Morwell - Crinigan Bushland Reserve
Crinigan Bushland Reserve is a 100-acre reserve located on the northern edge of Morwell. The reserve has been an ongoing project between Council and Friends of the Reserve to turn a misused vacant block into the serene bushland community space it is today. The main carpark, on Fairway Drive (next to the Morwell Golf Course entrance), has a public toilet and an information booth that provides a map of walking routes and details of plants and birdlife found there. There is also access via Maryvale Road and Crinigan Road.
Crinigan Bushland Reserve Map
The reserve consists of a mixture of Lowland Forest, Plains Grassy Forest and Swamp Scrub/Swampy Woodland mosaic, and two waterbodies. There is an extensive list of plant species at the site including Narrow-leaf Peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata) and Manna Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) and 30 identified native orchids. It has become a haven for birdlife, home to five of the six Gippsland frog species and has been rehabilitated to the extent that wombats, koalas and kangaroos have begun to return.
The reserve boasts well signed and maintained walking tracks that are suitable for most fitness levels, two small dams, a picnic shelter, tables and chairs, and a newly installed waterbird viewing panel.
Access is via Maryvale Road, Crinigan Road and Fairway Drive.
The reserve is closed to the public on catastrophic fire danger rating days. Horses, motorbikes and campfires are not permitted.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs are permitted on leash.
History of Crinigan Bushland Reserve
History shows us that Crinigan Bushland Reserve is a piece of remnant bush of 33.6 hectares situated on the North side of the township of Morwell and has changed hands several times.
The former SECV acquired the reserve from the Housing Commission in 1960. It was leased to a Pony Club for several years, and then used by Crinigan School for environmental studies.
After a report in 1981 Morwell Shire took over management of the reserve. In 2002 Latrobe City entered into a lease agreement with Maryvale Private Hospital to manage the vegetated areas of their property (6.2 ha). Both the Council owned land and that leased from Maryvale Private Hospital became Crinigan Bushland Resent. Maintenance of the reserve is carried out by a Committee of Management and the Friends Group on behalf of Council.
Crinigan Bushland Reserve contains high level of blodiversity with 220 species of plants identified. Although 44 species of native orchids have been documented throughout the reserve, only a small number of individual species can be found.
Crinigan Bushland Reserve Poem
Welcome to our home
There are many wonders in the bush
But please remember you have to hush
If you tread quietly
You might be lucky enough to see
A koala sleeping in a tree
You might see a wombat
That is really fat
or a sleepy old bush rat
A wallaby with a tail that's long
Or a kookaburra with a song
In the branches you may find a possum
Hiding in amongst the blossom
You might find some frogs and a lizard too
With special calls, they're quite a few
So please remember when you roam
Stay on the paths as this is our home
Please take care and have some fun
But please remember this
is our place in the sun
Review:
A lovely place for a walk with a range of vegetation types and some dams for added interest, although we didn't see any waterbirds at the dams. If you do come across any waterbirds please do not feed them bread which can make them ill. It doesn't contain the right nutrition they need to survive. It also grows unhealthy algae, which pollutes the water and that makes it harmful to birds and fish. Ducks DO like halved grapes, chopped lettuce, birdseed, peas and corn (defrosted), cracked corn, oats, barley, pumpkin and seeds.
We planned our route based on visiting all the dams - Ibis Track past Tortoise Dam, the larger Lions Dam (which has a shelter with two tables and unshaded table), Wallaby Dam and Hospital Dam (which has a waterbird viewing panel and table). In summer there was no water at The Ponds. There are some slopes but not too steep and the paths are quite wide.
Fishing is not permitted in the dams.
The best place to enter the reserve is along Fairway Drive where there is good-sized carpark, toilets, bin, shelter with one table and shaded and unshaded tables.
Photos:
Location
Fairway Drive, Morwell 3840 View Map
Web Links
→ Crinigan Bushland Reserve - Morwell on Facebook
→ Crinigan Bushland Reserve (Walking Maps)
