Drouin - The Bill Kraft Giant Tree Walk - West & South Gippsland

Drouin - The Bill Kraft Giant Tree Walk

The 5.4km walk highlights some remnant eucalypt giants and significant planted old trees. A walk along footpaths, wide grassy verges and one formed earth track. One steep uphill section at the start.

The Bill Kraft Giant Walk Map

1. Start at the beginning of the Two Towns Trail in Civic Park. Walk along the path and turn left when you see the colourful mosaic 'serpent's head' on the ground. Walk up the yellow 'snake' or The Path of Achievement to honour Drouin's love of sport.

2. If you have time, walk over to the group of five Mountain Grey Gums on the far left behind McDonalds, or the old remnant giant Messmate on the right called 'Grandfather' overlooking the park.

3. At the top of the hill is the Drouin Football oval. Turn left and walk past the Drouin outdoor pool. The two larger Spotted Gums outside the pool entrance were planted in 1963 when the pool was opened.

4. Turn right at Grant St at another large Spotted Gum. This was planted by the Buln Buln Shire.

5. Grant St is well treed with Pinoaks, European Red Beeches, Tristanias, and Silky Oaks planted about 45 years ago. In spring the Silky Oaks are covered in golden orange 'bottlebrush' flowers which are highly valued by nectar loving native birds.

6. The corner house at 13 Albert Rd was owned by Cr. Alex Goudie from the 1930s. He was three times President of the Buln Buln Shire and an environmental advocate. The large Silky Oak was planted by him.

7. Turn right and walk down past a few houses before crossing the road.

8. Walk up the path heading north along Albert Rd.

9. At no. 23 stop and look across the road to the two Canary Island palms planted in the front yard. These were planted between WW1 and WW2.

10. Stop before you cross over Balmoral Ave. Look above you at the Messmate tree. Messmates have consistent bark all through their trunks unlike Mountain Grey Gums. Now look at the tree on the other side. This 30 m high remnant Mountain Grey Gum has ribbons of bark falling down. Note the staining in parts of the trunk indicating the likelihood of Sugar Gliders (page 7).

11. Up ahead is a very big tree. The 'Bill Kraft Giant' is a Mountain Grey Gum with a trunk girth of 7 m. It is a very old tree from pre-European settlement. Named after Bill Kraft who built 'Dhuringha' at 45 Albert Rd, as his home. He was office boy at 18, Secretary then Manager at 21 of the Drouin Butter Factory. He held this role for 49 years putting Drouin on the map for its high quality dairy production. Walk north to McNeilly Rd.

12. Cross to the north east corner of the roundabout.

13. This avenue of 160 Bhutan Cypresses was once the driveway to the McNeilly farmhouse. Planted in about 1957-59, they form a spectacular backdrop to the wetlands to the north west named after the pioneering McNeilly family who selected 320 acres in 1870.

14. Walk down between the Bhutans and at the end turn right to the concrete path. Then walk left along the path to Lyndhurst Sq. 'Lyndhurst' was the name given to the McNeilly property.

15. Walk south to McNeilly Rd and turn left.

16. Continue walking east along McNeilly Rd to Hopetoun Rd. Follow the path to cross over Hopetoun Rd.

17. Walk south down Hopetoun Rd. Continue past the entrance to the wetlands on your left. You are now on the Two Towns Trail which will return you to Civic Park.

18. This end of Civic Park has some natural springs which were once 'holding dams' for J.D. Grubb who owned the land. The wet area to the right known as 'froggy hollow' with Cumbungi and tree ferns, adjoins a Swamp Paperbark forest often frequented by Pied Currawongs. Listen for their 'hark-hark-a-lark' call.

19. The L.G. Boeyen Gardens are named after Leo Boeyen the Superintendent of Parks and Gardens for the Buln Buln Shire for 27 years. He was a man ahead of his time and his legacy of planting 6000 trees per year is what we enjoy today.

20. Continue along the trail back to the parking area.