Known locally in southern Victoria as 'The Big Tree', the Otway Messmate is a hybrid subspecies of eucalyptus and oblqua . A massive, old tree, it like most ancient trees is threatened by anthropocenic climate change. The Great Otway reserve is a remaining coastal sliver of the old-growth forests that grew here for millennia.

Walking through this special place, breathing in its air and smelling a mix of Southern Ocean/forest is magical. The series of images this photo assemblage is from were taken in 2015, well before the continent-wide fires of 2019 savaged Australia.