A Hike in the Sherbrooke Forest

The Sherbrooke Forest, 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD, is the habitat of the Lyrebird.

These creatures are very shy, and are only rarely seen, occasionally emerging from the forest and dashing quickly across the walking tracks.

I visited this beautiful forest on May 4, 2009, exploring the Monument and Lloyd Tracks, a distance of about 4 km, starting and finishing at a small car park on Sherbrooke Rd.

My journey took me through tall timber, over footbridges and a creek, and past magnificent fern gullies.

The day was overcast, cold, foggy, and very misty and mysterious in the dark forest. Sadly, no lyrebirds were seen!

See the complete set of Photos of my triup!

Hardy Gully Nature Trail - Kallista

On March 14 2009 I visited Grant's Picnic Ground, Kallista, in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, about 35 km from the Melbourne CBD.

From there I walked some 3 km along the Lyrebird, Hardy's Gully, and Neumann Tracks, reaching my turnaround point at Wallaby Paddock.

This paddock was once a potato farm in the 1940s - no traces of any buildings remain, but parallel lines of furrows are still visible.

This was a cool and rainy day, bit this not deter the many parrots, galahs and white cockatoos who know where to go to get their seeds!

See the complete set of Photos of my trip!

A Hike akong the scenic Dam Rd, Olinda

Dam Rd is a gated management track in Olinda, Dandenong Ranges National Park, adjacent to the Hamer Arboretum, 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

It starts at the Woolrich Lookout on Chalet Rd, and winds its way around the perimeter of the Arboretum, passing a large fire management dam.

The views are excellent towards the Yarra Ranges.

Near the dam is a short track leading to a disused pumping station.

The dam is fed from run-off from the forest above.I explored this interesting area on December 11, 2008 - Dam Rd is about 2.5 km reurn from the Woolrich Lookout car-park.

See the Photos of this trip

Lyrebird Creek Gully,Olinda Forest

On Tuesday August 5, 2008, I hiked a 3 km circuit in the Lybebird Creek Gully, Olinda Forest, Dandenong Ranges NP, 30 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

My journey started at the Eagle Nest Picnic Ground (reached from Silvan Rd), then along Eagle Nest Rd, Georges Rd, and Hermon's Track.

This is a pretty part of the forest, along former logging tracks of the 1800s. which are now used for fire protection and by walkers.

The route followed the Lyrebird Creek Gully, passing beautiful ferns and tall regrowth forest.There were many screeching cockatoos overhead, disturbed at my intrusion into their territory!

This is one of my favourite walking places in the Park!

Three other walkers were also enjoying this route.

Eagle Nest Picnic Ground was once a farm, up to the 1940s.

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The VW Track, Olinda Forest

The strangely named VW Track is in the Olinda Forest, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 35 km east of the Melbourne CBD. It runs between the Olinda Creek Rd and Barges Rd.

The section from Barges Rd was formerly a fire management track, but has been closed to Park Management vehicles for rehabilitation. It is now only used by walkers, and is not maintained. There are no signs.

The section from Olinda Creek Rd is very steep and rocky - the remainder runs along a ridge to the junction with Barges Rd.

There is an increase in altitude from 317 m to 483 m.

It passes through regrowth forest, after the bushfires of 1968. The area was heavily logged from the 1850s until the 1950s. Many of the tracks were once logging access routes, used by bullock teams in the 1860s.

There are interesting rock formations along the track, and limited views to the west and east from the ridge.

The nearest public car access is at the junction of Falls Rd and gated Bartlett Rd. Go through the gate past the NP sign, walk down Bartlett Rd, past the junction with Rifle Range Gully Track, then into Barges Tk, reaching the unsigned turnoff to VW Track. Follow the track to Olinda Creek Rd and return.

The total walk is about 4 km, which I did on August 2, 2008.

See the full set of Photos

Winter hiking in the Sherbrooke Forest

On Sunday July 20, 2008, I did an interesting 4 km return hike starting at Selby Hill,in the northern part of the Sherbrooke Section of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, 40 km from the Melbourne CBD.

The walk commenced at the small car park on Grantulla Rd, descending on Foden Track into the forest, reaching gated Neumann's Track.

I then continued on Neumann's Track westerly, past Neumann's Paddock, into Hall Track, to the turnaround point at Cooke's Corner.

The Sherbrooke area was heavily logged from the 1850s until 1968, when tree felling ceased. Between 1855 and 1880, timber camps were set up at Sassafras, Olinda and Kallista, with the logs hauled by bullock teams to the railhead at Ferntree Gully.

In the period from the 1900s to the 1930s, innumerable weekend shacks were built in the region, with access along rough roads in what was unprotected forest.

Sections of the clear felled forest became farms, and regulated residential development commenced in the late 1940s.
Many of the original privately constructed access roads were ultimately taken over by the government for fire protection purposes, and became the shared walking/cycling/equestrian tracks we now enjoy.

The cleared Neumann's Paddock and adjoining Wallaby Paddock were originally farms dating back to the 1900s. Furrows may still be seen in Wallaby Paddock, now the home of a family of Eastern Grey Kangaroos, one of which I encountered on Foden Track!

Lyrebirds also inhabit this part of the forest! At night, gliders, owls, posssums and other nocturnal creatures appear from their nests.

Destruction of much of the Park, and the Sherbrooke Forest, occcurred in major bushfires of 1913, 1919, 1923, 1926, 1939, 1962, 1968, 1983, and 1997. The Forest is now largely regrowth, but there are many tall Mountain Ash specimens remaining which survived the fires.

In 1882, 168 ha of the forest near Ferntree Gully were set aside for recreational use. In 1927, 227 ha were added and it became known as the Ferntree Gully National Park. In 1987, the Sherbrooke and Doongalla forests were added, and it became the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

The Olinda and Mt Evelyn State Forests were added in 1997.

The Park is now 3125 ha, with over 300 km of walking tracks for our enjoyment!

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The Lyrebirds on the Rifle Range Gully Track, Olinda Forest

On July 19, 2008, a cold and wintry day, I did a 4 km return hike along the Rifle Range Gully Track, in the Olinda Forest, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 35 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

This gated track follows the Rifle Range Creek Gully, linking Bartlett Rd and George's Track.

My route started at the junction of Falls Rd and Bartlett Rd, near the Olinda Falls, and ended at the junction with the strangely named KC Track. There was a change in altitude from 460m to 300m - steep!

This forest was once an uncontrolled logging area and was virtually burnt out in the bad fires of 1969. The track winds its way through tall regrowth timber past beautiful ferns.

Sadly, the creek was only a trickle, due to the extended drought.

The track passes through a protected designated lyrebird habitat, and I encountered one bird on my journey, which crossed my path and then went back into the jungle.

Only minimal maintenance is made to the track, as a service to walkers - there are many fallen trees to climb over and care is needed as there are slippery sections.

The origin of the name "Rifle Range" is unknown.

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Price's Track in Winter, Olinda Forest

On July 9, 2008, I explored Price's Track, a 4 km (return) walk beside in the Lyrebird Creek Gully, Olinda Forest, Dandenong Ranges National Park, 40 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

This gated fire management track runs between Silvan Creek Rd and Boundary Rd, passing through tall forest and beautiful ferns.

There were good views from nearby Woolrich Lookout, showing the snow-covered Yarra Ranges.

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A Hike in the beautiful Ti Tree Creek Reserve, Monbulk

The Ti Tree Creek Reserve is in the Monbulk district, 45 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

The creek is a tributory to the Woori Yallock Creek, and meanders through beautiful fern gullies alongside Waterfield Rd.

I explored this natural protected environment on May 9 2008, as a 3 km hike which took me along Waterfield Rd and a section of the Dandenong Ranges Walking Trail.

Waterfield Rd links the Monbulk-Emerald Rd with the Emerald-Kallista Rd.

I was entertained by the songs of many birds whio live near the creeks!

See the full set of Photos of Ti Tree Creek Reserve

Lyrebird Haunt Reserve. Olinda

The Lyrebird Haunt Reserve is an interesting area of preserved bushland, high up on the Monbulk to Olinda Rd, 40 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

Its boundaries are Holden Rd and Upper Coonara Rd.

There are no tracks in the Reserve, and visitors seeking glimpses of the shy lyrebirds must scramble up a steep slope in thick forest.

I visited the Haunt on May 8, 2008, for a pleasant 2 km return walk along Holden Rd to the junction with Upper Coonara Rd.

Sadly, no lyrebirds were to be seen!

There were some nice views towards Monbulk and the valley.

See the Photos of my trip

Hermon's Track in Autumn, Olinda Forest, Dandenong Ranges NP

Hermon's Track and Eagle's Nest Rd form a 3 km loop circuit in the Olinda Forest, Dandenong Ranges National park, about 40 km east of the Melbourne CBD.

Starting at the Eagle's Nest picnic ground, the trail passes through beautiful forest and fern gullies, following the Lyrebird Creek.

I hiked this trail on April 22, 2008, entertained by the innumerable bird calls!

See the full set of Photos!