Welcome to the next stop on Paws on the Road, our ongoing series following the dog-friendly corners of Australia worth the detour. This time, a short but satisfying bushwalk through Black Hill Nature Reserve, near Edgecombe, Victoria.

 

Black Hill is one of those reserves that punches well above its size. A network of walking tracks winds up through open eucalypt woodland and granite boulders, and the climb, while short, has just enough incline to earn the view at the top. On a quiet weekday afternoon, it was just us, the trail, and the kind of stillness that only a bit of elevation and a lot of gum trees can give you.

 

The track itself is a gentle wander through dry eucalypt forest, dappled with late-afternoon light. Along the way, native hardenbergia was in full bloom, clusters of deep purple flowers threaded through the grey-green foliage. The reward at the top is a granite outcrop with sweeping views back over the surrounding countryside, the kind of oddly satisfying trek that reminds you the best dog-friendly spots aren't always the famous ones.

 

A Wander & Frame Australia project