Sherbrooke Forest

The largest section of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Sherbrooke Forest is known for its fauna and wildlife — including wallabies and the famous lyrebird which can mimic dozens of other birds, and even car alarms and camera shutters. Near the suburb of Belgrave, 40 kilometers east of Melbourne, Sherbrooke Forest is dominated by Mountain Ash — the tallest flowering plant in the world, and tree ferns.

Once prime logging land, by 1958 Sherbrooke Forest was officially protected parkland. On a visit, you’ll start at the picnic grounds from which a series of trails leads into the wet sclerophyll forest. One of the most popular trails is the 2.4-km round trip to Sherbrooke Falls through avenues of Mountain Ash. Or if you’d rather just relax, head to the tea room next to the picnic grounds where there are lots of birds to feed for a small fee, including parrots, rosellas, and around fifty cockatoos. And if you ride the Puffing Billy train, you’ll also ride through the southern section of Sherbrooke Forest.