Just a few hours’ drive from Melbourne, the Tarra Bulga National Park and Tarra Valley provide a beautiful location for a soft, dirt road, weekend escape..
The rain was barely holding off and the wind was brisk as we ate lunch in the Tarra Bulga NP Visitor Centre picnic area then with lunch powering the engine and walking supplies sorted, our travelling group headed off through the most amazing mountain ash trees and even more stunning ferns towards Corrigan’s Suspension Bridge.
This gentle walk wound its way from the carpark down to the river where the amazing suspension bridge had been relocated to allow people to cross the fern gully below. The gully was simply stunning and as we walked we could hear the soothing sounds of the birds in the trees below, above & level with us as we wound our way up and down. It was hard to know if the range of bird calls was real or whether they were the mimicking sounds of the Lyrebirds living in the shelter of the fern canopy.
As a group we made our way through the shadows of the giant ferns down to the trickling stream below. Standing on the bridge amongst these ferns in their serene, green setting was amazing. According to the Parks Vic information there are some 41 species of fern to be found in the park. Wandering out from under the tall ferns into the Mountain Ash, Beech, Blackwoods and Messmates is simply an amazing experience.
There are so many walks through the Tarra Bulga Park and the Tarra Valley that setting up the van in one of the parks or taking up some of the other accommodation facilities and heading off is just too easy and it’s simply beautiful all year round.
Tarra Bulga has a strong Aboriginal heritage with Bulga meaning mountain and Tarra coming from Count Strzelecki’s Aboriginal guide Charlie Tarra who helped him explore this area in 1840. This part of the mountains includes many sections of cold temperature rainforests and one could only imagine what the park looks and feels like under a big dusting of snow which it has many times over the years.
In the 1890’s the area was opened up to European settlement and farming in this remote area began. There are many signs on Grand Ridge Road marking the locations of various schools and other historic places were located. Balook is a small community right on the doorstep of Tarra Bulga that was around in 1903 when the first application was made to make Bulga a 20 hectare public park. Years later a second National Park was gazetted as Tarra National Park These two parks were joined creating a beautiful space of over 1600 hectares of land that is simply stunning and called Tarra Bulga National Park.
After following many of the tracks around the park we headed down the road through the Tarra Valley and along the Tarra River. This drive is beautiful however there are some very skinny sections where care needs to be taken, especially if you have a camper on the back.
One lovely spot to stop and enjoy is the Tarra Valley Picnic Area. There are some beautiful walks through this area to Cyathea Falls and back as well as picnic facilities and toilets. We did pick up a few leeches amongst the group as we wandered the wet track though so dressing appropriately and planning for little friends hanging around looking for a drink is a good thing.
A little further down the road is Tarra Falls which is special enough in summer and I can only imagine just how stunning it would be in winter with some big water flowing down the rock falls. This walk is short and doesn’t take you right to the bottom of the falls themselves although it looks as if it used to.
Rounding out a lovely weekend we stopped off at ‘Fernhome’ Tarra Valley Caravan Park for some afternoon tea seated on the banks of the Tarra River. Whilst munching on scones and jam in the crisp air we were subtly serenaded by the bubbling sounds of the water and the peaceful chirping of the birds.
After this delightful stop we pulled out onto the Tarra Valley Road and headed for Yarram and a date with the picturesque town of Mirboo North. The rain set in and provided a tattoo beat on the windscreen as we discussed how we could spend more than just a weekend in this beautiful area and walk some of the tracks and explore areas we didn’t get to on this trip.
Nestled between Traralgon on the Princes Highway and Albion/Yarram on the South Gippsland Highway, Tarra Bulga National Park is part of the Strzelecki Ranges.
The visitor Centre is open from 10am til 4pm over the weekend plus public holidays and Victorian School holidays.
Camping is not permitted within the Tarra Bulga NP so looking at alternative accommodation options is required.
Watch out for logging trucks throughout the area as there are plenty of them moving around.
2WD – This trip is easy to do in a 2WD with a little care. Tarra Bulga can be accessed via dirt or bitumen roads. Care needs to be taken on some of the tight, narrow roads in the area.
4WD – There are plenty of tracks to explore throughout this area. This trip does offer some dirt road fun for smaller AWD & 4WD vehicles and is great for novice drivers.
Motorhome – With care, motorhomes can access this area. Caution is advised especially on the narrow roads.
Caravan & Camper Trailer – Some of the roads have signs stating no caravans or campers. We encountered these signs coming in from the Mirboo side and also Valley Road. There are some stunning caravan parks in the area where you can leave the van or camper behind and go exploring.
Motorbike – There were a lot of motor bike and pedal powered cyclists on this trip enjoying the stunning countryside. Care needs to be taken whilst driving the roads and tracks of this area. All motorbikes must be registered and ridden by licensed drivers.
Websites and Contacts
Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Land Corporation – www.glawac.com.au
Parks Vic – 13 19 63, www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
CFA – www.cfa.vic.gov.au
Victorian Bushfire Information – 1800 240 667
Friends of Tarra-Bulga NP – 03 5196 6166
Tarra Valley Caravan Park, Fernholme – 03 5186 1283
Best Friendly Holiday Retreat – 03 5186 1216
Tarra Bulga Visitor Centre – 03 5196 6166