Visit Kangaroos and Parklands

Wild Kangaroos!

At Living Legends in the Woodlands Historic Park, only six minutes from Melbourne Airport, you can see wild kangaroos! The sight of large mobs of wild kangaroos in their Australian bush habitat, is a magnificent, never-to-be forgotten experience!

Many walking trails are available through Woodlands Historic Park. You can combine a pleasant walk in the Australian bush with the opportunity to see scores of eastern grey kangaroos bounding across the sweeping grasslands of Woodlands Historic Park, together with plenty of other Australian native wildlife.

Local Pick Up and Drop Off

Living Legends is only 6 minutes from Melbourne Airport. We can pick you up from the airport, deliver you to Living Legends in our comfortable minibus for your Visit the Living Legends tour, wild kangaroo and parklands walk, refreshments at Woodlands Homestead, picnic, or whatever else takes your fancy, and then drop you back to Melbourne Airport.

Call today on (03) 9307 1165.

Tour groups and function groups may arrange to visit the Living legends at any time.

Woodlands Historic Park

Woodlands Historic Park totals over 700 hectares (1730 acres). It was first established as a public park in 1980 and contains many physical links to the landscape of the settlers in the 1840s, including the restored Woodlands Homestead.

The park contains valuable remnants of the most southerly Victorian extent of grassy woodland open forest.

The basalt plains flora consists mainly of grasslands, herbs and tussocks with mainly River Red Gum cover. In contrast, the higher areas have an unusual mixture of gums as well as Drooping Sheoke. The remnant Grey Box, River Red Gum and Yellow Box woodland character has, for the most part, been retained. The vegetation and wildlife typical of the 1840s is being researched and progressively restored to the landscape.

The Woodlands Historic Park also contains scarred trees and surface scatters, evidence of the Woiworung Aboriginal people, who lived in the area before Europeans arrived. The descendants of the Woiworung still retain a close identity with the land around Melbourne.

Popular things to do

Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding

Whether you’re looking for an easy short walk suitable for kids and older people, a more strenuous all day bush walking challenge or something in between, you can be sure to find a good selection of walks at Woodlands Historic Park. The many tracks throughout the park cater for all trail enthusiasts including walkers, cyclists and horse riders. In particular the Murrup Gurrong Yan (Spiritual Creek Walk), 2.5 km trail starting across the footbridge from Somerton Road Picnic Area should not be missed.

Crimson Rosella at Living Legends.
Photo by Andrew Haysom.

Birdwatching

Woodlands Historic Park is a popular spot for Birding, Birdwatching, and Twitching. The open areas previously used for grazing, plus River Red Gum woodlands, original grasslands and numerous creeks and dams make for excellent bird habitat. The numerous walking tracks through the park make it easy to get to where the birds are. More about birdwatching at Woodlands Historic Park…

Dundonald homestead ruins, Gellibrand Hill.
Photo by Andrew Haysom.

Gellibrand Hill

Walk to the top of Gellibrand Hill and see the authentic Australian bush while watching the kangaroos, wallabies echidnas and bandicoots. The 360 degree view from the top of Gellibrand Hill includes busy Melbourne Airport across the road, the Great Dividing Range, plus city skyscrapers and the bay in the distance, and the suburbs of Melbourne spreading out in every direction. Explore the granite boulders and the Dundonald homestead ruins. Access is via walking tracks from Woodlands Homestead at Living Legends, the Somerton Road Picnic Ground, or the car park off Providence Road (Melways Map: 178 Ref: F10).

Somerton Road Picnic Ground

Enjoy a picnic among the magnificent River Red Gums at the Somerton Road Picnic Area. Electric barbecues, tables and toilets are provided.

Echidna at Living Legends

The Back Paddock

Experience the wilder parts of the park away from Woodlands Homestead on foot or bicycle. The “Back Paddock” is a great spot to see kangaroos and birds. You may also see echidnas, skinks and Eastern Blue-tongue lizards basking in the sun, plus plenty of other Australian native wildlife.

The “Back Paddock” was fenced in 1987 as a Nature Reserve to protect native wildlife from dogs, cats and foxes. The endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot was re-established here in 1988 and this colony is playing a major role in securing the species’ future. Please don’t forget to close the gates.

Maps

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More information

• Parks Victoria Park Note — Woodlands Historic Park (PDF File 423.8 KB)

Aboriginal Traditional Owners

Prior to European colonisation, Woodlands Historic Park was Woiworung country, with several scar and canoe trees still present. It remains a significant place to Aboriginal people, directly abutting the Weeroona Aboriginal Cemetery.

Living Legends acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria, especially the Woiworung Aboriginal people. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters. Further information is available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria AAV and Native Title Services Victoria.