On Saturday 23 September 2017, six of us set out to walk the Myrtle Gully Circuit through Toolangi State Forest.
I had already explored the route and published a detailed turn-by-turn guide before organising this event. For the group hike, however, we completed the circuit in the opposite direction to the route described in that guide.
The walk was advertised as a friendly Grade 3 hike through a particularly beautiful part of Toolangi’s forest. Towering trees, abundant ferns and the distinctive calls of superb lyrebirds make Myrtle Gully one of the area’s most atmospheric walking experiences.
Our Myrtle Gully hike at a glance
- Date: Saturday 23 September 2017
- Starting point: Wirrawilla car park, Toolangi State Forest
- Distance: 8.31 kilometres
- Walking time: 1 hour 58 minutes
- Total ascent: 363 metres
- Participants: Six, including the hike leader
- Trail type: Circuit, completed in reverse
- Difficulty: Grade 3
- Terrain: Earthen forest tracks, boardwalks, muddy sections and minor creek crossings
Walking in Toolangi State Forest
Toolangi State Forest lies approximately 60 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, close to Healesville and the Black Spur. Its mountain ash forest, cool gullies, streams and dense fern understorey create a noticeably different walking environment from the dry forests and rocky gorges of our earlier hikes.
The Traditional Owners of this forest are the Taungurung people, with Wurundjeri Country extending across the area to the south. These forested ranges and waterways form part of a living cultural landscape with connections reaching back thousands of years.
Several walking routes begin around Wirrawilla and the nearby Tanglefoot Picnic Area. These range from the short and accessible Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk to the longer Myrtle Gully and Tanglefoot circuits.
The Myrtle Gully Circuit passes through cool, damp forest where tree ferns, mosses and fungi thrive beneath the canopy. In wetter conditions, water can flow across or beside sections of the track, making mud and slippery surfaces part of the experience.
Starting through Wirrawilla Rainforest
Our hike began at Wirrawilla car park at the end of Quarry Road, off Sylvia Creek Road.
Access to Myrtle Gully initially follows part of the Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk. This short introductory section descends into a cool temperate rainforest environment containing ancient myrtle beech, southern sassafras, ferns and moss-covered forest floor.
Raised boardwalks protect the damp environment while allowing walkers to pass through the gully. These surfaces can become slippery when wet, so careful footing remains important even on the more accessible opening section.
From Wirrawilla, we joined the longer Myrtle Gully Circuit and followed it in the reverse direction to the route in my original guide.
Ferns, forest and lyrebird calls
Myrtle Gully’s strongest attraction is not a single summit, waterfall or lookout. The experience comes from being surrounded by the forest itself.
Mountain ash rises above a dense understorey of ferns, while small waterways and damp gullies support mosses, fungi and other moisture-loving plants. The enclosed forest produces a very different atmosphere from the more exposed tracks found elsewhere in Victoria.
Superb lyrebirds live throughout the area. They are often difficult to see among the vegetation, but their calls and remarkable mimicry can carry through the forest. Signs of their activity may also be visible where they have scratched through leaves and soil on the forest floor.
The weather forecast suggested pleasant temperatures with rain possible later in the afternoon. Participants were advised to expect wet, muddy and slippery conditions and to wear suitable hiking clothing and footwear.
Water, food and a camera were also recommended. I let everyone know in advance that photographs might be taken during the hike for use on the Green Trails website, giving participants the opportunity to stay out of photographs if they preferred.
Faster and shorter than expected
The Meetup description estimated a 9.5-kilometre circuit taking approximately three hours. My Garmin recording from the group hike measured 8.31 kilometres, 363 metres of ascent and a completion time of one hour and 58 minutes.
The difference may reflect the precise route followed, GPS recording variation or differences between the mapped circuit and its connections from the car park. It is worth treating published distances as planning estimates and allowing additional time for conditions, navigation, photographs and breaks.
With six hikers in attendance, this event also continued the encouraging growth seen on our previous Lerderderg walk. After two initial events with only one participant each—and a later solo outing at Mount Sugarloaf—it was rewarding to have another group of six exploring the forest together.
A morning hike with another walk to follow
This Myrtle Gully event was planned as the first of two hikes from the same location that day. The morning start allowed us to complete the circuit before the forecast afternoon rain and return to Wirrawilla in time for the second walk.
Running consecutive events from one trailhead offered participants some flexibility. They could join one hike or, if they had the time and fitness, make a longer day of it by attending both.
It also demonstrated the variety available from Wirrawilla. Several routes share parts of the same track network but provide different distances, elevations and forest experiences.
Planning the Myrtle Gully Circuit
For photographs, route statistics and detailed directions at individual track junctions, see the Green Trails Myrtle Gully Circuit guide. The guide describes the circuit in the opposite direction to this group hike.
For current access, facilities and land-manager information, consult the official guide to Toolangi State Forest before visiting. Track conditions and signage may have changed since our September 2017 walk.
I could not find a Trail Hiking Australia page that precisely matches the Myrtle Gully Circuit, so I have not included an unrelated route.
Green Trails group hikes are organised and managed through Meetup. You can view the original Myrtle Gully Circuit event and join Green Trails Day Hikes to discover future walks.