Poowong Sculpture Park & Lookout
The Poowong Sculpture Park, which is an ideal spot for a picnic, has spectacular views of South Gippsland and has four wooden sculptures (swagman with dog, lamb with baby lamb, pig suckling piglets and a calf) plus a picnic table.
The sculptures which reflect early settlement and the importance of livestock to the rural economy have been created from cypress trees which once grew on this site. They were planted by school children of the mid 1930s era as an Arbor Day activity. At that time the school was situated almost immediately opposite this site.
The sculpture park is located at a lookout point with nice views across the hills (although it was a bit foggy when we visited).
Below, to the south, is the expanse of the Bass River Valley, parts of which are unique as being habitat to the now endangered Giant Gippsland Earthworth (Megascolides australis). The earthworm can grow to a length of 4m with a diameter of 2cm and lives nowhere else in the world apart from a relatively small area in Gippsland.
There is also the following information about the Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Megascolides australis)
The Giant Gippsland Earthworm (GGE) are only found in a 40,000 hectare range in Victoria's South and West Gippsland.
Within this range, they are limited to small, widely dispersed pockets of blue-grey and red clay soils along the creek banks or on south-facing slopes that are moist all year round. One method of detecting GGE's is to walk over areas of possible habitat and listen for the gurgling sounds they make as they move through their burrows.
The GGE is one of Australia's 1,000 native earthworm species with a body length of 80 to 150cm and a diameter of up to 2cm. They have a lifespan of 4-8 years.
Worms help to increase the amount of air and water that gets into the soil. They break down organic matter like leaves and grass into things that plants can use.
When they eat they leave behind castings that are a very valuable type of fertiliser. If they became extinct we would have less food, more pollution and more flooding.
GGE are a protected species in Victoria.
They are very fragile animals and digging up or handling them incorrectly is likely to result in their death. We DO NOT encourage any digging up or handling of these worms unnecessarily. The best way to conserve these worms is to leave them in their underground homes.
Photos:
Location
71 Nyora Road, Poowong 3988 Map
