You can find Newport Lakes here: off Lakes Drive, Newport VIC 3015, Australia
Take a tour and find out what Newport Lakes has to offer:
Bird Trails
The following describes four trails around Newport Lakes that use bird mosaics as markers.
This special place inspired Linda Cottrell, a local artist and committee member in the Friends of Newport Lakes at the time, to devise four trails featuring resident bird life on mosaics designed and constructed with the help of local residents and students from Newport Lakes Primary School, Spotswood Primary School and Bayside Secondary College. Trail 2 features a bird hide constructed and painted by members of the Friends of Newport Lakes in 2000. Over 160 different bird species have now been recorded in the park and more new species are still being seen.
Credits: Directing Artist: Linda Cottrell. Mosaic Teacher (including use of equipment): Libby McKinnin. Stone Mason: David Waters. Bird Hide Builders: Ted Peck with Ron Bowman, Mary Burbidge, Linda Cottrell, Ray Rodwell and other Friends. Tiles provided by: Hynes Tiles, Williamstown and Geelong Road. Funds provided by: Hobsons Bay City Council Community Grant, 1999. Text by: Sarah Berry
General instructions for using the trails
Look carefully for the mosaics, they may not be immediately obvious. There are seven mosaics all together, but you won’t see all of them on one trail. In between the mosaics, follow the Willy Wagtail directional signs marked with a trail number, either 1, 2, 3 or 4.
The trails range in length between 1200 and 2100 metres, taking between 25 and 40 minutes to complete. Some pathways in the park are steep and covered with recycled concrete gravel. They may be slippery and unsuitable for visitors with mobility difficulties. To avoid damaging plants and encountering snakes, do not venture into tall grass or bushland. If you spot any vandalism please report it to Hobsons Bay City Council on 9932 1000.
All trails begin with the Purple Swamp Hen mosaic inside and to the left of the main entrance.
Bird Trail 1:
(1200 metres, 25 minutes) Map symbol: blue dashed line
- From the Purple Swamp Hen, go left and down hill. Look for a Willy Wagtail 1 Marker before a second lookout. Turn left, walking around the top of the Amphitheatre.
- Find the Bell Frog mosaic and walk down slope into the Amphitheatre. Walk across the Amphitheatre and the bridge.
- Cross the stepping-stones and look for the Dusky Moorhen mosaic.
- Turn right and follow the lakeside path around South Lake, past the Black Swan and up hill to the Purple Swamp Hen.
Bird Trail 2:
(600 metres, 35 minutes) Map symbol: purple dashed line
- From the Purple Swamp Hen, go left and down hill to the stepping- stones. Cross the stones and look for the Dusky Moorhen mosaic. Follow Willy Wagtail 2 Markers left around North Lake where you’ll pass Crake’s Corner mosaic.
- Follow the lakeside track around the lake and uphill. On your left, you’ll find the bird hide built in 2000 by the Friends of Newport Lakes. Cross the little bridge on your left.
- Follow this track and you’ll pass the Galah and Lorikeet mosaic on your left. Follow the track left to the Amphitheatre. At the Bell Frog mosaic walk down slope into the Amphitheatre.
- Walk across the Amphitheatre and the bridge. Cross the stepping-stones again and turn right following the Willy Wagtail 1 Markers. Follow the lakeside path around South Lake, past the Black Swan and up hill to the Purple Swamp Hen.
Bird Trail 3:
(1400 metres, 30 minutes) Map symbol: green line
- From the Purple Swamp Hen, turn right down hill to the Black Swan. Walk halfway up the steep slope where you’ll see a Willy Wagtail 3 Marker.
- Turn left and follow the track at the base of the cliff. Along the way, you’ll see the New Holland Honey Eater and Fairy Wren mosaic. Cross over the grassy picnic area and pick up the track at the base of the cliff again.
- Pass the Rainbow Lorikeet mosaic, walk down the steps and cross the little bridge ahead of you. Follow this track and you’ll pass the Galah and Lorikeet mosaic on your left. Follow the track and the Willy Wagtail 3 Markers left to the Amphitheatre.
- At the Amphitheatre, find the Bell Frog, look for a Willy Wagtail 3 Marker, and follow the track around the top of the Amphitheatre. At the Amphitheatre Lookout, turn right and walk up hill back to the Purple Swamp Hen.
Bird Trail 4:
(2100 metres, 40 minutes) Map symbol: orange line
- From the Purple Swamp Hen, turn right down hill to the Black Swan. Go to the top of the steep slope to the boundary fence and follow it round to the left.
- Follow this track around the perimeter of the park. It takes you past the South and then North Lake, passes the new native wildflower bed next to the native display garden and continues around the back of the North-West plain area and past the Arboretum to the paved road.
- Look for a Willy Wagtail 4 Marker on your left directing you towards the Lakes. At the Amphitheatre, find the Bell Frog, look for a Willy Wagtail 4 Marker, and follow the track around the top of the Amphitheatre.
- At the Amphitheatre Lookout, turn right and walk up hill back to the Purple Swamp Hen.
North and South Lakes
Bull rushes surround the lakes while banks and slopes are planted with gums and wattles. The larger trees planted in the 1980s, include yellow box, black wattle, sheoak and hemp bush. Some of the oldest trees, at the park’s edges have possum boxes.
The water is much shallower here than the body of the lake, a deliberate safety feature by the park’s designer, and, as the birds swim through the stones, you’ll see that really there is only one lake. The water level of the lake is maintained through the addition of bore water.
In spring you might see islands of sticks in the shallower water, these are the nests of the Australian Coot and Dusky Moorhen.
At the far end of North Lake you’ll send a group of dead trees in the water. These were deliberately ‘planted’ to be roosts for Cormorants and other large birds.
The lake is home to a breeding pair of black swans. Each year they lay two to three clutches of six eggs. Unlike Cherry Lake in Altona and The Esplanade in Williamstown, these swans are territorial, so they’re the only pair of swans you’ll see here.
We’ve seen Cormorants catch small Carp, but we don’t think there are many fish as the water is shallow and in summer it may not contain enough oxygen. However, you may see Yabbies, Water Rats and Water Boatmen and, possibly, Turtles. Growling Swamp Frogs hide in the bull rushes, they are often heard, but rarely seen.
You’ll find three tracks in this area: lakeside, cliff-bottom and cliff-top that can be taken individually for gentle walks or combined for substantial exercise. Each track offers different views; take the cliff-bottom track and you may believe you are deep in the bush.
There are picnic tables on the slopes above both lakes and a simple Bird Hide lakeside of North Lake.
Amphitheatre
Like the rest of the park, this area was once a quarry.
The quarry work left a bluestone cliff that surrounds the circular area. After rain, you may see a waterfall if the swamp above the amphitheatre is full.
In the centre of the Amphitheatre, you’ll see a metal box. This contains a pump to draw up water through a bore into the ground water 200 metres below the surface. This water maintains the water level of all the lakes. When the water reaches the surface, it enters the small perimeter lakes. The park designer called these ‘feeder lakes’ because bore water filters through these lakes, improving its quality, before it reaches North and South Lake.
The common plants in this area include: the Bull Rush, Thin Duck Weed, Combugi, Sedges, Common Mardoo, Water Button and bush tomatoes.
The most obvious bird in the Amphitheatre is the Purple Swamp Hen, a black hen-like bird with a purple breast and large feet.
The amphitheatre has been extensively replanted with native plants and a deck has been installed to overcome bank erosion.
The amphitheatre makes a wonderful setting for the annual Newport Fiddle and Folk Bush Dance.
Arboretum
An Arboretum is a collection of exotic plant species.
The Arboretum was one of the first areas to be redeveloped from a quarry in the 1970’s. The councils of the time funded unemployed people to plant the area. It wasn’t until September 1997, after pressure by the Friends that the surrounding fences were taken down by Council. Before that residents would cut holes for access.
In 2000, seating and entry paths were added to the area, and in 2013 a bridge across the swale was built to improve the amenity for walkers.
Many new plants from various parts of Australia have been added to the arboretum to increase its rich diversity and the Friends of Newport Lakes have funded the labelling of some specimen trees.
Pavey’s Park
In the early decades of the twentieth century this area was a quarry called, Pavey’s Hole, after its owner. This area was used as a tip after the quarry was worked out and then redeveloped as a park. It now is made up of the Ranger’s office, a native nursery, a car park, barbecues and shelters, a playground, paths and a large grassy open area.
North West Plain
This large flat area remains relatively undeveloped. It was once one of the biggest quarries in the park and then a Council tip in the 1980s. The tip was capped in layers of clay to seal in the decomposing rubbish and the resulting gasses. It is often the home of many weeds (and a source of weed seeds that blow into the rest of the park), but a grassland of sorts with its own bird community is developing.
What will happen to this area? There are no definite plans as yet. Many suggestions have been made including more forest, more open park, native grassland, community allotments and a viewing mound or platform.
In the meantime, scattered trees are growing gradually and more are being planted. The area is a popular off-leash area for exercising dogs.
Map of Newport Lakes Reserve
Our Mosaics
Fauna List
Over 150 species of birds have been recorded in the park, from birds of prey such as the Black-shouldered Kite to lorikeets and wetland birds like grebe and cormorants. Such a variety of birds is possible because the park provides a wealth of diverse habitats and safe areas to rest and feed.
The lakes are home to many frogs, lizards, turtles, bats, possums and snakes. In 2011, a tiny Hopping Mouse was sighted.
The council is hoping to attract possums out of neighbourhood roofs and into the park! Rescued animals are also released in carefully sited boxes by Wildlife Rescue services.
Since 1986 records of bird sightings have been recorded extensively by Mary Burbidge:
Birds of Newport Lakes |
Flora List
Some interesting specimens to discover in the Arboretum:
List of native flora originally planted in the park:
Newport Lakes Plant list |