"Survivors of the 1939 bushfires, the tall trees of the Yarra Ranges National Park are simply spectacular. They are monuments to nature and something that should be experienced by everyone."
Glenn Mawson, Ranger-in-Charge, Yarra Ranges National Park.
The Yarra Ranges National Park is a vital catchment area for Melbourne's water supply and is home to forests of Mountain Ash, rainforest and fern gullies.
Glenn Mawson, Ranger-in-Charge, Yarra Ranges National Park, recommends that if you are coming from Melbourne drive up to Healesville, where you can visit the famous Healesville Sanctuary and then on through the Black Spur.
The Black Spur is an iconic stretch of road between Healesville and Marysville and one of the best road trips in the state. It cuts a snake-like black path through the fertile green of the Yarra Ranges National Park. The road is hemmed in by majestic Mountain Ash which tower high into the sky and by tree ferns which edge over the side of the road, as if to re-claim territory that is rightfully theirs.
"Entering the park is like discovering another world. It is a new world with different smells, sounds and textures, not one that you can merely see from the window of your car," Glenn says.
The Yarra Ranges can be discovered on a network of paths that wind their way around the natural features of the land. "Head up to Lady Talbot Drive, and you can take the short walk from Taggerty River through ancient rainforest to Phantom Falls, a magical cascade in a most picturesque setting. The falls are particularly spectacular in spring when the melting snow creates a fierce flow over the rocks," says Glenn.
Follow the Taggerty River as it tumbles down to the ‘Meeting of the Waters', the junction of Taggerty River and Whitehouse Creek. It is here under a canopy of tree ferns that the air is always cool and moist, even on a hot day.
The Beeches Picnic Area, located at the top of Lady Talbot Drive, is the ideal place to stop for lunch. In the silence of the bush you can hear the mimicry of the lyrebirds. The Beeches Rainforest Walk leads you through ancient groves of Myrtle Beech trees. It is believed that the largest and most weather-worn are over 300 years old. It is not often you get to be this close to our living heritage.
At Cambarville you can see the evidence of the old mill and town that was constructed to harvest the timber killed by the 1939 bush fire that swept through the area. Glenn says "there is not much left… you can see the old school house, remains of the diesel engine that once drove the saw mill and a few wooden houses." Deep cuts can be seen in the old stumps where tree-fallers fitted boards to stand on so they could cut above the wide buttresses of the giant Mountain Ash.
A feature of the Cumberland Walk is “The Big Tree,” a Mountain Ash that once stood 92 metres tall but was reduced to 84 metres in a wild storm. The path continues along an old water race constructed by miners around 1870 to provide water to the Sovereign Mine. At Sovereign View there is a spectacular outlook down the Armstrong Creek Valley towards the pretty little town of Warburton.
Lake Mountain is the highest peak in the park at 1432 metres above sea level and is popular for cross country skiing. It has more than 40 kilometres of sub-alpine tracks and ski trails open to walkers through the summer months. Tracks lead on through landscape covered in beautiful, mottled grey Snow Gum and Alpine Heath.
Lake Mountain is a place for all seasons, but for Glenn it is "best enjoyed in late summer when the aromatic flowers, including mint bushes, are at their best."
The Lake Mountain Alpine Resort caters for visitors all year around. "Before walking to the Summit, visitors can enjoy a cuppa at the bistro. At the Summit you can experience panoramic views…on a fine day you can see Melbourne, and in the other direction, beautiful alpine country," says Glenn.
The diverse beauty of this region is outstanding. It will live in your memory, reminding you that years can be measured in the rings of a tree, and that they are precious symbols of where we have come and where we are going.
For further information on the Yarra Ranges National Park please contact Parks Victoria info@parks.vic.gov.au or visit our website: http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/.