Valley of the Giants

The Valley of the Giants sits in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park on the south coast of Western Australia, roughly midway between Walpole and Denmark. The forest here is one of the only places on earth where the red tingle tree (Eucalyptus jacksonii) grows. These trees can live for more than 400 years, reach 75 metres in height, and develop massive fire-hollowed bases wide enough to stand inside.

The headline attraction is the Tree Top Walk, a 600 metre elevated walkway that rises gradually from the forest floor to a maximum height of 40 metres. The structure is made from lightweight steel and aluminium trusses designed to flex slightly, giving walkers a genuine sense of being in the living canopy rather than on a rigid platform. On a breezy day the gentle movement adds a thrill that surprises first-time visitors.

At ground level the Ancient Empire boardwalk loops for 450 metres through the oldest part of the tingle forest. Several of the trees along this walk have fire-hollowed bases large enough to park a small car inside, and interpretive signs explain how the tingles survive repeated bushfires by concentrating their living tissue in the outermost layer of bark. The contrast between the airy canopy walk above and the dark, mossy world of the boardwalk below makes doing both essential.

The surrounding Walpole-Nornalup National Park is also home to yellow tingle and Rate tingle species, plus karri, marri and jarrah eucalypts. Birdlife is abundant, with red-eared firetails, splendid fairy-wrens and western rosellas regularly seen. The forest is at its most atmospheric in winter and spring when rainfall is high and mist drifts through the canopy at dawn.

The Valley of the Giants is a standard stop on the south-west road trip between Margaret River and Albany, and most visitors spend around 90 minutes to two hours on both walks. Entry fees apply and bookings are not required.