Fiery Creek Walk Diary by David McKinnis

Day 1

I arrived at the glut to commence what would be a memorable informative and pleasurable journey down the Fiery Creek. I stood at the glut camping ground and admired the towering forests that stood around and breathed the pure crisp air that was filtering down through its canopy.
A hot drink, wholesome tucker and introductions before making to my tent and closing my eyes to imagine what was to come.

Day 2

Awoken by the sound of voices talking and laughing, I arose and made my way to the start of the Fiery Creek to take part in a traditional smoking ceremony. Ted Lovett a local aboriginal elder spoke of his ancestry and his connections with the land before giving us permission to walk across his land to attend the Eel Festival celebrations. This ceremony would be the start of an experience that helped me better understand the history of this land and the connections the Tjapwurrong people shared within it.
From the Glut camping ground we made our way down the hills of Mt Cole State Park and entered European style agricultural land that we would travel for the rest of our journey to Lake Bolac.
A short distance from the foothills of Mount Cole State Park we passed through the first of many blue gum plantations that choke the sides of the Fiery Creek on much of its journey to Lake Bolac. Stuck among the middle of one of these plantations we encountered a magnificent rock that stood amongst the landscape like the last soldier left on a battlefield. As we stood next to the stone I could feel the power that is possessed and only wonder what role it played in the cultural heritage of the Tjapurong people. Unsure of the actual name of the rock we called it “ Beeripmo Rock”.
We continued down the road with the monolith watching our every step as we disappeared into the distance. After a short distance of walking along the reserve we made our way back onto the fiery creek as it cut its way through the farming lands towards Raglan.
The creek was a series of small pools that only prolonged rain could bring back to its former glory.
A series of old farm machinery scattered amongst the paddocks was a reminder of our past that has sculptured our country side into what it is today.
As we entered the sleepy village of Raglan the day was starting to grow old and we needed to press on in order to make our destination.
Passing through Raglan you could sense that it had once been a thriving hive of activity when gold fever had a grip on the state. With all schools, pubs, and shops now closed the town was left to a small community that enjoyed a quiet lifestyle.
From Raglan we followed the creek to the Western highway. Along the way Neil found some bush tucker in the form of plums, but I’m not sure if he wanted to share them with us or if he was trying to brand us with some well weighted throws from the other side of the wide creek.
Our camp at the Middle Creek Camping Ground was a new experience for the seasoned bush campers in our party. Being Good Friday and a good opportunity to get away for a lot of hard working people, the area was packed with families and assorted others who managed to pack their motorbikes, chainsaws, generators and TVs and who made sure they got the most out of all their gear.


Day 3

Day two we started along middle Creek road as the landholder decided for some reason or another that we would not be permitted to walk along the creek that passed through his land. My personal feeling is that our waterways cannot be owned privately as they are the main arteries of our land. It’s not fair or wise on both the landholder and the wider community that one person has the responsibility for such an important asset.
Our waterways are the arteries of this land and we must all work as one to create a healthy system that wont become blocked or polluted.

As we strode along the gravel road the chatter was light hearted amongst the group and for a short period of time our thoughts shifted from the Fiery Creek and the aboriginal people who traversed this section of land on there way to Lake Bolac.

At a distance down the gravel road we re-entered the fiery creek. On our way back down to the creek we passed the ruins of an old property similar to those found all over our countryside and remind us of our ancestors who were the first to clear and farm this land. These old buildings give us an insight into what life might have been like for these people. Most of the buildings are now reduced to shelter for sheep during the heat of summer or the cold of winter.

Whilst only a short distance before we made it to our lunch destination a number of interesting observations were made. The first being some of the past structures that were used to traverse the creek, the size of these structures reminded us of the power and ferocity the creek once possessed. The other item worth noting was the major weed problem that is evident along vast stretches of the creek. By far the worst weed was the gorse that was also providing harbour for the local rabbit population.

As we reached our lunch destination we noticed a ripple on the water in a small water hole close to the road. More a pool of water rather than a hole its condition was poor with cattle having access, causing the water to be turbid and a lack of rain creating no flow. At closer inspection and to great surprise feeding in this body of water was a platypus. The excitement amongst the group was amazing and the sight of the platypus almost seemed surreal. The platypus was not to concerned with our presence and the fact that it was feeding during the day suggested to me that it may have been feeling the stress of the environmental conditions that is was faced with. We sat and watched him whilst eating our lunch before packing up and heading further south.

Through the next stretch of creek the pools of water became larger and patches of native rushes and reeds became more prevalent. Again the gorse was a major concern however cleanup works could be seen to be making a difference. Of greater concern was the number of dead or dying sheep that were found floating in pools of water or stuck dying in the mud. We managed to retrieve a few, but the number already dead far outweighed the ones saved. The thought of a rotting sheep carcass and the pollution it causes to the waterway should be a good reason for people to consider fencing the banks of the creek and giving the waterway some hope.

As we pushed along the clouds were getting darker and starting to take over the sky. Before long they had sprung a leak and we were diving into packs to re-cloak with our wet weather gear. As we neared our campsite for the third night we kept our eyes peeled for the elusive bunyip whose figure was said to be cut into the earth by the local aboriginals from years ago. There are a number of different stories about the local bunyip including what it was, how it got there and where its exact location is, however this day we were not lucky enough to find its outline along our path.

By the time we made it to where we planned on camping the rain was coming in horizontally and the wind had picked up to a healthy speed. With some ingenious manipulations by Phil we were able to arrange the tarps and trailer in such a way that we could get out of the wind, keep dry and still have a fire to keep us warm. The rain settled in whilst we got comfortable under our tarp and set about fixing some tea. Our spirits were kept high with the enigmatic sounds of the tin whistle and not long after the sun had disappeared behind Challicum Hills we all retired for another day.


Day 4

By the time we arose the rain had cleared and light breeze was drying what was left of the previous days rain.

The group split for a short period time here to go and replenish stocks in Ararat. We rejoined the group at a crossing further downstream. Whilst waiting for our fellow walkers to rendezvous with us a shower of shotgun fire rang out and horses and hounds were soon gathered around us. A local hunting club was undertaking a fox drive to try and reduce the number of feral foxes that inhabit this area causing severe damage on native fauna and livestock. Fortunately our fellow walkers were able to find cover until the shots stopped ringing out and then made their way to the crossing where we had lunch.

After lunch we pushed on along the creek and the landscape changed quite dramatically. We moved from the flat open pasture land into fields of volcanic rocks that provided steep banks and deep holes for the creek to snake its way through. This was one of the only sections of creek where the water was flowing. Talking to the landowners this was due to underground springs in the area that fed the system. The creek appeared to be in a healthy state through this section which could be seen by the abundance of different life forms inhabiting this area. We even managed to spot another platypus making its way through a narrow section of water.

A few kilometres down the road we again had to leave the creek due to a landholder not allowing us passage along the creek. From here we joined landholders McDougall who walked with us along the road until we reached their property where we cut across the paddocks until we rejoined the creek once more. This proved to be one of the most interesting sections of creek where you could clearly see the positive effects of appropriate land management on one side of the creek whilst the other side environmental degradation through poor land practices showed a bleak side of our adopted European farming techniques.

Works undertaken by the McDougall’s such as fencing to prevent stock accessing the river and the regeneration of indigenous grass, shrub and tree species have helped the creek to get back to its former glory. As positive as the works have been the abutting landowners stock had been making there way over to the other side of the creek reducing the effort and work that has been implemented. Apart from this there were still some amazing sections of “Creekline Grassy Woodland” and “Plains Woodland” which are considered as endangered communities in the area ie >10% left of former range. When Australia was first colonised by Europeans these open woodlands were nearly all removed for agricultural purposes as they were much easier to clear than some of the other more heavily forested areas. Allowing these communities to regenerate is fantastic and should be highlighted within the community.

As we continued our pleasant walk along the McDougall’s creek frontage we stopped to admire some beautiful old river redgums that had endured all the changes of the last 200 years and still stood tall towering over the adjacent creek and grasslands. As we reached the end of the McDougalls property we stopped and set up camp for the night. We all stood around and chatted with our new found friends and soon our stomaches were starting to rumble and we started to think about tea. We had a delicacy on the menu for tea that night, eel.

We got the fire roaring and soon we had enough coals for our carefully prepared eels to be cooked on. The eels were cleaned and skinned and placed on top of the coals on metal mesh. The eel sizzled away for 20 mins allowing some of the excess oils to drain away. A small squeeze of lemon and it was ready to be eaten. As a seafood lover I have many species of fish, crustacean and shellfish and the eel that I ate that night was as nice as any seafood I had ever eaten. The way in which the eel was cooked help to remove some of the oil however the meat was still moist and cooked over the coals created a natural smokey flavour. As we sat around the campfire eating tea I imagined the boolucburrer and other aboriginal tribes sitting around the fire laughing talking and enjoying the meal as we did that night.


Day 5

We were up before the sun rose on the 5th morning and headed back to one of the holes we had passed on the previous day that, we had been informed, was inhabited by a platypus. We found ourself a comfortable position a short distance from the water and waited to see what would happen. As the sun crept over the mountains behind us and the first rays of the day burst through the low lying fog a small ripple was seen on the surface and before long a platypus was actively feeding in the pool below us. To our amazement a short time later another platypus entered the water hole and two could be seen actively foraging for food. Platypi are one of the world’s most amazing creatures and to see two naturally feeding in the Fiery Creek is a memory that I will never forget.

After breakfast we headed off for what would be our longest day of walking. The weather had picked up and we were greeted with a warm autumn day. We were privileged enough to see some of the best aboriginal scar trees that morning that you could ever wish to see. Aboriginal people removed the bark of certain trees to make canoes, serve food, shelter etc. The Fiery Creek would have been used as a food source for the local people and scar trees and other artefacts could be found along the entire stretch.

We were joined by another young farming family who owned creek frontage as we trekked along. Again it was great to see sections of the creek that had been fenced off from stock and the indigenous species starting to regenerate. A large number of foxes were seen along this section causing some concern. Many people believed that with the reduction in the rabbit population from the calici virus fox populations would reduce, however this hasn’t occurred and in some instances the opposite has occurred. With the sun warming our backs we eventually made it to a cross road where one family left us and another joined. Again it was great to see large stretches of the river protected and naturally regenerating.

As we cruised along the edge of the creek I spoke to not only the parents of the family but also their kids. Listening to the kids and seeing how much they appreciated the environment that they were being brought up in showed that the future is bright. Maybe one day our great land can be returned to a state that resembles what it must have once looked liked when the greatest land managers the country has ever seen lived in harmony with nature.

We passed along a number of beautiful waterholes where we were assured platypi are commonly seen. By the time we reached out lunch destination the afternoon the was starting to close in, so we quickly demolished some sandwiches before leaving our fellow comrades for the day and finishing the walk.

The next section of creek saw a change in geology and once again large areas of volcanic rocks littered our path. There were some lovely deep water holes as well as some raised rock beds that could have been used to trap eels as they made there way up and down the river. There were a number of amazing scar trees along this section however we had to keep pushing in order to make camp before dark. While walking along the banks of the creek at a brisk pace a sudden clammer of sticks and branches could be heard above me and to my surprise a fox fell out of a hollow about 8 foot off the ground.

By the time we made camp the possums were starting to wake and stick there heads out from there sleeping haunts as there bellies were hungry and they could now safely search for food in the cover of darkness.

We were eating like kings once again with a fresh leg of venison. Cooked to perfection which would have made Jamie Oliver proud we all ate to our fill before settling in around the campfire to relax and let the soothing tones of the tin whistle relax our weary bodies.

Unfortunately, I had to go back to my employment on day 6 of the trek but it was worth every minute and every step of the seventy odd kilometres that I travelled and I would heartily recommend the experience to anyone wanting to get in touch with the land on a more personal level.