Hattah‐KulkyneNationalPark
HattahLakesNatureDiscoveryTrail
Drive,cycleorwalkthisself‐guidedtrailandenjoysomeoftheMalleeandMurrayfloodplain
secretsofHattah‐KulkyneNationalPark.
SlenderHopbush
Drive (30min), Cycle (1.5hrs), Walk (2.5hrs) This6.5kmself‐guidednaturetrailisanexcellent introductiontotheparksoftheMallee.Itgivesyouaninsightintosomeofthenaturalfeaturesoftheareaandrevealssomeofthechallengesthislandscapeendures.
Althoughdesignedasadrive,thetrailisalsoan easyandpleasantwalk.Ifyouhavetime,whynotparkyourcarandexplorethetrailonfootor bybicycle.Driveslowlyandstayonthetrackatalltimes.
Asyoutravelaroundyouwillvisitthehomesofmanyanimals,eventhoughyoumaynotsee them.Eventhelogsanddeadbranchesscatteredonthegroundprovideimportanthabitatandalinkinthefoodchainforawiderangeofinsects,invertebrates,reptiles,birdsandsmallground‐dwellingmammals.
1.Restoring the landscape
Lookaroundatthelandscape.Whatappearsnaturalisnotalwaysso.BeforethisareawasdeclaredaNationalParkin1960,sheep,cattleandrabbitsheavilygrazedthenativevegetation cover.Bushfiresandtimbercuttingaddedtotheimpactandthevegetationcoverinsomeareaswascompletelychanged.
Restorationofnativevegetationtoitspre‐1960sconditionwilltakealifetime,butworktorestore itsformervalueshasbegun.
2.Plant life returns
ThetallbushfoundhereisnativeSlender Hopbush.Hopbushgetsitsnamefromthepaperywingsofitsseedsthataresometimescalled‘hops’.Thecommonnamesofmany Australianplantsoftenreflecttheiruniquefeatures.
NativeplantsliketheSlenderHopbushhavere‐establishedonthissandduneasaresultoftheremovalofstock,activecampaignstocontrolrabbitsand,morerecently,kangaroomanagement.
3.Water andsteam
AshortwalkfromthetrackherebringsyoutotheremnantsofaVictorianRailwaypumphouse.Intheearlypartofthe1900s,thefacility pumpedwaterfromthelaketotheHattahrailwaylinetorefilltheboilersofsteam locomotives.Theoriginalbuildingswerereplaced bytinshedsinthe1940swhenthepumpswereusedtosupplywatertothetownshipofHattah.
TodaywaterisprovidedtoHattahand surroundingpropertiesviapipelinefromtheMurrayRiver.
FormoreinformationcalltheParksVictoriaInformationCentre
on131963orvisitourwebsiteat
4.Sand dunes toflood plains
Noticeachangeinthevegetationhere.ThetrackhasleftthesandduneandmovedontothefloodplainwheretheclaysoilsarehometomagnificentRiverRedGums.
FurthertotherightthereareRiverRedGumsgrowinginan unusualposition.Itislikelythattheseedwasdepositedon thesanddunebyalargeflood,possiblymorethanacentury ago.Theseedgerminatedinthemoistsandandthetreesgrew,fedbyrainfallrunoffcapturedbythedune.
RiverRedGums,particularlytheoldertreesaroundthelakeedge,areimportanthabitatastheyoftenbearlargehollowsthatareusedbyavarietyofbirdsandtreedwellingmammalsforshelterandnests.
5.Hardy inhabitants
OntheshoreofthelakegrowsdensestandsofyoungRiverRedGumsaplings,theyappearoverextensiveareasafterfloodsandattimesformimpenetrablethicketsliketheonesyoucanseehere.Thesesaplingswillgraduallythinoutastheygrowandeventuallythelakewillbecomeeasiertosee.
6.Claimingnewterritory
TotheleftofthetrackareafewmatureHookedNeedlewoodtrees.Theyareprobablytheremnantsofaoncelargestandoftrees.HookedNeedlewoodisamemberoftheHakeafamily‐agroupofplantsrenownedfortheircurious,buteffectivemethodsofseeddispersal.MostHakeahaveseedenclosedinimpenetrablepodsthatopenonlyafterexposuretofire,heatorsmoke.Oncetriggeredthepodburstsopenandtheseedfloatsawaythroughtheair,eventuallysettlingonnewgroundawayfromtheparenttree.
7.Unexpected treasure
InlatesummeryoumayseeGarlandLiliesnearthetrack.GarlandLiliesarerareinVictoria,canbefoundtotheleftofthetrack.Theselilieswillbemostnoticeableinlatesummerwhentheyproduceyellowflowersandgrape‐likeclustersofberries.
GarlandLily
8.Undoing the damage
Thelarge,almostbareexpanseontherightofthetrackprobablydevelopedinthefollowingway:
Theoriginalcoverofnativeplantswasovergrazedby sheepandrabbitsintheearlydaysofnon‐indigenoussettlement.Thedisturbedvegetationloosenedthesandytopsoilandsandblownbythewindhelpedcutdowntheremainingvegetation
Theclaysubsoilwaseventuallyexposedandfurthererodedbyrainwaterrun‐off.Saltconcentratedatthesurfacethroughupwardseepageandevaporationand the areabecame a wasteland
Restorationbeganin1960whenHattah‐KulkyneNationalParkwascreated.Grazingstockwasremovedandrabbitsgraduallybroughtundercontrol.Salt‐tolerantplantsbegantocolonisethearea
Inthe1990sbareareaswereploughedtotrapmovingsoilandseeds,assistingintherevegetationprocess
Regrowthisevident,butrecoveryisslowinsuchaharshenvironment.
9.Ramsarwetlands
HattahLake,ontheleft,isoneoftwelvelakeslocatedinHattah‐KulkyneNationalParklistedundertheRamsarConvention.Theconventionisaninternationalagreement,signedinRamsar,Iranin1971andaimstoconservewetlandsofinternationalimportance.Seemoreinformationonthesign.
10.The Hattah Lakes System
BeyondthepostyoucanseethechannelconnectingLakeHattahwithLakeBulla.In1956,asmallweirwasbuiltatthenorthernendofLakeHattahtopreventwaterfromflowingbackintotheMurrayRiverwhenfloodwatersreceded.
ThelakesintheHattah‐KulkynesystemfillviaChalkaCreekwhenthereisamajorfloodintheMurrayRiver.Thishasonlyoccurredafewtimessincetherecordfloodlevelsof1956andincludetheyears1960,1964,1966andonseveraloccasionsinthe1970sandlate1980s.
TheHattahLakessystemneedsbothwetanddryperiodstobehealthy,butriverregulationandachangingclimatehavereducedthefrequencyandextentofnaturalfloodsandtheenvironmenthassufferedasaresult.Withthecompletion ofthenewpermanentpumpstation,regulatorsand environmentalleveesitisnowpossibletotopupnatural floodstoincreasewaterlevelsinthelakessystemor,whenriverflowsarenotabletonaturallyreachthelakes,watercanbepumpedintothesystemtomaintainwatering regimes.
MessengersPumpStation
11.Flood
ThegroveofBlackBoxsaplingsalongthetrackatthispointwascreatedbytherecordfloodsof1956.BlackBoxtreesgrowhigheruptheslopesthanRiverRedGumsandindicatetheheightoffloodwatersinthepast.Onlyoneortwooftheseseedlingsneedtosurvivetomaturitytoensurethecontinuationoftheforesthere.
Furtheralongthetrack,ontheright,aresmallerBlackBox.Thesetreesgerminatedhereafterthe1973flood.
BlackBoxflower
12.Toleratingsalt
TotherightofthetrackgrowGlasswortsandotherlow‐lyingsucculentsthatstorewaterintheirfleshyleaves.Glasswortsaresalt‐tolerantandplayanimportantroleinminimising soilerosion.OvertimetheGlasswortsandothersoilstabilisingplantshelptoimprovesoilfertilitybyaddingnutrientsthroughdecomposition.Eventuallysoilconditionisimprovedallowinglesssalt‐tolerantplantstoestablish.
Amongthefewplantsthatthrivehereistherounded Noonflower(Pigface),astaplefoodoftheShinglebackLizard.Aftersummerrainsthisareaisaseaofpinkflowers.
Noonflower(Pigface)
Forfurtherinformation
CallParksVictoriaon131963orvisit
MilduraVisitorInformation (AlfredDeakinCentre)180‐190DeakinAvenueMilduraVic3500 Tel:(03)50214424
Caringfortheenvironment
Helpuslookafteryourparkbyfollowingtheseguidelines:Pleasetakerubbishwithyoufor
recyclingordisposal
Camponlyindesignated
campgrounds
Allnativeplants,animals,historicalandarchaeologicalsitesandgeographicfeaturesare
protectedbylaw
Dogsandotherpetsarenotpermittedinthepark
FirearmsareprohibitedLightfiresonlyinfireplaces
provided.Collectonlydeadwood
fromthegroundforcampfires.
Pleasedonotcollectwoodfrom
insidethecampgroundorinside
thekangarooprooffence
NofiresarepermittedonadayofTotalFireBan.Builtinandportablegasorelectricbarbecues
maybeusedprovided:
a3metreareaisclearedof
anythingflammable
atleast10litresofwateris
availableforimmediateuse
anadultisinattendanceat
alltimes
Itisyourresponsibilitytoknowif
itisadayofTotalFireBan.IfindoubtcalltheVictorianBushfireInformationLineon1800240667
Vehicles,includingmotorbikes,mayonlybeusedonformedopenroads.Driversmustbelicensedandvehiclesregisteredand
roadworthy
Mobilephones–youmaynotbeinnetworkrangeinsomeareas.ToconnecttoPolice,AmbulanceorCFAkeyin112andpressthe
YESkey
13.BlackBox Waterhole
ThetrackpassesastandofMoonahasitskirtsaroundBlackBoxWaterhole.Thewaterholeisashallowclaypanthatfillsquicklywhenitrainsandretainswaterwell.Herons,Cormorants,Ducks,Black‐tailedNative‐hensandotherwater birds,alongwithfrogsandtortoisesappearasiffromnowherewhenrainarrives.
PiedCormorant
14.Canoe tree
Takeastrolldowntothecanoetreeonthebankofthelake.ItispossiblyacenturyormoresinceAboriginalpeoplecutawaythelivingbarkofthetreetomakeacanoe,leavingthecharacteristiccanoetreescar.
Smallerscarscanalsobeseenonothertreesalongtheriversystem.Thesewerecreatedfrom barkcutawaytomakedishescalledcoolamonstocarryfoodandsometimesinfants.
Canoetree
Caringfor Country
IndigenousAustralianshavebeenconnectedtothislandscapefortensofthousandsofyears. TheancestorslivedinharmonywiththeenvironmentandnurturedadeepandabidingrespectforCountry.CaringforCountrycontinuestobeanintegralpartofpresentdayIndigenoussocial,spiritual,economicandphysicallife.AllAustralianssharearesponsibilitytocreateacommunitythatsharesandvaluesthisrespect forourland.
IfyouhaveenjoyedthisdriveyoumightliketotrytheHattahNatureWalk orone oftheotherwalksinthepark(seetheHattah‐KulkyneNationalPark–MurrayKulkyneParkvisitorguide).Thereareotherself‐guidedwalksand drivesinnearbyparksincludingWyperfeldand LittleDesertNationalParks.
Be fire ready and stay safe
OndaysofforecastCodeRedFireDangerthisparkwillbeclosedforpublicsafety.
Ifyouarealreadyintheparkyoushouldleavethenightbeforeorearlyinthemorningforyoursafety.
Closuresignswillbeerectedandrangerswillpatrol wherepossible,howeveryoumaynotreceiveapersonalwarningthattheparkisclosedsocheckthelatestconditionsbycalling131963or visit
ForuptodateinformationonfiresinVictoriaorgeneralfiresafetyadvicecalltheVictorianBushfireInformation Line on1800 240 667.
Locationandaccess
Hattah‐Kulkyne National Park and Murray‐KulkyneParkareabout475kmfromMelbourneofftheCalderHighway.Theparkoffice(offRobinvaleRoad)is74kmfromMildura.
December2014
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