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There’s a forest of giant Californian Redwoods hiding in Victoria

Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
Forget California, Victoria is hiding its own redwood forests.

When someone says redwood forest, we tend to immediately think of the grand trees that are an incredible drawcard to several state parks around California. But there’s no need for an international flight to see these magnificent species. All it takes is a trip to the Yarra Valley in Victoria.

Just 15 minutes from the town of Warburton (or a 90-minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD), an extraordinary forest of about 1500 Californian redwoods towers over visitors as they wind through the forest and down to the river to wander the walking trails. Some of these trees reach up to a whopping 55 metres high.

How did they get there?

people looking up at Redwood Forest Warburton
Allow these giants to tower above you. (Image: Tourism Australia / Visit Victoria)

While 55 metres may seem gigantic, it’s only about half of what Californian redwoods can achieve. Why so small (comparatively speaking)? This forest was planted in the 1930s by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, and Californian redwoods can live for 2000 years, so they’ve got plenty of time left to reach their full potential.

Further plantings occurred in the early 1960s, making all these trees 60 to 90 years old. They were planted as part of a scientific program to improve water purity in the catchment area.

Exploring the area

aerial of bike tour with Warburton Adventure Co
Cycle to groves of ferns and eucalypt trees. (Image: Tourism Australia / Visit Victoria)

Walking trails make the Warburton Californian redwood forest the perfect day trip from Melbourne. They’re not hard to follow, so it’s an easy area to explore alone. You can even stop for a picnic beneath the stunning trees.

Follow Cement Creek past the redwoods to where it meets the Yarra River. Here, you’ll notice a tree change to native vegetation, including ferns and eucalypt trees. Keep an eye open for native orchids that bloom during summer, including greenhoods and cinnamon bells – maybe with a monarch butterfly flitting between them

The grey-headed flying fox can often be seen and heard making its way through the canopy above, along with a variety of birdlife (like yellow robins) that fly around a little closer to the ground.

Just north of Cement Creek Road, you’ll find the O’Shannassay Aqueduct Trail, another popular spot for walking or cycling.

Those looking for a little more adventure can join Redwood Forest Mountain Bike Adventure tours. Ride through 12 kilometres of mature fern gullies, creeks and pristine mountain ash forests – stopping to marvel at the redwoods themselves, of course. Thanks to a predominantly flat track, all levels of riders and fitness levels can get involved.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

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When to visit

people walking through Redwood Forest Warburton
Let the redwoods cool the summer heat. (Image: Tourism Australia / Visit Victoria)

While the redwood forest is never closed, summer is a particularly good time to visit, letting the shade of the forest cool you down. Just be aware that many Melbourne locals also love this spot, so choose an off-peak time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds.

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Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
    Continue
    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington, like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours. While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.