After scouting this walk in February 2020, it felt like an eternity since we’d been to this part of the Seven Creeks. Our first ever riparian walk started at the most downstream publicly accessible stretch of the Sevens, so for our last walk, we thought we’d see what the top had to offer. Turn out there was more farmland, less boulders, and 100% fewer snakes than our fateful first walk.
Walkers on this 7.5km walk were met with clear skies and sunshine at the starting point on Watkins Rd at 8:45am. After brief introductions, we set off into a rarely seen part of the Sevens. Typical of the Strathbogie area, the creek soon merged into diffuse swampland, with the flowing water buried under plains of reeds and rushes. Waterproof boots were essential if you weren’t careful where you stood.
Starting on private property, we reached the part of the Seven Creeks that’s protected by public river frontage near Ankers Rd. From here, it’s possible to walk all the way down to Gooram Falls without setting foot on private property (if you’re tough enough to walk through blackberries, that is).
After a brief smoko break, the gentle meander was continued to the Ankers Rd bridge, and beyond to the lunch destination nestled amongst the trees on the Krumins estate. From there, another 20 minutes saw walkers back at their cars by 1:45pm, ready to make the most of the remaining afternoon.
Other than herds of kangaroos and a sprinting fox, no other wildlife of note was witnessed. Huge wombat holes abounded along the creek edge however.
Blackberries were a common sight, with the path having to be modified at one section to avoid a dead end of the spiky menace. Further down the Seven Creeks on previous scouting walks, blackberries were found to literally fill the frontage fence lines, making access impossible.
A big thanks to all attendees, as well as landholders Phillip Symes and Edward and Virginia Krumins for allowing us to access their beautiful properties. Thank you also to those who volunteered to help with the car shuffle, and to Justus Hagen for his tireless flagellation of the slow walkers.
