Taree Off The Beaten Path

The other bat species at Wingham Brush is the little Red Flying Fox, a nomadic bat which wanders the eucalypt foresrs of New South Wales, Queensland and Northern Territory.

It's now recognised that bats have a vital role to play as pollinators of eucalypt trees and distributors of seed, each doing the work of thousands of bees.

During the 1960s public outcry about the Flying Foxes' presence in the town of Wingham resulted in several attempts to exterminate them. Luckily none were effective.

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The dense riverside reserve is gome to thousands of Flying Foxes which migrate here annually from September to May when the Brush is replete with ferns, orchids, giant Moreton Fig trees, bougainvillea, other subtropical plants and 100 species of birds, including a number of Brush turkeys.

Wingham Brush Nature Reserve's role a maternity site comes therefore in Oxtober as thousands of Grey-headed Flying Foxes arrive to give birth. Each has a single offspring which clings to its mother's nipple and fur, even while the female venture out at night for up to 40 kilometres to forage for food. Young bats can fly when 8 - 10 weeks old, becoming independent at three months. Following mating in March - April the colony disperses but several hundreds bats usually stay over the winter.

It is hard to believe that each of the rainforest giants with their massive buttress roots began life as tiny seed deposited in the fork of a host tree by roosting bird or bat. They grew year by year, to the ground, eventually taking over their host to become some of New South Wales' largest remaining fig trees.

Like many rainforests, Wingham Brush is rich in trees producing nectar, pollen-rich flowers and succulent fruit. Some of the more interesting trees include the Giant Stinging Tree. The leaves of these trees can deliver a painful sting so be careful not to touch them!

At the back of the Nature Reserve we saw and heard some significant animals; the Brush turkeys. They nest in large mounds fashioned from leaf litter and forest debris. Brush turkeys are generally wary of humans. However, they can become very tame around picnic grounds and homes, particularly if they are fed. Feeding brush turkeys is not recommended.

An Aboriginal corroboree ground is located within the Reserve and the remains of two cedar sawpits can still be seen in the Northern section of the Brush.

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Wingham Brush Nature Reserve is a subtropical floodplain rainforest; typical of the lowland rainforest that once covered much of the Manning River floodplain.

During our hike we saw the outstanding feature of Wingham Brush Nature Reserve. This feature is the huge Moreton Bay Figs, which are hundreds of years old. It is hard to believe that each of the rainforest giants with their massive buttress roots began life as tiny seed deposited in the fork of a host tree by roosting bird or bat. They grew year by year, to the ground, eventually taking over their host to become some of New South Wales' largest remaining fig trees.

One of Australia's smallest picture theatres in an historic home. Screening nostalgia films like Dad & Dave, & Casablanca. This little slice of history played host to quite a few nights for my parents and their friends and my grandma lives 2 houses down, dipping back into history for a little taste of what used to be, the olds only ever said good things about this little place, as a kid I watched this place grow from a run down old building to a beautifully restored mini theatre.

~ WELL WORTH A LOOK ~

I think you might need to make a booking to view the place, so I’ve got the phone number and address below...

Address: 1 Mill Street
Town/Region: Tinonee
Post Code: 2430
State: NSW
Country: Australia

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The town of Tinonee is where i was raised, situated 10 minutes west of taree. With nearly nothing there except an old, yet well restored open air theator, a neat little craft store and an aborigional art gallery.

Life here is very quiet people keep to them selves usually, mind you they are verry friendly too.

Nice spots to visit in and around Taree are Fotheringham Park, The Big Oyster, Kiwarrak State Forest, Manning Point, Cundleton and the Visitors Information Centre. The Taree Visitors Centre has a Taree Heritage Walk brochure which is a pleasant walk along the riverbank and around the main streets in the city centre.

Some of the highlights of the walk include Taree Public School (1902), St. Pauls Church (1869) and Taree Court House (1897).