Taking a walk in the wild sites

A major step forward in the creation of Maleny's Community Precinct has been taken, with the Precinct Advisory Group agreeing to the route and themes for the Pattemore House to Gardiners Falls and Maleny Township Interpretive Trail network.

The trail which will commence at Pattemore House will pass through the different types and densities of vegetation on the precinct and connect places of historical interest and environmental significance including the platypus pool, the creek’s edge, the bunya grove, the southern wetlands, Gardiners Falls, Pattemore House, Reynolds Crossing and The Bales.

Local Cr Jenny McKay, who is a passionate advocate of the interpretative trail, said the four proposed walks along the trail will each describe a different element in the story of Maleny.

The Heritage walk will allow us to tell the stories of the early European settlers. It incorporates broad views of the precinct and surrounding areas and includes parts of the original bullock track into Maleny which crossed the Obi Obi creek at Reynolds crossing.

The Bunya Pine walk is on the south of the precinct where the land gently slopes towards the creek. It will give the walker a sense of detachment from the wider surroundings. It provides a wonderful opportunity to explain some of the Aboriginal history of the area including the story of Ubi Ubi the warrior after whom the creek is named.

The Obi Obi walk will be used to interpret the precinct’s environmental diversity. It will run primarily through existing dense vegetation before crossing the southern wetlands and allowing people to view the platypi from a creek lookout; from there it will provide open views to the north of the precinct through signature fig trees.

The Maleny Township walk which will ultimately link with the Riverside Centre to the precinct will allow the story of contemporary Maleny to be told.

The next step in developing the trail is for council to consider the advisory group’s recommendation and Cr McKay said she is hopeful that this will occur in the next couple of months and that work will begin constructing the trail in July this year.