Creswick forest, 18 kilometres north of Ballarat, features a number of short-walk options including a self guided trek through the plantations surrounding the old Creswick Landcare Centre and La Gerches’ original plantings. The trees, planted over one hundred years ago by Creswick’s first forest bailiff John La Gerch, tower over the landscape. La Gerche’s efforts to rehabilitate the land in the wake of the gold mining boom are astonishing, having planted a diverse range of conifers and deciduous trees from the Northern Hemisphere as well as Australian natives. For more information about bush walking in the Creswick forest, check out the not-for-profit Business and Tourism Creswick website.
