Kuark
Kuark Forest showcases some of the region’s most spectacular Gondwanan rainforests including where rare warm and cool temperate rainforests overlap.
Globally Significant forests
The cool temperate rainforests of the Kuark Forest evolved from ancient species that were growing on the supercontinent of Gondwana hundreds of millions of years ago. Some parts of the Kuark Forest are reminiscent of Tasmania’s awe-inspiring cool temperate rainforests, while incredibly, other places look more like the sub-tropical jungle pockets of northern New South Wales.
The Kuark Forest is home to several rare, threatened and endangered species such as the delicate Slender Tree-Fern, the elusive and critically endangered East Gippsland Galaxias fish and Australia’s largest gliding marsupial, the Greater Glider.
Much of the rare overlap rainforest, in which cool-temperate species mingle with warm-temperate species, has not yet been mapped by scientists. Even today, important botanical discoveries are still constantly being made, revealing even richer diversity in these forests than was previously thought.
Kuark Super Loop Tourist Drive
Project Status Proposal
Year Current
East Gippsland’s forests are some of the most spectacular and untouched in the country, and they should be easier for more people to explore and enjoy. The Emerald Link’s Kuark Super Loop proposal aims to do just that. Designed as a self-drive tour through Kuark Forest, just east of Orbost, the project would make it easier for day-trippers in 4WDs to experience one of Australia’s last truly wild places.
Importantly, the Kuark Super Loop builds on the recommendations of the Victorian Government’s Sea to Summit feasibility study, which identified the potential for new visitor infrastructure, highlighting Five Tier Falls as a priority site. This proposal leverages that momentum, aligning with broader goals to improve access and visitor opportunities in the region while celebrating its natural and cultural heritage.
Kuark Forest is the last unbroken chain of forest, from the mountain summits to the sea, found in Australia. It is a chance to experience one of Australia’s wildest places.
The area has much to offer as visitor experiences; including rainforests, rare plants and animals, epic mountain vistas and lookouts, and wild rivers and waterfalls.
There is also a wealth of Indigenous cultural knowledge and European history to share with visitors via interpretive signage and professional tour offerings.
Although parts of Kuark were affected by the 2019–20 bushfires, many pockets of spectacular forest remain, offering a powerful, immersive wilderness experience.
