Awesome autumn - Lake Ginninderra walk

Is there anywhere more lovely than Canberra in autumn? If you’d like to experience some stunning leaf colour and pretty reflections, take a stroll by Lake Ginninderra. We’ve researched a walk that will appeal to everyone – and it’s pram friendly, child friendly and dog friendly too. Interested? Read on!

This little gem of a walk follows an easy 2.5 km, fully paved and nearly flat route around Diddams Close Park – a small peninsula jutting into Lake Ginninderra accessed from Ginninderra Drive. Most of the walk skirts the edge of the lake, with attractive views across the water.

The loop walk begins and ends at a formal park featuring a children’s playground, barbecue and picnic facilities, and a swimming beach (in warmer weather). There are also other practical facilities such as ample parking, public toilets and bins.

The first section of the walk passes through stands of tall eucalypts with a grassy understorey. You feel as if you’re walking through a slice of Australian bush, right in the middle of the city. The variety of bird calls nearly drowns out the background hum of traffic drifting across from the far, and built-up, side of the lake.

A bit further along, there are two very inviting ‘bird watching’ jetties extending through the reeds into the water. Local swans keep a close eye-out for bread throwing humans so it’s well worth a stroll to the end of the jetties to take a look.

Several wooden benches strategically placed along the path provide perfect spots to pause, enjoy the views, and contemplate nature.

About 20 minutes from the start of the walk is another formal park fringed with very pretty tall poplars, looking particularly stunning right now. This park has similar facilities to the first park: a children’s playground, swimming beach and picnic/barbecue facilities, plus toilets, bins and parking.

The last section of the walk is different again. The route passes by a fenced-off grassland area with views across to the distant Brindabella Mountains and more stunning foliage colour in the foreground. There’s also the possibility of saying hello to very fat hereford cattle across the fence and watching kangaroos grazing amongst them.

For dog walkers, this route provides both fenced and unfenced dog off leash areas. The Belconnen Dog Park located at the beginning of the walk provides a fully fenced and spacious dog off leash option. The outer edge of the peninsula along the lake shore between the two formal parks is also an off leash area, providing ample opportunities for dogs to explore interesting smells in the eucalyptus understorey and amongst the water reeds. (However dog walkers should take care that their off leash dogs don’t wander into the path of cyclists or other walkers). There is also a dog swimming beach a little further along from the first, human’s only, beach.

We suggest you allow 45 minutes for this walk to allow lots of dawdling time, even though you could complete it more quickly walking briskly without stopping.

You’ll find detailed directions and a google map of this route at Canberra Dog Walks plus information about other great walks around Canberra. All information is free and inspired by a love of Canberra, walking and dogs.