With its lush gullies, giant mountain ash trees and tree ferns, Tarra Bulga National Park is one of only four major areas of cool temperate rainforest in the Victoria. We’ve been in this park earlier this year in winter and were amazed with its beauty, undisturbed fern gully communities, Mountain Ash and Myrtle Beech forests.
There are different ways to get to the park. You can either get there from the north via Princess Highway or, if you travel from Wilsons Promontory, via Tarra Bulga Road (as we did). Bear in mind that Tarra Bulga Road is very twisty narrow roads but worth every kilometer. Be very careful and consider to drive slowly than usual.
Despite of the road condition, this park is certainly a jewel. There are many beautiful walks along tree fern covered tracks, lovely flowing creeks and rivers, waterfalls and towering Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans), blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), hazel pomaderris (Pomaderris aspera), Myrtle Beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) and tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica and Cyathea australis).
Our first stop was near Tarra Falls. Its hard to say that it is a 'waterfall', but it is what it is.
Next stop was at Tarra Valley, where we walked to Cyathea Falls (-38.447695, 146.538099). A loop trail meanders through rainforest and across small streams before reaching the falls. Although the walk is short, it is the prettiest we've seen. The fern and giant mountain ash trees are magnificent to see.
Next stop was near the Tarra Bulga Visitor Centre (-38.428829, 146.566067). We walked from the car park down to the Corrigan Suspension Bridge and did the big loop going across the bridge and returning on a different path. There is number of walks starting from the Bulga carpark or from the Visitor’s Centre and you can choose any suitable for you.
The wild flowers were lovely, the mountain ash trees so tall and majestic, and the tree-ferns were all beautiful. We’ve heard some lyrebirds, but haven’t seen them during this visit.
It was our second visit to this magic place and we will return here again and again. Hope that you will enjoy your visit as well.
