Friends of Terrick Terrick National Park Open Weekend 2-4 October
Published on 04 September 2015
A CLOSE-UP look at a little-known, but highly significant, nature reserve is on offer with the 10th annual activities weekend coming up at Terrick Terrick National Park.
This 5882ha property, 4km north of Mitiamo and 60km from Bendigo, contains the largest remnant of endangered northern plains grasslands in Victoria.
The park supports more than 200 species of native flora, including many rare and threatened species, and is home to over 100 species of birds, including the Plains-wanderer, grey-crowned babbler and bush stone-curlew.
It is also home to such native mammals and reptiles as the black wallaby, fat-tailed dunnart, striped legless lizard, hooded scaly foot and tree goanna.
Secretary of the Friends of Terrick Terrick National Park Keith Stockwell said this year’s opening, planned for 2-4 October, would also mark the 10th anniversary of the group’s founding.
“There are a lot of people in Bendigo and Echuca who don’t even realise there’s a national park on the Patho Plains,” Mr Stockwell said.
“The park takes in native grasslands, iron box woodland and red gum lignum along Bendigo Creek – three quite different habitats.
“The weekend includes static displays of artwork by primary school students and local area plant specimens collected from private gardens.
“We provide a minibus for park tours, some with naturalists as guides, and there’ll be an early morning bird session on the Saturday.
“We’re also hoping for a good wildflower display. This hasn’t been good during the wet years, but sometimes the show can rival anything you’d see in Western Australia.
“There’ll be plant walks and evening presentations by guest speakers on the pre-European occupation of the area, a bush stone-curlew project at Lockwood and the identification of birds from their flight patterns.
“We also invite people to take part in working bees, this year aiming to pull down an old barbed-wire fence, sand down and oil tables in the picnic ground and inject poison into wheel cactus plants.
“One particular point of concern is the historic Davies Homestead, where one wall is already falling down and half the roof’s blown off.
“This may be the last year visitors may be able to see this iconic building.
“We will probably get 40-50 people coming in over the weekend, though not everyone at once, and we know a group from the Broken-Boosey Field Naturalists Club plans to be there for the first time.
“The bushland part of the park is in good condition, all roads are open, the toilets have been repaired after being vandalised and the walking track to the top of Mitiamo Rock has recently been re-sheeted.
“Information boards have been upgraded and, with the help of the Pyramid Hill Men’s Shed, we now have an information shelter near the homestead.”
Mr Stockwell said a TV set would be operating in the machinery shed for those visitors who would like to watch the AFL Grand Final.
The weekend runs from 2pm Friday till noon on Sunday.
Camping will be available at the Davies Homestead site on Kow Swamp Rd, Terrick Terrick,
“Day visitors are welcome, but those wishing to stay overnight will need to bring their own food and camping gear,” Mr Stockwell said.
“We will provide afternoon tea on the Saturday, tea and coffee, portable toilets and tank water.”
For further enquiries, phone (03) 5480 9254.