Melaleuca Walking Trail
Melaleuca Walking Trail is an easy 3.6km round trip in Munmorah State Conservation Area on the NSW Central Coast. Starting off on what is known as The Farm House Trail this one is a beautiful little walk especially in Spring when the wild flowers are blooming. The first intersection you come to gives you the option just to do the Farm House Trail which I have not yet done or to take on the Melaleuca Trail. Turning Left to follow the Melaleuca Trail you walk through some old gums along a gravelly track before coming across a section with tall grasses. On my first time doing the trail this section was very over grown and I struggled to find my way through, last time however it was well worn and easy to navigate. Leaving the grasses you come out in a dense Melaleuca forest and if you pay close attention you will spot some Native Pink Orchids growing. Apparently these Pink ones are rare. Remember though the removal of anything from a National Park is illegal and huge fines do apply for harming native orchids.
A little further on and the track splits again with a trail heading I believe to Elizabeth Bay Drive in Lake Munmorah or following on the trail. You again come into a thicker Eucalypt forest with some really beautiful old trees along the walk. The trail eventually opens out into areas with much lower vegetation where you cans ee down towards the swamp areas of the park. You will traverse areas of taller trees and then back into open shrub areas for quite some time before eventually ending back on the road to complete the return trip back to your vehicle and the start of the trail.
For me the big features of this trail are the wild flowers, the Melaleuca forest and the old eucalypts.