Terrick Terrick National Park
The isolated granite outcrops of Mount Terrick Terrick, Bennetts and Riegals Rock, surrounded by extensive areas of Northern Plains Grasslands, provide imposing views and contrasting landscapes. Terrick Terrick National Park contains one of the largest, most intact tracts of indigenous northern plains vegetation in Victoria. An abundance of wildlife gives the park high conservation value, making it a very special place indeed. This is an ideal park for a scenic drive, bushwalk or picnic.
Enjoying the Park
Nestled at the base of Mount Terrick Terrick, the picnic area is the ideal spot to start exploring the park. Picnic tables, toilets and park information are provided.
Walking
A short, steep walk to the pinnacle of Mount Terrick Terrick will reward you with spectacular views of the entire park and surrounding area.
Keen nature lovers can discover many of the beautiful plants and animals of the area on short or even whole-day walks through the park.
Scenic Driving
A scenic drive through the park will ensure that you see the very best the park has to offer such as grasslands, granite outcrops, woodlands and historical farming sites.
Spring is the best time to see the wonderfully diverse and colourful display of wildflowers of the native grasslands.
Camping
Camping is permitted only at Mount Terrick Terrick near the Picnic Area to protect the park's fragile vegetation.
The park provides a basic bush-camping experience. Campers are advised to bring their own water, as well as a gas stove for cooking. Please notify the Ranger at Echuca of your camping stay by calling 13 1963.
History
The cool granite outcrops provided shelter for the Dja Dja Wurrung Aboriginal people and associated clans of central Victoria. The plants and animals of the area provided food, while rock wells in the low granitic outcrops increased the water supply during the dry summers.
There are curving scars on a number of old Grey Box trees where they were cut to make canoes, shields, carrying bowls and material to provide shelter. An Aboriginal skeleton found in the park during gravel extraction operations has been dated at five and a half thousand years old.
Major Sir Thomas Mitchell climbed Pyramid Hill, 11km north of the park, in the winter of 1836 and was very impressed with the surrounding countryside. His reports encouraged squatters with large numbers of sheep to the area.
Farming systems dramatically changed the dynamics of the pre-European grassland community.
In November 1998, after celebrating 10 years as a State Park, Terrick Terrick was declared a National Park - the first National Park in Australia's Riverina bioregion. This was a direct result of the acquisition of the 1,277ha Davies sheep grazing property. The park was further expanded in 2009 as a result of the River Red Gum Forests Investigation to include all of the Grassland Nature Conservation Reserves (12 grasslands) in the Patho Plains.
How to Get There
Terrick Terrick National Park is 225km north west of Melbourne and 60km from Bendigo along the Bendigo-Pyramid Road. The park is 4km north of Mitiamo. Entrance to Mount Terrick picnic and camping areas and the White Cypress Pine forest is off Sylvaterre-Timms Lake Road. The historic homestead and associated grasslands can be accessed via Mitiamo-Kow Swamp Road.
Note: Photos from Parks Victoria
Location
Sylvaterre-Tims Lake Rd, Terrick Terrick 3575 Map
Web Links
→ Terrick Terrick National Park (Parks Victoria)
→ Terrick Terrick National Park - Park note (PDF)
→ Terrick Terrick National Park Map (PDF)
