For a glimpse of what Inverloch looked like before settlement, take a stroll through this woodland reserve.
This short trail will take you through natural bushland, original woodland and low-lying swamp paperbark thickets that once covered the land where Inverloch now stands.
All the paths looked like this.
There are many dirt paths meandering through dense bush. Boardwalks are in place for damp areas.
Board walks where needed.
This is a marked nature walk and the South Gippsland Conservation Society pamphlet (available at your local Visitor Information Centre) corresponds to the pegs along the track to provide information on flora and fauna.
The pamphlet.
During my walk, I only saw one marker peg, but the locations were easy to identify if you had the information pamphlet.
The only peg marker I saw.
I only saw one bird on my walk, a lone magpie perched high in a dead tree. Throughout the reserve, there were many dead trees.
The only avian sighting.
I encountered three walkers and three dogs along the way, but I think they were locals taking a shortcut. When I said I had only seen one magpie, they remarked that later in the day several kookaburras usually arrived.
Taking a short cut.
The only colour, flora-wise, was a young wattle tree. Bracken ferns were the dominant flora of ground cover.
Young wattle tree.
Dead bracken fern.
High up in one tree was what I assumed to be a possum's nest.
Probably a possum nest.
To enjoy the serenity of the reserve the Rotary Club of Inverloch have provided park benches.
Park seats in the bush.
The main entrance is from a small car park on the Inverloch- Lower Tarwin Road, Inverloch.
