Yarra Ranges National Park
Yarra Ranges National Park is a national park in the Yarra Valley of Victoria.
Understand
History
While the national park was only founded in 1995, the area has been a drinking water protection area for around 100 years. Thus, almost the entire national park is inaccessible to visitors. Nevertheless, the parts of the park that are open are a popular destination for day trips from Melbourne.
Unlike neighbouring areas, the park has always been difficult to access due to the dense forest; First Nations peoples of the Yarra Valley avoided the area. The European colonisers also found it difficult to gain access. However, it was settled in 1860 and was considered good land for forestry. Soon after the potential to supply Melbourne with drinking water was recognised, the first springs were built.
Flora and fauna
The dense, old stands of royal eucalyptus trees provide shelter for cavity-dwelling species such as owls and bats, as well as the endangered Leadbeater's possum. The park is home to about 40 species of mammals and 120 species of birds, including three types of owls (sooty owl, powerful owl, and barking owl), the rose robin, the yellow-tailed black cockatoo, the king parrot, the grey goshawk, and the crimson rosella.
Get in
Use B380 northeast from Melbourne and then use C511. The route takes about 40 minutes to 1 hour due to the winding road.
Get around
See
- 🌍 Mount Donna Buang. Features a 21-metre lookout tower on a mountain that is already 1245 metres in elevation. From this lookout, it is possible to see the Dandenong and the Cathedral Ranges, two ranges that form part of the Great Dividing Range, and not to forget the Yarra Valley, the area this park is situated on.
- 🌍 Rainforest Gallery, Acheron Way, Warburton (cnr C505 and C507). Perhaps the most ideal spot to see the rainforest in its finest form without having to go too far into the bush. Includes a 40-m-long viewing platform perched 15 metres above the ground.
- 🌍 The Big Culvert, Marysville-Woods Point Rd, Cambarville. A heritage listed culvert underneath the Yarra Track – it allowed for water to pass through in times of heavy rain. Parking available opposite the road.
- 🌍 Cora Lynn Falls, Marysville-Woods Point Rd, Cambarville. A small quiet secluded waterfall.
- 🌍 Keppel Falls Lookout, Lady Talbot Dr, Marysville.
Do
- Lady Talbot Drive is one of Victoria's most scenic drives, passing through several waterfalls, walks and some marvellous flora.
- There are several things to do in Marysville Lake Mountain and Cambarville which include skiing, bushwalking and mountain biking.
- Jubilee Trail
- 🌍 Beeches Rainforest Walk, Lady Talbot Drive, Marysville. Perhaps one of the park's better trails to see and experience the cool temperate rainforests.
Buy, eat, drink or sleep
There are no facilities in the park, and the nearest places to buy, eat, drink or sleep can be found in several towns of the Yarra Valley.