Just another day on the Barwon

The weather on Saturday was sensational. Sunny and warm with a slight breeze. The perfect day for a paddle and some photography, so here are the results.
I was on the water at St Albans by 1pm and headed down to Tait's Point. The birds were out and about, as was a farmer feeding cattle. As I headed towards the lower breakwater I spotted something I hadn't seen over the Barwon before. Skydivers!


Skydivers just visible in the distance

As I watched, a light aircraft zoomed overhead and four parachutes drifted down. I paddled on hoping for a better angle and a closer shot, but didn't have any success.
 I continued my journey and did the usual lift and drag around the breakwater. A little further downstream I met up with another paddler who was heading up for a spot of our common hobby - geocaching.


Expansive views across Lake Connewarre

Together we headed down to Tait's Point and then across to a place which I've often seen but never been to before - The Island. This is an outcrop of land which juts into Lake Connewarre near Tait's Point but is not (except in times of flood I suspect) wholly separate from the land surrounding the lake. I have not so far managed to find much information about "The Island" except that it may have been here on 9th November, 1874 that a shooting accident occurred which left a young boy dead - something of which I was unaware as I climbed up the slope.
At its highest point, The Island rises to about 15m above sea level, meaning that from this point, the surrounding views are expansive.


 

Lake Connewarre looking north west from The Island

Having found what we came for (ie the cache), we took a few moments to snap some photos of the lake which on a clear day like this was sparkling, before heading back to the kayaks for the paddle back up to the lower breakwater where my companion had a second cache to find. At this point we parted ways and I headed back to town whilst he headed back downriver.
When I arrived, the cattle I had passed earlier were chewing away at the hay the farmer had distributed for them and were quite happy to watch from the bank as I snapped some shots. The carp which had been jumping out of the water throughout my paddle were not so obliging.

Cows and calves

Despite the mild conditions, there was still just enough of a breeze to keep the windmills turning, although whether they are still used to pump water from the river I can't tell.

I don't think the truck is going anywhere soon!

 As I neared the water ski club at the end of Wilsons Road, I was overtaken by one of the locals who was out in a craft of a rather different sort to that usually seen on this part of the river. Rather than the roar of large engines, this little boat quite definitely "chugged" along.

Out for a cruise



Fortunately for my ease of paddling and perhaps a little surprising given the weather, there were no speedboats out at all. Consequently I had a quiet paddle up this section of the river with no disturbances, although by this stage (heading for 20km) the blisters were starting to make themselves felt as were the muscles across my shoulders.

The scenery was the usual mix of farms and historical structures which can be found throughout Breakwater on one side of the river and Marshall on the other.

The aqueduct

One activity which did seem to be particularly popular as it was by now late in the afternoon was fishing. Every little gap in the reeds with public access seemed to be occupied by someone fishing from the bank.

Finally, by 5:45pm I was at the upper breakwater and well and truly ready for a lift home.

The chimneys of Haworth's and Fowler's tanneries at Breakwater

Just another ordinary day on the Barwon really.



The new toy

Yesterday we finally had the chance to put our new toys to the test on the Barwon in perfect summer conditions - the kayaks we bought Sarah and me for Christmas. We'd had a couple of trial runs on Swan Bay while we were away but this was our first chance to get out on the river.

Sarah on the Barwon

My intention was not only to get a different perspective on the river, but to see those stretches which I can't access from the bank. I'm dying to know what I've been missing!
So, with Peter on hand to lug kayaks and do pick ups, we hit the river at Breakwater and headed downstream, behind the businesses along Tucker Street and out through the farms in Marshall.

Farm machinery on the riverbank at Marshall

We headed past a few of the remnant willows and 19th century chimneys of the tanneries which featured in some of my earliest posts.
In the reeds on the Marshall bank I spotted a fox which had emerged via track it had clearly used before to drink at the river. Predictably, it froze and watched us closely as I extracted the camera and then with perfect timing disappeared back amongst the reeds the second I attempted to take a shot.

The aqueduct and Goat Island

Next we had the opportunity to see the aqueduct and Goat Island from midstream before heading around the bend towards Wilsons Road. As we paddled this stretch of the river, I was very mindful that in the days of James Lister Cuthbertson and the boys from Grammar and College this was known as the "Long Reach", a broad, straight stretch used for informal races and training which I discussed in my post The Willows.

Looking down the Long Reach

I suspect that were the boys of the 19th century to visit the Long Reach today, they would find it somewhat changed. Many of the exotic plantings which lined the banks at this time have been removed and the Australian Tannery which Cuthbertson mentions is no more than a low bluestone wall as viewed from the river. Since 1961, the reach itself has been home to the Geelong Water Ski Club who have clubrooms at the end of Wilsons Road and the weather being what it was, there were two boat-owners who had taken the opportunity to get out on the water.
Sticking close to the bank and riding out the backwash, we paddled on into quieter waters, headed for Reedy Lake. I would love to say that as we rounded the bend, all was revealed and the location of The Willows camp which I spent so much time trying to locate became immediately obvious, however this was not the case. The river narrows at this point and in places there were some stands of non-indigenous trees such as cypress overhanging the river, but no willows and no obvious point at which to camp. Nor was it easy from this point to get my bearings with respect to the outside world (so-to-speak) in order to take a guess at the likely location.

Passing through Reedy Lake surrounded by a sea of Fairy Martins flitting around overhead

The river channel is quite defined and so tall are the reeds that it was difficult to tell where the boundaries of Reedy Lake were (they don't call it that for nothing!), however when we arrived at the lower breakwater some 3km further downstream, there was no doubting our location. What was not so clear was how we were to navigate the obstacle in question. The lower break is quite different to that at Breakwater and the water level seemed significantly deeper. Fortunately, Sarah soon spotted a break in the reeds on the south bank where other paddlers had addressed the problem and we were able (albeit up to our knees in mud) to drag the kayaks out and round and then drop them back in the river on the other side.
I took the opportunity whilst on land to arrange our pick up from Tait's Point and to grab a few shots of the lower break before we hit the water for our final leg.

The lower breakwater in Reedy Lake

Whilst the weather was perfect and "Cuthy" spins a charming picture of crews rowing under the twinkling stars, I wasn't keen to navigate my way across Lake Connewarre in darkness, so, with the sun threatening to disappear and an uncertain distance remaining we kept moving.

Gates used to control the flow of water through the break

The first thing we noticed about the river below this second break were the large numbers of dead carp lining both sides of the waterway. A quick Google search turned up a detailed discussion on the management of the complex of lakes and swamps which rely on inflow from the Barwon and recognised  the need to control carp but did not explain what we were seeing, so I am still unsure whether such numbers of dead carp are normal or the result of some "event".

Sunset below the break

Like most of the rest of the channel through Reedy Lake we were hemmed in on both sides by reeds which limited our view of the surrounding land/water until, about half an hour later, we emerged into the tip of Lake Connewarre in time to see the sun setting over Geelong and our ride home pulling up at the boat ramp.

The tip of Lake Connewarre with the outskirts of Geelong on the skyline

Within a few minutes we had made the short trip across to the opposite side of the lake, had a brief chat to a pair of fishermen making the most of the weather, loaded up and made the somewhat longer journey home. All up, we covered about 11km in the boats during a comfortable 3 1/2 hour paddle, a distance by my calculations, a little over 3km shorter than the trip home by road.
The only question now, is which bit to explore next?

Grand designs

It is easy enough to look at the history of the Barwon - particularly since European arrival - or to observe what is happening at the present time, but what of the future? Are there plans in place which will determine what will happen to the river, its resources and its surrounding environment?
Well yes, and as far as the section of the river through Geelong is concerned quite a bit of information is available on-line and through the media. Most obvious perhaps is the Barwon (through Geelong) Management plan which has been much cited of late in relation to those controversial ash and elm trees along the river at Fyans Park, as does the  Barwon & Moorabool River Reserves Masterplan & Management Plan.

The Barwon near Queen's Park

Something which attracted my attention several weeks back was an advertisement/article in the paper which lead me to a website I can no longer locate. It seemed however, to be largely based around details which can be found in the G21 Regional Growth Plan. Whilst the time frame under consideration is in the order of 20 years, the document provides a tantalising glimpse of what might be possible once the Batesford Quarry is decommissioned and the area transformed into a mixed residential and employment zone capable of housing up to 30,000 residents. The area I believe is designated as Batesford South and includes the Moorabool River between Batesford and Fyansford as well as the Barwon out as far as Friend In Hand Road.

View across the Moorabool Valley including the Ring Road and part of the
area proposed for development

Of specific relevance to this blog are the plans which would see the Moorabool through this area become a parkland within a 200m green zone including the ultimate conversion of the quarry itself into a large lake.

View of the Batesford Quarry across the Midland Highway near Ring Road

Also included in the larger scheme of things is the currently stalled Fyansford Green project which is on hold pending a buyer after a part of the Moltoni Group who owned the land met with financial difficulties.

The view from "Cementies" hill looking out over the Fyansford Green site

An extension of this project would also see a clean up and rehabilitation of the now disused CSR Quarry on the west bank of the river. I have no idea how current it is, but I did find a link to the following diagram which shows the layout of what the future quarry development would look like.
On the other edge of this proposed development is of course, the Barwon. I have mentioned in previous posts that there have been proposals to extend the river trail further up and downstream. I was under the impression that the track past Baum's Weir would be extended up to the Ring Road, however I have so far seen no sign of this.

Informal track beside the Barwon below Mt Brandon Peninsula

On the opposite side of the river however, at Mt Brandon Peninsula, it seems that things may be afoot. This week, a media release reported that a draft proposal by the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) for the Mount Brandon Landscape Plan is being put out for public comment. On the agenda are a raft of changes including the usual infrastructure of paths, picnic facilities, public toilets, carparking and so on. What it doesn't mention is the time frame involved or an expected start date...or who exactly is providing the cash.

Remains of the the water race which fed the Barrabool
Four Mill on Mount Brandon Peninsula, dating to the 1850s

As I write this blog, the CoGG Community Update for August, 2012 has just landed in my mailbox and lo and behold, the entire front page and several subsequent pages have been given over to promoting what's new along the Barwon through Geelong and much of it can also be found on the CoGG website following the "Leisure" then "Paths, trails and tracks" links. Another useful document under the "Projects, plans and studies" links is the "Greater Geelong Cycle Strategy" which incorporates information about the cycle trails around the river and ideas for future development. The main drawback here however, is that the document was produced in 2008 and some of the plans do not reflect the current situation.

Ovoid sewer aqueduct at Breakwater

At the Breakwater end of the river for instance, I have seen tantalising glimpses of what might be. At various times there has been talk of paths extending along the riverbank (on one side or the other) as far as the aqueduct and beyond. The cycle strategy document mentioned above shows a "proposed" trail all the way along the river to Barwon Heads, however we know from a recent comment sent my way by a Parks Victoria representative that it "ain't gunna happen". What would be really useful is an up to date, straightforward outline of what "is gunna happen" or perhaps even what "might happen" given funding issues and environmental concerns along the lower reaches of the river.



Bird on a Wire...

...and a pole and a fence...Yesterday's jaunt saw us headed back to Breakwater to have - in my case - another look at the aqueduct. With all the recent rain it was as boggy as I have ever seen it. The cisticolas were up and about despite the rather chilly conditions, but there was little sign of most of the other birds usually around.

Golden-headed Cisticola

We squelched our way along to the end of Boundary Road and back then headed over to the aqueduct. We hadn't made it too far along the track before we were confronted by not one, but two raptors. It is not uncommon to see them circling over head or - on one occasion - perched on the aqueduct itself. These two however were on the wire fence only a short distance from us - although still a little too far for the limited zoom capacity of my camera. As we approached, they moved along the fence, keeping us at a distance, but not keen to take flight.
This of course allowed for some reasonable shots, which I duly took. Exhibit A was a Nankeen Kestrel

Nankeen Kestrel

which kept a close eye on us, but then found something of interest in the bushes growing along the fence and hopped down briefly from its post to investigate.

Nankeen Kestrel flapping about in the bushes

The second bird was a Black-shouldered Kite which seemed a little less concerned by our presence than the kestrel, but was none-the-less watchful, prefering in general to keep an eye on us from the safety of a convenient pole when we approached the fence too closely.

Black-shouldered Kite

Pole-sitting however, was not without its difficulties as the kite discovered. Its initial attempts to perch resulted in a certain amount of flapping around and resettling before it got its balance sorted.

Black-shouldered Kite attempting to balance on the top of a pole



Tinker, tailor...

With the weather turning cooler and wetter last week, I didn't get to the river to search out any fodder for my blog, however this week, things have turned pleasant again weatherwise so I have been out and about. On Tuesday I dragged out the bike and rode the trail down to Buckley Falls and back via Breakwater. It was a pleasant ride and I counted 35 different species of birds, most of them relatively common. Interesting, but not exactly thrilling blog material.
On Thursday, in search of something a little different, I headed to the aqueduct. I haven't been to that part of the river for a few months - mostly because of the long grass during summer. As we saw recently, I have no difficulty finding snakes on clear, frequently used paths in autumn, so I didn't fancy chancing my luck on seldom-used, overgrown goat tracks in the middle of summer!
Even on this occasion I was suitably cautious.
Firstly I wandered down the rutted track which is the end of Boundary Road all the way to the river. I could hear Spotted Marsh Frogs in all directions, but as usual had no luck er...spotting one. Somewhat surprisingly as the weather was mild and there was only a gentle breeze, there were very few birds around. Usually this area is a hive of activity and I often see birds here which I don't see on other parts of the river.
Of course there were the usual New Holland Honey Eaters, Superb Fairy-wrens, a Mudlark and a couple of Magpies, but nothing less common - with one exception. The Golden-headed Cisticola. They were everywhere. This is the only part of the river on which I have found them, but I can be pretty much guaranteed that I will either see or hear them on any occasion I am in the area.

Golden-headed Cisticola

These little guys are amongst my favourite birds to photograph. The way they grab the reeds they hide amongst can make for some rather comical shots. They are somewhat cautious and won't let me get too close, however when they perceive I am at a safe distance, the males happily hop about amongst the foliage, all the while keeping a close eye on me.

Golden-headed Cisticola

They are also quite vocal and their call is rather distinctive, it's most noticeable characteristic being a high-pitched, drawn out squeak. To my ear it sounds much like the noise I remember a frog making as it was being eviscerated by the cat when I was a kid.

Golden-headed Cisticola

A little research tells me that these guys are also known as Tailorbirds for their habit of stitching leaves to the outside of their nest. Like Willie Wagtails, they use fine grasses and cobwebs in the construction along with other soft material which is used to line the nest.

Golden-headed Cisticola, rear view

They eat insects and seeds from amongst the bushes in which they hide and are non-migratory, staying put year-round which explains why they are always there when I am. They seem to have a preference for the shrubs and reeds which grow along the edge of the track to the river, rather than those nearer the aqueduct.
I did wander over in that direction and managed to get a few blurry photos of a raptor which circled overhead and perched briefly on one of the concrete piers. It took off again before I could get close enough for a decent shot and then reappeared circling above for several minutes, but at no time close enough to get a better photo. As best I can tell, it was probably a Brown Falcon, but I couldn't be sure.

Can't go over it, can't go under it, can't go round it...

About a week ago I headed off to explore a section of the Barwon I had previously only seen at a distance - the aqueduct. As I described in a previous post, the ovoid sewer aqueduct over the Barwon is a concrete truss construction built between 1913 and 1916 to carry waste from Geelong to Black Rock where it emptied into the sea.

Ovoid sewer aqueduct over the Barwon River

The aqueduct was in use until 1993 when it was replaced by a new sewer main running under the river which operates via a pump-boosted gravity system, providing a cost-effective and technologically innovative solution to Geelong's sewage needs. A more detailed description of the new system can be found on the following page: A Boost For Geelong.
The aqueduct still stands as an historic monument, mostly hidden from public view, but still accessible if you know how. As the title of this blog suggests however, viewing is all that is currently possible. Whilst there is a walkway across the top of the pipe, the concrete of the structure is in such poor condition that it is unsafe to approach it. This has occurred due to the loss of calcium from the concrete of the structure which has rendered it brittle and crumbling. This means not only can it not be crossed, but it is not possible to pass under the structure either.
The aqueduct is heritage listed and is a spectacular example of early 20th century engineering in Australia, however its very poor state of repair means that no-one is currently prepared to foot the no doubt substantial bill for its restoration. It can only be hoped that with the proximity of the new Armstrong Creek development on the south side of the river, the aqueduct will be seen as a useful feature to be incorporated into the new development - perhaps in the form of a pedestrian crossing point in an extended Barwon River trail, leading down from Breakwater. For now however, this would seem to be nothing more than a...pipe dream!
In addition to visiting the aqueduct, we went for a wander down the track which is the end of Boundary Road. I hadn't been here before either. It is heavily rutted with rubbish dumped here and there to either side. At this time of year and with no recent rain, it was quite walkable, with only the very last approach to the river somewhat squishy, however this was mitigated by some conveniently laid planks.

"Greenbanks", Marshall

From here, there is a distant view of the aqueduct, but most notable is the historic homestead "Greenbanks" where I believe I stayed once or twice in my teens. Sited on the Marshall side of the river, this privately-owned property was originally the owner's home associated with the Braealy Brothers Australian Tannery complex, the ruins of which can be seen nearby.
Otherwise, there isn't a great deal to see on this part of the river. This is, after all, a flood plain, meaning that it is flat, wide and marshy. What I did notice however, is that the variety of bird life is somewhat different to other areas and I was able to spot a number of birds I hadn't seen  - see my bird page for updates. The new additions were Yellow-rumped Thornbills which I'd seen elsewhere but not along the river, White-faced Chats, a single Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo, Black-shouldered Kites and more notable for their calls than their visibility - Little Grassbirds and Golden-headed Cisticolas. Hopefully I can continue to add to the tally.

Building Bridges

Bridges are useful things, but we do tend to take them for granted. You can cross over them, jump from them, be pushed from them, fall from them and even - as I discovered - throw murdered bodies off them. When they are not there, life becomes significantly more difficult.
During the recent floods, the bridge over the Barwon at Breakwater was, as usual, out of action forcing a significant amount of traffic to use other crossings. Imagine the inconvenience then, when the only real bridge over the river - the Barwon Bridge on Moorabool Street - was swept away in the major floods of May, 1852. It had only been built in 1848.

Construction of the new bridge at Breakwater

It was not until the end of the year that the government organised a punt to carry those wishing to cross the river from one side to the other. This situation continued for another year until two more punts were rigged to form a floating pontoon, which then had to suffice until a two-lane iron bridge was built in 1859. One imagines that private vessels were also used to cross the river and that some private operators charging a fee may not have been so unhappy with the loss of the bridge as the general community.
The current bridge - widened in the 1960s and again last year to meet requirements for the International World Cycling Championships held in Geelong - was built in 1926 to allow trams to cross.
As a quick search of Wikipedia will tell you, that in addition to the Barwon Bridge there are a number of bridges crossing the Barwon along its lower reaches. There is the controversially rebuilt Barwon Heads bridge at the mouth of the Barwon, joining Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. In addition to the Barwon Bridge, Geelong has the ovoid sewer aqueduct, the Breakwater Bridge and the rail bridge which crosses both the river and the road bridge at this point, the James Harrison Bridge, the McIntyre Bridge, the Queen's Park Bridge and even the little foot bridge which crosses the Barwon at Fyansford. Then there is the soon to be completed replacement for the Breakwater Bridge which will re-align Breakwater road and flood-proof the river crossing at that point.

John M McIntyre Bridge

Whilst not always the most aesthetically attractive examples, several of these Bridges are significant from an architectural perspective. The John M McIntyre Bridge was built in 1968 to carry sewerage across the river to Black Rock. It is a "post-tensioned, prestressed stayed girder"which at the time of its construction was an Australian first.
John M McIntyre after whom the bridge was named was the Engineer-in-chief of the Geelong Waterworks (precursor to Barwon Water) and was involved in the the construction of the West Barwon Dam and reservoirs at Bostock and Lal Lal and extension works at the Wurdee Boluc Reservoir. The bridge which bears his name also provides pedestrian access across the river and - if memory serves me correctly - makes a handy reference point on the rowing course. Word has it that once your boat reaches the "Sh*!t Bridge" you row hell for the finish line.

Queen's Park Bridge

At one time, the ovoid sewer aqueduct served the same purpose. It is an architecturally important structure, built over three years between 1913 and 1916 which I think I have discussed in a previous post. Its 14 reinforced concrete cantilever spans however, are in a crumbling state despite the structure being listed on the Victorian National Estate Register and access to and thoroughfare under the aqueduct is prohibited. The pipe was decommissioned in 1993 and its eventual fate still hangs in the balance.
The Queen's Park Bridge is another historically significant bridge across the Barwon. The present single-lane steel structure dates to 1930. The site was initially serviced by a punt and was used as a cattle crossing with a wooden bridge built for the purpose in 1861. This was twice washed away in floods, first in 1870 and again in 1909. Purely functional are the new twin bridges which cross the river to the west of town. They were built in 2009 as part of the Geelong Ring Road which allows coastal traffic to avoid the congestion of local roads through the city.
Likewise, the James Harrison Bridge which crosses the river just upstream from the original Barwon Bridge, is designed purely for road traffic. Although this does not stop it being taken over for an hour or two on the third Sunday in November by the several hundred runners who have for the past two years completed the "Run Geelong" fun run event.

Pollocksford Bridge

Then of course, there is the Princes Bridge which appears to be the favoured point from which to dump the bodies of murder victims as I have noted previously. The present bridge is the third structure to stand near this site. The previous two, located a little further downstream, were named for Queen Victoria's husband Albert, the Prince Consort. The initial timber structure was built the year after Albert's death, in 1861. A second bridge with the same name was erected in 1889 to replace the first which was in a poor state of repair. This in turn was extensively repaired in 1959 and then replaced with the present bridge in 1965.
Once out of Geelong,  the bridges become more widely spaced. Heading further upstream, the first is the Merrawarp Road Bridge and then the Pollocksford Bridge - a five span bluestone bridge built in 1859. The next crossing point is on the Inverleigh-Winchelsea Road just out side of Inverleigh, near the confluence of the Leigh and Barwon Rivers.

Winchelsea Bridge

Possibly the most picturesque bridge across the Barwon is the bluestone Barwon River Bridge, built in 1867 to replace two previous timber structures. This bridge was replicated in later years with a prestressed concrete structure being built slightly downstream of the first.
Other bridge crossings I have yet to investigate include the Winchelsea-Deans Marsh Road which appears to cross a shallow stretch of the river at a natural ford, Kildean Lane and Conn's Lane. Another road bridge lies just outside of Birregurra on the Birregurra-Deans Marsh Road, then one on the Colac-Murroon Road and Dewing's Bridge Road. All appear to be modern concrete structures of little aesthetic interest.
At this point I become somewhat confused, but know of at least one more bridge just past Barwon Downs and another on the outskirts of the township of Forrest, below the West Barwon Dam. Then finally, at the base of the dam is a little foot bridge designed for pedestrian access.
In general it would seem that most of the bridges over the Barwon have been built for function rather than appearance, however several have long histories which tie in with the story of Geelong and the farming communities through which the river flows.

The Lakes Complex

Following on from Tuesday's walk, I decided it was time to move further afield and investigate parts of the river I hadn't seen before. I'd been curious for some time as to what became of the river once it disappeared from view past the breakwater, so Wednesday night I researched the best way to access the system of lakes which lie downstream of Geelong.
As far as I can tell, the answer is that until someone spends the tens of millions of dollars required to build a continuous trail from Geelong to Barwon Heads (I believe the quoted figure was somewhere in the vicinity of $44 million), then the only real access is at specific points around the edges of the various lakes and swamps which together form the Lake Connewarre Complex.
At this point I had no real experience with this part of the river, with the exception of a single trip last January to Tait's Point on the south side of the river where Hospital Swamp meets Lake Connewarre. This time, I decided I would approach my subject from the north bank, entering at various points along the edge of Reedy Lake and Lake Connewarre where local roads provided access at isolated points.

Black Swan on Reedy Lake.

My first stop was the end of Moolap Station Road which runs down to the edge of the very aptly named Reedy Lake. The ground was quite swampy and very reedy, however there is access by foot through clearings and along a narrow track for several hundred metres towards Woods Road. Various places provided a view out over the lake and the birdlife both on and off the water was prolific.
Most obvious were the Ibis both on the ground and overhead. They were everywhere and in quantities I haven't seen elsewhere. All were Australian White Ibis, no sign of the Straw-necked Ibis I saw a couple of months back on the Belmont golf course. Off the water and in the scrubby ground cover, Superb Fairy Wrens were everywhere as were White-plumed Honeyeaters. Out on the water I even discovered a pelican, but I also made three new finds for the day.
The most impressive was probably a pair of Swamp Harriers, swooping low over the reeds at the edge of the lake and the water beyond the shore, constantly on the hunt. Some distance out, a lone Black Swan (also the first I'd seen on the Barwon), paddled in and out amongst the reeds. Back on land, I spotted a rather larger honeyeater than I had seen to that point. It was, I later discovered, a Spiney-cheeked Honeyeater.

Lake Connewarre

Having skirted around the edges of the lake as far as was practical short of a pair of waders or a boat (an option I may yet have to investigate), I left to find another point of access - this time at the end of Ash Road in Leopold. Here, the council or some other management authority (perhaps even Parks Victoria) had kindly installed a viewing platform and several pannels of information informing visitors about the ecology and history of Lake Connewarre which I was now overlooking. Great for panoramic views and photos, however rather too distant to photograph at close quarters any of the dozens of Black Swans and their sygnets which were distributed across the lake.
Fortunately, there was a track of sorts - actually more of a wide strip of knee-high, reedy grass - which led down to the water's edge and so I was able to take a closer look from there. Unfortunately the swans were still a reasonable distance offshore, but I can't really blame them, as the smell from where I was left quite a bit to be desired. I snapped a few more shots of the swans and the panoramic surrounds and braved the long grass to return to road level. I didn't like to think about what other wildlife I might not have seen. What I did see however, were several locusts. It would seem that they are indeed on their way.
By now it was time for lunch which I ate a little further round the lake at a picnic spot at the end of Brinsmeads Lane. I have discovered that dotted at various points around the lakes are lone picnic tables accompanied by a rubbish bin. There are no other facilities just the table, the bin and a small area for parking - which I did.

Noisy Miner.

It was at this point that I discovered my fourth new bird of the day - several rather precocious Noisy Miners. They are apparently not uncommon, however I have not seen them at on any other part of the river. At first glance I mistook one for a Common Myna, which I gather is not an uncommon occurence, however where the Myna is mostly black and brown with yellow, this bird was black and grey with yellow beak and legs.
The view of the lake from this point was not dissimilar to that from Ash Road. The swans were here also, but the unpleasant smell of rotting vegetable matter was not. Whilst there were plenty of birds on Lake Connewarre, there did not seem to be the same numbers or diversity of species as I found on Reedy Lake.
One source of disappointment was my failure to see ducks. From what I had read previously, it is breeding season for the ducks and several varieties including the Pacific Black, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Blue-bill and Australasian Shoveler can all be found within the lake complex. I saw not a single one. On any given day in the section of river in town I would expect to see Australian Wood Ducks, Pacific Blacks and probably Chestnut Teal - occasionally even Grey Teal. I am yet to see a Blue-bill or Shoveler at any point on the river.
On my way home, I stopped at various places overlooking Reedy Lake and the river itself as I got closer to town, including Tanners Road where I was able to get my first real look at the ovoid sewage aqueduct which crosses the Barwon downstream from the Breakwater.
This structure is listed as being of historical significance, however it has been allowed to crumble into a dangerous state of disrepair, with the result that no-one is allowed to approach it and water traffic is unable to pass under it. The aqueduct was built between 1913 and 1916 to carry sewage to the outfall at Black Rock and was in use until 1993 when it was replaced by more modern technology. The structure was designed by Edward Giles Stone and his partner Ernest J. Siddeley, based on the rail bridge which spans the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Its 14 trusses are made entirely of reinforced concrete and cover a distance of more than 750 metres. In its day, it was the longest structure of its kind in the country and remains one of only a very few reinforced concrete truss structures in the world.

Ovoid Sewer Aqueduct, Breakwater.