Yerrabi Pond pram friendly walk directions
Summary
Gungahlin locals have enjoyed this family-friendly, fully paved and flat walk for some time, but the addition of dog off leash areas has raised this walk to a whole new level. This super easy route follows the perimeter of Yerrabi Pond which is improving year-by-year as the trees and gardens mature and soften the landscape. There are several shady sections, lovely water views, children's playgrounds and plenty of pretty places to pause. Dogs can enjoy two off leash opportunities: a large grassy area adjacent to the route plus an off leash swim only a very short detour away. The walk starts and ends at Yerrabi Pond Park off Wunderlich Street where there are public toilets, drinking water, bins and playgrounds. The only lack is a café directly en route.
Start/Finish - Yerrabi Pond Park, Wunderlich Street
Time/Distance - Allow 60 minutes/approx 4 km
Off lead rating - ♥
Parking - Car park off Wunderlich Street
Dog friendly café - Caffé al Lago
Public toilets - At the car park off Wunderlich Street
Bins - Car park off Wunderlich Street and Eastern Island walkway
Distractions - None
Playgrounds - Several around Yerrabi Pond
Photo gallery - See more photos taken on the Yerrabi Pond pram friendly walk.
Note - All our dog walks assume you are a responsible dog owner with effective control of your dog. If walking with a pram, you'll need to venture at least 10 metres off the paved paths to let your dog take advantage of the off leash opportunities described below. See our Important Stuff page before starting any of our walks.
Map
Use the navigation tools to zoom in or out for different views of the route or click on the 'view larger map' icon on the top right hand corner of the map to view in google maps.
Directions
Wunderlich Street to Eastern Island walkway (15 minutes)
1. Start from the car park off Wunderlich Street, Gungahlin, and make your way to the Yerrabi Pond shore on any of the paved paths skirting around the children's playgrounds.
Dogs must be on leash on this walk except for the off leash grassy area at direction no. 4 b) and the off leash swimming spot at direction no. 4 c). Check the google map provided on this page - the blue paw icons mark the off leash areas.
Note that dogs are prohibited from within 10 metres of children's playgrounds when they are being used. If you have children wanting to play on the equipment, you'll either have to tether your dog at least 10 metres away or come back another time sans dog.
2. Once you've reached the shore of the Pond, turn right and follow the paved path skirting around the edge of the water.
The route essentially follows the shore of the Pond so you can't go wrong if you keep the Pond on your left.
The route along this stretch offers attractive views across the Pond to distant hills. Waterbirds are prolific at this end of the Pond.
There is a super little café, Caffé al Lago, along this stretch with some outdoor dog-friendly tables, offering deli sandwiches, freshly baked cakes and coffee, open Wednesday to Sunday.
3. Continue following the path until you reach a pedestrian bridge (the Eastern Island walkway) heading left across the Pond. Turn left here onto the bridge to cross to a small island (some brief exploration is hard to resist here) and then continue to the other side of the Pond.
If you would like to extend the walk, you could continue straight ahead to circumnavigate all of Yerrabi Pond. This will add approximately 1 km/15 minutes to your walk. However this section is not as well shaded or attractive as our recommended route.
There are bins at each end of the bridge/walkway and another children's playground on the far side.
Eastern Island to Mirrabel Drive (25 minutes)
4. On the far side of the Pond there are three options.
a) To continue your loop around the Pond, turn immediately left and follow the paved path around the water.
b) To give your dog some off leash playtime, walk straight ahead passing the children's playground on your left until you reach a large, flat, grassy, rectangular clearing bordered by trees to the right of the path. This is the dog off leash area. Remember you'll need to keep your dog at least 10 metres away from paved paths while off leash.
c) To give your dog some off leash swimming time, turn immediately right and follow the paved path a short distance along the shore. You'll reach the dog swimming area after only a few minutes. You can head down to the water once you have passed some large concrete slabs on the ground on your right. The off leash area extends from the concrete slabs to the busy road further along (Horse Park Drive). But make sure your dog keeps at least 10 metres away from the paved path.
5. If you've indulged in b) or c) above, when you're ready return to the pedestrian bridge where you crossed over the Pond. Continue your route anti-clockwise around the Pond by following the paved paths until you reach a busy road (Mirrabel Drive).
Mirrabel Drive to Wunderlich Street (10 minutes)
6. At Mirrabel Drive, veer left to continue following the paved paths around the Pond. Turn left again away from the road to follow the shoreline back towards Wunderlich Street and your starting point.
The concrete drain system under the road dislpays some interesting and ever-changing graffiti.
If you'd prefer to join one of our regular guided group walks, find out more at our guided walks page.
Canberra Dog Walks thanks @the_rescue_wolf-pack, @the_life_of_a_prince, and @chelsy_lee for kindly granting permission to publish their beautiful photos.