Redwood Forest, Yarra Ranges National Park

Redwood Forest is about 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne CBD. It offers the opportunity to relax on the lawns with a picnic and wander through the magnificent towering Californian Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest. It is very popular for day trippers or an overnight stay to explore this National park and the surrounding areas of Warburton. More than 90 years old ago, the first Californian Redwoods were planted alongside the plantations of Bishop Pine and Douglas Fir as part of a hydrology experiment conducted by the Board of Works in the 1930s. Further plantings occurred from 1960-1963 of Radiata Pine, Western Red Cedar and more Californian Redwoods and these subsequent plantings are now more than 60 years old. Californian Redwoods grow to be the tallest trees in the world at up to 115m and they can live for more than 2000 years. Despite being relatively young, the trees at Cement Creek are captivating in their uniformly planted arrangement. Summer is a great time to visit. Once you step amongst the towering Californian Redwoods you will enter a cooler quieter climate. Some beautiful native orchids can be found over the summer months including greenhoods and cinnamon bells. The occasional Monarch Butterfly can be spotted from time to time. You could also hear squeals, shrieks and cackles of a seasonal population of Grey Headed Flying Fox that roost in the canopy of the Redwood Forest in summer. You can easily spend half a day here if you walk beyond the main stand of Californian Redwoods by following Cement Creek to where it meets the Yarra River. It’s a beautiful nature walk that takes in native vegetation including ferns and Eucalypt trees and if you may see a variety of birdlife including yellow robins flitting amongst the dappled light. Just north of Cement Creek Rd, you'll also find the O'Shannassay Aqueduct Trail which is a popular spot for walking or cycling. Please note the popularity of this site and where possible, choose an off-peak time to visit as weekends, school holidays and public holidays can be extremely busy.