It was worth the 5.00am wake-up call to witness the sunrise over this magnificent part of north-eastern Victoria. Smoke haze from surrounding controlled-burn fires mixed with the misty coolness of an autumn morning created an eerily beautiful orange glow throughout the wetlands that formed a perfect silhouette for the drowned trees in the landscape. The place was alive with birds waking up to greet the sun whilst mobs of kangaroos foraged for grass before the heat of the day set in.
The Winton Wetlands is an ephemeral wetland system and a collaborative project of national scientific, environmental and cultural significance. The Reserve has 3800Ha of wetlands surrounded by 4,950Ha of red gum and box grassy woodlands, which includes 1850Ha of grazing land. It lies on the traditional lands of the Yorta Yorta people, near present-day Glenrowan. It attracts close to 200 species of birds, including several exquisite raptors, and is an important habitat for marsupials, frogs, turtles and many other animals, insects and plant species. Beautiful, interesting and important!
Landscape
The wetlands are accessible by road and various walking and cycling paths that have been created for people to enjoy the vast natural beauty of this place.
Birds and Animals
This is a great place for birdwatching and photography with woodland, bushland and wetlands all in one place, providing a variety of diverse habitats for a range of birds! We were amazed at how many raptors we saw, including the elegant black-shouldered kite, and the vast number of spoonbills wading through the still waters. There were lots of eastern grey kangaroos with joeys and a cute little water rat popped out of the reeds to greet us and wash his whiskers.
Art in nature
The wetlands has also inspired artists to interpret the landscape with various pieces of art and sculpture and create points of interest throughout the accessible areas. The Mokoan Hub & Cafe made a perfect starting point for the self-drive art trail through the wetlands along with a number of easy walks around the Hub that include some wonderful pieces from indigenous artists. A lovely natural children's playground in front of the cafe was inspiring - all created from natural bushland features. It was a refreshing change from the coloured plastic monstrosities that you generally find in parks and playgrounds around Australia. The cafe is a great place to sit and contemplate this amazing landscape whilst enjoying coffee and a well-earned brunch after such an early start to the day.
Wangaratta and Warby-Ovens Ranges
When planning our trip to Winton Wetlands, we decided to stay near the town of Wangaratta, perched on the junction of the King and Ovens Rivers and a gateway to the Victorian High Country. This enabled us to have a good look around the ruggedly spectacular Warby-Ovens Ranges for future camping adventures.
Up next, the Ramsar listed wetlands of Gunbower and Kerang in north-west Victoria!
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