The creek flows for through the Mullum Mullum Valley travelling west and then north where it flows into the
Yarra River. It passes through many of Melbourne's eastern suburbs including;
Croydon,
Ringwood,
Mitcham,
Donvale,
East Doncaster, western
Warrandyte and
Templestowe. It is most often a slight green/brown colour due to the riverbed silt, during heavy rainfall it appears light brown. Its geography is generally divided up into 4 sections; The High Plateau Tract, The Mullum Mullum Gorge, The Valley Tract and The Plains Tract.
High Plateau Tract Through: Croydon, Ringwood A ring of high forested hills that separates the
Dandenong Valley from the
Yarra Valley is the source of the Mullum Mullum Creek. The high plateau is formed by the Wicklow Ridge to Reagh's Hill in the east, Bedford Road and
Maroondah Highway in the south, and the Loughnan's Hill, Wonga Road ridge to the west. Commencing in Croydon south of Birt's Hill behind the Yarra Valley School, the Mullum Mullum Creek flows south downstream passing remnant
orchards, bushland and parks through Ringwood and past Eastland Shopping Centre. Native hyacinth orchids and small grass trees are present in these remnant forests. The
otter-like
rakali feeds in the stream here. Grassy, sedgy woodlands here are home to many undocumented species of butterflies as well as birds and
possums. Drier mixed species forests gradually give way to swamp gums and
manna gums as the creek heads south. Near New Street, the creek once turned and flowed south of Maroondah Highway down the now dry bed of the upper Heatherdale Creek and into the
Dandenong Creek and
Port Philip Bay, but a natural 'river capture' has now taken the waters of the creek and diverted them through a narrow gap in the hills to the north and the Yarra River.
Mullum Mullum Gorge Through: Ringwood, Mitcham, Park Orchards, Donvale With the extra captured water, the Mullum Mullum Creek has carved a steep V-shaped gorge with rocky cascades. Here in the damp shadows, tall old growth
riparian forests provide habitat for koalas and native birds species.
Maidenhair ferns and
tree ferns thrive. The drier hillsides are home to native
orchids and
echidnas. Passing under the steep bushland escarpment below Poynton Avenue in Ringwood, the rocky cascades and fern covered banks of the Mullum Mullum gorge become apparent. Tall manna gum woodlands, some with treefern
understorey, are home to
tawny frogmouths and
sugar gliders. Near
Schwerkolt Cottage, the rocky cascades are bordered by drier open grassy woodlands, rare Valley Heathy Forest rich with native orchids, particularly near Antonio Park, Yarran Dheran, the Hillcrest area at Mitcham, and the Chaim Court bushland and pipe-track at Donvale. The tall ancient manna gum forests near
Whitefriars College are home to
ducks (who nest on the tops of old stags) crimson
rosellas,
galahs and other parrots (who nest in old hollows), rare large powerful owls and
rainbow lorikeets. Pied
cormorants and night
herons cruise the creek pools. Rakali and the occasional
platypus, fish for
galaxias,
gudgeon and
yabbies. There are signs of
wombat diggings on the hill face but they are rarely seen. The occasional swamp
wallaby and eastern grey
kangaroo visit the gorge. In warm weather
skinks,
blue tongue lizards and
copperhead snakes can be seen. Other rarely seen species include marbled
geckos and white-lipped snakes.
Valley Tract Through: Donvale, Doncaster East, Warrandyte At Park Road in
Park Orchards the valley begins to open up. Here many small tributaries join the Mullum Mullum Creek. Loughnan's Creek connects to Loughie's Bushland and B.J. Hubbard Bushland Reserves in Ringwood North, and many green corridors and urban pathways link to the Mullum Mullum Creek bushland parks on the west. Pockets of good bushland such as the girl guides camp in McGowans Road provide refuge to koalas and tawny frogmouths. Rare
yellow box open woodlands with
kangaroo grass understorey to the east help protect the resident kangaroos and the breeding white-winged choughs. The higher ground in Park Orchards provides views to the dividing ranges and Mount Macedon and glimpses of the Yarra Valley to the north. Old gold mines in this area are home to
bat colonies. The rural areas of Park Orchards, the bushland from Tindalls Road to Reynolds Road, the Currawong Bush Park, the regenerated bushland near Larnoo Drive at Donvale all provide wonderful bushland habitat and a very significant linear open space. Small tributaries with wetlands, ferns and
growling grass frogs link to the Mullum at Currawong Bush Park. Kangaroos, koalas and echidnas are permanent residents in the area, and platypus live in the Creek. The last major tributary, that forms the valley of the Green Gully Linear Park, joins the Mullum Mullum Creek, near Tikalara Park, just opposite the new parklands within the subdivision as the end of Blackburn Road.
Plains Tract Through: Doncaster East, Templestowe North of the
Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road the creek slowly winds its way towards the Yarra River in
Templestowe. Where the Mullum Mullum meets the Yarra, is also where Wurundjeri and European Cultures meet. Tikalara Park, the next stage of the Yarra Valley Metropolitan Park upstream from
Petty's Orchard, is particularly a place of significance for the Wurundjeri. Here ancient scar trees and scatter sites provide physical evidence to support the documented evidence that this area was a clan meeting place of the Wurundjeri. Pontville homestead on the Mullum Mullum Creek near the Yarra River is a site of state historic significance for its associations with early European settlement, and it is a known site of conflict between European and Wurundjeri cultures. The plains where the Mullum Mullum flows into the Yarra are home to kangaroos,
wallabies, wombats and is a known platypus breeding ground. The Australian Platypus Conservancy has been studying the significant population of platypus in this area, and their research has confirmed that the Mullum Mullum Creek provides habitat for the highest density of platypus in the whole of the Yarra River catchment.
Settlements Approximately 70–80,000 people live in the creek's catchment area. The settlements located along its course are listed below, from downstream to upstream; • Eastern
Templestowe - 4,000 • Western
Warrandyte - 6,800 •
Doncaster East - 26,700 •
Park Orchards - 3,500 •
Donvale - 11,600 • Eastern
Mitcham - 8,000 •
Ringwood - 15,200 •
Croydon - 22,000 •
Croydon Hills - 5,400 ==History==