What a treasure of a jaunt we had through Spring Creek Valley! Our adventurous group met our intrepid guide, Graeme Stockton from the Surf Coast Environmental Group (SCEG), at Bellbrae.
We strolled along the sealed Spring Creek Valley Ridgeline Trail, which runs parallel to the Great Ocean Road. Along the way, Graeme explained plans to secure the route as a safe walking and cycling track linking Bellbrae and Torquay.
The trail took us past Moonah (Melaleuca lanceolata) woodland and into more densely forested areas bordering farmland. As we walked, conversations turned to the soil’s acidity and sandy composition, and how these shape the valley’s flora and ecology.
From around 70 metres above Spring Creek, sweeping views gave us a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the landscape, birdlife and winter scenery. We could see rolling farmland across the opposite ridgeline, Torquay township and the ocean beyond.
It was also a powerful reminder of what was at stake: without the community campaign to save Spring Creek from development, much of this landscape would have been covered by housing.
After returning to Bellbrae Reserve, we shuffled cars and headed to the Ashmore Arts Centre. There, we admired artworks created from earthy materials and beautifully depicting features of the local flora.
The lush, meandering Spring Creek then enticed us down into the valley, where we admired magnificent remnant Bellarine Yellow Gums (Eucalyptus leucoxylon). SCEG’s extensive regeneration work over the past five years has produced encouraging areas of flourishing indigenous vegetation.
Bellarine Yellow Gum
We also saw an innovative project designed to create nesting opportunities for Blue-winged Parrots (Neophema chrysostoma). Large wooden posts fitted with downward-access nest hollows have already provided homes for two successful breeding pairs – a wonderful result for this special local species.
Liz Fenwick
