04 Tidal River – Lilly Pilly Gully – Tidal River (2024)

IMG_5565 Lilly Pilly Gully

NB. The following information was current at the time of the event

Distance:  7.7 Km   |  Duration:  Hrs   |  Grade:  Grade 3   |  Rating:  1   |  Style:  Return   |  Map

About the Walk

Overview

This walk starts at the Tidal River pedestrian bridge, and follows the track to the right (Lilly Pilly Link Track) towards the Lilly Pilly Gully and includes the Nature Walk.

The Walk in Detail

This walk starts at the Tidal River pedestrian bridge, and follows the track to the right (Lilly Pilly Link Track) towards the Lilly Pilly Gully. After a little while, you will notice a burnt area on your right. This controlled burn was part of a project designed to control the growth of Tea Tree in the heathland areas, which is not native to the area and has invaded after the loss of tall trees in past bushfires. After about 1 Km, the track reaches the main road into Tidal River, which has to be crossed (with care!)

Across the road is the Lilly Pilly Gully carpark, where there are toilets!

From the carpark, the Lilly Pilly Gully Nature Walk is about 5.7 Km long, through forested areas and wet-land, some on boardwalk, and includes a small hill (about 130 m ascent/descent).

We recommend doing the Nature Walk counter-clockwise, taking the right-hand path from the carpark.

This track has quite a few information signs giving details about bushfires and how they affect the local ecosystem, types of local birds (eg. the Powerful Owl), fungi, types of trees, and many flowers. One of the signs lists 32 species of birds to look for, so, keep your eyes open!

The Nature Walk includes a wet-land boardwalk loop, with running water. There are more signs here, explaining about the lives of small tree climbing crustaceans, climbing fish, and the communities of plants and animals in this section of warm temperate rainforest. It would be easy to spend more than an hour here - it is a really beautiful and interesting place.

After about 4.2 Km, a track junction is reached. The track to the right heads uphill towards Mt Bishop (see Walk 4), but continue straight ahead on the Lilly Pilly Gully track.

After about 1.5 Km, the track returns to the Lilly Pilly Gully carpark. You once again have to cross the main road, and follow the track back towards Tidal River. After about 200 m, a track junction is found. The right-most fork is the Tidal Outlook Track (see Walk 6) – but go left, instead, and soon enough you will be back in Tidal River. The return journey is mostly downhill.

Getting There

Walk Precautions

Additional Information