Granite Outcrops, Heathland Swamps and Tall Forests at Bunyip State Park

Overview

Bunyip State Park sits on the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, about 65 km south-east of Melbourne, with access points around Gembrook, Tynong North and Tonimbuk. It covers roughly 16,560 hectares and protects a broad sweep of country that feels much bigger than its distance from the city suggests.

What makes the park stand out is the contrast across its landscapes. Wet forest, heathland, swampy flats, creeklines and ferny gullies all sit within the one park, giving it a distinctly varied bush character rather than a single uniform look.

Highlights

The scenery here is shaped by a mix of forested ridges, deeply vegetated gullies and exposed granite country. In the western and central parts of the park, granite slopes, boulders and sand washes create a rugged feel, while lower ground opens into swamps and heathland.

Four Brothers Rocks is one of the park’s best-known natural features, with broad views across the surrounding bush. Lawson Falls is another notable landmark, tucked into the more remote eastern section of the park. Together with the Bunyip River valley and its terraces, these features give the park much of its scenic identity.

Best Time to Visit

Spring is an especially rewarding time to be here, when heathland and low flowering plants are at their best and bird activity lifts. The warmer months also suit the park’s higher, forested country well, particularly when the contrast between open granite areas and dense green gullies is most noticeable.

At any time of year, Bunyip State Park is really a place for people who enjoy varied bush scenery. Seasonal change shows up clearly here, from flowering heath and banksias in the warmer months to the damp, shaded feel of the fern gullies after cooler weather.

Plants and Animals

Bunyip State Park protects large areas of relatively undisturbed native vegetation, including wet mountain ash forest, damp messmate forest, heathy foothill forest, swamp heathland, wet heathland, riparian forest and pockets of cool temperate rainforest. More than 400 vascular plant species have been recorded, which gives some sense of how much botanical variety is packed into the park.

The park is also important for wildlife. It is one of the few places in Victoria associated with all three state emblems: Common Heath, Leadbeater’s Possum and the Helmeted Honeyeater. Rare species are part of the picture here as well, including the Southern Emu-wren and the Swamp Bush-pea, and 140 bird species have been recorded across the park.