From its summit all the way north to New Guinea there is no higher hill.
Mt Ida, which was a flora reserve for many years, is now part of Heathcote-Graytown National Park.

Mt Ida has its riches. But the riches lie not in metals,
(although gold mining occurred around here and accounts for the establishment of the nearby town of Heathcote), but in its diversity of flora.

The north slopes are not as densely vegetated as the south-facing slopes because the southern slopes are cooler and wetter.

On the western side, along the Northern Highway (B75) there is a stand of Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon).

Further east is Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) and Red Stringybark .

Then, in Dargile Forest, the box forest gives way to Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa). River Red Gum (E. camaldulensis),

Yellow Box (E. melliodora), and Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) grow along some of the gullies and creeks.

Some of the other plants found here include Daphne Heath (Brachyloma daphnoides), Flame Heath (Astroloma conostephioides),
Spider Flower (Grevillea alpina) and a wealth of wattles, including Gold-dust Wattle (Acacia acinacea).

Grass Trees are common further east, near Mt Black. The area is best visited in Spring.

There is a vehicular track from the Northern Highway to the summit of Mt Ida where it is relatively easy to find fossils in rocks.

There is a basic picnic ground near the Highway.

Bushwalkers can walk from Mt. Ida into Heathcote but the appropriate topographic maps and a compass should be carried.

Ref: http://users.mcmedia.com.au/stocky/heathcote.html#ida