plateau rises to 1729 metres and is haunted by looming granite tors that are evocatively named: such as, the Monolith, the Leviathan, Devils Couch and the Cathedral.

The walk that author Glenn van der Knijff describes in his guidebook – Victoria's Bogong High Plains – encompasses four peaks that will give you panoramic views of the surrounding plateau and distant ranges of the Australian Alps. Starting and finishing at Reservoir Picnic Area, the circuit climbs a peak called 'Og, Gog & Magog', Eagle Point, Macs Point and Mt Dunn while travelling through Five Acre, Saltlick and Wild Dog plains.

• Walk distance: 13.5km
• Walk Type: Circuit
• Features: Boulder-strewn plains, sheer granite peaks
• Maps: Mount Buffalo Spatial Vision Map
• Guidebook: Victoria's Bogong High Plains by Glenn van der Knijff

Greens Bush to Cape Schanck Day Hike

Mornington Peninsula

Located in the heart of Mornington Peninsula, Greens Bush is one of very few areas of remnant bushland on the Peninsula. It's surprisingly pretty, with a mixture of shady, ferny creeks, scrubby woodland and sandy paths winding through grass trees.

Starting at Baldrys Crossing, you can walk through Greens Bush until it bisects Boneo Rd. From there, an easy, undulating track tumbles toward the wild, broad and sandy Bushrangers Bay. This rugged ocean beach has rocky structures on its eastern end that at low tide reveal clear blue rockpools. From Bushrangers Bay, the coastal track travels through dense thickets of banksias and coastal tea-trees before emerging at Cape Schanck Lighthouse Reserve Carpark.

There's a variation of this walk in John Chapman, Monica Chapman and John Siseman's guidebook Day Walks Victoria. The walk they describe is a bit longer: Completing a near-circuit of Greens Bush, they recommend continuing to Bushrangers Bay, passing Cape Schanck Lighthouse and finishing in Fingal Picnic area. This would make it a more solid day hike if you're more interested in walking through the landscape than doddling through grass trees and frolicking on the beach.

• Walk distance (guidebook version): 16km
• Walk type: Point-to-point (car shuffle required)
• Features: Remnant bushland, wild ocean beaches, cliff tops, coastal heath
• Guidebook: Day Walks Victoria by John Chapman, Monica Chapman and John Siseman

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