The park in the centre of Mathoura

 

Mathoura
Gateway to the World's largest red gum forest.
Mathoura is a country town of the Riverina region located 768 km south-west of Sydney, 34 km south of Deniliquin and 97 m above sea-level. The town's main claim to fame is that it is the gateway to the world's largest red gum forest.

Originally known as Red Bank, the first stations were established in the early 1840s. The cemetery of one of the first families, the McLaurins, who arrived at that time, can be found 14 km east, near the Cornalla homestead,with tombstones dating back to 1853. Turn off Picnic Point Rd on to the Tocumwal Rd.

Not surprisingly, timber has proven an economic mainstay of the area ever since the woodcutters first arrived in the 1850s. It is used for railway sleepers, fence posts, house stumps etc. In the early days the fallen trees were hauled by bullocks to the riverbank where they were loaded on barges and taken to the sawmills. The sawyers often left behind large stumps which can still be found in the forest. Their size is owing to the fact that the red gum tends to be hollow at the base and so the timber-getters inserted a board in the base of the tree and stood upon it while cutting through the tree up to 3 m above the ground.

Things to see:  

 

Gulpa Creek with red river gums

 

Mathoura Forest
Mathoura Forest covers 53 000 acres and abounds with flora and fauna. The plentiful supply of game and water was an irresistible combination for the Aborigines who once dwelt here. Trees scraped of bark for the construction of canoes and burial mounds can still be seen in the district.

The red gum requires a plentiful supply of water to regenerate and local rainfall is insufficient. Thus the forest owes its existence to the periodic flooding which occurs when snow melts on the mountaintops hundreds of kilometres to the east.

There are numerous beautiful drive trails which wind through the forest where some of the trees rise to a height of 40 m. A warning however, while a scan of even a good travelling map may leave you with the impression that you know where you are headed the imbroglio of crisscrossing trails in the bush can be very disorienting and a very different experience to staring at a rudimentary map. So, be sure to obtain a topographical or forestry map before heading off.

 

Cadell Tilt
Within the forest is the Cadell Tilt, a north-south fault in the earth's surface where the land to the west of the fault was lifted 10-12 m. This blocked the flow of the Murray and forced it to divide, creating the anabranch that is the Edward River. The Tilt is visible on the eastern side of the Cobb Highway where the ground slopes down to the forest .

Another geological feature of historical interest are the large dunes which once bordered an old extinct river. They are the highest point in the forest and are covered with different vegetation - white cypress pine and yellow box.

A circular walkway (1.5 hours) that departs from the car park and picnic-barbecue area off Picnic Point Road takes you to a waterbird observatory where you can see the many pelicans, swans, cormorants, kingfishers, ibis, spoonbills and duck species which inhabit the wetlands. There are also martins, blue wrens, doves, cockatoos, parrots, eagles, hawks and warblers in the area and some can be seen from another observation mound which lies further along the track. There are also kangaroos, possums, foxes and emus in the drier areas and the occasional platypus and water rat about the waterways.

Gulpa Island is contained between the Edward River and Gulpa Creek. The drive there will take you to some beautiful picnic and camping spots. There is a boat ramp at Picnic Point which provides access to the Murray and numerous other points at which a launch is possible.

Information about the forest and its various trails and facilities is available from the State Forestry Department at Deniliquin

 

 

 

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Mathoura