Mount Worth State Park is a hidden gem in South Gippsland. Sitting in the middle of farm country, you’d be forgiven for overlooking this small (10km2) state park, but it’s well Worth (ha!) a visit. Its well-kept trails offer diverse bush, waterfalls, grass fields, giant earthworms, giant Mountain Ash trees and historic timber milling sites.
This walk combines the Moonlight Creek Track, Moonlight Link Track and the Giants Circuit to create a decent 12.6km circuit. Start at the Moonlight Creek Picnic Area and head north along the Moonlight Creek Track. The track is well formed and passes what I can only assume is a wombat hole. It follows the Moonlight Creek (hence the name right), you’ll see it near the path and see some lovely waterfalls.
Along this trail you’ll pass the sites of Seymours Mill and Bromfields Mill, there’s not much of note here except that it’s worth following the signed detour beside Seymours Mill to a pretty cascading waterfall. You’ll also see plenty of holes in path, the larger holes are created by Land Yabbies / Burrowing Crayfish, the smaller ones may be evidence of Gippsland’s unique Giant Earthworm.
At the end of Moonlight Creek Track the bushland gives way to a grassy clearing. Turn south onto the Moonight Link Track and follow the grass path up as it goes steeply uphill. The climb is tough but the path provides plenty of tread. Just past the peak of the hill you’ll turn east onto the Moonlight Divide track, then shortly after turn southeast onto Waterfall Bower Circuit. This trail was only recently rediscovered after being overgrown for many years. Take note of the signs that the track can be muddy and slippery, but it was easily managed at this time of time of year.
About a kilometre along the Waterfall Bower Circuit you’ll come to a fork in the path, take the detour over the fallen tree, uphill to the upper waterfall, before returning to head downhill to cross the river, get refreshed by the mist of the lower waterfall and continue on the trail.
Continue on until you hit Gardiner’s Mill Track, and take the detour to view the Trevorrows Mill site. You’ll pass the old boiler and other relics. Looking at some old photos of the site really hit me how mother nature always wins, it’s hard to picture where any of the buildings would have once stood in what’s now beautiful bushland.
You have the option here to extend the walk and follow Gardiner’s Mill Track (2.5km) or the Giants Circuit (1.2km) back to the carpark. The Giants Circuit is a popular walk with many educational signs along the path, concluding with the Standing Giant, a Mountain Ash that estimated to be more than 300 years old, 60 metres tall and 14 meters circumference. Unfortunately the eastern bridge of the trail that crosses Lorkin Creek was closed when I visited, so it required a quick backtrack before heading back to the carpark.
Resources
Parks Victoria Page
Mount Worth State Park Map by Parks Victoria