11 April 2012 - Village Caravan Park, Morwell, Victoria

We had decided to extend our stay here at Morwell in order to visit the Tarra-Bulga National Park, situated south of Traralgan about midway between here and the southern ocean. The park of 2,000 hectares includes remnants of the forests that once covered the eastern Strzelecki Ranges. The land not included in the park, that which we travelled up through on the north side and the eastern side on our descent, is nearly all eucalypt or pine forest plantation, a patchwork of milled, growing or burned trees. There were many logging trucks on the road, more noticed by their calls on the CB rather than seen.

We arrived at the Visitor Centre close to the once-upon-a time settlement of Balook, now just a café/motel arrangement and took a walk through the forest down to a swing bridge and around through the tall mountain ash and patches of Cool Temperate Rainforest. The mosquitos were plentiful and we did not stand about talking too long to fellow travellers; the vicious little beasts swarmed in our faces, the only part of our bodies exposed to attack.

From here we drove eleven kilometres round to another part of the park, to the south west, winding down a steep gully on a very narrow road and hoped that the logging trucks were not working this particular route. It was still very cold although the sun had made a few valiant attempts to shine through the clouds and we did not trust the mosquitos to be any more friendly here than up the road, so dined inside the landcruiser with the eski balanced on the front seat.

The Tarra-Bulga National Park

Refuelled, we set off on yet another walk, this time through the rain forest, under canopies of Myrtle Birch beside an understory of tree ferns, lichens and mosses. In fact we came upon a man and his son all set up with cameras and tripods photographing fungi. We had read at the entrance that a past female ranger of the park had contributed greatly to fungi knowledge and that the park here was a wonderful resource for such study. The keen fungus follower drew our attention to several trees back up the track where we found marvellous specimens and were soon lining up our lens to do just as he was.

We continued on through the forest to the waterfall, the Cyathea Falls where the mountain stream did indeed only trickle just as the Visitor Guide had warned. Here we spotted a real live lyrebird scratching about for food; what a delight to actually see rather than just hear this timid bird.

As we descended from the park, travelling eastwards along the Great Ridge Road, which did exactly as you would expect, follow the ridge, we could see the southern ocean or rather the Bass Strait to the south, and the Latrobe Valley to the north with the power station chimneys belching their steam in the distance.

Delicate fungi

We came upon a dead wombat on the side of the road, parked and went back to check that he was indeed so. Unlike the wombat we had examined near Bonnie Doon, this one was quite whole and looked as if he was resting. It was quiet wonderful to be up close and personal with a wild wombat, even if he was quite dead.

We travelled on north to Traralgon, wandered around the town which did impress us, purchased some woollen gloves for me for $2 (how do they do that!) to compliment my new blizzard jacket, a rotisserie chicken and the newspaper, then came on home. We are now satisfied that we have given this area our best shot however do concede that were we to stay longer, we could find plenty more to do. Two days have turned into six; it is an area indeed worth visiting.