Camping and Bush Walks in the forest at Gembrook, Australia

We left Golden Beach on the south coast of Victoria, Australia, with the intention of only having a short drive to our next camping spot on the Morwell River. The drive took us to the small town of Boolarra where we took the Morwell River Road along the forested valley. When we reached the first campsite, there were no toilets to be seen despite our camping book stating that there were, so we continued following the road in hope that some of the other campsites would have a toilet of some sort.

Driving along Morwell River Road

The dirt track was great to begin with, following along the beautiful Morwell River Valley full of lush forest, tall trees towering above us while tree ferns lined the road. Our search for a toilet seemed to be failing, and the dirt track was becoming a lot rougher. At one point we had to cross a washed out gully, and when we eventually began wondering if we were actually on a road at all anymore, we decided to call it quits. We had no choice but to head back the way that we had come and continue on to Gembrook, where we had planned on camping next. We could only hope that this campsite would work out better.

Gembrook is a quiet little town in the forested hills just east of Melbourne, and our campsite was located in the nearby Kurth Kiln Reserve. Our fingers were still crossed as I turned into the dirt road heading into the reserve, but we could soon relax. The campsite was just beautiful, surrounded by peaceful forest, and it has toilets!

Our camping spot

Kookaburras perched in a tree above our camp

After setting up camp, we went to explore the nearby area. Kurth Kiln is a historic landmark situated in the forest, surrounded by the old buildings that accompanied it. It was built during the Second World War to provide charcoal for an alternative fuel source, since oil was greatly rationed during this time. After the war it of course wasn’t needed anymore, so it was shut down.

Kurth Kiln

Because we had driven so much today and had arrived quite late, we didn’t have time to explore the area properly, so we decided to stay put for a couple of days. My hiking boots were calling me.

In the cool morning air, we dusted off our boots and set off for a hike after breakfast. The reserve has several walking, bike and horse trails through the forest, and we took one that follows along a quiet stream. Tall Mountain Ash trees towered above us as we walked through the forest, the nice soil and high rainfall of the area providing the perfect climate for a rain forest environment along the stream. Tall tree ferns and lush greenery surrounded the trail while a whole array of birdlife sang in the trees around us.

Hiking among the Mountain Ash trees

Walking through the forest

Tree ferns along the trail

A wombat burrow along the trail

In the afternoon, we set off on another bush walk which ran through dryer eucalypt forest, the beautiful fresh smells of the forest bringing a smile to my face as my feet navigated the trail. At the end of the walk, we let Mindy have a swim in the creek to cool off.

A native banksia flower

This spot was another great find. If you’re in Melbourne and need to get away for a couple of days, consider heading to Gembrook. It’s only a short drive from the city, but you will feel like you are a world away.