Turtle tales

A Google search on the topic of turtles in the Barwon River does not prove particularly revealing, however there are definitely turtles to be found. In an earlier post I looked at the Eastern Snake-necked turtle which is found on Native Hut Creek and which is highlighted at the Turtle Bend community facility in Teesdale.


Eastern Snake-necked turtle. Image taken from :
http://www.australianfreshwaterturtles.com.au/

That being said, I am yet to spot an Eastern Snake-necked turtle in the wild and have not found specific mention of them occurring in the Barwon itself. For that matter, after spending quite a bit of time over a years on and around the river, I had never seen a turtle of any description - until this year when I saw two in a matter of a couple of weeks.
The first I spotted whilst paddling from Fyansford down to Breakwater during September. It was sitting on a log sunbaking and was quite happy to sit and watch while I snapped some photos:

Turtle on the Barwon at Fyansford

 It was clearly not an Eastern Snake-necked, so what was it? A little research suggested it was in fact a Murray River turtle (also known as a Macquarie turtle or Murray Short-necked turtle) and a fairly large one at that. So what was it doing in the Barwon? Well, these turtles live happily in captivity and I spotted this guy close to a reasonably populous part of the river. Perhaps it was an escaped pet - a one off.

Murray River turtle on the Barwon at Fyansford

A different view

But then, a couple of weeks later as I was paddling upstream above Merrawarp Road, some eight to nine kilometres from the place I spotted the previous turtle, I came across a second Murray River turtle. Like the first, this one was sunning itself on a branch, however it was smaller than the first and quite shy, disappearing back into the river before I had time to grab more than a couple of shots.

A second Murray River turtle on the Barwon

Another difference was that, this turtle was in a very rural part of the river and between this and the previous turtle is a stretch of river including the two weirs and Buckley Falls.
As with my search for information about Snake-neck turtles in the Barwon, I can find nothing which mentions a population of Murray River turtles being present either. In fact, one of the few references I found to turtles and the Barwon River did not really relate to turtles at all, rather it was a suggestion put forward that one explanation for the bunyip myth may have been a cultural memory of the extinct Meiolania platyceps or Meiolania prisca. The former being a large, horned turtle with a club tail which could measure up to 2.5 metres in length and the latter, a similarly large lizard.


Extinct giant turtle. Image taken from:
http://dinosaurs.wikia.com/wiki/File:Meiolania_platyceps.png

 All of which is interesting, however I am still none-the-wiser as to the presence of turtles of any description in the Barwon River.

Branching out - Teesdale's turtle

The Teesdale turtle

Another of the smaller tributaries to feed into the Barwon River is Native Hut Creek which rises near Meredith and follows a generally southerly direction through the town of Teesdale towards the Hamilton Highway where it is joined by Spring Creek and Stony Creek. A little over a kilometre further south it meets the Barwon, not far to the west of Murgheboluc.
Along this lower part of the creek, George Russell who settled the area for the Clyde Company (see Branching out - life at The Leigh) noted the number of "mia mias" or shelters built by the local Wathaurong tribe and it was for these that Native Hut Creek was named.

Parkland in the curve of Native Hut Creek at Turtle Bend

Prior to European settlement the Wathaurong presence extended right along the creek and included the Teesdale area. Native grasses and roots along with fish and birds provided food whilst creeks and rivers such as Native Hut Creek served as territorial boundaries and routes along which to travel.
Today, like the Barwon, the creek provides an important habitat for the flora and fauna of the region. It does not flow continuously except in times of high rainfall and flood, however there are pools along its course which provide permanent water for plants and animals alike. Fresh water springs which rise near Teesdale also drain underground into the creek and they, along with a billabong, were the original source of water for the newly-established town in 1851.
There is one important inhabitant of Native Hut Creek who has survived not only 40,000 years of indigenous occupation but also the arrival of European settlement: the Eastern Snake-necked Turtle. As its name suggests, it has a long snake-like neck which it snaps around to catch its food (insects and other small animals like frogs and fish). This species of turtle grow to a shell length of around 30cm in size. They spend most of the time in the water and during times of drought burrow into the mud at the bottom of creeks and pools for protection.
They tend to hibernate over the colder winter months so, needless to say, we didn't see any of the locals during our recent visit, however they do occasionally venture out and in the summer months can sometimes be seen crossing the main road, looking for alternative accommodation.
In recognition of their presence in the region, a small loop in the creek near the Bannockburn-Shelford Road bridge is known as Turtle Bend and in recent years, the area has been developed as a hub for community activities. Across a five year period from 2007, a concept was conceived and implemented by architects, artists, tradesmen, volunteers and government which has resulted in a public parkland within the curve of Turtle Bend.

The Turtle Bend rotunda

As its focus is a rotunda which is like no other; shaped in the likeness of a snake-necked turtle. The turtle's shell provides the roof whilst the paving on its floor resembles the underside of the shell. This inspired structure was designed by architect and local resident Stewart Seaton. The details of the concept and construction are described on the on-site information board pictured below:

Development of the Turtle Bend parkland and rotunda

The rotunda is used for local functions such as picnics and concerts such as the March, 2012 "Twilight at Turtle Bend" whilst the surrounding parklands provide a variety of recreational opportunities.
The creek itself is in the process of being rehabilitated with a number of invasive weeds being removed and replaced with native plantings, however there is still much to be done.