Flora
& Fauna of the Rail Trail
Flora
The trail passes through a number of
distinct vegetation types, and land use areas. Much of the area has been extensively
logged, and the remaining vegetation is regrowth consisting of wattle, blackwood,
messmate. Features of the walk include the wonderful winter displays of heath and wattle,
several rare orchids, numerous varieties of ferns and mosses and stands of mountain ash
and river gums. Areas adjacent to the trail contain plantations of radiata pine used by
AMCOR for paper manufacture at the Maryvale mill, and from Darlimurla to Boolarra the walk
passes lush farmlands.
.........................
.........................
Fauna
The line from Mirboo North originally ran through a combination of temperate
rainforest (as preserved at Tarra-Bulga NP), dry sclerophyll forest and towards Boolarra
extensive Blackwood forests. Much of this has now been cleared, but the animals inhabiting
the rail trail are those native to the original forests. These include Swamp Wallabies,
Echidnas, Wombats, Brush Tail Possums, Goannas and Blue Tongue Lizards. Birds include
Yellow tailed Black Cockatoos, King Parrots, Crimson and Eastern Rosellas, Galahs,
Lyrebirds, Superb Blue Wrens, and numerous honeyeaters and wattlebirds, and towards
Boolarra a variety of waterbirds. The Little Morwell River valley is also the home to a
pair of magnificent Wedge Tailed Eagles.
