Korumburra Botanic Park

A beautiful 12-acre space which is scattered with beautiful exotic trees and natives, and is home to the picturesque "Olsen's Walk" along Coalition Creek.

Located in Korumburra Botanic Park, Olsen's Walk follows the banks of Coalition Creek across a number of picturesque foot bridges and through an array of mostly native bush land.

The relaxing stroll through native and European vegetation takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is 700 metres (one-way) in length.

The terrain is easy with small inclined. Surface is gravel and grass.

Map of Coalition Creek Area

Legend for map:
1. Stand of Mt. Ash. (Euc. regnans)
2. Swamp Gum (Euc. strzeleckii)
3. Swamp Gum (Euc. strzeleckii)
4. Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata)
5. Swamp Paperback (Melaleuca ericifolia)
6. Silver Wattle (Acacja dealbata)
7. Wombat burrows
8. Rough Tree-fem (Gyathea australis)
9. Rough Tree-fem (Gyathea australis)
10. Mother Shield Ferns
11. Manna Gum (Euc. viminalis)
12. Wombat burrows
13. Kangaroo Apples (Solanum aviculare)
14. Crab hole casts.
15. Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata)
16. Hazel Pomaderis (Pomaderis aspera)
17. Blackwood saplings (Acacia melanoxylon)
18. Rough Tree-ferns (Cyathea australis)
19. Native sword grass tussocks
20. Mint-bush (Prostanthera lasianthos)
21. Hemp Bush (Gynalrix pulchella)
22. Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon)
23. Mother Shield Ferns
24. Stand of Mt. Ash (Euc. regnans)
25. Hazel pomaderis (Pomaderis aspera)
26. Blanket Leaf (Bedfordia arborescens)
27. Wombat burrows
28. Dogwood (Cassinia aculeata)
29. Rough Tree-fems (Gyathea australis)
30. Mountain ash (Euc. regnans)

Giant Gippsland Earthworm

Beneath the soils of the Coalition Creek Gully, lives a unique animal to this district commonly known as the Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Megascolides australis). Korumburra's Karmai Festival honours the presence of this special creature in our district with its cartoon like mascot.

What Does it Look Like?
Although considerably larger in size than the standard garden worm (average length of 80cm) it does have similar features and appearance.

Where does it live? It generally prefers a cool and damp home and for this reason prefers its habitat to be in swampy areas along the northern banks of a watercourse.

How do we know it lives here?
As you walk along a path leading through a swampy area, stop and listen If you hear a gurgling or slurping sound, you know that there is one in the near vicinity. (The sound is similar to the one you hear when a bath empties out, or when you pull your boot out of a sticky bog).

What about the holes and casts that we can see? They belong to another animal which likes to live in a similar environment, known as the Burrowing Crayfish, similar in appearance to the common 'yabby'.

Update in May 2024 - Olsen's Walk Bridge Closures - The bridges along Olsen's Walk are currently closed due to safety concerns. Council are working closely with Friends of Korumburra Botanical Park to plan for repairing and re-opening some bridges and removing others - ensuring that a loop track can remain along Olsen's Walk. These works may take some time.

Directions: The Korumburra Botanic Park is located in Bridge Street past the hospital.

Access for Dogs:

Dogs are permitted on leash. No horses or bikes permitted.

Review:

The gravel road down from the entrance to the parking area is surrounded by rolling grassy hills dotted with huge trees which are mostly labelled. Half way down is a turning circle next to a huge Monterey Pine, seat and old tree stump with some animal carvings.

During Autumn some trees change colour and there are various fungi.

Korumburra Botanic Park

At the parking area there is one shaded table and a shelter with tables and interpretation boards including one about the Giant Gippsland Earthworm which lives in this area along the creek.

Even though some bridges need to be repaired we still managed a reasonably long walk along the trail before we came to a bridge which was leaning at an angle and was blocked off.