Hancock Watch Home

South Middle Creek Rainforest

There are a number of important habitat areas in the South Middle Creek catchment. The major area of mountain ash regrowth is in the north/east corner, adjacent to the Tarra Valley Road. There is a small area of mountain ash regrowth and understorey vegetation on the steep slopes of the south east corner.

There are large areas of blackwood forest north of the creek, below plantation and a small area of mountain ash regrowth in the northwest corner. There are fewer areas of regrowth in the southern side, but some small areas remain in the south-west section.

As there are very few areas of mature eucalypts left in the Strzeleckis, and the remaining few are rapidly disappearing, these areas of native vegetation need to be preserved.

There is cool temperate rainforest along most of the length of South Middle Creek. The section without rainforest is that adjacent to plantation between Middle Creek and Middle Creek Track.

A number of sections of the rainforest on this creek are quite wide and extend more than 100 metres up the slope on the northern side. The southern side tends to be more damaged due to past clearing or plantation activity, but there are some wide sections of rainforest on that side as well.

There are also extensive areas of blackwood forest, with some myrtle beech scattered within it.

The major section of rainforest is in the north/west corner of the headwaters. There are many skirted and slender tree ferns in this section.

South Middle Creek rainforest

South Middle Creek rainforest is bounded by the Grand Ridge Road to the north, Tarra Valley Road to the west and Whitelaws Track to the south and east.