The Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk is in the Toolangi State Forest, on rugged Mt. Tanglefoot, 70 km northeast of Melbourne, in the Murrindindi Shire.
Wirrawilla is aboriginal for 'green trees'. This unique wooden boardwalk weaves its way around ferns, moss-covered myrtle beech trees and crosses and re-crosses Sylvia Creek on curiously named bridges.
A well hidden secret, this location is home to the elusive lyrebird.
Habitat in the gully is cool temperate rainforest of Myrtle Beech and Sassafras. The surrounding forest is mostly 40-50 year old Mountain Ash regrowth.
There are more than 100 different species of birds in the area, including lyrebirds, kookaburras and cockatoos, sooty and powerful owls, wedged-tail eagles in the skies about the treetops. While many of the mountain ash trees are regrowth from the 1939 forest fires, some are over 200 years old. The tallest moss in the world is Dawsonia Superba, which is about 8 centimetres tall and looks like a miniature pine tree.
This area has high rainfall and the track may be waterlogged during periods of heavy rain.
The access roads are logging tracks, and made available to the public at certain times. Controlled logging is in operation, and care is needed due to the frequent passage of very long logging trucks.
I visited the Rainforest on February 16, 2008, and explored the nearby Myrtle Gully walking track.
See the full set of photos in static or slideshow format.
Wirrawilla is aboriginal for 'green trees'. This unique wooden boardwalk weaves its way around ferns, moss-covered myrtle beech trees and crosses and re-crosses Sylvia Creek on curiously named bridges.
A well hidden secret, this location is home to the elusive lyrebird.
Habitat in the gully is cool temperate rainforest of Myrtle Beech and Sassafras. The surrounding forest is mostly 40-50 year old Mountain Ash regrowth.
There are more than 100 different species of birds in the area, including lyrebirds, kookaburras and cockatoos, sooty and powerful owls, wedged-tail eagles in the skies about the treetops. While many of the mountain ash trees are regrowth from the 1939 forest fires, some are over 200 years old. The tallest moss in the world is Dawsonia Superba, which is about 8 centimetres tall and looks like a miniature pine tree.
This area has high rainfall and the track may be waterlogged during periods of heavy rain.
The access roads are logging tracks, and made available to the public at certain times. Controlled logging is in operation, and care is needed due to the frequent passage of very long logging trucks.
I visited the Rainforest on February 16, 2008, and explored the nearby Myrtle Gully walking track.
See the full set of photos in static or slideshow format.
We visited yesterday Bob - it was idyllic. Highly recommended.
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