Warrandyte State Park
The closest state park to Melbourne, Warrandyte is a haven for picnickers, bushwalkers, canoeists, birdwatchers and those who enjoy peace and solitude. It is of course a popular tourist attraction for those on a holiday to Melbourne. The lightly wooded landscape is dominated by the Yarra River as it winds through the Warrandyte Gorge. Experience the hills around Warrandyte, on your Melbourne holiday, which are dotted with relics of the gold mining era have a distinctive bluish-green hue, typical of the Red Box foliage a common eucalypt of the area.
The Yarra links a number of areas which together form Warrandyte State Park, only 24 kilometres from Melbourne by road. The 620 hectare park's treasures include spring wildflowers, native wildlife and the site of Victoria's first gold discovery in 1851.
Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.
You might not have thought it possible to experience very much natural beauty when you chose a holiday in Melbourne. Well you would have been wrong. The wildlife is so diverse on the fringe of such a big city and includes kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, platypus and koalas. Over 100 bird species have been recorded as well as many reptiles, frogs, fish and insects. For those on Melbourne city break, the park offers a perfect opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Most of the bush seen today has regrown since the first gold discovery. Smooth-barked Manna Gums and Silver Wattles line the Yarra River, while an assortmant of Box Eucalypts and other Wattles cover the hills. Much of the hilly area is characterised by open, forested country, with an understorey of native grasses, creepers, orchids and other wildflowers.
The clear light and peace and silence of the bush have always been a source of inspiration to artists, writers and people who wish to contemplate nature.
Picnicking, bushwalking, swimming, bird-watching, fishing, exploring forgotten goldfields, nature walks and photography are popular.
So is canoeing on the Yarra River, but sufficient time must be allowed for this activity - the journey by canoe from the canoe access ramp at Wittons Reserve (Mount Lofty) to Jumping Creek Reserve is about six hours.
Horse riding is permitted along designated trails, and gold panning is allowed in Andersons Creek.
Abseiling and rock climbing are permitted at Whipstick Gully Quarry by arrangement with the senior ranger.
