Home ground: Tirhatuan on a Saturday

Tirhatuan is our home ground, the park we have logged more visits to than anywhere else since July 2025. The entry sets the tone: double gates that work like an airlock, small dogs announcing you through their fence as you walk past, and then the big yard opens up and the lead comes off.

Pepsi: The water hole in the middle of the big yard is my first stop every time. I can charge through the mud, say hello to every dog within ten metres, and still have room to sprint the fence line when a new arrival comes through the airlock.

Max works it differently. He takes the outer edge where it is quieter, keeps an eye on the gates, and appreciates that the small dogs stay behind their own fence. Same park, two completely different walks.

Two things we learned the slow way. The 11am to 3pm window is the social peak, except midday on the dot, which goes strangely quiet while everyone else has lunch. And after rain the low patches turn to mud pits, which Pepsi treats as a feature. Budget for a bath.

Water and poop bags are supplied at the park, so travel light. Outside the fence it is lead territory: Dandenong Creek and the wetlands make a pleasant cool-down loop, shared with cyclists and the occasional horse crossing.

The full rules and practical detail live in the Tirhatuan Park guide.