A popular wilderness track destroyed by Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires and thought to never recover, will reopen a decade after the disaster.
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The track at Kinglake National Park was destroyed in one of the largest of many fires burning throughout the state on February 7, 2009.
The damage to the park's towering Mountain Ash trees was so extensive it was thought the track, which is less than 2km from the township of Kinglake, would never be safe to reopen.
But slowly, nature has recovered and the national park is once again home to healthy plants and animals.
"After 10 years most (trees) have fallen and some have been carefully felled so we were able to clear the track and reopen it," Parks Victoria ranger Tony Fitzgerald said on Thursday.
Mr Fitzgerald said the sight of nature recovering has provided comfort to the community.
"It has been a pleasure to watch and support nature in doing what it does best - thrive and adapt," he said.
"The vegetation is now lush and diverse, and animals and birds have returned to the landscape."
The track will temporarily be known as Jehosaphat Gully Walking Track and will be formally renamed at a later date.
Australian Associated Press