Tarra-Bulga National Park

Tarra-Bulga protects one of the few substantial patches of cool temperate rainforest left in the Strzelecki Ranges, which were almost entirely cleared for farming and timber after settlement. What survives is myrtle beech and sassafras beneath mountain ash, with a dense understorey of tree ferns, some of them centuries old. A suspension bridge crosses a fern gully at Bulga, giving a view down into the canopy, and short walks run to Cyathea Falls and along the Tarra Valley. Lyrebirds are common and often heard mimicking. The park is small, split into two main sections, and the drive in from Traralgon passes through cleared farmland that shows what the rest of the ranges became.

What you actually see

• The suspension bridge - the span over a tree fern gully at Bulga.
• The mountain ash and myrtle beech - tall forest above ancient tree ferns.
• Cyathea Falls - a small fall on a short walk in the Tarra Valley section.
• The lyrebirds - heard mimicking through the forest most of the year.

When to go

September to May; the ranges are wet and cold in winter with slippery tracks. Rain is possible in any season and the forest is at its best in mist. Leeches are common after rain.

Honest expectations

The park is small and the walks are short, so it is a half-day stop rather than a destination. Roads in are narrow and winding. Facilities are limited to a small visitor centre with restricted opening and picnic areas.

Nearby

Traralgon lies north; the South Gippsland coast and Wilsons Promontory are south.