Nurragi Conservation Reserve Walking Trail

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Having already completed the 14km (return trip) walk from Milang to the former Nurragi train station , I recently seized the opportunity to complete the trail.


My walking partner and I chose to start where we left off. We parked the car on Nurragi Road, near the picnic spot on the Conservation Reserve. We could have started at the other end and walked from Tucker Road, Sandergrove, which is a 10km drive from Strathalbyn. Either direction is fine for a lovely, 12km-ish, return trip walk.

In addition to benches and tables, the picnic spot provides lots of information including maps of the trail, details on flora, fauna and history as well as brochures for walkers.




We set off, with a small picnic, from the site of the former Nurragi Station which, according to the distance marker, is 7kms from Milang.



The brochure for walkers details flora, including Bottle-Brush, Pink Gums, Melaleuca and Mallee.



There are over 300 native plant species present on this Conservation Reserve and around 50 of them are rare or endangered plants.



We saw many of the plants mentioned in the brochure as well as numerous examples of wildflowers along the trail.



In addition to special native flora, the reserve is home to native fauna including birds, lizards and mammals. We saw one kangaroo, lots of happy birds and a shingleback lizard.



I enjoyed the flora and fauna but it was the historical aspects of the walk that impressed me most.



Railway sleepers, culverts and the remains of an old stone bridge showed evidence of the former railway line and conjured up images, in my mind, of train travel in bygone days.



I feel mournful at the loss of so many train services in our country. I would far prefer a relaxing train trip through beautiful scenery than a car trip on a busy, concrete motorway. Trains are far kinder to our planet than all those single-occupied cars on the road.



Towards Sandergrove I noticed a section of the old broad gauge line running alongside the narrow gauge track that is currently used by the SteamRanger Heritage Train.



The former Sandergrove Station was somewhat elusive but I was determined to find it. We walked along the tracks until, sure enough, there it was; another little piece of railway history.



We sat on a couple of old sleepers to enjoy our picnic then headed back to Nurragi, enjoying the flora, fauna and history for a second time.

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