060 By gum, it’s the world’s largest forest on the Murray

The largest River Red Gum forest in the world is a group of iconic Australian trees really worth hugging.

They’re located straddling the Victorian/NSW border and the even more iconic Murray River – in fact the striking River Red Gum is the tree you’ll most commonly spot on any jaunt down the river.

The 66,000ha Barmah-Millewa forest houses in numbers the monstrous, twisting giants that can grow up to 45m tall. Exceptional for its ecosystem, the forest shelters and protects the endangered Turquoise Parrots, Squirrel Gliders and Carpet Pythons.

The River Red Gum lives in a unique habitat of floodplains and strong winds with very little by way of surrounding shrubbery. Nearby, on the NSW side of the border, lies the Willandra Lakes Region, World Heritage-Listed in 1981 for housing evidence of early signs of human life on the planet, particularly at Mungo National Park.

Where // On the Murray River floodplain between Echuca and Tocumwal, around 225km north of Melbourne. (02) 6279 0100, www.mdbc.gov.au

Did you know? // In the 1960s European settlers found River Red Gum timber resourceful for railway sleepers, mineshafts and wharves due to its termite resistance and durability. At AT, we prefer to admire them still standing up.

SEE THE FULL LIST: 100 Things you can only do in Australia