BarmahNationalPark

VisitorGuide

BarmahNationalPark(28,521ha),togetherwiththeadjoiningMurrayValleyRegionaland

NationalParksinNewSouthWales,formsthelargestRiverRedGumforestintheworld.ThecomplexecologyoftheforestiscloselylinkedtotheMurrayRiveranditsfloodingregime,creatingadiversenaturalhabitatforavarietyofwildlife,particularlywaterbirds.

RoyalSpoonbill

“GulpaGakaAnganya-­‐ GakaYawalNgullaYenbenaYortaYortaWoka”(Welcomefriend-­‐ Come walk with usthe peopleon Yorta Yorta Country)

TheAboriginaltraditionalowners,theYortaYortapeoplewelcomeyoutoBarmahNationalPark.Weaskthatyoutreatitwithrespectandcareforitasanextensionofyourself.

KinshiptolandisavitalpartofYortaYortalife.AreassuchasBarmahNationalParkprovideanimportantopportunityforkinshiptolandtocontinue.

“Thedreaminggaveusourlorethatbindsustothelandthroughfundamentalvaluespassedonbyourcreationancestors.Theyexplainedtoushowthenaturalworldwascreatedandhowthegeographicalfeatureswhereformedandmustbecaredfor.Tothisdayourspiritualconnectiontothewoka(land)andwalla(water)continues.Askeepersofthelandweareboundtocontinuetopreserveourculturalconnection.”-­‐YortaYortaElder

KnowledgeandtraditionalmanagementpracticesarenowincorporatedintoBarmahNationalParkwhichisjointlymanagedbetweentheYortaYortaandthestateofVictoria.InOctober2010,theStateofVictoriaenteredintoaTraditionalOwnerLandManagementAgreement(TOLMA)withtheYortaYortapeople,toestablishtheYortaYortaTraditionalOwnerLandManagementBoardforBarmahNationalPark.

Auniqueenvironment

TheBarmah-­‐MillewaforestisaninternationallyrecognisedwetlandlistedundertheRamsarConventionandrepresentsallofthefourfreshwaterwetlandtypesinVictoria.Theforestprovidesimportanthabitat,particularlyforwaterbirds,withover200speciesofbirdsrecorded.ItisoneofVictoria’slargestwaterbirdbreedingareas.Brolgas,NightHerons,Spoonbills,SeaEaglesandAzureKingfisherscanallbeseeninthepark.

RiverRedGumslinetheMurrayRiverformostofitslength.Theseiconictreescanreach45metresandliveformorethan500years.Thetreesneedperiodsoffloodingandcansurviveinundationformonths.Theirseedsarewashedontohighergroundduringafloodandgerminateandgrowbeforethenextfloodreachesthem.HollowsandbrokenbranchesprovidenestingforGalahs,Cockatoos,CockatielsandvariousParrots;whilefallenbranchesprovidehabitatforotheranimals.

Theparkprotects38rareorthreatenedplants

includingFruitSaltbushandWingedPeppergrass.YellowandBlackBoxgrowontheridges.

Wildlifeaboundsthroughouttheforest.GreyKangaroos,EmusandKoalasarecommon.

UlupnaIsland,boundedbytheMurrayRiverandUlupnaCreek,ishigherthanotherpartsoftheforestandprovidesanexcellentexampleoflessfrequentlyfloodedRiverRedGumforest.MixedBoxwoodlandisalsocommononthesandyridges.

ThenarrowBarmahChokeforcestheriver’sflowintotheEdwardRiverinNewSouthWalesandoutontothebroaderfloodplain.Shallowwidespreadfloodsarecommonhere.

Howtogetthere

BarmahNationalParkliesalongtheMurrayRiverbetweenBarmahandStrathmerton,about225kmnorthofMelbourne.MajorentrypointsarefromMoiraLakesRoad,Barmah-­‐PicolaRoadandtheMurrayValleyHighway.

FormoreinformationcallParksVictoriaon131963Orvisit

FormoreinformationcallParksVictoriaon131963

orvisit

ForfurtherinformationCallParksVictoriaon131963orvisit

BarmahForestHeritageandEducationCentre73BlakeStreet

NATHALIAVIC3638

Tel:58662280

Echuca-MoamaVisitorInformationCentre2HeygarthStreet

EchucaVic3564

Freecall:1800804446

Caringfortheenvironment

Helpuslookafteryourparkbyfollowingtheseguidelines:

Pleasetakerubbishwithyouforrecyclingordisposal

Allplants,animals,historicalandarchaeologicalsitesandgeographicfeaturesareprotectedbylaw.Bardiegrubbingisprohibited

DogsandotherpetsarenotpermittedinBarmahNationalPark.Theyarepermitted

inMurrayRiverReserves,butmustbekeptundercontrol

FirearmsareprohibitedNofires,includingbarbecues,

maybelitonadayof

TotalFireBan.Builtinandportablegasorelectricbarbecues

maybeusedprovided:

•a3metreareaisclearedof

anythingflammable

•atleast10litresofwaterisavailableforimmediateuse

•anadultisinattendanceat

alltimesBarmahNationalParkisintheNorthernCountryTotalFireBanDistrict.ItisyourresponsibilitytoknowifitisadayofTotalFireBan.IfindoubtcalltheVictorianBushfireInformationLineon

1800240667

Collectonlydeadwoodfromthegroundforcampfires

Vehicles,includingmotorbikes,mayonlybeusedonformedopenroads.Driversmustbelicensedandvehiclesregisteredandroadworthy

soul.So,withoverfourmillionhectaresofparklandavailabletoVictorians,whynotescape

toaparktoday!

Enjoyingthepark

Majortracksintheparkaresuitablefortwowheeldrivevehicles.Seasonalroadclosuresoccurinwetperiods.

Campingrangesfromisolateddispersedcampingalongtheriverbanktomorepopulatedcampingalongthesandybeaches.

BewareofcampingundertreesasRiverRedGumscandropbranchesorfalloverwithoutwarning.

WalkingtracksnearBarmahLakesandDharnyaincludeLoopsTrackandYamyabucDiscoveryTrail(seebelow).Manylongerwalksareavailableasmostoftheforestisaccessiblebyfoot.

FishingforMurrayCod,GoldenPerchandYabbiesisalsopopularwithmanyvisitorsreturningtimeandagaintofishtheirfavouritespot.

ANSWFreshwaterRecreationFishingLicenceisrequiredfortheMurrayRiver.AcurrentVictorianRecreationalFishingLicenceisrequiredforfishinginwaterssouthoftheMurrayRiver.

BoatingandcanoeingarepopularontheMurrayRiver,BarmahLakesandadjoiningcreeks.Thereareseveralboatlaunchingareas.

Swimmingcanbeenjoyedatthenumeroussandyriverbendbeaches.Takecareascoldwaterandfastcurrentscanbehazardousandtheremaybesubmergedlogs.Divingorjumpingintothewatercanbedangerous.

WalkingTracks

Yamyabuc Discovery Trail-­‐ 1.5km – 0.5 hrs returnThisself-­‐guidedwalkbeginsattheDharnyacarpark

andwillintroduceyoutosomeofthenaturaland

culturalfeaturesoftheBarmahforest.

LakesLoopTrack-­‐ 4km-­‐ 1.75hrsreturn

BeginthiscircularwalkattheDharnyacarparkorjoinatBarmahLakescampground,dayvisitorareaorRicesBridge.

ThewalkpassesthroughmatureandregrowthRiverRedGums,passesanumberofAboriginaloven(cooking)mounds,skirtstheedgeofBarmahLake,eventuallyreachingtheMurrayRiverandBrokenCreek.

BrokenCreekLoopTrack-­‐ 3.5km–1.5hrsreturn

ThiscircularwalkbeginsbehindtheVisitorCentreandskirtsDharnyaswamp,alowareasubjecttoseasonalflooding.WalkthroughRiverRedGumandGreyBoxwoodlandtoBrokenCreek.

ContinuedownstreamalongBrokenCreekwhereyoucanseePelicans,Ducks,EgretsandDarters.ThereareanumberofAboriginaloven(cooking)moundsonthewaytoRicesWeir.Seethefishladderthatallowsfishtogobackupstreampasttheweir.ReturnviaSandridgeTrackorcontinueonLakesLoopTracktoDharnya.

Befirereadyandstaysafe

OndaysofforecastCodeRedFireDangerthisparkwillbeclosedforpublicsafety.

Ifyouarealreadyintheparkyoushouldleavethenightbeforeorearlyinthemorningforyourownsafety.

Closuresignswillbeerectedandrangerswillpatrolwherepossible,howeveryoumaynotreceiveapersonalwarningthattheparkisclosedsocheckbycalling131963orvisit

ForuptodateinformationonfiresinVictoriaorgeneralfiresafetyadvicecalltheVictorianBushfireInformationLineon1800240667orvisit.

Europeansettlement

Theareawasfirstexploredinthelate1830sandsettledsoonafter.SheepandcattleweregrazedthroughouttheregionandtherichRiverRedGumforestwasharvestedfortimber.PaddlesteamersontheMurrayRiverwerethekeymodeoftransportandheavilyusedforwoolandtimbertrade.

Evidenceofpastloggingpracticescanbeseenwitholdmillsitesandequipmentstillvisible.

Eucalyptusextractionandcharcoalproductionalsooccurredintheforest.

ProtectingourRiverRedGumforestsTheVictorianGovernmentcreatedBarmahNationalPark,alongwithothernewandexpandedparks,inApril2010toprotectandenhancetheRiverRedGumforestsinVictoria.

RiverRedGumforestshavehighnaturalandculturalvalues.Theseforestsarecomingunderincreasingpressurefromclimatechange,droughtandreducedwaterflowsinthenorthernrivers.

Protectingthispreciousenvironmentreliesonbalancingrecreationalactivitieswithpreservingitsnaturalbeautyandconservationvalues.

TheYortaYortapeoplehavealongassociationwiththenationalpark.Scarredtrees,mounds,stoneartefactscatters,middensandburialsitescanbefoundthroughoutthepark.Protectionofindigenousculturalheritageintheparkisextremelyvital.Thisheritageoftheparkgivesamazingevidenceofpastuseofthepark,whileofferingstrongindicationstowardshowtheparkmustbemanagedinthefuture.

MapshowingYortaYortaCountry

June2014

PrintedonAustralian-­‐made100%recycledpaper