The Healesville Sanctuary and the Rainforest Gallery of Yarra Valley

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Healesville Sanctuary and the Rainforest Gallery are two other reasons why people visit Yarra Valley. Aside from the unquestionably excellent food and wine that visitors rave about during their trip to the famous winemaking region, these attractions blessed by nature are also a crowd-drawer in the area. There are other parks and forests in the district that provide perfect spots for sightseeing, picnics and simple strolling, but these two are among the most spectacular.

An anatomical research institute was built in the former Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve in Victoria and was initially named after its founder Sir Colin Mackenzie. Later on, it was renamed Healesville Sanctuary, now a world-renowned place where a wide range of Australian native species are nurtured.

For about an hour's drive from Melbourne, you'll enter 30 hectares of bushland that's home to hundreds of species of Australian wildlife. You'll be able to encounter in their natural habitat these unique creatures that represent the country, such as kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, wombats, dingoes, platypuses, and some 200 bird species.

There are aspects of the Australian Conservation Program that's based in this sanctuary. It includes the Helmeted Honeyeater and the Spotted Tree Frog, which are both critically endangered. The former is said to have only a couple of very limited wild populations in the eastern part of Melbourne, while the latter is nearing extinction due to habitat disturbance. Other species in this program in Healesville are the Mountain Pygmy-possum, found in the alpine and sub-alpine areas of Victoria and New South Wales, and the Orange-bellied Parrot, which are declining due to the degradation of salt marshes and dunes.

Healesville Sanctuary also has a Horticulture Department that's committed to maintaining the bushland environment in the area. The department staff ensures that indigenous plants are utilized in the Sanctuary and that the habitats of the different animals are captured on display. They take care of the whole park and even the Coranderrk bushland, which is the 142-hectare area of native plant species behind the Sanctuary.

The Rainforest Gallery near Warburton, on the other hand, enables you to walk through the rainforest canopy via a 40-meter long observation walkway. This elevated path lets you see the 65-meter tall Mountain Ash trees, 300 to 400-year old Myrtle Beech trees, and other plant species that keep the rainforest environment alive. As you walk through the magnificent greenery, you will be awed, too, by the flowing sound of the Cement Creek going to the Yarra River.

Indeed, Yarra Valley has much more to offer than just its impeccable wines and scrumptious food. The Healesville Sanctuary and the Rainforest Gallery are additional proof that this famous region in Victoria is truly blessed by nature in all aspects - something that visitors to this destination would confirm.

Planning to visit Healesville Sanctuary? Experience Yarra Valley has all the information and services you need to get there. Check out their website for accommodations, tours and other facilities and details you need to organize your trip.