Ludlow Tuart Forest

MOVES ARE AFOOT!  To restore the Forest.  We are part of it and you can be too!

THIS IS A NEWLY FORMED not-for-profit group dedicated to the restoration of the Tuart Forest and the Heritage Listed Ludlow Forestry Settlement. Click here for their Facebook page: 

Experience the Ludlow Tuart Forest  - YOU CAN FEEL THE SERENITY!!

BUSSELTON'S BOUTIQUE B & B IN THE LUDLOW TUART FOREST - WE ARE IN IT!!

The majestic Tuart (Eucalyptus Gomphocephala) grows only on coastal limestone sands in Western Australian (WA).  Its range extends 420 kilometres from Busselton to Jurien Bay.  The world's only tall Tuarts grow at Ludlow just north of Busselton and are up to 40 metres high.  There are now less than 2000 hectares of tall Tuart left, which makes it one of the rarest forests in the word. The forest consists of Tuart overstorey and Peppermint (Agonis Flexuosa) sub-storey trees, along with understorey shrubs such as yellow flowering Hibbertia, and vines like Hardenbergia with beautiful purple flowers in early spring. The area is rich in ecological, cultural and social history - a fascinating place to explore. see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuart_forest

THE WARDANDI -  Inn the Tuarts Guest Lodge acknowledges the Wadandi people of the region as the traditional custodians of this land, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

The South West of Western Australia is an area of diverse landscapes which has been occupied by humans for millennia.  The first people, the Nyoongars, were a number of distinct groups who relied on their natural surroundings to provide all their physical, social and spiritual needs.   The Nyoongars of the Ludlow area are known as the Wardandi and they refer to the tall trees which grow at Ludow as "Tooarts".  Traditionally, during certain times of the year, hundreds of Noongar people gather to share the harvest of food in places such as the Abba River where traps would provide plentiful supplies of fish.  Today, the forest and surrounding west lands remain important, although access to traditional resources is limited.

WHAT TO SEE - THE FAUNA AND FLORA

Many walk trails through the forest and Ludow area during daylight and spotlighting in the evenings will bring you up close the the rich and diverse Fauna in the area.  The Nguaren (Western Ringtail Possum), the Coomal (Brushtail Possum) and the Wambenger (Brushtail Phascogale) are nocturnal and a good place to see them is on the Possum Paths Spotlight Trail opposite the Layman picnic site.  The Quenda (Isoodon obesulus) or Southern Brown Bandicoot is also nocturnal and is decline in numbers.  Look for the conical holes it digs in the ground.

There are mobs of Youngur or Western grey Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) in the Tuart forest.  The White-striped Freetail Bat roots in tree hollows, the Australian Shelduck also and you can see the ducks high up in one of our tallest trees on the corner of the lawned area first thing in the mornings.  They enjoy chatting to the Kangaroos on the front lawn!

Within a few minutes drive from Inn the Tuarts, you can visit the Ludlow Possum trail through the forest and the Malbup Creek Bird Hide.  There is a restoration plan underway in this area to restore some of the diverse plant life of the forest and wetlands area.  The bird hide sit at the waters edge - the birdlife is abundant.  It is a fascinating place to visit, the flora, fauna and fungi is abundant and diverse. See the news article about the rehabilitation and bird habitat at: www.innthetuarts.com.au/index.news.2888.html