|
|
Travel >>
Parks & Reserves
>>
|
Giant's Circuit WalkWalking through Dense Ferns of Mount Worth State Park, Victoria, Australia.
Sep 05, 2010 © Harry P. Schlanger
Giant's Circuit is delightful for bushwalking through dense ferns, seeing the 300-year old giant Ash tree and taking snaps of the local flora and fauna along Larkin Creek.
Driving from Melbourne in a Southeasterly direction, for about one-and-a-half hours and 100km from
the outer suburbs, one comes to Mount Worth State Park. A region of land encompassing 1,040
hectares of natural beauty located between Leongatha to the South and Warragul to the North.
Mount Worth Scenic Drive
Visitors may follow a
Mount Worth State Park (pdf)
guide and map. Driving in from Poowong and then Seaview, the scenic drive with views of Mount Baw Baw,
is uphill onto Mount Worth, through mostly unmade and winding forest roads.
Moonlight Creek
The downhill ride is to the West side of the mountain. Arriving at the foothills is Moonlight Creek, a
grassy flat and central access area to the offerings of Mount Worth State Park. The alternative route to
Moonlight Creek by road is travelling North from Leongatha but the last few kilometres also consist of
unmade roads.
Moonlight Creek provides a delightful setting for a picnic area: tables, fireplaces and toilets are provided.
Camping, however, is not permitted within the park.
There is a network of walking tracks that radiate from the picnic area, varying from 1 to 10 km. Recommended to wear
are raincoats and boots as this is a wet mountain forest with high average rainfall.
Timber Industry
Mount Worth is covered with forest. The park has relics of the timber industry from the 1920s that remain,
including saw dust heaps that can still be seen today, an old
mill boiler and the formation of tramways used to haul timber to and from the mills.
A Walk to Giant's Circuit
One walk of note is Giant's Circuit. It starts at about a 10-minute walk from Moonlight Creek picnic area and
takes 1 hour to complete the total circuit of 1.8 kilometres.
Giant's Circuit trail follows the route of a timber tramway through Mountain Ash Forest and fern-filled
gullies. This is a lovely walk that includes "undulating passages" through a maze of dense ferns, the
impressive Standing Giant (see photo), a huge Mountain ash that is probably 300 years old and with girth
of 7 metres.
Larkin Creek
The theme of Giant's Circuit is a fern environment, dotted with such giant trees and the flowing Larkin creek
in the gullies.
Down the slope, the small creek is surrounded by lush green vegetation,
including the large ferns and green mosses growing over tree trunks.
On the other side of the creek, the
vegetation is similarly dense, creating an isolated peaceful setting, brimming with natural life.
On completion of the Circuit, one is returned to nearby the start of the walk. The visitor walking back
can be satisfied of having experienced one of nature's spectacular green exhibitions.
The reader may be interested in another park,
"The Gurdies", located near Grantville in Victoria.
References:
-
Mount Worth State Park. Parks Victoria.
The copyright of the article Giant's Circuit Walk: Walking through Dense Ferns of Mount Worth State Park, Victoria, Australia. is owned by Harry P. Schlanger. Permission to republish in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
Custom Search
Other Articles:
Website Construction:
Gum Leaf Designs © 2011
|
