Halfway between Melbourne and Sydney is a very special property called Tarcutta Hills Reserve. Located on Wiradjuri Country, this is one of the largest remaining areas of grassy white box woodland left in Australia. It is rich with plant and bird life and provides vital habitat for may species including the endangered swift parrot, as it migrates between Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.

Join us for a day walking through this remarkable property. You will be guided by Bush Heritage field staff and taken to some of their favorite places on this property. The pace will be gentle and there will be lots of time for looking. You will hear about why we bought the place, what we do to manage it and some of the interesting projects we are undertaking. So put on your walking shoes, pack a scrumptious lunch and come along for the day.

Date: Friday 3 May 2024

Time: 8.30 am to 3.30 pm
Please arrive at the meeting point from 8.30 am for a 9.00 am departure. If you arrive at 9.00 am or later, you will miss the trip. We aim to return you to your cars by 3.30 pm.

Location
Tarcutta Hills Reserve is in south-east New South Wales. It is approximately 16km south of Tarcutta, 50km south-east of Wagga Wagga and 135 km north-east of Albury.

Fitness
You need to have good mobility, fitness and health to join this trip. The walking will mainly be off track, with hilly terrain, uneven and often rocky ground. While the pace will be gentle, we expect to cover up to 5 km. At lunch we will find a nice place to picnic in the bush, so be prepared to perch on a rock or log, or sit on the ground.

Transport
Participants need to arrange their own transport to reach the meeting point (see below). From here only high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles (4WD) will travel onto the reserve. You therefore have two options, which you will select when registering:

get a lift in a Bush Heritage 4WD (we have limited places) or,
choose to drive your own high clearance 4WD ie Toyota Landcruiser/Hilux, Nissan Patrol, Holden Colorado etc.

Sorry SUV/AWD vehicles are not suitable ie Subaru Outback, Nissan Extrail etc.

The drive into the reserve is approximately 25min, most of which is on unsealed tracks of varying condition. The four-wheel-driving is not particularly difficult but requires robust vehicles with excellent clearance. Once on site, we’ll be exploring on foot.

Meeting point - 8.30 am for 9.00 am departure
Bush Heritage staff will meet you in the town of Tarcutta in the free public rest area opposite Coffee@Joe’s – (not open till 10 am). Please arrive from 8.30am for a 9.00 am departure. This will give us time to provide a short briefing and to shuffle people into cars. If you arrive at 9.00 am or later you will miss the trip, as we aren’t able to wait for late commers. Cars can be left here for the day, unless you have opted to drive your own 4WD vehicle in convoy with us – see transport above.

Food and drink
Morning tea will be provided on arrival at the reserve, please bring a mug with you. BYO your picnic lunch, snacks and drinking water for the day. Note there is very little food buying options at the town of Tarcutta.

Facilities on Tarcutta Hills Reserve
There are limited facilities on Tarcutta Hills Reserve. Once we arrive, we’ll park up at a small shed for morning tea and introductions before heading off on our walk. There are no toilet facilities, so any toilet breaks will need to be taken in nature. Mobile phone reception is poor and not reliable. Public toilets are available at our meeting point.

Weather
Please check weather conditions before travelling and dress accordingly. In the event of severe weather or flooding, this visit may need to be postponed. We will attempt to contact you in advance if this situation arises.

Average temperatures in May range from 6°C to 18°C. But come prepared for warmer and colder conditions. Sunrise: 6.48 am Sunset: 5.24pm

What to bring

BYO picnic lunch, snacks and water for the day. Please bring a mug for hot drinks.
Clothing suitable for being outdoors and walking through the bush, including sturdy covered footwear, long trousers, or gaiters. Layers for warmer or colder conditions, sun hat, beanie and rain jacket.
Sunscreen, insect repellant and personal medications.
Day pack for carrying your gear.
Optional – walking poles, camera, binoculars, folding chair for sitting at morning tea.
Bush Heritage will have first aid kit and emergency communication equipment.

Vehicle, equipment and clothing hygiene
All visitors must make sure any equipment, clothing or vehicles coming onto Tarcutta Hills, are thoroughly clean and free from dirt, seeds, and plant material. The introduction and spread of invasive pathogens and weeds are a key threat to this property. For people driving their own 4WD vehicle onto Tarcutta Hills, please see additional vehicle washdown information below.

Parents
Children need to be well-supervised, particularly around any water bodies or steep drops.

Pets
Please leave your pets at home.

Cost
There is no charge for this visit. We welcome donations (tax-deductible) towards the visit or to further our conservation work. Please use this special link anytime to donate – click here.

Bookings and cancellation
Bookings are required as places are limited. Please inform us if you wish to change or cancel your booking. Contact visits@bushheritage.org.au or call 03 8610 9124.

COVID safety
Bush Heritage will continue to try to make this a COVID-safe event. We ask for your assistance by not attending if you are feeling unwell or if you are COVID-positive. Participants are welcome to wear face masks if you choose.

Vehicle washdown requirements
For those who have opted to drive their own high clearance 4WD, please ensure your vehicle is clean. Soil and plant material may not be clearly visible. You need to use a high-pressure hose (garden hoses are not sufficient) found at most car wash facilities (see example locations listed below). Please give particular attention to the undercarriage, wheels, guards, radiator and other sites where mud and seeds can lodge.

Its okey to wash your car in advance from other locations if you aren’t driving off sealed roads before joining this trip. The nearest car wash facilities to Tarcutta Hills are Albury (e.g. 5 Travel stop Way Lavington), Wagga Wagga (e.g. 122 Hammond Ave), Tumut (56 Fitzroy St), Yass (267 Comur St) and Cootamundra (53 Wallendoon St).

There is no wash down facility on Tarcutta Hill Reserve, so any dirty vehicles will not be permitted onto the property.

If you are wanting more details, the NSW government have more information on how to protect biodiverse areas through good hygiene practices at Hygiene guidelines (nsw.gov.au).

Other information
Wagga Wagga - Regional Visitor Information

Albury Regional Visitor Information