Wombat State Forest
The Wombat State Forest is an old eucalypt forest, about 50km west of Melbourne. It existed long before gold was discovered in the area, but we only know its history from when the gold rush began in 1851. Miners needed timber to hold back the earth in the shafts and tunnels they dug. They stripped the gum trees in vast numbers and in the 1890s a Royal Commission said that the Wombat Forest was exhausted and ruined.
When the gold rush ended, many of the miners left their claims and disappeared from the area. For 50 years after that the forest was closed so that the trees could re-grow and the animal life could return. Today logging still takes place, but thousands of visitors come to the forest each year to experience the ancient trees and wildlife, and explore the nearby Lederderg Gorge. This is a natural wonder – a 300 metre long gash carved through sandstone and slate by the Lederderg river.
If you fish there you might catch Brown Trout or Blackfish, which are both good on the BBQ. Or you can swim, camp, and go rock-climbing. The Wombat State Forest and Lederderg Gorge are real bush experiences.
