Red gum trail in another world
From the Winter 2008 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
The five kilometre walking track through Moira and Gulpa Island State Forests has four bridges and a number of different circuits. Photos by Howard Spencer.
‘Another world’ is how Murray Shire Council director of engineering, Ian Fisher, describes a walking track that passes near his house at Mathoura.
“My wife Jennifer walks the track most days and I often walk along it. I just love the birds, the red gums... the serenity of the track,” he said.
The Gulpa Creek Walking Trail in Moira and Gulpa Island State Forests was constructed about ten years ago and has been extended over the years. It now covers more than five kilometres with four bridges, three of them red gum, across Gulpa Creek.
“The beauty of the track is that you can take a number of different circuits, so there is plenty of variety,” Ian said.
The bulk of the work on the trail was done with the assistance of National Heritage Trust funding from the NSW Government, as well as Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal funding for Burton Bridge.
The local Chamber of Commerce and Citizens, Forests NSW, the local timber community and Murray Shire were partners in the project, providing such things as labour, equipment and timber for several boardwalks, as well as the bridges.
Plus there was a considerable amount of help from volunteer groups including people from Cummeragunja – one of the local Koori communities.
The last walking bridge, Burton Bridge, was recently opened. It was named after the famous circus family, the Burtons, who were based at Mathoura.
“The track has been a great thing for the community of Mathoura – bringing people to the town and opening up the forests and Gulpa Creek to visitors and locals,” Ian said.
“It was planned as an educational walk and people now better appreciate the red gum forests, and the habitat for many bird species including the Australian reed warbler, which can be heard continuously calling over spring and summer.
“You can ride a bike along the trails and it is fairly wheel-chair friendly, although there is a bit of a climb coming back up the Cadell Fault.
“People can also canoe and fish in Gulpa Creek, which is periodically restocked. Platypus have also been spotted along the creek.”
The next project is to build a walking/cycle track from Mathoura to Picnic Point, which is about 10 kilometres away.
“Picnic Point is a popular tourist destination on the Murray River, in the middle of the Barmah-Milewa forest at a place in the river called ‘The Narrows’, where the water flows faster and the river is within half a metre of the top of the bank,” Ian said.
“You can sit on the river bank and dabble your feet in the water. It is not like a lot of the Murray – where you have to climb up and down slippery banks to reach the water.”
He said the Mathoura community were very proud of their walking track and it had really helped to promote the town, which had suffered like many rural areas from the drought.
To find out more about the trail contact the Mathoura Visitor and Business Centre on Ph: (03) 5884 3730 for a brochure.
Sarah Chester - Public Affairs & Media, Albury
