Running with the 'roos.

The running group had a Sunday morning run at Oaklands Park, about twenty kilometres from Melbourne.

It's a great spot for running, a public open space that was Melbourne's last volcano about six thousand years ago resulting in much of the north west of Melbourne having a rocky surface - apparently that's why growth spread south and east instead of north and west where getting to the 'bush' now is consequently much quicker.

We set off at 8:15 with late winter sun just up and shining. It was undulating and damp, with patches of old forest remaining here and there, old gnarled gum trees that looked thousands of years old.

There were kangaroos everywhere, small bunches of them standing about in the weak early-morning sunlight, some bouncing along and some even reclining on their huge haunches. Several had joeys in their pouches. You've never seen anything cuter than a kangaroo with her baby tucked into her front 'pocket'. We also saw a pair of kangaroos 'boxing' each other playfully.

With all this entertainment, we were done sooner than we realised.

Some parts of the trail had been solid rock, evidence of the original lava flows.

Wonder if the 'roos were around in those days?