The aim of this project was to reopen the Myrtle Loop Walk at the Beeches Picnic Area on Lady Talbot Drive out of Marysville. This short (600m) loop walk had been closed for a long time due to lots of large fallen timber after the Black Saturday fires.
To work out the scope of the job, Ranger Steve, John and myself did a recce in the week before. We found the line of the track sometimes with great difficulty, needing to negotiate multiple large logs across each other. It didn’t take long for us to realise that this is a high value track that would be worth the effort to re-establish. It is a fine example of the regenerating Myrtle Beech and Ash forest of the area. There is lots of interesting fungi on display at present.
The plan of attack was to put a team of 2 arbor saws, a hedgetrimmer and thrower through to clear space for the big saws and track clearers to work. As there was much wood in varying states of decay on the track, the clearers were armed with crowbars and mattock to break it up or lever it off the track. A brushcutter did a final cleanup after everyone was through.
We took advantage of being only 300m from the trailer and had a sausage sizzle for lunch with tea or coffee with carrot cake.
The teams worked through the track very efficiently (maybe the caffeine at lunch helped) and we completed the circuit by the end of the day.
Marysville Caravan Park was a good base being very close to a bakery and pub. No doubt we all enjoyed a pub meal in the evening with the satisfaction of having worked well as a team and finishing the job earlier than expected. To quote one volunteer, “it was good to see a worthwhile track transition from woe to go”.
11 Volunteers – 5 chainsaws, 1 hedgetrimmer, 1 brushcutter, 2 crowbars, mattock and rake.
600m of track cleared (re-established) in 77 volunteer work hours plus 46 travel hours.
Patrick Platt
Activity Leader
8-10 May 2026