Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve (Frankston South)

Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve is a 98 hectare park in Frankston South. It is perfect for quiet recreational activities including going for a walk, jogging, cycling, photography and nature appreciation.

Trails through the reserve traverse a range of vegetation communities to provide opportunities to see a variety of plants and animals. The reserve is home to more than 300 species of native plants and animals including the Growling Grass Frog, Echidnas, Blue Tongue Lizards and the Blue Billed Duck.

In keeping with the objective of protecting the reserve's conservation values, public facilities including toilets, rubbish bins, barbecues and picnic tables are not provided.

Dogs, swimming and fishing are not allowed within the reserve.

Getting There:

Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve is located in Frankston South. Vehicle access is via Jeremy Way. Pedestrian access is available via Jeremy Way, Harry Court, Frankston-Flinders Road, Rinella Bushland Reserve and Lawson Avenue.

Opening Hours:

Accessible at all times by foot or bike. Car park access via an auto gate during daylight hours 6am-8pm.

Things To Do:

Explore
Walk, ride, jog or paddle your way around the reserve exploring many of Mornington Peninsula's native plants and animals as you go. The reserve provides a perfect 5km loop trail around the boundary of the park. The trail is largely wide and flat with a small climb at the southern end providing views of the bay.

Kayaking and boating
A small viewing platform and kayak/canoe launch ramp are located 400m from the visitor car park and offer excellent flat-water paddling opportunities. The vessel ramp allows access for canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding. No powered vessels are permitted.

Wildlife spotting
A perfect place for animal spotting, keep your eyes peeled for echidnas, Blue-tongue lizards, Eurasian Coots and the Blue-billed Duck who call this park home. You may also spot several microbat species residing within the reserve including the White-striped Free-tail Bat, Large Forest bat and Lesser Long-eared Bat.

Map of Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve:

Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve (Frankston South)

Walking, Jogging & Cycling:

The shared paths in the park are popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. The park offers short walks, a 5km circuit jog and connections with adjacent parks including Sweetwater Creek.

Dam Walk - 600m, 15 minutes return
Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve (Frankston South)

Starting at the Jeremy Way carpark, this short walk or ride to the dam wall provides one of the best viewing points in the park. The trail is suitable for all ages and abilities. Keep an eye out for terrestrial and aquatic water birds.

Heathland Bush Circuit - 1.8km, 45 minutes return
Starting at the end of the dam wall, this trail loops through damp heathy woodland. Wander through upper canopy eucalypts, a shrub layer including wattles and tea-trees, and abundant ground level native grasses and sedges. This trail offers an amazing diversity of wildflowers and showcases the remnant bushland of Frankston South.

Kookaburra Bush Circuit - 3.1km, 1.5 hours return
Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve (Frankston South)

Starting at the Jeremy Way carpark, this trail takes you up a gentle slope where you can look out over the water before walking around the reservoir. This circuit is one of the best ways to explore and experience the reserve. Not suitable for prams or bikes.

Reservoir Circuit Trail - 5km, 1 hour return
Walk, jog or cycle around the reserve on the wide gravel Reservoir Circuit Trail. This trail takes in the high point of the reserve which includes spectacular views of the Melbourne city skyline and Port Phillip. This trail features running distance markers each kilometre.

Access for Dogs:

Dogs are not permitted.

Review:

There's a good sized car park with an information panel about the reserve. Near the car park is a little billabong with picnic table. Designed by award winning landscape architect, Phillip Johnson, the rain garden and billabong is purpose built to catch rainwater from the road and car park, cleaning and purifying as it flows around the rocky circuit to the picturesque waterfall and billabong. Enjoy the ambience for a while. It is a lovely place to simply sit quietly and be still. "Oh there once was a swagman camped in the biliabor.g Under the shade of a Coolabah tree..." From Waltzing Matilda by Andrew 'Banjo' Paterson (1864-1941).

We did the 3.1km Kookaburra Bush Circuit which is a delightful walk around the reservoir. We did the walk in a clockwise direction. A gravel road leads to the south from the car park. Then first half of the walk past is through delightful area bushland. We went during winter and the Golden Wattle was blooming which made a beautiful sight.

Eventually you reach a huge water tank where there is a little track down to the waters edge which is a watercraft launch area and lookout. You can also get onto the Heathland Bush Circuit near here.

There are nice views over the Frankston reservoir from the embankment on the north side of the reservoir. There is no fishing or swimming in the reservoir.

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