Join the Wilderness Society Victoria for a guided walk through Toolangi forest on Saturday 23rd August with Jo Hopkins (Wilderness Society Victorian Campaign Manager), Sarah Rees (Business Director and a Cofounder of the Great Forest National Park project), and Steve Meacher (President of Friends of the Leadbeater's Possum).
Breathe in the fresh forest air and marvel at the beauty of the forests in Taungurung and Wurundjeri country. Just 1h15min out of Melbourne, the Toolangi State Forest is home to rich ecosystems, amazing biodiversity and to threatened and endangered animals including the Greater Glider and the Leadbeater's Possum.
If taking the bus from Melbourne, we will meet at The Wilderness Society office 81-87 King William St, Fitzroy at 10:45am.
You are also welcome to self-drive (car-pooling encouraged) and meet the tour group at 12:15pm in the car park at the Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre, 1657 Healesville-Kinglake Rd, Toolangi VIC 3777 (next to the CFA).
On the tour, we will drive in convey between the following sites, then park and walk into the forests to explore logging coupes, rainforests, and giant mountain ash trees. The roads are suitable to drive on in all weather and are two-wheel drive accessible.
Forest tour itinerary:
- Travel via Sylvia Creek Road to Wirrawilla, passing logged coupes, South End, Leo’s Foot, Rusty, Skinny Jim and unlogged Home and Away.
- Walk the boardwalk circuit at Wirrawilla to see Cool Temperate Rainforest, and Sylvia and Myrtle Creeks.
- Move to Yea Link Road to visit the 40 Person Tree and observe the contrast between Leadbeater's Possum habitat and previously logged forest.
- Drive on to Tanglefoot Picnic Ground for lunch.
- Carry on past Tanglefoot and visit Floater coupe, one of the last coupes logged in Toolangi.
- Continue to the Kalatha Giant Tree Walk to see one of the largest trees (by volume) on the Australian mainland.
- Finish and drive back to Toolangi.
Hot drinks and snacks will be provided, but please bring a packed lunch for the Tanglefoot Picnic Grounds.
The tour will take approximately 3.5 hours, including stopping for some lunch together. We'll aim to leave Toolangi at 4pm and return to Melbourne by 5pm.
What to bring: dress for snow and rain and sunshine! Walking shoes, warm hat. Lunch, water, keep cup for tea.
We hope you can join us for a day of learning and exploring the stunning native forests right on our doorstep.
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Owners of the land where we will gather and pay our respects to Elders past and present.