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| Steavenson
Falls |
Marysville (including Lake Mountain,
Buxton, Taggerty, Narbethong and Cathedral Range
State Park)
Pretty township popular as a starting point
for bushwalks.
Marysville is a sub-alpine resort town of some
600 people noted for its scenic attractions,
forest bushwalking and old-fashioned timber
guesthouses. It is also the wintertime base for
the cross-country ski fields of Lake Mountain.
Marysville is beautifully located amidst
tree-laden mountains at a bracing elevation, 96
km north-east of Melbourne and 9 km off the
Maroondah Highway. It is especially attractive
when the flowers bloom in spring and the trees
shed their leaves in autumn.
Marysville started in the early 1860s as a
camping place for diggers on their way east to
the Woods Point goldfield. John Steavenson, the
Assistant Commissioner for Roads and Bridges,
made the site his headquarters while surveying
and overseeing the construction of access roads
to the new goldfields. He surveyed the townsite
in 1863 or 1864 and named it after his wife
Mary. At that time the Barton Brothers general
store, bakery and butchery was in operation.
They later established a delivery service to the
goldfields via packhorse. 1865 saw farming
commence with the first land sales and the
appointment of a postmaster.
After the railway arrived at Healesville in
1889 guesthouses were established in the area,
inaugurating the era of tourism which, together
with timber and agriculture, replaced the
goldmining which ceased in the district in 1914.
Marysville subsequently became known as
Melbourne's honeymoon capital with visitors
drawn by the bushwalks and Steavenson Falls.
By the 1920s there were twelve guesthouses
and an hotel. The Bartons converted their
stables into a motor-car garage at this time to
encourage automobile traffic. The Acheron
Tourist Rd joined Marysville with Healesville in
1929.
The Wirreanda Festival is a spring
celebration which is held on the Melbourne Cup
weekend in early November. It incorporates a
street parade, food-and-wine festival, art,
craft and photography exhibitions, markets,
childrens' activities, historical displays and
the opening to the public of the area's best
private gardens. Christmas in July sees the
local shops deck their windows with Christmas
regalia and there are a number of associated
activities. Markets are held in the carpark at
the Visitor Information Centre on the second
Sunday of every month.
Things to see:
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| Timber tram
engine and log, adjacent information
centre |
Tourist Information
The Marysville & Mystic Mountains Visitor
Information Centre is located at 180-190
Murchison St, opposite the service station. They
can furnish detailed advice, maps and brochures
regarding local attractions and opportunities
for bushwalking, fishing in the local rivers,
horseriding, cycling and swimming, as well as
nordic skiing and tobogganing at Lake Mountain,
tel: (03) 5963 4567 or email: info@marysvilletourism.com.
They are open every day from 9.00 p.m. to 5.00
p.m.
Steavenson Falls
The major local attraction, since a track was
first cut from Marysville in 1866, is Steavenson
Falls, which are 3 km south-east of town along
Falls Rd. There is a short walk from the carpark
to the base of the falls where there are
barbecue facilities. Another track leads up the
side of the mountain to a more elevated
perspective.
These are the tallest falls in the state,
dropping 82 metres in three stages. They are fed
by the Steavenson River which is named after
John Steavenson who surveyed Marysville in 1863.
The falls and the path from the carpark are
floodlit until midnight each evening by a
hydro-electric generator. The possums are
accustomed to being hand-fed at night if you are
feeling generous.
Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden
En route to the falls, at 51 Falls Rd, is a
collection of over 200 sculptural works in a
beautiful garden setting. Coaches and groups are
welcome and there is a guided tour. There is a
small admissionfee (children are free), tel:
(03) 5963 3513.
Burrangeen-Gallipoli Park and Historical
Displays
The parks are located in the town centre. They
contain a small weatherboard building that was
once the police station. It is now home to the
historical society* which uses it to house a
photographic display. The park also has static
displays relating to the timber industry. It is
located in Pack Road and is open Saturdays from
2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5963 3552.
There is a small entry fee.
Marysville Museum
The Marysville Museum at 49 Darwin St has a
collection of horse-drawn wagons and other
vintage and classic vehicles. Ring before you
visit on (03) 5963 3777.
Walking Tracks (including the Trestle
Track, the Keppel Falls Track, the Oxlee and De
La Rue Lookouts and the Wishing Well)
There are numerous outstanding walking tracks
through the forest surrounding Marysville. Many
are old timber tramways which were used to haul
mountain ash to the timber mills. They are often
well-signposted and are outlined in detail on
material which is available from the town's
information centre, or through Parks Victoria (tel:
131 963 or email: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au).
One of the easiest and most centrally-located
walks starts at Kings Rd, behind Marylands Guest
House. Just follow the small stream to the ferny
glade known as the Beauty Spot (1 km).
The Trestle Track (2 km) is a particularly
attractive walk that starts from the caravan
park.
The Tree Fern Gully Track (4 km one-way)
starts at Gallipoli Park in Murchison St. It
leads along the Steavenson River to Steavenson
Falls.
The Keppel Track (6 km) commences at the
Beauty Spot and heads out of town on Kings Rd.
It passes through stringybark and mountain ash
forest into the hills above town to Keppel
Lookout which offers excellent 360-degree views
north down the Steavenson River. At the lookout
carpark there is a short walk which leads to two
other lookouts: Innes Lookout affords a prospect
along the valley to Cathedral Range and Three
Tower Lookout furnishes views west over the
Acheron River Valley to Mt Dom Dom.
From this point there is another track that
links Keppel Lookout with Steavenson Falls,
passing Oxlee Lookout, from whence the views are
superior, and De La Rue Lookout. Return to
Marysville along Steavenson Rd or via the Tree
Fern Gully Tack.
The Michaeldene Track (9 km) starts 500 m
east of the Melbourne Rd roundabout where
Cumberland Rd and Lady Talbot Drive meet. It
takes in a natural spring known as the Wishing
Well, the remains of a trestle bridge and timber
tramway, and footbridges across the Dickinson
and Taggerty Rivers.
Cumberland Scenic Reserve, Cambarville,
the Big Culvert and Related Walking Tracks
Cumberland Scenic Reserve is 16 km east on the
Woods Point Rd (along the way is Nicholls
Lookout). The reserve was declared to protect a
stand of mountain ash which contains the
second-tallest tree in the world. There is a
4-km loop track which can be joined either at
the Cumberland Rd carpark or the Cambarville
Picnic Area. It takes in the remains of the
Cambarville sawmill and associated township,
which were largely destroyed by fire in 1970,
Cora-Lyn Falls, Cumberland Falls, Barton's
Lookout, The Big Culvert (a granite arch built
c.1880 and now covered in moss), an old water
race built by goldminers c.1870 to transport
water to the Sovereign Mine on the Reefton Spur,
Sovereign View (offering excellent views over
Armstrong Creek Valley towards Warburton), and
the Big Tree. The latter is the tallest living
tree in the state, being 84 m high with a
circumference of 5.2 metres near the base. A
guiding pamphlet is available from the town's
information centre or through Parks Victoria (tel:
131 963 or email: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au).
Lady Talbot Drive (including Phantom
Falls, Keppel Falls and the Beeches Rainforest
Walk)
Lady Talbot Forest Drive is a 48-km scenic
loop-drive which starts 500 m along Woods Point
Rd, heading out of Marysville. The first 11 km
of the journey follow the Taggerty River through
Marysville State Forest, passing the Wishing
Well, Taggerty River Picnic Area and Athols
Abbey Camping Area.
After 11 km you will enter Yarra Ranges
National Park. First stop is Phantom Falls
carpark. It is a 400-m walk to the viewing
platform. The falls are spectacular in spring
when the snow of Mt Margaret melts.
Another 600 m will bring you to Keppel Falls
carpark. It is a 1-km walk to the viewing decks
over the falls which were named after the
brothers who settled here in the 1880s.
Less than a kilometre's drive from the falls
carpark is Keppel Falls Lookout which offers
excellent views of the Taggerty River Valley
gathered around the falls.
It is about 2.5 more km to the Taggerty River
Crossing and another 1.4 km to The Beeches
carpark. The latter is an ancient rainforest
with stands of moss and fern-covered Myrtle
Beech, many of which are more than 300 years
old. The two sites are joined by The Beeches
Walk loop-track (4 km) which takes in the
confluence of the Taggerty River and Whitehouse
Creek and a stand of mountain ash - the
second-largest tree species in the world. Watch
out for the lyrebirds which are common in this
area and are often seen after rain.
Beyond The Beeches 4WD is recommended
although cars should be okay in DRY weather. A
guiding pamphlet is available from the town's
information centre or through Parks Victoria (tel:
131 963 or email: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au).
Lake Mountain Cross-Country Ski Resort
Lake Mountain (1530 m) is 21 km east of
Marysville. It has 37 km of Nordic cross-country
trails which are groomed daily and cater to
every level of skill, as well as seven toboggan
runs. Cross-country ski races are held
throughout the season. There are snow-making
facilities and ski patrols operate daily in the
ski season. The mountain has a ski and toboggan
hire service, a ski academy, 16 instructors, a
kiosk, a public shelter, an amenities block, a
shuttle service and a visitors' centre. The ski
season lasts from mid-June to early October.
Gerraty's is the main parking area at the
summit. The entry fee is $25 per car per day (a
season pass for vehicles is $170) and $8 for
pedestrians, cyclists, trailers, motor bikes and
those on board buses. The trail fee is $10 for
adults and $5.50 for children (5-17 years) with
a season trail pass costing $100 for adults, $60
for children and $300 for a family (2 adults and
up to 4 children). There is no trail fee if you
are over 65.
In summer the walking tracks lead through
snow-gum woodlands, open heaths and mountain
wildflowers. Gerraty's carpark is the starting
point of the Lady Mountain Summit Walk Loop
Track (4 km) which takes in four lookouts, snow
gum environs, Alpine heath and Alpine bogs. The
track climbs steeply for 200 m but soon levels
out. A track leads to Marysville Lookout then
branches west from a point just below the
summit. It loops back to the summit from whence
another section of the track heads east to the
Alps Lookout. It then proceeds south to
Sherlocks Lookout. Backtrack a short distance
then take the track on the left to Taggerty
Valley View, then head back to Gerraty's via the
summit.
Other tracks are the Jubilee Trail (to Mt
Buller and Mt Stirling), the Panorama Trail (to
Mt Bullfight and The Bluff) and the Royston
Trail (to Mt Dom Dom, Dom Dom Saddle, Mt St
Leonard and views of the Melbourne skyline).
Guiding pamphlets are available from the town's
information centre or through Parks Victoria (tel:
131 963 or email: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au).
There is no accommodation at the mountain but
plenty at Marysville where you can also hire
ski, toboggan and winter-sport equipment. In the
ski season, a bus service operates from
Marysville. For further information ring the
Marysville Information Centre.
Cathedral Range State Park
Cathedral Range State Park (3577 ha) is a rugged
7-km mountain ridge featuring some outstanding
peaks, abundant vegetation (including orchids in
spring and summer) and a plenitude of native
fauna such as the satin bowerbirds which can be
seen alongside the mountain streams.
The Little River Rd-Cerberus Rd bisects the
park in a north-south fashion. Little River Rd
heads off Cathedral Lane which is signposted off
the Maroondah Highway 2 km south of Taggerty.
Cerberus Rd heads off Mt Margaret Rd which
departs from the Marysville-Buxton Rd.
Activities in the park include camping,
bushwalking, horseriding, cycling, abseiling and
nature studies. Camping is permitted at Neds
Gully, Sugarloaf Saddle, The Farmyard, Blackwood
Flat and Cooks Mill. The latter two have areas
for a small number of caravans.
There are a dozen walking tracks in the park
which can be combined to form larger circuits.
All are outlined in a pamphlet available from
Parks Victoria, tel: 131 963. One of the major
walks is between Sugarloaf Peak (910 m),
Cathedral Park (870 m) and Little Cathedral with
an overnight stay at The Farmyard.
Buxton Trout Farm
The Buxton Trout Farm is situated on the eastern
side of the Maroondah Highway in Buxton, 11 km
north of Marysville. You can catch your own
rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon (rods and bait
supplied) from the dams or buy fresh or smoked
trout, tel: (03) 5774 7370.
Buxton Reserve
There is a 17-ha reserve of Buxton silver gums,
a threatened species, 2 km south of Buxton on
the western side of the Maroondah Highway. There
are picnic facilities and a ten-minute walk
which can be extended to the scenic Acheron
River.
Buxton Zoo
Buxton Zoo is 3 km north of Buxton at 2600
Maroondah Highway. Its wildlife includes camels,
deer, wallabies, emus, Egyptian geese, donkeys
and cashmere goats. There is also an animal
nursery, tel: (03) 5774 7345.
Taggerty Herb Farm*
Just a little further north, on the western side
of the highway, is Taggerty Herb Farm which
sells gourmet herbs, the 'Gingko Gold' health
elixir, oils, vinegars, sauces and chutneys.
There is also a gallery, a nursery, a cafe, a
tranquil garden and fine views. They are open
Saturday to Tuesday from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00
p.m., tel: (03) 5774 7518.
Narbethong
Narbethong has a similar history to Marysville.
It was established in the early 1860s when an
inn was built at the base of Black Spur to cater
to the miners headed to the goldfields at Woods
Point. Surveyed in 1865 it then became a
farming, timbergetting and holidaying area.
Like Marysville it has guesthouses, holiday
units, bed-and-breakfasts, a caravan park and
ski hire outlets. One of the early guesthouses,
the Hermitage, is still standing and is still a
guesthouse. Classified by the National Trust, it
once accommodated Dame Nellie Melba. Baron
Ferdinand Von Mueller, who established
Melbourne's Botanic Gardens, helped set up the
Hermitage's gardens. Another guesthouse from the
19th century is St Fillan, originally the
holiday home of a state premier.
Mantirri Blueberry Farm Winery and cafe at
1250 the Maroondah Highway (eastern side) has
fresh and frozen blueberries, berry wines,
homemade fruit and berry jams and ice-cream. You
can pick your own from January to March.
Mantirri is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00
p.m., tel: (03) 5963 7174. Things of Sand &
Stone is located at 1187 Maroondah Highway (tel:
03 5963 7287).
There are a number of scenic areas around
town. Signs along Andersons Lane (which becomes
Plantation Drive then Yellowdindi ) direct you
to boardwalks over the Murrindindi River
Cascades, Wilhelmina Falls and Toolangi. For
further information on the town ring (03) 5963
7214.
Acheron Way
The highly scenic Acheron Way (36 km) starts
from St Fillans, 3 km north-east of Narbethong
along the highway. This good gravel road heads
south-east along the highly scenic Reefton Spur
to Warburton passing through densely forested,
mountainous terrain that offers views of Mt
Victoria, Ben Cairn and Mt Donna Buang.
Horseriding
Rubicon Valley Horse Riding are located further
north at 90 Rubicon Rd, Thornton. tel: (03) 5773
2292. The Black Spur Trail Riding Centre is at
Narbethong, tel: (03) 5963 7191.
