Autumn Day Perfect for a Redwood Forest Visit
The forecast was for a sunny 20 degree day at the end of a week (Saturday) that had been cold and miserable. It was a perfect day for a drive to Warburton to checkout the Redwood Forest. We thought so and so did a lot of other people. The sunny day brought out the locals, bike riders and the tourists.
After driving through the Warburton township we found the turnoff to get to Redwood Forest easily. Following a narrow windy unmade road we made it to where the entrance of the forest was and there were cars everywhere. We kept on driving past the long line of cars parked on the side of the road until we could turn around safely and park too. We walked to the entrance of the forest and wove our way through the towering trees.
There are over one thousand 55m high trees which were planted in rows in the 1930’s. A truly magical place to visit!
We walked down the hill through the plantation down to the river where there are walking tracks each way. Very pretty.
Where to Eat Lunch in Warburton?
There are quite a few cafe’s in Warburton. We walked the strip to find somewhere to go for lunch. We picked a place we had been to before called “Riverview Cafe & Wine Bar” which was busy but it did have a few free tables that we could see. We waited at their “wait to be seated” sign while staff nearby avoided eye contact. We finally got the “I will be with you in a minute”. We waited and waited. It was an easy decision walk out and find somewhere else to eat. We figured that if we had to wait this long for a table that the same would go for the food.
We then went in and sat down at a table at “Three Sugars”. We ordered milkshakes and pies. The service here was slow ( under staffed ). The milkshakes came out first and were excellent. My egg and bacon pie was ok, Dave’s steak and pepper pie was ok and our friend had corn fritters that were not that great.
There seem to be a few new cafe’s in Warburton. With the amount of people we saw at the Redwood Forest you would think that a large number of these would be likely stop and get a coffee and snack on the way back. Plenty of opportunities for a Cafe in Warburton offering excellent service and food – we just haven’t found it yet!
Maybe the bakery or a pre-packed picnic would have been a better choice…..
Hot Jam Donuts
We spotted a Jam Donut Van just out of Woori Yallock and stopped because I love hot jam donuts and hadn’t had one for a very long time.
While waiting for the Jam donuts to be cooked I chatted to the van owner about the Redwood Forest and how beautiful it was. As a Warburton local he was asking me if we had been to Boinga Bob Treehouse behind the ice cream shop. I had seen something in the local paper about this artist but didn’t realise he was located in Warburton. The jam donuts were cooked perfectly with lots of hot jam. Yum.
Boinga Bob is a local identity of Warburton and a passionate outdoor artist who has, over many years, transformed his private home into a work of three dimensional art that references cultures and influences across the world and time. While not an official tourist attraction, Boinga’s home is a hidden treasure nestled in behind the Waterwheel and can be viewed from the Rail Trail walking path or via Highfield Road. If Boinga is about he will often be happy to chat, but please respect his privacy as appropriate.
Something to check out next time we are in Warburton.
Impact of Tourists on Redwood Forest
I couldn’t help think that this beautiful place was probably once a highly guarded secret by Warburton locals. It would be quite an eery place if you were the only one standing in the forest. Even with the amount of people on the day we went it was still easy to wait a little bit to get a photo without people in it.
With social media and broader knowledge of this forest’s existence must impact the road with the amount of traffic on Cement Rd. We did notice on the way out that houses located a long way away had “no parking” and “tow away “signs on their gates. With no toilets on site, and limited parking for peak weekend periods – something will need to be done eventually.
Redwood Forest
See this amazing Californian Redwood tree plantation located just out of Warburton in Victoria Australia. Follow the Warburton Highway until it becomes Woods Point Road. After about 7 km, look for Cement Creek Road on the left. This is unsealed and a little rough in places, but 0.7 km along you will find a small parking area on the right along a fenceline and small gate barrier.
How far you have to walk to see the forest will depend on how many people decide to go on the same day as you… and how far away you have to park.
There are no toilets here, and no dogs allowed.