About two hours from Melbourne is the Morwell National Park. It has some mesmerising walking tracks that will prompt you to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
Morwell National Park is supposed to be relatively small, but it surely feels grand once you are immersed in the forest. It is also special because here you get to see the remnants of the region's original forests.
Fosters Gully Nature Walk
The Fosters Gully Nature Walk provides a nice introduction to the Morwell National Park. It is a 2.3km track that winds through some contrasting landscapes (dry and damp).
It is a fairly easy walk, although there are sections that involve an uphill climb. There are a few benches placed throughout the walking track, so you can take a moment to rest if you need to.
How much time to set aside
While the sign at the start of the track estimates an hour for this walk, it’s certainly worth setting aside more time for this little adventure. Once you see how magical this place is, you’ll be in no rush to get to the end of the walk.
The place is devoid of traffic and urban noise, so we instinctively found ourselves slipping into a meditative state of mind. We enjoyed walking through the track slowly, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells and feels.
It’s hard not to be in awe of the giant-sized trees. According to Parks Victoria, some trees are over 200 years old!
Wildlife
Keep a lookout for wildlife. The park is rich in native birdlife. Their songs provided the perfect background music for our explorations. We spotted two lyrebirds on our walk, and their antics provide for a fascinating watch!
We also spotted a koala and heard a few more growling. But spotting these sleepy creatures requires a lot of looking up at the towering trees (unless you look down for their poo).
Wallabies, possums and several other smaller mammals also reside in the park, as do some of our slithering friends.
A great spot for forest therapy/mindfulness
The Fosters Gully Nature Walk is great for forest therapy or mindfulness practices. As you walk through the track, try to pay attention to:
how the light falls through the tree canopy and filters through to the ground cover (and how the light changes the colour of the landscape)
the different types and storeys of trees
the different types and colours of tree barks
diverse bird songs
visual and audible signs of wildlife (eg digging in the ground)
wildflowers
scents of the trees
how the breeze feels on your skin
how soft or tough the ground feels under your feet.
How to access the Fosters Gully Nature Walk
You can get to Morwell National Park from Churchill or Yinnar in West Gippsland. The park is about 16km from the Morwell town.
The Fosters Gully Nature Walk is accessible from Kerry Road. Google maps can take you there if you just type in the name of the track.
Aside from the Fosters Gully Nature Walk, the Stringy Ridge Track (3.9km) can also be accessed from this car park.
All images in this post are mine. To purchase or obtain a licence for the use of any of these images, feel free to contact me. Or check out more of my nature photos and videos.
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