The purpose of this blog is to give you the reader a rundown on the experiences you can have while travelling within Victoria and in particular the Yarra Valley.  My hope is that Australians and international travellers would find this website useful in preparing itineraries, that somehow my social media accounts (Intagram/Face Book /Pinterest) and this blog would ignite a desire to see this stunning part of the world and as a result experience some truly Australian tastes, sights and sounds (see LINK ).  Well I have stumbled upon the mother-load when it comes to Australiana.

WARNING – if you are not a bird lover or prefer to view them from afar you may want to either give this place a miss or go from the car straight to the walking trails.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you – I would hate to see you running, screaming and flapping from the picnic sight, as if imitating the very thing that has caused this emotional outburst.  I am writing from experience – I have a girlfriend who would do just that, in this situation (not mentioning any names lostandfoundtraveller.com).

There is a beautiful thing that happens when entering the Badgers Weir national park, the city sounds fade away and the song of the bush begins to play.  Before your eyes is a clear example of the Australian Bush untouched just the way God intended it to be.  Being a lover of structure and order (although there was no order to be found if you were walking in my very untidy room when I was growing up), the Australian trees and shrubs can look a little on the messy side for my liking.  However, take away society and see it in its natural state, it is magnificent and beautiful.  Not only is your eye pleased but the sound of the bird life is refreshing to the ear.  I have described it on Instagram as ‘peacefully loud’, the call of the lyrebird echoing out over the tree tops, the screech of the Cockatoo and the melody of the King Parrot working together like a score of a symphony presenting ‘the song of Australia’.

With plenty of picnic tables and BBQ’s available a picnic can be enjoyed by the flowing creek.  This is where the bird warning comes into play.  The birds have been fed (although there are signs requesting the wildlife not be fed) and are therefore very wary yet inquisitive.  This could result in an extra guest at your picnic table or even a flyby with your head becoming the landing pad.  If a close encounter with the birdlife is on your list of things to do and experience while in Australia, then this is the spot for you.  Just standing still can invite the beauties to wander over and check you out.  At the moment (Spring) there are many juvenile Rosella around with a colour pallet of mottled green, blues and reds a little less vivid than their parents but for some reason I found them more interesting to look at.

The trails are where you will feel lost in the Australian bush.  Nursing a sore knee I was unable to walk all the way to the Weir but a short stroll with the pram, following the Coranderrk Trak (1.1km), was enough to take in the wonders of my surroundings.  I have come away with a new appreciation for the heights to which a gum tree can grow, the vigour in which the ferns can multiply in a forest setting (covering the forest floor as if it were grass) and the volume at which a branch from one of those mighty gums cracks and falls to the ground.  This is a truly Australian experience, make of it what you will – bring some food, games and make it a family day or come with your hiking boots and trek through the bush on a mission to find peace and be surrounded by nature.  Whichever way you choose to spend your time at Badgers Weir you will come away with an encounter of the Australian variety.

Have you been to Badgers Weir?

I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.