Californian redwood, or *Sequoia sempervirens*, doesn’t normally grow here. This plot of trees was planted in 1936 as part of plantation experiments trialling different timber species in Victorian soils. Unlike the Corsican pine and Douglas fir plots that were planted nearby, the Californian redwoods managed to avoid being logged or removed. These slow-growing giants are now roughly 70 metres tall, but they’re known to reach almost double that – and they might get the chance, now they’re protected as part of the Great Otway National Park. It only takes about 15 minutes to traverse this “forest”, but you’ll want to take your time (and maybe a picnic). Arrive early to catch the redwoods in their quietest state, when the silence is punctuated only by birds and the trickling Aire River. And take note of the native mosses and ferns that have reclaimed some of the undergrowth, not just the towering foreigners.