Length: 4.3 km<\/p>\n
Time taken: 1 hour, 40 mins (including breaks for pictures and catching my breath :))<\/p>\n
Grade: Moderate (Tyrone Thomas rated this as Easy…. he has a funny idea of easy!)<\/p>\n
Climb: 298 metres<\/p>\n
This walk is better known as the Thousand Steps, but includes an extra section up to what is known as One Tree Hill. I found the 800m walk to the steps from the car park more draining than the walk up the steps, but I did have to stop numerous times on the steps to catch my breath and take a quick sip of water. The weather was warm and sunny on the day which didn’t help matters. It will be interesting to see how much easier it is on a cooler and overcast day.<\/p>\n
By the time I reached the top of the (785) steps I was grateful for the seat in the shade. From the top another path leads up to the One Tree Hill picnic area. This area is at the summit of the hill, but there are sadly no views due to all the surrounding trees. However there is still a marker at the top that shows the distance and direction of other major landmarks around Melbourne.<\/p>\n
The walk back to the car park is down a wide track that runs almost parallel to the steps, but is an unrelenting downhill grade that I found quite slippery. I had to concentrate on my footing to be careful I didn’t slip. A number of people were walking up this track which would not have been fun.<\/p>\n
The path has been made into a memorial for the Kokoda track and there are numerous memorial plaques with historical information about Kokoda along the way. Many of these plaques were being used as seats.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.melbournedaywalks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/onetreehillmap.png\" "\\"onetreehillmap\\"")
<\/a>Map<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The start of the path to the steps with the arch commemorating the Kokoda trail.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The track branches off to the steps and to the path I returned on.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>There was some beautiful rainforest along the way.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Along the path to the steps<\/p><\/div>\n