K W Joyce Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

31-37 Cornwall Road, Pascoe Vale VIC, 3044


Lovely grassy areas with trees which covers 300 x 170m with the Westbreen Creek running across the reserve. It is rather hilly. In the south east area there is a big hill with a narrow bike track where local kids like to test their courage and go down at breakneck speed.

The reserve is split by the creek into a northern and southern half. There are places where your dog can go down to the creek for a paddle but beware of snakes during the warmer months. You can move between the northern areas at the bordering roads (either along Arndt Road or Northumberland Road). At Arndt Road there is a bin. The bigger northern part has big, steep grassy banks leading up to a grassy plateau dotted with trees. The reserve is a lovely place to walk around if you aren't afraid of a few hills. There is no water tap.

Several species of frogs can be found along the Westbreen Creek but of particular significance is the Growling Grass Frog. They were once so abundant in Victoria that they were used for dissections at universities and to feed the snakes at the Melbourne Zoo. Loss and fragmentation of habitat, the infectious disease Chytrid fungus and a reduction in rainfall averages have had a significant impact on populations and it is now considered a nationally threatened species. Terrestrial habitat (logs and rocks), vegetation along the creek banks, mats of floating vegetation and submerged plants provide optimal habitat for the frogs. They feed mostly on insects such as beetles, cockroaches, moths and butterflies but will also feed on small lizards, snakes, fish and other frogs, including smaller members of their own species. The Growling Grass Frog gets its name from the distinctive call the males make during the warmer months which involves several short grunts followed by a long, deep growl lasting about one second. The females lay their eggs in a loose mass amongst floating vegetation. Pinky-grey tadpoles with yellowy fins hatch from the eggs reaching up to 100 mm before turning into frogs.