Ernle Clark Reserve – Cashmere

The Colombo end of Ernle Reserve

Ernle Clark Reserve is a very pretty walk that runs along the Heathcote River between Barrington Street and Colombo Street. Look out for the feisty swans! You can extend this walk by making use of the nice wide, smooth paths opposite Princess Margaret Hospital and Cashmere Playground. This stretch of the river has perfectly placed picnic tables and lots of like-minded walkers.

We did this walk in June 2015. Check out Cashmere Playground too.

What we did

We parked close to Princess Margaret Hospital, near Cashmere Playground, and walked from there to the start of the reserve. This took about 15 minutes (in little legs time) and the paths were smooth and reasonably wide – perfect for buggies, small bikes, and scooters. There are picnic tables along the river giving lots of places to take a break.

When you enter Ernle Clark Reserve (we entered at the Barrington Street end) the path changes to gravel (not so scooter friendly). It takes about another 15 minutes to meander through the reserve. There’s a fantastic property (a healthcare spa) at the Colombo Street entrance/exit, which is where you’ll also find an interesting chair carved out of a tree stump.

If you cut back through the reserve towards the fancy house you might be lucky enough to see some swans – they came charging through the water at us! Keep wandering back in and around this area and there’s a lovely, large, grassy picnic area tucked away in the bush.

We walked back along the Ernle Clark Reserve trail and up to Cashmere Playground.

You could also park in Earnlea Terrace (off Colombo Street) and walk back towards the playground.