WarbyOvensNationalPark

VisitorGuide
The14,655haWarbyOvensNationalParkischaracterisedbythreedistinctvegetationcommunitiesthegranitic hillsandwoodlandsoftheWarbyRange,theBoxIronbarkoftheKillawarraForestandtheRiverRedGumforest andwetlandsoftheunregulatedOvensHeritageRiver.Togethertheyprovideanimportantlinkfromthealpine foothillstotheMurrayRiverprotectingsomeoftheStatesmostsignificantbushland. FishingMurrayCodarefrequentlycaughtinthe LowerOvensRiver.Mostarereturnedtotheriverto ensuretheongoingsurvivalofthisiconicfish. BoatingThelowerreachesoftheOvensRiveroffer someofthebeststillwatercanoeinginthestate amongamazeofchannelsandwetlands.Withcare powerboatscanexploretheriverforseveral kilometresupstreamfromCameronsBend. TheVictorianGovernmentcreatedWarbyOvens NationalPark,alongwithothernewandexpanded parksandover200conservationreserves,inJune 2010toprotectandenhancetheremainingRiverRed GumforestsinVictoria. CampingTherearebasiccampgroundsatWenhams CampandTheForestCampwithpittoiletsand barbecues.Largegroupsareaskedtocontactthe Rangerbeforeusingthecampingareas.Bringyour owndrinkingwater. Moreadventurouscamperswillenjoycampingonthe banksoftheLowerOvensRiver.Nofacilitiesare providedandtrackscanbecomeimpassableinwet weather. Prospectingispermittedinasmallareainthe Killawarrasectionofthepark200metreseitherside ofTarrawallaTrack(betweenBoweyaTrackanda point200metrespastthejunctionoftheadjoining Paralleltrack).Prospectorsmayonlysearchfor gemstones,inparticularthemineralWavelite. ProspectorsmustholdaMinersRightorTourist FossickingAuthority. Horseridinghorseridingisallowedonvehicletracks throughoutthepark.Nohorsesarepermittedon walkingtracks.

Enjoyingthepark
TheviewsfromRyan'sLookoutareexceptional, especiallyinwinterwithsnowcoveredpeaksinthe distance. PicnickingRyan'sLookout,Brien'sGorgeFalls,Pine GullyandTheForestCamphavebarbecuefacilities andpicnictables. WalkingManagementtracksandtheopengrassy understoreyareidealforeasywalking. Wearsturdyfootwearandalwayscarrywateronyour walk,especiallyduringhotweather. BikeridingBikeridingispermittedonopenvehicle roadstracksandsomemanagementtracksincluding PangarangLookoutWalkandRidgeTracktoMount Glenrowan.Ridingisprohibitedonallotherwalking tracksandareasaffectedbyCinnamonFungus. TheFriendsWalkingTrackmaybeusedbyboth walkersandbikeridersbetweenthehoursof6pmand 11pmMondaytoSundayand8amto12noonon SaturdayandSunday. Bikeridersmustgivewaytowalkersandremainon thetracksatalltimes. CartouringForapleasantdrive,followGerrett's RoadfromRyan'sLookout,turnrightintoAdam's Road,thenfollowTowerRoadtoBoweyaRoadand returntoWangaratta.TovisittheKillawarraForest enterviaCampRoadfromBoweyaRoadturnrightinto CenterRoad,rejoinBoweyaRoadviaSchoolHouse Road.

Befirereadyandstaysafe
OndaysofforecastCodeRedFireDangerthispark willbeclosedforpublicsafety. Ifyouarealreadyintheparkyoushouldleavethe nightbeforeorearlyinthemorningforyoursafety. Closuresignswillbeerectedandrangerswillpatrol wherepossible,howeveryoumaynotreceivea personalwarningthattheparkisclosedsocheckby calling131963orvisitwww.parks.vic.gov.au. ForuptodateinformationonfiresinVictoriaor generalfiresafetyadvicecalltheVictorianBushfire InformationLineon1800240667orvisit cfa.vic.gov.au.

Forfurtherinformation
CallParksVictoriaon131963 orvisitwww.parks.vic.gov.au WangarattaVisitor InformationCentre 100MurphyStreet WangarattaVic3677 Freecall:1800801065

Morganslookout
MajorMitchelloriginallynamedtheWarbyRange "FuttersRange"duringhistravelsthroughtheareain 1836.ItwaslaterrenamedafterBenWarby,whotook upthe9300haTaminickRunin1844. Despiteitsmodestheight(approx515metres)the400 millionyearoldgraniterangeofferedgoodvantage pointstoNedKellyandfellowbushrangersinthelate 1800s.FromthesummitofMountGlenrowan (MorgansLookout)theycouldeasilyseethecomings andgoingsinthesmalltownofGlenrowan. In1979,theWarbyRangewasdeclaredaStateParkin recognitionofitsscenicvalueandthediversityof plantandanimalspecies.Theparkwasexpandedto includetheKillawarraandBoweyaForestsinOctober 2002andtheLowerOvensRiverin2010.

Ahavenforplantsandanimals
ThevegetationoftheWarbyRangeischaracterisedby amosaicofopenforestsandwoodlandsofBlakely's Redgum,RedStringybarkandarangeofBoxspecies. SmallcommunitiesofWhiteCypressPineoccuronthe westernside. TothenorththeblacktrunksoftheMuggaIronbarks intheKillawarraandBoweyaForestscontrast strikinglywiththegranitichillswoodlandoftheWarby RangeandtheRedgumforest,billabongsand wetlandsoftheLowerOvensRiver. OtherplantspeciesintheparkincludetheAustral Grasstree,withitslong"skirt"andblacktrunk,and thehardySpurwingedWattle. Mostanimalsintheparkarenocturnalandnoteasyto spotduringtheday.YoumayseeSwampWallabiesor EasternGreyKangaroosdartingoffintothebush, disturbedbyyourvehicleorapproachingfootsteps. Theexposedgraniteslabsareidealsunningsitesfora varietyofreptiles.Theopenwoodlandoffersplentyof habitatforbirdlifeincludingrosellas,robins,Wedge tailedEagles,EasternSpinebillsandWhitethroated Treecreepers. Theparkisanimportantlocationforthesurvivalof speciessuchastheSquirrelGlider,FeathertailGlider, PowerfulOwl,TurquoiseParrot,CarpetPythonand LaceMonitor.

Caringfortheenvironment
Helpuslookafteryourpark byfollowingtheseguidelines: Pleasetakerubbishwithyou forrecyclinganddisposal Allnativeplantsandanimals areprotectedbylaw. Dogsandotherpetsarenot permittedinthepark Firearmsareprohibited Lightfiresonlyinfireplaces provided.Nofires,including gasbarbecuesmaybelitona dayofTotalFireBan WarbyOvensNationalParkis intheNorthEastTotalFire BanDistrict Itisyourresponsibilityto knowifitisadayofTotalFire Ban.Ifindoubtcallthe VictorianBushfire InformationLine on1800240667 ParkclosuresBepreparedto leaveearlyasextreme weathermaycausethe closureofsomeparkareasfor publicsafety AvoidcampingunderRiver RedGumsastheyareproneto droppingbranchesatany time. Vehicles,includingmotor bikes,mayonlybeusedon formedopenroads.Drivers mustbelicensedandvehicles registeredandroadworthy

Walkingtracks
FriendsTrackisaselfguidedwalkstartingfrom WenhamsCampandisamoderate4.6kmlooptrack takingapproximatelytwohourstocomplete.Thereis anopportunitytodivertfromthetracktoKwatKwat Lookout(1kmreturn)withexcellentviewsofthe OvensValleyandtheVictorianAlps.Mountainbike ridersarepermittedtousethistracksolookoutfor cyclists. TheFriendsoftheWarbysArboretumAwalk throughtheArboretumatWenhamsCamphelpsto identifytheparksdiverserangeofplants. SalisburyWalk(4.5km),startingfromShanleyStreet, makesitswayuptheSalisburyFallsGorgeto WenhamsCampviaFriendsTrack.Analternative routeviaAlpineViewsTracklooksoutovertheOvens Valley.Thetrackissteepinplacesandamoderate leveloffitnessisrequired. SunriseWalkisacomplexoftracksprovidingachoice oftwotosixkilometrewalksrangingfrommoderate tohard.ThewalksstartfromtheendofDelloroRoad andclimbuptotheplateautothewest.Duringspring avarietyofwildflowersbeautifythearea.Atthestart isa1.5kmreturnwalktoaquarrywheregranitewas obtainedtobuildtheAnglicanCathedralin Wangaratta. PangarangLookoutWalkbeginsfromFerrisRoadand isaneasy3kmreturnofferingpanoramicviewstothe west. PineGullyNatureWalkprovidesagoodinterpretation ofthepark'snaturalvaluesona2kmselfguidedloop walk.Thewalktakesaboutanhourtocompleteandis steepandrockyinplaces.Suitablefootwearis essential. MtGlenrowanThereisnobetterplacetoviewthe OvensandKingValleyandtheVictorianAlpsthan fromthisvantagepoint.The9kmreturnwalktothe lookoutbeginsfromthestileatTaminickGapand followsRidgeTrack.Thereisonesteepsectionof sealedroadleadinguptothecommunicationtowers nearthestartofthewalk,whiletheremainderis moderatetoeasy.

Waitingfortherains
WinterrainsrejuvenatetheWarbys,allowingthe creeksandwaterfallstoflowoncemore.Withspring comethewildflowers.NoddingBluelily,Common Fringemyrtle,grevilleasandorchidsburstintoflower tothedelightofthebirdandinsectworld. Springfloodwatersfromthemountainsrevivethe wetlandsoftheLowerOvensattractingwaterbirds andtriggeringbreedingofahostofaquaticwildlife.

CinnamonFungusTakeCare
Phytophthoracinnamomi,alsoknownascinnamon fungus,isaseriousplantdiseasethatdestroysmany nativeplants.ItispresentintheWarbyRangesection ofthepark.Tohelppreventthespreadofthedisease, avoidwalkinganddrivinginwetareas.Cleancamping gearandbootsbeforeleavingthesiteandkeepto formedtracks.Forfurtherinformationon Phytophthoravisitwww.parks.vic.gov.au.

Howtogetthere
WarbyOvensNationalParkis240kmnortheastof Melbourneand10kmwestofWangaratta.Itisbest accessedfromWangarattaviaWangandaryand YarrawongaRoads. March2012 PrintedonAustralianmade100%recycledpaper

HealthyParksHealthyPeople Visitingaparkcanimprove yourhealth,mind,bodyand soul.So,withoverfourmillion hectaresofparklandavailable toVictorians,whynotescape toaparktoday!