Drouin - Summerhill Wetlands Walk - West & South Gippsland

Drouin - Summerhill Wetlands Walk

This 4km walk features some old remnant gums and one of Drouin's most spectacular avenues of planted trees. A fairly flat, level walk. It has only one hill section that will require some fitness. Take your time.

Summerhill Wetlands Walk Map

1. Start at the walking path opposite no. 71 Lampard Rd. There is a large Strzelecki Gum giant outside no. 92 with a girth of 4.5 m and about 170 years old.

2. Walk along the wide level path. On the left is a small spring which was once the site of the old Drouin swimming hole. In 1910, a small concrete pool was constructed here. It used to be a very pretty piece of ferned bush! Walk for 0.5 km.

3. Take the first turn right before the playground continuing on the path to the large Strzelecki Gum inside the fence beside the lake.

4. This old gum has several pipe hollows. Walk around the lake. The lake is often frequented by ducks and waterhens. Be on the alert for warblers and grassbirds in the reeds.

5. After walking around the lake, head back to the playground on the wide path. In 2015, a Latham's Snipe was recorded near this site. Each year these world protected birds fly to and from Japan along the Asian flight path.

6. Around the playground area you will see five old Strzelecki Gums. Once this area abounded in these gums. Eucalyptus strzeleckii only exist in a 130 km band between Drouin and Traralgon. The species is listed as vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

7. Walk south along the path to the road. Look south to the end of the path. The elevated area was once the site of the Stephenson-Maynard sawmill.

8. Turn left and head up Summerhill Blvd to Main South Rd. Take your time... it's a steep hill!

9. Turn left along Main South Rd. At the Serving Drouin' sign there is a grove of remnant Mountain Greys Gums and Peppermint Gums. The triple trunked gum is 5.15 m in girth. This area is often alive with native birds.

10. Main South Rd is one of the most spectacular avenues in Drouin. In the 1960s, the remnant eucalypts in this area were complimented with angophora species planted by the then Buln Buln Shire. They are a native species from NSW and Old.

11. The Angophora is a handsome large tree. The spectacular white flower heads in summer are great insect and bird attractors. Mature angophoras can develop hollows that are readily occupied by a range of birds and mammals. The richly patterned trunks of peeling bark are a distinctive feature of these trees. The reddish to pink tones distinguish the species from the similar Spotted Gums which have grey to white trunks. There are about 70-80 planted in an avenue from Weebar Rd to Pryor Rd. Try to spot the old eucalypts hiding amongst them.

12. There is one old Mountain Grey Gum at the entrance to the Drouin Secondary College car park with a girth of 5.1 m.

13. At Colin St, turn left and left again into Wade St, then right into Rusrees Crt.

14. Walk down this court and look out for the walking link on the right, down through the small park to Janine Crt. Take time to look over the view of Drouin. Some days you can clearly see to the Yarra and Baw Baw Ranges.

15. Turn left into Cook St and keep walking until you find the path you started on. Turn right and walk back to the start.