Toolangi

Fifteen minutes up the road from Healesville, Toolangi is known for its spectacular National Forest which provides many tracks and viewing areas such as the Mt St Leonard lookout.

Toolangi is part of the Shire of Murrindindi and is close to suburbs including Healesville, Marysville and Steels Creek. The name Toolangi is an Aboriginal word meaning tall trees but in some circles, it’s believed the area was known as Mt Rose up until the 1890s. Toolangi was first inhabited in the 1860s by paling splitters and then timber cutters, who camped deep in the bush. They were attracted by the huge stands of mountain ash, a tree that splits easily, and the messmate timber, which proved durable as a building material.

Bushwalkers and adventurers alike enjoy accessing the lush forest from the challenging trek at Donelly's Weir in Healesville or a shorter walk of just over 1km from the gate in the Toolangi Forest. It's also home to the Kalatha Giant, a mountain ash that is the seventh-largest tree in Victoria. A purpose-built walk has been constructed to better allow accessibility to this magnificent natural wonder. Several other local walking tracks are available and worth a wander including the Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk, the Yea River Walk opposite the Discovery Centre, and the Forest Sculpture Trail, which takes in nine works by sculptors of international repute and views both of Melbourne and the local district.

After a day of hiking and exploring the surroundings, take a load off at the Toolangi tavern or a nearby winery.

Perfect for that weekend escape, why not stay in Toolangi and enjoy all that it has to offer.