Woodlands & Wetlands, Rhyll - July 2016

Open forest in the Oswin Roberts Koala Reserve.

This was the last walk that I did before going in for surgery on my leg, I was looking for an easy walk  with no chance of any bodily damage and at the same time a walk that Sam might enjoy. I figured that the Woodlands & Wetland Walk down at Rhyll would fit the bill. The almost flat walk and good tracks should provide for an easy stroll. So after breakfast down in Mornington, Sam and I jumped in the ute and headed down to Phillip Island for my last walk for awhile. The walk starts off passing through the Oswin Roberts Koala Reserve before heading into the Rhyll Wetland & Bird Sanctuary before heading back to the car park via some country roads. By the time we arrived at the start of the trail it was already after 1 pm so we were probably going to be getting back to the ute in the dark I reckon.

The tracks through the Oswin Roberts Koala Reserve are easy to follow.

And well signposted.

These nature reserves on Phillip Island are really quite small, so setting off north through the Oswin Roberts Koala Reserve it isn't unusual to be glimpsing rural farmland in the distance. The rural land actually adds to the walk a bit I think adding a bit of contrast to what is already fairly scenically diverse walk. Heading north through the koala reserve we kept our eyes on the trees hoping to spot a koala, we didn't have any luck today, but hey I did spot another humpy to add to my collection, we'll call this one the Rhyll Humpy I suppose. While we didn't see any koala's we did see a few echidna's burrowing their way down so it wasn't a wildlife free experience. 

The Rhyll Humpy.

Banksia Tree trunk.

Soon our walk had us arrive beside the Cowes - Rhyll Road, here the track parallels the road for awhile as it heads towards Conservation Hill. The walk along here to Conservation Hill passes though long sections of paperbark trees, duck boards easing our way over the damp ground that the paperbarks live in. The duck boarding made for easy walking though and it wasn't long before we made the short climb up to the look out on Conservation Hill, actually the lookout up here is pretty crap, someone has gone to a bit of trouble and expense to build a lookout but they seem to have built it in the wrong spot. There is a much better view out over Rhyll Inlet from the grassy approaches to the lookout rather than from the lookout itself.

The route passes by and through quite a few paperbark swamps.

Long sections of duck boarding kept our boots dry.

The climb up Observation Hill wasn't overly taxing.

Leaving the lookout at Conservation Hill we headed down onto the Rhyll Inlet Boardwalk, a long section of duck boarding that allows the walker to get up close and personal with the mangroves of Rhyll Inlet, the mangroves are some of the most southern most in Australia and the inlet is home to migratory waterbirds from around the world. If you have the patience and a good zoom this area would make for some great bird photos. Leaving the board walk the track climbs gently onto the low cliffs and heads for Rhyll. 

Sam heading out onto the Rhyll Inlet Boardwalk.

The mangroves of Rhyll Inlet.

The walk now takes on another aspect in that to our left we were looking down over Westernport Bay and Rhyll Inlet, and to our right we were passing rolling green paddocks and then the beach shacks on the outskirts of Rhyll. Interestingly along here we passed what looked like a lone Norfolk Island Pine with alopecia in a paddock, a closer look through the zoom in Sam's camera revealed a mobile phone tower with a few fake branches glued onto it, I think this one needs a bit of work from the Telstra R&D department if its meant to look like the real thing. The views out to Westernport Bay from the lookout at the old quarry was particularly good in the late afternoon light along this short section. Soon after passing the old quarry we started to pass along a narrow belt of grassy land between the cliff tops and the houses of Ryhll before we decended down to Fishermans Point and the small shopping strip of Rhyll.

The view out over Westernport Bay towards French Island from the old quarry lookout.

Rhyll Inlet in the late afternoon winter sun.

Hmm, looks like a stray Norfolk Island Pine with a severe case of alopecia!

I reckon Telstra's R&D department better get onto this.

When someone first thought up the phrase sleepy seaside village they must of been thinking about Rhyll, the small town is a very quiet place, especially in the depths of winter. We made our way around Beach Road, past the George Bass Memorial Cairn which looks suspiciously like the one over in Flinders, maybe they had a two for one offer back in the day? Passing the jetty the grassy verge beside the road made for easy walking, the sandy beach slowly turning back to Mangroves as we left town. 

Dropping down into the sleepy seaside town of Rhyll.

The George Bass Memorial Cairn looks a lot like the one over at Flinders.

The beach at Rhyll.

Eventually the sand gives way to mangroves again.

The rest of the walk is a little uninspiring actually, this walk is best done with a car shuffle, leaving one car at the koala reserve and another in Rhyll. Without the two cars we walked back to the koala reserve using Rhyll - Newhaven Road and then the quieter Harbison Road. The walk along Rhyll - Newhaven Road is easily the worst bit of the walk, there isn't a huge verge to walk on so you have to be a little careful of fast approaching traffic. That said the walk along the road allowed for a few different views over the surrounding farmland as well as down towards Churchill Island, the highlight of this road section was passing by a paddock filled with grazing black swans! Turning onto the gravel Harbison Road we walked the last kilometre or so in the gloom, the old Chicory Kiln in the paddock opposite the car park signalled our arrival back at the ute.

Black Swans grazing in a paddock beside the Rhyll - Newhaven Road.

The old Chicory Kiln marks the end of todays stroll.

The Dirt.

We walked 13.4 kilometres and climbed 137 metres on this easy stroll. Glen Tempest wrote this walk up in the first edition of Daywalks Around Melbourne, published back in 2000 it's long since out of print, although you may pick up a copy in a second hand bookshop somewhere. The book is worth chasing up if you can because it features a few walks that haven't been written up in any other guide books that I know of, including this one. Now while this walk isn't a hardcore epic or a walk full of stunning scenery, it is a nice easy afternoons stroll, featuring bush and coastal views as well as a good chance to see some wildlife and maybe grab a coffee in Rhyll, if anything in the sleepy town is open.

Here's some links to some more posts in the Phillip Island vicinity;

George Bass Coastal Walk

Cape Woolamai Walk

Pyramid Rock & Red Bluff Walk

There was plenty of animal life on this stroll, this wallaby was grazing near the Conservation Hill Car Park.