THE Stream
THE Canopy
THE PLAINS
Explore the other unique habitats and ecosystems native to Wangaratta.
EXPLORE
Engage with this story on the Water Tower between Sunset and 23h. You’ll have 5 minutes to walk around the tower and experience this ecosystem come to life.
INTERACT
Experience the River Banks
A Damselfly, lands gently on the surface of the water, as Brown Toadlets, Growling Grass Frogs, Striped Marsh Frogs and Perons Tree Frogs sing a symphony, hidden from sight, but loud nonetheless. As you pass these, a rakali water rat slithers quickly and confidently into the water, swimming to the other side. If you’re lucky, you might spot the endangered striped Legless Lizard burrowing it’s way under a rock between the Proteas, Purple Loostrifes, Delicate Leek Orchids and Bulbine Lilys.
Along the edge of the riverbank you’ll find the River Bottlebrush, found along local waterways and an important stream-side vegetation, for shade and an insect source for fish, a nectar source for honeyeaters and moths, butterflies and insects. In the bottlebrush if you peer closely, you’ll see a tiny Willy Wagtail flitting in between the branches for safety. Further on, an Azure Kingfisher swoops in elegantly, its feet skimming the water as it plucks a small fish from the water for lunch. The Azure Kigfisher prefers local waterways and wetlands as they provide a large portion of their food source including, crustaceans, water beetles, spiders, locusts, and small frogs or tadpoles.
Welcome traveller, to the river banks of Wangaratta and it’s surrounds. The Ovens River journey begins in the Victorian Alps, through the Ovens Valley and flows past Bright, Myrtleford and Wangaratta where it joins the King River. Here, as you wind your way along river banks you’ll find the king of the river bank, the Cormorant, also known by its Bpangerang name ‘Wangaratta’.  ‘Wanga’- meaning long neck, and ‘Ratta’ meaning cormorant. The cormorant is attracted to inland waters, lakes, deep swamps and rivers.
‘We see our bodies as the land and our veins are the rivers that flow through us, nourishing us and sustaining life.’

Uncle SANDY ATKINSON
RIVER
BANKS