Parks Victoria reveals 3 new wellness trails for the ultimate reset

Taylah Darnell Taylah Darnell
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Reconnecting with nature has never been so easy.

In a world that doesn’t stop moving, it can be hard to find a moment to stop and appreciate the little things. And it’s no surprise to anyone who loves the great outdoors that going for a walk can alleviate stress, improve concentration and enhance overall mood. In fact, case studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health show that 98 per cent of people report mental health improvements when engaging with natural outdoor environments.

Woowookarung Regional Park in Ballarat, Victoria
Studies show nature walks can significantly improve mental health. (Image: Parks Victoria)

Luckily for us, Australia is brimming with incredible hikes, from trails that trace the coastline to multi-day bushwalks and everything in between. But tugging on your boots and making tracks isn’t an automatic ticket to happiness. In today’s world, it can be hard to hit pause, clear the mind and be present, even when surrounded by nature.

However, Parks Victoria is making it a little easier with a new series of self-guided wellness trails designed to encourage mindfulness, relaxation and rejuvenation across some of the state’s most serene regions.

Where are the new trails?

Currently, Parks Victoria has introduced three different wellness trails. Each walk offers a different experience and its own unique set of activities.

Grass-Tree Nature Trail

Kangaroos in Woowookarung Regional Park in Ballarat, Victoria
Spot friendly kangaroos along the walking trail. (Image: Parks Victoria)

The first option is within Woowookarung Regional Park , a stunning 641-hectare former plantation on the outskirts of Ballarat. Although the greenspace is filled with plenty of bushwalking tracks, those keen to do the wellness walk should follow the 1.8-kilometre Grass-Tree Nature Trail. While wandering through stringybark eucalypts, grass trees and native heath, you’ll be encouraged to slow down, reflect and reconnect with nature. Keep your eye out for kangaroos and echidnas, and, depending on the season, colourful native wildflowers.

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Birrarrung Park

Birrarrung Park near Melbourne, Victoria
The 2.2-kilometre wellness walk traces the Yarra River. (Image: Parks Victoria)

City slickers can take in the scenery on the 2.2-kilometre Birrarrung Park loop, just a 30-minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD. Perfect for inner-city urbanites who need a quick nature fix, this wellness walk is an easy way to get your steps up and your stress levels down. Listen to the soothing sounds of the nearby Plenty and Yarra rivers as you work through posture techniques, sensory practices and relaxation strategies. Those with accessibility needs can easily join this wellness walk, with completely flat paths catering to mobility aids and prams.

Sherbrooke Falls walk

Hikers in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges National Park
Reconnect with nature in the Dandenong Ranges National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria)

If you prefer to push yourself a little further, head deep into the Yarra Valley‘s Dandenong Ranges National Park. Amongst the cool-climate Sherbrooke Forest , you’ll find a 5.5-kilometre loop that winds through towering Mountain Ash gums and lush ferns. Using the NatureFix app, engage in six different stations that work to deepen your connection to nature. Guided audio talks you through breathing techniques and gratitude exercises before helping you create a sound map of the forest’s symphony.

Whichever wellness walk you choose to do, you’ll finish feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated – equipped with the tools to take care of yourself – mind, body and soul.

How do the new wellness trails work?

By downloading the free NatureFix app , you’ll be guided through a range of simple activities, specifically tailored to each trail. From breathing exercises to posture techniques, each task focuses on improving mindfulness and reducing stress levels. The app also teaches users about sensory practices and grounding strategies, as well as boosting creativity through sound mapping.

The self-guided format of each wellness walk means participants can do it in their own time, too – all while avoiding the fees and booking processes that often come with wellness-based experiences in Australia. It’s the perfect way to unwind at your own pace, without having to do it alone.

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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Good food, beautiful nature & history: your guide to a long weekend in West Gippsland

(Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.

    Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.

    Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.

    But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences.  Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.

    Getting there

    Messmates Dining west gippsland
    Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)

    Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.

    Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.

    Visit historic villages

    Walhalla historic township
    Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.

    European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.

    The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township , a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.

    Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.

    Alpine Trout Farm west gippsland
    Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.

    Back in Warragul , the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.

    In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.

    Walks, waterfalls and wild places

    Toorongo Falls in west gippsland
    Stroll Toorongo Falls Reserve. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.

    One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve . A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.

    Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.

    Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail , which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.

    Taste the best eats of West Gippsland

    Hogget Kitchen west gippsland
    Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.

    For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.

    Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.

    Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.

    For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter.  Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.

    Time your visit with the Truffle Festival

    Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival , running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.

    Start planning your long weekend in West Gippsland at visitgippsland.com.au .