Curramore Wildlife Sanctuary Hike: Thursday 4 September

Curramore Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a high abundance and diversity of wildlife, including 10 threatened vertebrate species. It protects a range of vegetation types, and forms an important corridor between neighbouring National Parks and other public conservation areas. Here, AWC aims not only to protect an important suite of species, but also to demonstrate an effective response to one of the major threats to habitat in the region – invasion by lantana.

Meeting time and location:

Nest Café in Witta, Corner of Gumland Drive and Maleny-Kenilworth Road

Google Maps

We’ll meet at Nest Café in Witta at 8:30am to grab a coffee and utilise the bathroom. Plenty of parking is available in the carpark just behind the café (access from Gumland Drive).

After refreshments, our group will drive to Curramore together in convoy (approx. 15 mins away). Please note the last 200m or so of the drive will be on an unsealed gravel road. 2WD vehicles with normal clearance will be fine, but if you are concerned about driving your vehicle on a gravel track, we can make alternative arrangements on the day.

At Curramore

When we get to Curramore, Sanctuary Manager Klaus Runde will lead a hike across the property so you can hear more about the sanctuary’s amazing ecological value and the threatened species that call it home. We will also point out the section where we have recently planted more than 4,000 koala food trees, and sections that have been treated for lantana, with native vegetation regenerating at varying stages. The hike will take approximately 2 hours.

The hike will be along a rough dirt track that requires a moderate level of fitness due to some uphill sections. It usually takes about 2 hours, at a fairly slow pace allowing plenty of time to stop and discuss along the way. If you use hiking poles for additional stability when bushwalking, we recommend you bring them along.

What to Bring

We recommend you wear:

• Long pants and a long-sleeved shirt
• Closed shoes with good grip
• Long socks (there may be some leeches, so socks you can tuck your pants into are ideal)

We also recommend you bring a small backpack with:

• Water bottle (there is no water available at Curramore)
• A hat and sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• A light rain jacket if rain is expected.

Please note: Curramore has no bathrooms of the walled variety.