Cool Temperate Rainforest in the Strzelecki Ranges

Overview

Tarra Bulga National Park protects a compact but remarkable piece of the Strzelecki Ranges in South Gippsland, about 190 kilometres east of Melbourne and near the small settlement of Balook. It is known for tall Mountain Ash forest, deep fern gullies and some of the finest remaining cool temperate rainforest in the ranges, all packed into a relatively small park that feels dense, shaded and green almost year round.

The park as it exists today was formed when the former Tarra Valley and Bulga national parks were joined and enlarged in 1986. That history helps explain the park’s character now: it is a surviving block of old forest in a landscape where much of the surrounding country was cleared or logged, making the intact vegetation here especially important.

Highlights

The strongest impression of Tarra Bulga is vertical. Giant Mountain Ash rise above the canopy, while below them the forest closes in with tree ferns, mossy trunks and narrow gullies that hold moisture and soften the light. Ancient myrtle beech adds to that cool, enclosed rainforest feel, giving parts of the park a character quite unlike the drier bush found across much of Victoria.

Scenically, this is a place of lush detail rather than big open country. Clear mountain streams, densely vegetated creek lines and layered forest structure give the park its appeal, especially when mist, rain or low cloud settle through the gullies.

Best Time to Visit

Tarra Bulga works well in any season, but it is at its best when you are in the mood for cool air and a damp forest atmosphere. Summer is often the most comfortable time for people escaping heat elsewhere, because the tall canopy and sheltered gullies keep conditions noticeably cooler.

Autumn brings one of the park’s quieter pleasures, with fungi becoming especially noticeable on logs, trunks and the forest floor. Winter can be cold, wet and occasionally snowy, which suits the rainforest setting. In spring, fresh fern growth stands out as the understorey starts to brighten again.

Plants and Animals

For its size, the park is unusually rich in plant life. Around 200 species of vascular plants have been recorded here, including 41 fern species, and the cool temperate rainforest supports tree ferns, a rich epiphytic flora and ground layers dominated by ferns. Myrtle beech and southern sassafras are key rainforest species in these sheltered, high rainfall areas.

Wildlife is equally varied. More than 100 bird species occur in the park, with superb lyrebirds and pilotbirds among the most characteristic forest birds. Mammals recorded here include wombats, swamp wallabies, platypus, echidnas, bandicoots and gliders, which is a good reflection of how intact the park’s wet forest habitats remain.

Culture and Heritage

Tarra Bulga National Park is on Brataualung Country and is highly significant to Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners. It sits within an important part of the Gunaikurnai cultural landscape and on the creation storyline of Borun, who travelled from the mountains to the sea carrying his canoe.

The park’s name also carries a layered local history. Bulga means mountain, while Tarra commemorates Charlie Tarra, an Aboriginal man who guided PaweÅ‚ Strzelecki and his party through Gippsland in 1840. Today the park is jointly managed, reflecting the continuing connection of Gunaikurnai people to this Country.