Tiny Tails Trail - Heyfield

Tiny Tails Trail – Heyfield 

Welcome to the Tiny Tails Trail, a fun, self-guided nature adventure for kids and their families in Heyfield. 

Set along the trail is a scavenger hunt style experience designed especially for young children. As you wander along the track, keep an eye out for 8 tiny animal hides, where kids can slide out and discover the native animals hidden inside. 

The Tiny Tails Trail is located near Apex Park and follows a loop walking track that starts and finishes in the same place. The trail does not go past Apex Park or Gordon Street. 

The trail is all about getting outside, slowing down, noticing nature, and having fun together. 

Meet the Tiny Tails 

Along the trail you’ll discover these amazing native animals: 

🦎 Lace Monitor 

One of Australia’s largest lizards, the lace monitor is an excellent climber and swimmer. They are often found near forests and waterways and use their strong claws to climb trees. 

🦆 Platypus 

A true Aussie icon! Platypuses live in rivers and creeks and use their flat tails and webbed feet to swim. They lay eggs and can sense their prey underwater using electroreception. 

🦜 Glossy Black Cockatoo 

This striking bird has glossy black feathers and a bright red tail. They mostly feed on sheoak seeds and rely on healthy bushland to survive. 

🐭 Smoky Mouse 

A small, shy native mouse that lives in dense bushland. Smoky mice are nocturnal and play an important role in spreading seeds through the environment. 

🦉 Barking Owl 

Named for its dog-like call, the barking owl is a powerful nocturnal hunter. It relies on large trees for nesting hollows and open areas to hunt. 

🦡 Southern Brown Bandicoot 

These busy little diggers help keep ecosystems healthy by turning over soil while searching for food. They live in dense ground cover and are rarely seen during the day. 

🐿️ Brush-tailed Phascogale 

A small, fast-moving marsupial with a distinctive fluffy tail. Phascogales are great climbers and spend most of their time in trees hunting insects. 

🐭 Eastern Pygmy Possum 

Tiny but mighty! This possum weighs about the same as a 20-cent coin and loves nectar and pollen, making it an important pollinator for native plants. 

Ways to Make the Trail Fun Every Time 

Want to mix it up on repeat visits? Try one of these ideas: 

Animal Actions Game 
After you find an animal, try moving like it! Waddle like a platypus, glide like an owl, or scurry like a mouse. 

Nature Bingo 
Before you start, choose things to look for along the walk (leaves, birds, bugs, water, bark). See who can spot them all first. 

Freeze Game  

When you spot an animal, freeze like a statue. Hold your pose for five seconds and see if you can stay as still as a real animal hiding in the bush.  

About the Tiny Tails Trail 

The Tiny Tails Trail was designed through consultation with young children and their families, making sure it is engaging, accessible, and fun for little explorers. 

The project was funded by VicHealth and created to encourage families to spend more time outdoors, connect with nature, and enjoy playful movement together. 

All sculptures were by local artist Gav Roberts. 

We hope the Tiny Tails Trail becomes a favourite adventure for your family.