A Solid Track Start
The Friends of Mount Field has spent several days working on creating new start to the Marriotts Falls track. For several years the track commenced just over the Tyenna River off Tyenna Road, but this entailed walking beside a pine plantation for the first 300 metres. Then in 2013 the plantation was logged and the start of the track obliterated. A new car park was established by PWS and the Friends of Mount Field commenced constructing a 150m track from there to the end of the logged land.
Our initial work involved levelling the pad, installing drains and where needed raising the track surface to be above wet areas. However the dirt along most of the length included clay and it was realised that a harder top layer would be beneficial. A mixed variety of grade gravel, including a component of bigger rock, was obtained through a funding application to Wildcare. It was enough to do 130 metres of track and we managed to obtain the balance from PWS.
This last working bee finalised laying gravel and stone mixture on the last 20 metres, clearing more pine seedlings and to finish the day removing Erica (Spanish Heath) from an open area near the middle section of the track. More Erica remains to be done.
Adrian and Greg shovelling gravel for the Marriotts Falls track
Track showing vegetation growth at the edge where it had previously been hardened.
The newly gravelled section of the track before it enters the old bush beyond the bridge.