Fern Gully Walk

Fern Gully Walk is a short out-and-back from the West Barwon Reservoir entrance road to the Barlidjaru Track junction. The mapped path is about 0.3 mile (480 m) each way, or roughly 0.6 mile (1 km) return; allow about 30 minutes. The payoff is the fern-filled creek gully, not a big reservoir view, and the path ends at a junction rather than a lookout.

The path drops under tall gum trees, then the vegetation gets wetter and tree ferns crowd around a small creek. Short boardwalk and bridge sections cross tiny creeks before the trail meets Barlidjaru. The route is dirt and can be wet in places. Turn around at the junction for this short walk; the longer network loops are different outings.

The climb back is the main effort. The entrance sign can be easy to miss: the footpath may be a few steps beyond it rather than immediately beside it.

There is roadside space for only one or two cars by the signed entrance. The larger asphalt reservoir car park has public toilets, picnic tables and two sheltered electric barbecues. You can also reach the gully from behind the toilet block; that is a different start from the roadside route measured here. Dogs are allowed on a lead on the reservoir’s recreation paths.

West Barwon Reservoir holds about 21.5 billion litres at capacity and supplies more than 80% of Greater Geelong’s drinking-water demand. That is useful context for this small creekside track: the Fern Gully route stays in the trees rather than following the reservoir shore.