Toolangi State Forest

The Toolangi State Forest region in southern Australia extends from Mount Monda in the south up to Murrindindi in the north and includes the township of Toolangi. The forest is mainly eucalypt forest that has regrown from the 1939 Victoria Bushfires.

Large sections of the forest were also burnt in the 2009 Victorian Bushfires, although there are some pockets of old-growth forest that have not been logged or seriously burnt.

Notably, the forest provides habitat for the threatened Leadbeater's possum.

Kalatha Giant tree

After the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, the Toolangi and Castella community proposed to construct a walk to the Kalatha Giant tree located at Kalatha Creek in the Toolangi State Forest. The Kalatha Giant Tree Walk Forest project was funded by the Victorian Bushfires Appeal Fund and was declared open by the federal Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Mark Butler, on 28 July, National Tree Day.

The Kalatha Giant, a mountain ash (''Eucalyptus regnans''), has striking buttressing and is the seventh largest tree in Victoria with a volume of 200 cubic metres, a girth of 13.85 metres and is 65.5 metres tall.

Recreation

The Toolangi State Forest is popular for a variety of recreation uses due to its close proximity to Melbourne and its natural attributes. Recreation activities include bushwalking, birdwatching, mountain biking, trail bike riding and four wheel driving.

Walking tracks

There are a number of walking tracks in the Toolangi State Forest including:

*Yea River Walk. Loop walk starting at the Toolangi Visitors' Centre (4 km, one hour, May 2008)
*Sculpture Walk. Loop walk starting at the Toolangi Visitors' Centre. (3 km, 45 mins, July 2006)
*Wirra Willa Rainforest Walk. Healesville, Myers Creek Rd, Sylvia Rd, to small car park at entrance to Rainforest Walk. (2 km, 1 hr, December 2005).
*Blue Mountain Ascent. Good views across Yarra Valley. Weasel Creek Track is a former logging route, winding its way through interesting forest. (6 km, 1.5 hrs, April 2008).
*Xanthorrhoea Track. Track passes through grass trees (Xanthorrhoea Australia) and Banksias. Good views across Chum Creek Valley. (1.5 hrs, 4 km, April 2008)
*Old Tanglefoot Track - southern section. The old Tanglefoot Road is former logging track that continues 8 km to the north at Sylvia Creek Rd. Views to the east, towards the Victorian Alps, extensive regrowth. (6 km. 1.5 hrs, May 2008).
*Blowhard Range Walk. Depart from junction of Spragg's Rd and Blowhard Rd and walk up Blowhard Rd to dam and return. Excellent views across the Toolangi farms towards Mt Sugarloaf and the Dandenong Ranges. (6 km, 1.5 hrs, April 2008)
*Cole's Creek Track - Northern Sector. Depart from small carpark at signed Coles Creek Track, near the Wirrawilla Rainforest Reserve. Descend Coles Creek Track for about 2 km then return. Track follows the Yea River Gully. (4 km, 1.5 hrs, April 2008)
*Cockpit Track - Eastern Sector. Depart small car park at start of Yea Link Rd, just past the Wirrawilla Rainforest Reserve. Follow Yea Link road, reaching Cockpit Creek Tk. Go through, or around) gate, descend steeply to the Yea River crossing. Return to start. Track is steep, and very slippery during or after wet weather. (4 km, 1.5 hrs, May 2008)
*Monda Track - Dugout Section. Follow Monda Rd, past Mt St Leonard lookout gate, to small car park adjacent to gated track on south marked "Australian National Trail". Go through gate, ascend track steeply. Continue past high point then descend to the Monda Dugout on Monda Rd and return. Return to car. Good views to the Mt Murrindindi region. Final descent to the Dugout is very steep and slippery. Dugout is an old underground fire refuge.(3 km, 1 hr, June 2008)
*Mt Monda. Follow Monda Rd, past Mt St Leonard lookout gate to junction of Hardy Creek Rd near the Monda Dugout. Leave car at this junction. Walk easterly along Monda Rd, reaching the signed gate to Condon's Track (which is a very steep track down to the Maroondah Reservoir). This is near the Mt Monda Summit, Return to car. Monda Rd from the Dugout to the Condon's Track gate is stony, and slippery in wet weather and is not recommended for 2WD vehicles. (4 km, 1 hr, June 2008).
*Rouch Track - Depart small car park at Rouch Rd, opposite the Black Spur Motel. Walk along forest road in the Hermitage Creek Gully, reaching gate at the junction of Carson Track then return. (3 km, 1 hr, June 2008)
*Paul's Range North Track - Toolangi. Depart from small car park on Old Toolangi Rd next to Mill. Follow unsigned track steeply down the Gully and return. (2 km, 45 mins, June 2008)
*Wilhemina Falls - Murrindindi Scenic Reserve. Depart from Wilhemina car park (Murrindindi Rd) close to ranger station. Cross river on the suspension bridge, then follow signed track to the Falls viewing platform, returning via Grassy Flats. Final section of track is stony and steep, slippery in wet weather. Steel chain hand rails have been installed along some of the more difficult sections. (4 km, 1.5 hrs, September 2008)

Tanglefoot Walking tracks

These are a 20 km loop walking route that may be undertaken as a single long walk, or as sections. Main access points with car parking are the Tanglefoot Car Park (Sylvia Creek Rd), the Wirrawilla Rainforest Reserve (Sylvia Creek Rd), and Mt St Leonard (Monda Rd). The route follows the Myrtle Gully Track, Quarry Rd, and the new Tanglefoot Track. The Mr Tanglefoot Boardwalk was opened in March 2008 and has a covered picnic area, seats and drinking water.
*Tanglefoot Walking Track Walk 1 - Mt. Tanglefoot Boardwalk. Depart from Myrtle Creek car park and follow signed Myrtle Creek Tk to junction, then proceed downhill along the Tanglefoot Track, reaching the newly constructed Boardwalk and return. Excellent rainforest, Mountain Ash timber, fern gullies. (4 km, 1 hr, March 2008)
*Tanglefoot Walking Track Walk 2 - Myrtle Gully Walk. Depart from Wirrawilla Rainforest car park and follow signed Myrtle Gully Walk. Excellent rainforest, Mountain Ash timber, fern gullies. T (6 km, 1.5 hrs, March 2008).
*Tanglefoot Walking Track Walk 3 - Southern Sector. Follow Monda Rd, passing Mt St Leonard gate, to open space at entrance to signed track. Descend to boardwalk and return. Forest environment, footbridges, fern gullies, birds. (6 km, 1.5 hrs, April 2008).
*Tanglefoot Walking Track Walk 4: Tanglefoot Walking Track - Northern Link. Depart Mt Tanglefoot picnic ground and follow signed Tanglefoot Walking Track to Myrtle Ck car park and return. (3 km, 1 hr, February 2008).

Rare and threatened species

The following plant species found in Central Highlands Forests, including the Toolangi State Forest, are listed under either the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and/or the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999:

*''Amphibromus pithogastrus'', tall astelia (threatened, vulnerable)
*''Caladenia concolor'', maroon spider orchid (threatened)
*''Caladenia rosella'', rosella spider orchid (threatened, endangered)
*''Carex tasmanica'', curly sedge (threatened)
*''Cyathea cunninghamii'', slender tree-fern (threatened)
*''Cullen tenax'', tough psoralea (threatened)
*''Eucalyptus crenulata'', Buxton gum (threatened, endangered)
*''Grevillea barklyana'', gully grevillea (threatened)
*''Lepidium hyssopifolium

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