Swallow Rock Reach, Ebenezer, NSW, Australia - Hiking and walking trailheads on Waymarking.com

Locate the start of the track by walking to the right of the parking area for Ebenezer Church in Coromandel Road, Ebenezer. Picnic facilities are
available at the church. This 45 minute (return) walk follows the riverbank with lookouts and interpretive signs and ends in Ebenezer Wharf Road.

As the sign at the start of the track says:
"The trail follows the Hawkesbury River bank for approximately 1200 metres. The topography gently undulates for an easy walk. Return journey is along the same trail ( approx. 1 hour return).

"Through the course of the walk you will transverse remnant Tall River Flat Forest and Open Woodlands with some spectacular vistas of the Hawkesbury River and it surrounding environment. The Riverine environment provides an excellent opportunity to view bird life along the length of the trail.

"The trail was constructed by participants in the Landcare Environment Action Program (L.E.A.P.) in Western Sydney and supervised by staff from Greening Australia N.S.W. Project funding was made available by the Public Works Department with assistance given by Hawkesbury City Council.

RIVER FLAT FOREST
"Tall Open Forest is related to the floodplain topography of the area. Along the well drained crests and upper slopes of the alluvial levee banks adjacent to the river is where we find these forests,

"The dominant species are River She-Oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana) and Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornus). The occasional Red Cedar (Toona ciliata) would have dotted through these forests prior to logging.

"The understorey is now invaded by exotic weeds (such as the "green curtain" of Ballon Vine from South America). However, the sheltered pockets would have supported a diverse "rainforest like" habitat with such species as Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata), Lilly Pilly (Acmena smithii), Grey Myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia), Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Bottlebrushes and Paperbarks.

CUMBERLAND PLAIN WOODLAND

"An open woodland occurring on the higher ridges. The woodlands are associated with the soils derived from the Wianamatta shales.

"The dominant species are Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra), and Grey Gum (Eucalyptus punctata). The understorey is dominated by a shrub layer of Blackthorn (Bursaria spinosa) and Paper Daisies (Helichrysum dismifolium).

FRESHWATER LAGOON

"The area between the levee banks and surrounding higher ridges contain depressions which form a wetland or 'black swamp'. They are filled by floodwaters and run-off, and water levels will vary at any given time of the year. As a result, remnant wetlands vary considerably in terms of plant species, composition and wildlife.

"Many of these wetlands have been drained and replaced with improved pasture. However, they play an important role in providing habitat for bird life.

PLANT COMMUNITIES

"Prior to European settlement most of Australia's land surface was covered by plants (trees, shrubs and grasses, etc.), each influence by the specific natural characteristics of each particular place. Several natural features influence the location of plants in specific areas. These are: climate (precipitation, light, temperature and wind), soils, geology, topography and time. In addition to these natural factors, fire and land use have a dramatic influence on the natural vegetation and wildlife.

"To bring some order to the appeared chaos of the vegetation, a system of classification is developed. the system used is the modified speech system which is based on:

1. The type of vegetation - the most common tallest type of dominant vegetation (ie: larger trees or shrubs).

2. The protective foliage cover - the shaded area (when the sun is overhead) of the tallest vegetation layer on the ground.

In order to illustrate this we will look at three types of plant communities found at Swallow Rock Reach (S.R.R.).

A. Tall Open Forests
* Tallest layer - trees / 30 m
* Projective Foliage Cover of Tallest layer 30-50%
CANOPY
- upper branches may touch
- smaller in height than trunk
TRUNK or BOLE
UNDERSTOREY
*Understorey plants at SRR have been cleared and invaded by exotic weed species such as balloon vine, lantana and privet. This weed invasion is now affecting the health of the remaining trees by competing with the native flora for light, nutrients and moisture.

B. Woodland
* Tallest layer - trees 10-30 m
* Projective Foliage Cover of Tallest Layer 10-30%
CANOPY - equal in dimension with trunk
TRUNK or BOLE
UNDERSTOREY
* A more open community that the tall forest with the canopy of the trees separated by up to twice the crown diameters.

C. Wetlands
* Tallest Layer - Sedges and Herbs to 1 m tall
* Projective Foliage Cover - extensively cleared remnant 50-70%
RUSHLAND - waterlogged soils
REEDLAND - permanent water
SHRUB LAYER
REED & RUSH VEGETATION
* Extensive clearing and grazing would have removed upper stratum. Original species - Melaleuca styphleoldes, Melaleuca linarifolia, Casuarina glauce (in saline conditions).

* Southern end: Ebernezer (sic) Wharf Road Car Park *
Gates open during weekends and public holidays (8am - 4pm). Access open to pedestrians at all times. Wheelchair access to Swallow Rock Reach Lookout (weather permitting).

Visited: 0900 - 1000, 28 February, 2016 for a CITO Event.

Parking: N 33° 32.250 W 150° 53.376 Trail allowances or restrictions: Walking only Trail type: Dirt, with a couple of wooden foot bridges. Trailhead/trail website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
To claim a log for this waymark, some proof of a visit is required. This proof could be a simple photo of their GPS at the trailhead, a photo of the person at the trailhead, or a photo of a signature item that a person uses for photographs, at the trailhead.

In order to help other waymarkers who are looking for a nice hike/walk outdoors, you are encouraged to provide good feedback about the quality of the hike/trail.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.