Port Melbourne to Brighton Beach

This is the northern half of Melbourne's Bay Trail, running from the Port Melbourne foreshore through Middle Park, St Kilda and Elwood down to Brighton Beach. AllTrails puts the stretch at 14.3 km. The path itself is straightforward; what needs reading is the beach beside it, because two councils govern it with two sets of seasonal rules.

The walk. Sealed shared path, flat from end to end, 14.3 km one way and around three hours at a walking pace. It is linear rather than a loop, and the Sandringham line and the 109 tram run close enough that you can stop wherever you have had enough. Underfoot it is concrete and asphalt, with grassy foreshore reserve alongside for most of the distance.

The rules. The trail crosses City of Port Phillip and then Bayside City Council. Dogs are on lead on the shared path, the boardwalks and the foreshore reserves at all times, including where the beach directly below allows off-lead. Beach access is the moving part: both councils apply summer restrictions from 1 November to 31 March, with time of day limits, and each beach along the route is signed individually. Read the sign at the ramp you are using rather than assuming the last one still applies.

Water. Bubblers and dog bowls turn up regularly along the foreshore and there are toilets at most of the main beach nodes. Where dogs are allowed in, the bay stays shallow a long way out, which suits a dog that is not a confident swimmer.

Getting there. The 109 tram terminates at the Port Melbourne beach end, and Middle Brighton and Brighton Beach stations sit ten to fifteen minutes' walk from the southern end. Street parking at both ends is metered and turns over slowly on a fine weekend.

Nearby with the dogs. Garden City Reserve at the northern end and Clarke Reserve at Elwood are the off-leash breaks along the way. If you would rather split the distance, North Road to St Kilda Pier covers the middle section and the full Bay Trail carries on south. Combi at Elwood is the mid route coffee stop.

When to go. Outside the 1 November to 31 March window the beach rules relax and the path is quieter, which makes autumn and winter the easy season here. In summer, go before nine in the morning. Good for nervous swimmers, given how gently the bay shelves.

Sources

• Find a beach - City of Port Phillip · www.portphillip.vic.gov.au
• Summer beach restrictions for dogs - Bayside City Council · www.bayside.vic.gov.au
• Port Melbourne to Brighton Beach - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.