Mt St Leonard in winter

These pix were taken on June 12 2012 at Mt St Leonard, 70 km east of Melbourne, overlooking the town of Healesville.

They show the scenery and environment on a 3 km return hike to the summit, from Monda Rd, with spectacular panoramas across the Yarra Valley to Melbourne and beyond.

Some images have been included of the large communications towers on the summit.
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It is not commonly known, but in 1945 the Australian Army carried out experimental test transmissions from the summit to assess high frequency radio coverage, using the No.10 wireless set.

Sadly, much of the surrounding forest is being decimated by logging activity.

See a Slideshow with text and music, of my visit

Exploring Dunstan's Track, Toolangi State Forest

On July 3, 2008, I explored Dunstan's Track, in the Toolangi State Forest, 60 km NE of Melbourne.

This is a gated management track, 3 km return, linking Sylvia Creek Rd with Myer's Creek Rd, near the Potato Research Farm.

It was once a logging track, on the alignment of a timber tramline.

There is very little evidence of the tramline remaining - I discovered a piece of rotting timber rail on the side of the track, the only relic I could find.

The Track passes through tall forest, and beautiful ferns, as it winds its way around the base of Mt St Leonard.

The area was burnt out in the fires of 1939 and 1983 - what is seen today is mainly regrowth, as well as some trees which escaped the fires.

There are many old Mountain Ash stumps adjacent to the track, dating back to the 1920s, some with the horizontal slots visible, used by the timber cutters.

Adjacent to the track is a disused buried pipeline, which once carried water from Coles Creek, under Myers Creek Rd, to the Potato Farm. Outlets of this pipeline remain at the junction of the Track at Sylvia Creek Rd, and opposite the start of Monda Rd.

It was a cold, dark, and rainy day, and visibility in the forest was very poor.

I have enhanced and brightened some of the images! The white circles on some pictures are rain drops on the camera lens.

See the full set of Photos, which include some fascinating archival images.

Tanglefoot Walking Track, Quarry Road South Section, Toolangi State Forest

The Tanglefoot Walking Track is an 18 km route in the Toolangi State Forest, 60 km north of Melbourne.

It consists of four sections - Myrtle Gully Track, Quarry Rd, and the new Tanglefoot Track.

Some parts follow old forest/logging roads, and snowfalls can occur in winter.

Quarry Rd is a gated 5 km 4WD track, following the Sylvia Creek Gully from Monda Rd in the south to the old quarry at the Wirrawilla Rainforest Reserve in the north.

This road passes beautiful ferns, and through Mountain Ash forests, mainly regrowth from the 1939 fires.

Stumps from logging of the early 1900s may be seen along the road.

The surface of Quarry Rd is formed of material extracted from the Quarry, and is still in reasonable condition. It is maintained by DSE as a fire-management track.

I walked the 5 km (return) southern section of Quarry Rd on June 16, 2008, to the accompaniment of the calls of Black Cockatoos and Whipbirds.

I started and finished my hike at Mt St Leonard, at the junction of Monda Rd.

I had done the northern sector of Quarry Rd on the previous day.

There is a change in altitude from 939m at Mt St Leonard, to 790m where I turned around.

I have now completed the entire Tanglefoot Walking Track - actually 40 km return! Success!

See the Photos

Rouch Road Hike - Toolangi State Forest

Rouch Road is in the south-eastern tip of the Toolangi State Forest.

It starts at the Maroondah Highway, opposite the Black Spur Roadhouse, near the settlement of Narbethong, 70 km east of Melbourne.

It's a forest/fire-management road, once a logging route in the early 1900s, and follows the Hermitage Creek, on the eastern section of Black Range.

It continues to Monda Rd, and is gated during the winter months at the junction with Carson Track.

I walked 4 km (return) on this forest road on June 14, 2008, passing fern gullies, large ferns, the Hermitage Creek and tall regrowth timber.

Huge stumps remain along the side of the road, from the logging of the early 1900s - one stump still has a heavy rusting steel chain around its base.

Past the gate, the road is extremely steep.

See the Photo Album

Paul's Range State Forest - Northern Section

On June 2, 2008, I hiked a 3 km (return) track in the northern section of the Paul's Range State Forest, which is within the large Toolangi State Forest.

This is an old logging track, starting at a junction with the Old Toolangi Rd, not far from Toolangi settlement, about 60 km north of Melbourne.

The track descends very steeply into a gully, and is rocky, muddy and slippery.

Relics of the uncontrolled logging in the early 1900s are visible along the track - huge trees and stumps.

The track is not signposted, and descends from 457m to 309m. It links with the Paul's Range Track.

See the set of Photos of this trip

Monda Dugout Track,east of Mt St Leonard

The Monda Dugout Track forms part of the Australian National Trail, and is a 2 km route high up on the Monda Track, reaching 1005m, about 60 km north of Melbourne.

The highest peaks are nearby Mt St Leonard (1010m), Mt Tanglefoot (1005m), Mt Monda (905m), and Mt Archer (925m).

The route starts east of the gated Mt St Leonard Lookout track on Monda Rd, climbs steeply to the view point at 1005m, then descends steeply, ending at the Monda Dugout, at the junction of Hardy Creek Rd and Monda Rd.

The track is part of the 20 km firebreak, which links Myers's Creek Rd with the Dom Dom Saddle.
The track passes through a region which was subject to extensive uncontrolled logging in the early 1900s - big stumps remain next to the track, with saw cuts visible.

The track is part of the boundary between the Yarra Ranges National Park (Melbourne Water's Maroondah Catchment Region) and the Toolangi State Forest.

There are some nice views from the high point towards Mt Tanglefoot and the extrensive pine plantations to the east in the Narbethong region.

I hiked this interesting track on June 1, 2008.

See the full set of Photos

Tanglefoot Road - Southern Sector, Toolangi State Forest

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The Tanglefoot Rd is a gated forestry track, of about 8 km, in the Toolangi State Forest, 60 km NE of Melbourne.

It links Monda Rd with Sylvia Creek Rd, passing the summit of Mt Tanglefoot, 1005m.

Logging has now ceased along this road, but is carried out elsewhere in this Forest. There has been extensive regrowth since the 1939 fires - remains of recent logging activity are observed.

The road follows the ridge, between Myrtle Creek Gully on the west, and the Murrindindi River on the east.

It was once popular with walkers, but but is seldom visited now, as the new scenic Tanglefoot Walking Track has been constructed in the valleys.

There are limited views to the east towards the Alps along part of the road.

I hiked the southern sector of this road, about 4 km return, on May 23, 2008. The elevation is around 945m.

See the set of Photos

Yea River Walk, Toolangi

The Yea River Walk is a 3 km trail in preserved regrowth forest near the settlement of Toolangi, 50 km NE of Melbourne.

The Yea River runs through the forest of Messmate, Narrow Leaf Peppermint, Mountain Grey Gum, and Mountain Ash.

There are many tree-fern species.

Early settlers lived and worked in this forest, cutting and milling the giant Mountain Ash trees. Sadly, the 1939 fires destroyed many lives and sawmills in the region.

The trail contains information boards, beautifully hand-painted by local Toolangi artist David O'Grady. They describe the story of the forest as a journey through time.

An array of wildlife lives near the trail, i njclousding King Parrots, Kookaburras, Crimson Rosellas, Lybebirds. Ringtail Posssums, Sugar Gliders, Wallabies and Wombats.

The Yea River is the habitat of Platypuses and various fish species. The river water flows from the slopes of nearby Mt St Leonard, and joins the Goulburn-Broken Catchment and eventually the Murray-Darling Basin.

I hiked this interesting trail on May 13, 2008, a somewhat overcast day.

See the full set of Photos

Toolangi State Forest, Plantation Hike on Cole's Creek Rd

Cole's Creek Rd is a non-gated forest management and logging road on the perimeter of the Toolangi State Forest, 60 km NE of Melbourne.

It runs generally north-south. The southern end starts on Sylvia Creek Rd, about 1 km from the bitumen Myer's Creek Rd, and links 4 km to the north at the entrance to the Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk, also on Sylvia Ck Rd.

Extensive logging is being carried out in plantations at the southern end.

I hiked the southern sector this interesting road on May 10, 2008, completing about 4 km return. I had completed the northern sector on a previous walk.

There was a change of altitude from 614m to 533m, as the road descended to Cole's Creek, now only a trickle due to the drought.

See the Photos of my excursion

Coles Creek Track, Toolangi State Forest

Coles Creek Track is a former logging road, in the Toolangi State Forest, 60 km NE of Melbourne.

It follows the Yea River Valley, reached from the Sylvia Creek Rd, off the Myer's Creek Rd, near the settlement of Toolangi.

I hiked the northern section of this interesting track on April 17, 2008, about 4 km return, from a starting point at the Wirrawilla Rainforest Reserve, on the Sylvia Creek Rd.

There was a change in altitude from 663m to 546m, as the track winds its way through tall forest and fern gullies.

This is an ungated fire management track, but there are fallen branches which would make 2WD awkward!

Controlled logging is being undertaken at the junction of Sylvia Creek Rd and Coles Creek Tk.

The Photos