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Leichhardt's Loop

WelcomeWalk

CobbansMangroveTrack

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Schoolhouse Road

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Bush FoodGarden

Estuarine Interpretive CentreOpen by appointment only

CommunityGarden

M i l h a mPo n d s

P h o e n i xFl a t s

Mur-rungKorung

M e l a l e u caSwa l e

Crake Corner

Bittern Corner

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OldDairy

Wa t e r R i b b o nSwa l e

To TheWetlandsCentre

Key to Ash Island Site

Kooragang WetlandRehabilitation Project —Ash Island Site

Kooragang Nature Reserve,managed by NSW NationalParks and Wildlife Service

Road

Walking and cycle track

150 ha of Kooragang NatureReserve jointly managed byKWRP & NSW NSW NationalParks and Wildlife Service

Railway line

NSW Department of Commerce

Information

Parking

Male & female toilets

Freshwater wetland

Mangroves

Remnant rainforest

Plantings

Viewing mound

Saltwater wetland

Milham's Farmhouse

Disabled toilets

Fishing

Birdwatching

Historic site

Picnic table

Drinking water

Shelter

Mature ash tree

Jetty

Kooragang Wetlands Information Centre

Proposedcycleway

Rosel la Track

Scotts Point Walk Kooragang Cit yFarm

Mud dwellersMud is home to many creatures—crabs, worms, snails and othermolluscs—which feed on the debris found there and in turn arefood for fish, birds and other animals. At low tide, if you are verystill, you can see crabs grazing on algae and debris. About 10species of crab are found on Ash Island, the most striking beingthe purple-clawed semaphore crab and the red-fingered marshcrab. Look for footprints in the mud—what has been looking forfood here?

Fish and prawnsSchools of tiny juvenilefish live in the shelter ofmangroves; they swiminto the mangrove andsaltmarsh areas with theincoming tide. Look outfor them in the tidalcreeks and shallow pools.Species caught in theHunter include: seamullet, luderick, schoolprawns, flathead, tailor,bream and goby.

SaltmarshesSaltmarshes grow landward ofmangroves in areas where tidalflushing is less frequent. Commonsaltmarsh plants are samphire, saltcouch, arrowgrass and salt rush.Debris trapped in saltmarsh areas isbroken down by bacteria, worms andcrabs forming a rich compost thatwashes back into the mangroveswhere it becomes fish food.

Written in concreteScattered throughout this landscape arestructures that hint of the island’s morerecent, European past. Milham’s farmhouse,grain silos and concrete slabs of dairiesindicate past farming pursuits. Theschoolmaster’s house (now KooragangWetlands Information Centre) indicates thata sizeable community once lived here.

MangrovesMangroves grow wheretidal flushing occurs twicea day. The tidal movementhelps oxygenate thewater-logged soils. Greymangroves growthroughout the Hunterestuary’s intertidal zoneaided by ‘snorkels’ orbreathing roots calledpneumatophores.A second, less common,river mangrove grows inthe higher areas of theintertidal zone and has nopneumatophores. Lookout for these occasionalmulti-stemmed, round-leafed trees.

Rainforest remnantsOver 200 species of plants existed here in mid-1800. Morethan half of these formed coastal rainforest.Timber cuttingand land clearing have left only isolated patches of originalforest. Species found in these remnants include tuckeroo,thorned cockspur, whalebone, plum pine, ash tree and theendangered vine, white cynanchum. As you walk throughthese remnants watch out for colourful butterflies, snakesand thorny vines, and listen for small birds.

WELCOME TO KOORAGANG WETLANDS

Freshwater wetlands and frogs Although most of thewetland areas here aresaltwater, freshwaterwetlands form whereground is higher or tidalflows have been blockedby roads. These are hometo a unique set of plantsand animals includingribbon weed and typha,and 15 species of frogincluding theendangered green andgolden bellfrog.

Help

While exploring KooragangWetlands please:

➢ keep to roads, walking andcycling tracks

➢ take your rubbish with you ➢ keep dogs on a leash at all

times➢ no fires, no camping➢ keep this habitat healthy ➢ report sightings of less

commonly seen wildlifee.g. frogs, snakes, birds

➢ report any vandalism

Saltmarsh

Grey mangrovesMud

High tide

Low tide

Intertidal zone

Rivermangroves

Rainforest

King tide

Visitor Facilities The Kooragang Wetlands Information Centre is housed inthe restored 1890s schoolmaster’s house. Open at times

posted outside thecentre (phone 02-4964 9308).

The EstuarineInterpretativeCentre is housed ina World War II radarstation. Open byappointment only (phone02-4964 9308).

CHANGE:THE ONE CONSTANTIN AN ESTUARY

Change is a feature of allliving systems, and in anestuarine situation, such asKooragang Wetlands,changes are even morepronounced. Change canbe fast or gradual, a resultof natural processes orhuman activity.

Tidal changes are themost frequent. Twice a daythe water level risesbringing with it nutrients,small fish and othercreatures seeking foodand shelter amongst themangroves andsaltmarshes. Twice a daythe water level fallsexposing mudflats onwhich crabs and waderbirds feed.

Slow natural changessuch as a combination oferosion, land subsidenceand sea level change hasallowed mangroveseedlings to establishthemselves in areaspreviously dominated bysaltmarsh. Over time, as anarea becomes more, orless, salty, a differentcommunity of plants (andanimals dependent onthose plants) is favoured.

Man-made changes:Most of the recent changeon Ash Island has been theresult of human activity.Blocking of tidal creekshas led to mangrove andsaltmarsh losses and theflourishing of sheoaks andfreshwater vegetation. Astidal flows are restored,freshwater vegetation willdie in the brackishconditions, and mangroveand saltmarsh will oncemore dominate. On higherground, land clearing andthe introduction ofpasture grasses and otherweeds have resulted in theloss of native vegetationand the wildlife thatdepended on it.

Various walks enable you to explore themysteries of the tidal world, glimpse themajesty of once luxuriant rainforest anddiscover historic ruins that hint of bygonedays. Kooragang Wetlands is beingrestored in a number of ways; returnregularly to witness its transformation.

Guided walks are conducted at timesposted at the Kooragang WetlandsInformation Centre or by arrangement(phone 02-4964 9308). This brochureprovides information for those wishing toexplore the Ash Island site without a guide.

Juvenile semaphore crab

Luderick

Green and golden bellfrog

Mangrove boardwalk

Saltmarsh

White cynanchumCross-section of different habitats found on Ash Island

Milham’s farmhouse

BirdsOver 200 species of birds live in or visit the Hunter River estuary.About half these are waterbirds of which 34 species aremigratory waders. Thousands of these waders spend fromOctober to April in the estuary. They can sometimes be seen atlow tide searching on mudflats and saltmarshes for tinycrustaceans and other mud dwellers. Around April they return toSiberia and northern Asia to breed. Other birds can be seen allyear round.

White-faced heron

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Kooragang Wetlands Information Centre

Kooragang Wetlands:YesterdayPre-European era:For thousands of years Aboriginal peoplehave hunted and gathered food on and around the 20 or so

islands and mudflatsof the Hunter Riverestuary.The variousclans of the Worimiand Awabakalpeoples thrived onabundant fish,shellfish,water birdsand other animals.Coastal rainforestflourished in non-tidal areas of theislands.

Timber-getting era:Within twenty years of European arrival in1797,most valuable timber,such as red cedar and ash,hadbeen removed from the Hunter estuary islands.

‘A remarkably fine place’:Ash Island was granted to A.W.Scott,entrepreneur and keen naturalist in 1827.He grew orangesand established market gardens at Scotts Point.His daughters,Helena and Harriet,recorded and painted the diverse flora andfauna of the island.Visiting naturalists,the Goulds and LudwigLeichhardt,enthused about ‘the beauty of nature’and the‘great number of plants’found there.

Farming era:Ash Island was subdivided in the1860s and landwas cleared and drained for further agriculture.There were 17dairies with 55 families from the early to mid 1900s,and aschool was established.But floods,culminating in a two-metredeluge in 1955,made farming increasingly difficult.

Industrial era:Port and industrial activities started in thesouth-east of the estuary in the late 1800s.By the1960s mostof the estuary islands had been joined to form onelandmass—named Kooragang Island in 1968—which wasintended as one large industrial complex.Farms on thewestern—Ash Island—end were resumed for this purpose,butdue to flooding and other concerns industrialisation has notoccurred in this area.

Environmental era:In the1980s the north-eastern third ofKooragang Island was set aside as part of Kooragang NatureReserve and in 1984 declared a Ramsar site (‘wetland ofinternational importance’).Kooragang Nature Reserve is nowpart of the Hunter Estuary Wetlands.

EXPLORING KOORAGANGWETLANDS

How to get there

By car, bike or on footKooragang Wetlands (Ash Island site) is accessed via Ash Island

bridge, 100 m east of McDonalds on the Pacific Highway at

Hexham (12 km west of Newcastle).

From Sydney, take the F3 north to the end of the freeway.

Turn right towards Newcastle and travel 7.5 km along the Pacific

Highway until you reach the Ash Island bridge.

By public transportTrain: From Hexham Station (on the Hunter Line), travel 2.5 km

east along Pacific Highway to Ash Island bridge.

Bus: Blue Ribbon 140 (Newcastle Station to Raymond Terrace),

ask the driver to stop at Ash Island bridge.

2 km

North Channel

HEXHAMSWAMP

NEWCASTLE

South Channel

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FullertonCove

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KOORAGANGISLAND

Industrial area

Nature Reserve

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Further informationKooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project

Address PMB 2010, Paterson NSW 2421Phone (02) 4964 9308

Fax (02) 4964 9307Mobile phone 0419 019 662

Email sue.rostas@cma.nsw.gov.auWebsite www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au/kooragang

Kooragang Wetlands:Vision for the futureThe return of sustainable natural abundance to the Hunterestuary

➢ well managed, productive and appreciated wetlands➢ a great place to visit for fishing, birdwatching, history,

walking and cycling ➢ a thriving, productive, sustainable City Farm in harmony

with its wetland surrounds➢ increased areas of lush vegetation attracting birds and

other animals native to coastal rainforest

Major sponsors

➢ Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment ManagementAuthority

➢ NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning andNatural Resources

➢ Newcastle City Council

➢ Port Stephens Council

➢ NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries

➢ NSW Department of Environment and Conservation

➢ Port Waratah Coal Services

Kooragang Wetlands:TodayThe problem:There havebeen losses of over 1300haof fisheries and otherwildlife habitat in theHunter River estuary overthe past 200 years.

The response:TheKooragang WetlandRehabilitation Project(KWRP) was initiated in 1993to restore and createfisheries and other wildlifehabitat in the Hunter Riverestuary while creatingopportunities for research,education and recreation.

The place:Three sites wereidentified as suitable areas:Ash Island (780 ha),Tomago(800 ha) (no public access)and Stockton high tide roost(10 ha).Together these sitesmake up KooragangWetlands.

Ash Island is the mostaccessible and active site ofKooragang Wetlands.

In low-lying areas thefisheries habitat is being restored by removing obstructions towater flow.

Permanent and solar-powered electric fencing has beenerected to protect all river banks and waterways from cattle.

In non-tidal areas more than 120,000 trees and shrubs ofspecies that once grew on the island have been planted since1995.These are helping to protect riverbanks and expand areasof coastal rainforest,home of an endangered vine.Birds andbutterflies are increasingly attracted to these areas.

Researchis being used to guide the rehabilitation of KooragangWetlands and monitor its success.

Education:Guided tours on a variety of subjects are available byappointment for school and community groups and individuals.

Kooragang City FarmKooragang City Farm isinvestigating andpromoting agriculturaltechniques that areproductive,yet inharmony withsurrounding wetlands,on 150 ha of the AshIsland site.

City Farm incorporates:➢fencing to protect all waterways and river frontage

➢the restoration of vegetation along waterways

➢mixed eucalypt forestry

➢cattle grazing (using holistic management) to achievemore beef from less land under hoof

➢bush food,vegetable,and herb gardens

➢citrus,stone and tropical fruit tree trials

At the north-west corner of City Farm is Riverside Park,featuring a jetty and recreational area for picnicking andfishing.Further east lies the ruins of Milham’s farmhouseand dairy,built in the 1860s (see separate brochure).

Volunteers

Volunteers play a large partin helping to restore thevegetation of Ash Island.Since 1995 more than120,000 trees and shrubshave been planted.If youhave time,come along toone of our volunteers days.All are welcome.

Tree planting:3rd Sunday ofevery month except December,9.30 am start,barbecuelunch provided.(N.B.November,January and February,8.30am start,morning tea provided).Bush regeneration:every Wednesday,8 am to 2 pm.City Farm Community Garden:every Tuesday and Friday,8am to 2 pm.

MOSCHETOISLAND

ISLAND

ASH

DEMPSEYISLAND

SPIT ISLAND

DUNNS ISLAND

SMITHS ISLAND

MOSCHETOCREEK

HUNTERRIVER—NORTHARM

HEXHAMISLAND

HUNTERRIVER—SOUTHARM

Present-day Kooragang Island

Map of Hunter Estuaryin 1800

SPECTACLEISLANDS

WALSH ISLANDCreated late 1800s from

Spectacle Islands andsandbars

N

BULLOCK ISLAND

CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITYCMAHunter-Central Rivers

Ash Island

The tide is returning to Kooragang—we hope you will too.

Kooragang Wetlands: A great place to

see restoration of fisheries, wildlife

habitat and rainforest. Walk, cycle, fish,

birdwatch, discover the past.Wetland Rehabilitation

Project

ooragang

A volunteer plants an ash tree

A guided tour at Kooragang City Farm

Des

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Dead mangroves

Monitoring fisheries

Revegetating riverbanks

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RIS PATTERSON

KEVIN M

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Updated July 2005