|
We stumbled across Clarkesdale on the Birdlife website... what a hidden gem close to Ballarat. Clarkesdale Sanctuary is about two hours from Melbourne and about 30 minutes from Ballarat. The day we visited, it was very empty (of people) and full of birdsong - rather lovely actually. The back story is that a local sheep farmer and conservationist, Gordon Clarke, created a 30+ hectare "bird paddock" in the 1960s. He later donated it to the Bird Observers Club, and then went on to add further parcels of land. He passed away in 1996 (aged 89) having established and endowed the Gordon Clarke Trust Fund to secure the future of the sanctuary (read more here). What a legacy! Thank you Gordon Clarke! That plaque a short walk into the sanctuary says it all: "if you seek his monument, look around". These days the sanctuary is always open and free, and the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail runs through it. There are also camping sites at the sanctuary - and we're looking forward to taking up that opportunity when the Troopy is ready. More information from Birdlife about visiting the sanctuary here.  Having forded the overflowing stream near the entrance (4WD recommended) we set off for a wander near the man-made wetlands. There were smaller birds everywhere. We were greeted on arrival by a golden whistler, always a promising start! Grey fantails, eastern yellow robins and wrens were in abundance. Another golden whistler made an appearance. The woodland provides an extremely pleasant ambling environment - visually pleasing, with stunning trees shedding their bark and wattle in abundance. But is also an auditory pleasure with so much bird song, and running streams. And the smell of the bush - you just wish you could bottle that!  We're always enchanted with parrots - and we had a lovely time with some crimson rosellas - an adult and a juvenile - fossicking among the eucalypt leaves.  Having walked both sides of the stream (it seems you can only cross at the rail trail, but this may need further exploration) we headed back to our vehicle for a spot of lunch and a sit by the stream. Bliss.  And one more thing: on the road back towards Ballarat, we passed signs point to the Devil's Kitchen. Intrigued, we stopped for a look, and here is what we saw... this also deserves a better look next time! Devil's kitchen in a geological reserve with evidence of gold mining, and from the looks, a great place to look for raptors. We didn't see any, but we'll be on the lookout next time.
Comments
|