Pix taken on Jan 30 2015.
Laughing Waters Bushland Reserve is 35 km from the CBD, reached from Main Rd, Eltham, then along Mt Pleasant Rd, Reynolds Rd, and unsealed Laughing Waters Rd.
The unsealed section is dusty, narrow and steep in parts, passing isolated residential properties, eventually reaching the entrance to the expansive Cautlin's Retreat Centre, where there is a small off-road carparking space. The Centre is a Community Project, with free accommodation, funded by donations.
It is then about a 100 metres walk to a car-turning area in front of locked gates - pedestrian access is provided. Parking is not permitted on this road beyond the Retreat, to allow access to fire management vehicles.
The rough walking track to the Yarra starts just past the gates, and descends through bushland to the river, the final section being quite steep, reaching a narrow beach.
Immediately opposite on the south bank is the Longridge Bush Camp, a facility managed by Parks Victoria.
This section of the Yarra is composed of a series of wateholes, connected by rockledges which extend across the river. When the river is low, it is possible to walk to the Bush Camp site.
The main waterhole is popular with swimmers.
The area is quite rural, with gated fire-access tracks.
There are no visitor facilities - necessary to take it in and take it out!
The Reserve is within the Yarra Valley Parklands Corridor. To the east is Bob's Rapids and Pound Bend; to the west is Tikalara Park.
Check out the Slideshow for all of the Photos!
Thankyou Bob. Some of these pictures look like Streeton or Roberts paintings. Beautiful! I am reading 'Laughing Waters Road'-Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham by Jane Woollard, a book which gives much of the history of this parkland we now enjoy.
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