forest of tranquility

This deserves to succeed - we need to have a greater understanding of our environment but it just seems to miss. It is very close to Sydney but if you didn't know about it, you would make no effort to find it. I've driven past it hundreds of times and often wondered what it was but the signs don't give much indication of what it is. Eventually made the effort and it was worth it and would hope others see the benefits of our rainforests.

I visited the Forest of Tranquility with my (senior citizen) mother. As a teenager I lived on the Central Coast and at that time there were belts of rainforest areas, which I am sure were cleared to make way for urban development many years ago.I found the rainforest itself quite beautiful and very serene. There were quite a few seats set along the track, however we weren't too keen to sit still for too long and become an easy target for the many leeches along the way.There are also a number of pergolas set around the picnic area that can be booked for functions and they apparently can cater for up to 300 guests, although some of the other facilities did not look like they had been updated recently.As rainforests worldwide are shrinking at an alarming rate I feel the Forest of Tranquility is very important for a couple of reasons, firstly I believe it is important that it is maintained from an ecological point of view, secondly so that it remains for future generations to also experience how much of Australia once was.Overall I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone who enjoys bush walking. The trail is not overly difficult but could present a challenge to older people, particularly as some of the rocks can tend to be a little slippery due to the rainforest environment. Make sure you bring a pair of sturdy walking shoes, a bottle of water, some food and your camera. Allow a couple of hours so you can take your time and absorb the atmosphere. The walking track is approximately 5 km and takes between 80 and 90 minutes. The entry fee is $20 for an adult. Your mobile phone probably won't work, but I don't think you'll really mind.

We went to this place as a family of five. And we paid $110 for a Saturday night saying that it would have thousands of fireflies. The place is lack of facility, not suitable for young kids, elder people. And after all we only saw a few fireflies. Nothing special worth to drive one hour there and paid such price. Will NOT recommend to anyone.

Sis and I loved this place. It is an hour or so drive from Sydney. Easy to find. It was wonderful to get out of the rat race, traffic and the noise. As soon as you pull up, you know this is a special place. Patty welcomed us with a lovely chat about the forest. It is a bioclimactic forest and can have weather changes making it impossible to go in so ring before you go there.It formed in the valley of two hills. One side gets no sun, hence the forest and the other side doesn't so no dense forest there although there are plenty of trees.We couldn't wait to enter the forest. It is absolutely stunning and beautiful. It has a creek running through it with huge rocks covered in moss which you can cross over. The trees are very tall and in abundance. There is a Bangalow palm section which I found fascinating. How did they get there?I liked the sounds of the running water, the birds twittering and the absence of any other sounds. A large variety of birds and animals live there. There are signs up with pictures of them.It is a 5 klm walk but we didn't notice it. It took us about 2 1/4 hours.There are a few small hills but manageable. We visited the cave where the fireflies come out in November/December. There are man-made steps, small bridges and seats every now and then.You can picnic, barbeque or camp in an area before the forest. They have charming events for families. Some Saturday nights there is live music.This is the only rainforest close to Sydney.All this for $20 entry. There is a kiosk selling drinks and water so bring your own food. Bags are not allowed in the forest but you can leave them at the kiosk.We are definitely going for Firefly Magic in November or December.We would have loved to have another chat with Patty and Karen ( she sculptures) and find out more but we had work commitments back in Sydney.Plan to be there for at least 4 hours or longer if you want to picnic or barbeque.