Truganina Swamp (Altona)
.jpg "Truganina Swamp (Altona)")
Truganina Swamp covers an area of approximately 148 hectares and is mostly owned by Melbourne Water. Laverton Creek flows through the site to the Bay. Truganina Swamp provides valuable habitat for fauna such as waterbirds and provides habitats for two vulnerable species, the Altona Skipper Butterfly which feeds on Chaffy Saw Sedge and the Orange-bellied Parrot which feeds on Beaded Glasswort and the scrubland species Glasswort. The wetland is an important habitat for many migratory wading birds and fishes and has a diverse range of indigenous vegetation communities.
There is a bird hide which can be accessed from the entrance to Truganina Swamp on Bell Avenue. Sit and enjoy the birds feeding in Laverton Creek or the saline ponds or watch them from the bird hide.
Truganina Swamp is one of the few places where the local yellow Altona Skipper Butterfly lives. This rare butterfly feeds and hides mainly in Chatty Saw-sedge, that's why most of the Saw-sedge is protected within the fenced Wildlife Refuge.
These shallow seasonal wetlands support lots of wildlife even thought they dry out at times. After heavy rain aquatic insects and invertebrates flourish and provide a smorgasbord for waterbirds and fish. In Laverton Creek, the saline channel and pond, the salinity level varies with the tide, season and amount of recent rainfall.
A walking and cycling trail encircles the swamp and links to the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail across Queen Street. You can walk or cycle the 4.6km Truganina Loop Trail around the swamp or wander along the 950m long Saw-sedge Trail. Experience the saw-sedge and salt marsh habitat of the Altona Skipper Butterfly within the Conservation Area.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs can be taken along the Truganina Loop Trail on a lead. Please collect your dog's droppings to avoid polluting the area. Dogs are not allowed within the fenced Wildlife refuge. A.B. Shaw Reserve has a dog exercise area (off leash).
Map of Truganina Swamp:
The Truganina Loop Trail route is shown in yellow.
Review:
To say that our visit here was a bit of a nightmare is understating it. We tried to walk the 4.6km Truganina Loop Trail which circles the swamp but ended up having to walk more than 8km, much of it through residential areas to get back to the car in Bell Avenue because we got caught on the wrong side of Laverton Creek. We started at the entrance and went in an anti-clockwise direction past the bird hide along a wide dirt road. We saw a fair number of birds including black swans and a juvenile bird of prey which allowed us to get very close and lots of butterflies flitting about. After getting to the railway line, the path turns to the left and the track becomes a lot more overgrown and narrow with thick reeds on the track. At this point I was thinking "I hope there aren't any snakes in this thick vegetation".
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At one point there were some rock stepping stones leading inwards towards a concrete path but there was a gap of about 10m with mud and water. We didn't fancy going through this bog. At this point you either should use the stepping stones to get to the loop trail or retrace your steps. We decided to continue and reached a gate and a track through the reeds. Then it was a long and arduous walk back to the car in the heat.
The map at the swamp refers to proposed bridges across Laverton Creek to reach the Laverton Creek trail but these don't exist.
Photos:
Location
31 Bell Avenue, Altona 3018 Map
