Bushwalking: Masons Falls Circuit

Photo: Fungus found on Mason Falls Circuit

Walk overview

Length: 13.5km circuit
Time: 4.5 hours
Grade: Medium
Ascent: 420m
Maximum height: 570m
Region: Kinglake National Park, Victoria
Map: Outdoor Leisure Map, Kinglake National Park

"Just north of Melbourne is the Kinglake Ntional Park. It was established in 1928 and has been extended several times since. The park is composed of four large blocks which are separated from each other by private property. The oldest section of the park is the Sugarloaf Block and this contains the popular Masons Falls and a lookout at Mt Sugarloaf. These features are linked by a series of walking tracks and management roads that provide an excellent circuit walk."

"A major feature of this walk is the wide variety of plants. The track
initially follows a high ridge covered with messmate forest then
descends into a fern-filled guylly where blackwood, wattles,
pomaderris and tree-ferns dominate. Many orchids, lilies, daisies,
correas and grevilleas are also found in the forest. This diversity of
plant life means there is always something flowering."

Source: Day Walks Melbourne

My comments

The forecast was "rain clearing later" and it was raining when we started the walk, but I'm glad we decided to go ahead. The messmate forest was misty and atmospheric in the light rain. The light ferny undergrowth became more dense a few kilometres into the walk. When we reached the valley the rain stopped and everything was glistening in the light--green and lush. It was absolutely beautiful. Listening to the water running in the creek alongside the walking path added to the ambience.

Masons Falls, which we reached 3.5 hours into the walk, were more impressive than I'd imagined they'd be, but it was hard to get any decent photos shooting directly into the sun (under the shade of Chris's trusty umbrella that we'd used to cover the camera in the rain earlier in the day).

The walk felt like it was over not long after we'd begun, probably because we were fairly engrossed in the environment, and I took quite a lot of photos, despite the rain and poor light in places.