Cypress Grove Track
It is cool in the forest and the native Cat Birds are calling to each other in eerie voices. The air feels cleaner than it does in the city and it smells fresh, rejuvenating our lungs as we breathe it all in. Up here on Mt Glorious, we are surrounded by huge Cypress trees, ancient palms and hanging vines. It is peaceful and we find ourselves slowing down to enjoy the quietness of nature.
Clear signs on the tracks
There are several walking tracks beginning at
Maiala Picnic Area at Mt Glorious. We enjoyed following each of the tracks, as they link into each other. Taking the Rainforest Circuit (2 kms) with a detour to Greene's Falls and Cypress Grove becomes our favorite route (approximately 4.3 kms return which takes around 2 hours). The highlight for us is the Cypress Grove Track with glimpses of the amazing forests which must have covered the D'Aguilar Range many years ago. During the 1840's timber cutters came through and felled many of these enormous trees, so we feel extra lucky to be able to "meet" the few that remain.
Moss at Mt Glorious
Much of the walk is like fairyland with moist moss, interesting mushrooms and dripping ferns. Along the way we also spot some brush turkeys and hear several small wallabies thumping through the undergrowth. There are apparently platypuses in the creeks, but they stay well hidden from us, it seems.
Palms at Mt Glorious
After all that walking and nature spotting, we are pretty hungry and have earned a good lunch at
Elm Haus Cafe, conveniently located just on the edge of the forest. Sitting at lunch, we can still hear the eerie sound of Cat Birds calling to each other, and we reluctantly leave them to their peaceful mountain top forest.
Ancient Cypress Tree
