News Your summer plans, a little inland
Summer doesn’t have to mean circling for a beach car park. Swap the coastal bustle for freshwater dips, rolling paddocks and a picnic rug beside Blue Rock Lake.
Around 2 hours east of Melbourne, this freshwater oasis near Willow Grove (just north of Yarragon) offers a quieter kind of summer outing. There’s a playground to keep little adventurers occupied and barbecues for a lunch that happily stretches into the afternoon. Bring the swimmers, pack the esky and give the beach umbrella a change of scenery.
The approach through pastoral countryside is part of the appeal. Think paddocks, big skies and a small country town close to the water, with mountain views beyond.
Pick your patch
Blue Rock Lake has 2 main recreation areas: Old Tanjil Road at the Willow Grove end and Spillway Road near the dam wall. For a family day with all the useful extras, make Old Tanjil Road your destination.
Here, picnic tables, sheltered barbecues, toilets, parking and a playground take much of the organising out of getting outdoors.
Make a splash
On warm days, the water is the main event. Blue Rock Lake has 2 designated swimming areas where boats and fishing are excluded, giving swimmers their own patch of lake. Choose your spot and let the afternoon revolve around dips and towel-drying sessions.
Bring a kayak if you’d like to stretch the adventure a little further, or pack a fishing rod for some quality time contemplating absolutely nothing but how you’re going to cook up that Australian bass.
Bring the whole crew, paws included
The family dog can join the outing, too. Dogs are welcome at Blue Rock Lake and must stay on a lead, so pack a water bowl and make room beside the picnic rug for your most enthusiastic lunch supervisor.
Take the lakeside route
Between swims, follow the foreshore walking track for another perspective on the lake. The shoreline section runs for around 1.4km and connects with a longer route into Willow Grove via Blue Rock Road.
Turn around whenever little legs have had enough, or continue into town. For a longer outing, the Willow Grove–Blue Rock Lake loop is approximately 3.5km, with sections following local roads back to the recreation area.
Leave dinner to The Tipsy Heifer
If nobody fancies taking charge of the barbecue, Willow Grove has an excellent argument for outsourcing.
The Tipsy Heifer serves up pub favourites, burgers, steaks and seasonal salads in the heart of town. Make it a lunch stop or round out your lake day with an early dinner. A swim, a stroll and someone else doing the dishes: that’s a summer itinerary with its priorities sorted.
Published on under: Nature & Outdoor