Back To Nature:: Healsville

Walk: VIC - Toolangi - Tanglefoot Track

Distance/Type: 17km/ Return

Terrain/Rating: Fluctuating terrain along creek valley for 2 hours with final hour uphill to lookout tower along a dirt road. Return on opposite side of creek. Low/Medium.
(The walk could be shortened by an hour or 2 by heading out from the Wirrawilla Rainforest carpark instead.)

Start / Finish Time: 8am-3pm

Start / Finish Location: Tanglefoot Carpark.

Map:

Trip Summary:
One of my favourite walks just an hours drive out of Melbourne. This is a beautiful picturesque walk along a diverse range from Mountain Ash to Tree Ferned Gullies following Sylvia Creek.

The last section of the walk follows a dirt road up to the lookout tower on Mt St Leonard (T on Map) providing great views of the Yarra Valley. Return back via the dirt road and via the path on the opposite side of the creek.

Trip Details:
This walk can be started from either the Tanglefoot carpark (X on the map) or be a shorter walk from the Quarry carpark (B on the map).

For this walk we started from the Tanglefoot carpark (X on map) which is about a 12km drive from Toolangi on the north east outskirts of Melbourne near Healesville.
The carpark consist of a couple of picnic tables and an old wood fired BBQ plate.

At the time of this hike the Quarry carpark was not built, but on subsequent visits it would be the place where I would start the hike from now. It has a newly built toilet block and for a young family its a short 5 minute walk to the Wirrawilla Rainforest walk.

Tanglefoot Track carpark.

So from the Tanglefoot carpark, you head up through the picnic area towards the right where there is a gate signalling the start of the track. The path then heads right and up hill through the forest.

15 minutes into the walk you reach a signed T-junction. The track to the right heads to Sylvia Creek Road, we head left along Tanglefoot Track. A few minutes further on you reach a fork in the track, continue left along Tanglefoot Track. Myrtle Creek track on the right is the return track.

Another 30 mins into the trip we head down into a boardwalk through Tree Fern area and a nice shelter for a break.

Continuing on along the boardwalk the track opens back out into Mountain Ash forest.

The track is slightly hilly and we use Lauders Rest, Prostanthera, Correa and Les Gemmill footbridges which helps us cross over a few small creeks before we head up to Monda Track..

Monda Track.

Head to the right on Monda Rd, passing Quarry Rd track, before curving around to the left and up the road until you reach a gate. From here it is 1.2km straight on to the Mt St Leonard Summit.

Monda Track heading up to Mt St. Leonard.

After about a 30 minute uphill walk along the track you reach the summit and lookout tower.

Mt St. Leonard Lookout Tower.

The communication tower next to it is used as a bushfire observation tower and is normally manned during the summer period.

View from the Lookout Tower.

From here either head back down the track or follow the Power Poles from the tower. This will join the track back down towards the gate on Monda Rd.
Back on Monda Rd when you near Sylvia creek instead of heading back on the track we came out of, use the Quarry Road track instead.

Quarry Road track sign on Monda track.

About an hour into the walk along Quarry Rd track you reach a disused quarry.
(This is now a carpark with toilets and BBQ)

Head right from here down Myrtle Gully track and the boardwalk along the creek.

Myrtle Gully track heading down to Sylvia Creek.

This is the nicest section of the whole walk. A gorgeous tree ferned gully along the creek with a large resting area and side boardwalk that runs along the creek for a few hundred metres.

Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk.

Known as the Wirrawilla Rainforest walk it is well worth spending some time in this lush rainforest.
There are supposed to be platypus in this area, but unfortunately we did not see any.

Sylvia Creek.

Head back out onto Mrtyle Gully track and about 1 hours walk back to the Tanglefoot carpark.

Head over to Singing Gardens or Toolangi Tavern in Toolangi for some country town hospitality with hot scones and tea after your trek.

(Please leave a comment below. :)

Walk: Badger Creek Weir.

Distance/Type: 4km / Return
Terrain/Rating: Flat / Easy / No wheelchair access to weir.
Start Time: 11am
Start Location: Badger Creek Picnic area.
Trip Detail Summary:
Please note that in 2016 this area was completely devastated by a storm. All amenities were destroyed and as of 2018 trees were still down and virtually nothing has been done to clean it up.

Walk from Badger Creek Picnic area, crossing bridge and head up Lyrebird track along the creek before crossing back over the creek, heading up Coranderrk Track to the weir. Head back to Picnic area completely along the main Coranderrk Track.
Trip Details:
Came across this little gem of a picnic ground and short walk park by accident.
Originally heading towards Marysville via the Maroondah Hwy I had to divert to Warburton due to the highway being closed just north of the Maroondah Reservoir.
Badger Creek is a little town about a 5 minute drive south east from Healseville along Don Rd.
The main attraction is the Weir which is reached by turning left up the Badger Creek Weir Rd.

Badger Creek Weir entrance

There are plenty of undercover seats and tables and bbqs scattered around the park and a reasonable toilet block.

Badger Creek Picnic area.

Having no real idea of the walks in the area I headed to the weir via what looked like the longer more scenic track to the left along the creek called Lyrebird Track.

Track across creek to Lyrebird Track.

With a huge amount of rainfall in the surrounding hillsides recently there was a huge flow of water in the creek. I assume normally it would've been just a trickle with previous drought conditions.