817 Mill Creek Road, Stroud, NSW 2425

Wirra Willa is a 40 ha property sited 8 kilometres north of Stroud on Mill Creek Road. It faces east, and runs from the top of Peppers Mountain (351m asl) to the bank of Mill Creek (50m asl).
Photo 1 – View from Stroud Mountain

The town of Stroud (8 kms away) is a local centre with shops, a primary school and a large showground with a swimming pool and sporting oval. It was started by the AA Company in the 1820s as their headquarters and has many historic buildings which are still in use today.

A school bus runs down Mill Creek Road to link with busses which run to the high schools at Gloucester(18k away) and Raymond Terrace.

Most of the property is covered by a conservation agreement and a report by the NPWS in 1996 found that it “ contains habitat for a number of species listed as Vulnerable and the vegetation community assemblages and associated species are of notable conservation significance and important in a biogeographical context” Photo: 2 Aerial Photo

The large area under conservation agreement does require active management and the NSW Biodiversity Trust (BCT) supports such properties. We have received a number of grants from time to time for fencing etc. The BCT has recently replaced half a kilometre of fencing and engaged a contractor for weed removal in the conservation area.

To provide access, there are several kilometres of formed trails on the property as well as walking tracks in the steeper areas. Photo: 3 Topo Map

The best way to appreciate this special property is to take a tour starting at the house block. This is situated along a gently sloping area which looks out over the valley and to the Mountains on the east. Photo: 4 Aerial house block

On the block is a three bedroom timber cottage (about 20 years old), a 10 metre diameter shade house and a three bay machinery shed with a concrete floor. Photo: 5 House and Shade House.

The house has an open plan living area, built in cupboards in all the bedrooms and a large veranda looking out to the east. Photo: 6 Floor Plan

Because of its location, the house stays fairly cool so Air con is not really needed. The mountain blocks hot westerly winds as well as providing shade in the afternoon and there is generally a cool breeze up the valley from the coast. Photo: 8a inside of house and Photo: Inside from Kitchen Area

Heating is with a gas fire and cooking is on a gas stove. Photo: 9 Kitchen Area

The wide veranda is a great place to have a meal and watch the Finches, Wrens and other small birds feed on the lawn below and bathe in the small pond in the garden. Photo 11 Veranda Looking South

Water supply is from two linked 20,000 litre water tanks, one attached to the house and the other to the machinery shed. Uphill from the house is a pressure tank (1000 litres) on a tower.

The house is solar powered (2500W system) with the receptors sited on the machinery shed. A battery hut is attached to the shed and 240 volt power is transmitted by underground cable to the house.

The shed has three bays, one is a lock up garage and another is a fully lined storeroom. Photo: 16 Shed

The shade house is octagonal in shape and there is a small potting shed attached to the back. Photo:17 Inside Shade house.

Below the shed is a small group of fruit trees (lime, lemon, plum, mandarin, mango, macadamia) Photo : 15 Fruit trees below shed

Walking up the hill from the house block you pass through tall open forest - mainly stringybark, turpentine, spotted gum and some grey gums. After about 100 metres we come to an open grassed area. Three trails run from this area, one down across the southern creek and on to the southern boundary, one running west up a ridge to the cliff line and one running to the northern ridge. Taking the northern trail, we first cross the middle creek just upstream from a small rock pool Photo: 31 middle creek.

This spot is popular for birds during the day and brush tailed possums and Wallabies in the evening. Photo: lyre bird in creek The middle creek valley is mostly rainforest.

From there the trail gradually climbs through tall forest to Tick Gully and up to the bottom of the North Ridge. Photo: 21 Lower North Ridge.

Thirty years ago, lower tick gully was mainly tick-infested Lantana and the name has stuck even though the Lantana has been removed and the rainforest restored in this area.

The North ridge leads up to the cliff line. On it is a tall mixed open forest which includes spotted gum, Ironbark, some grey gums, some forest red gums and others. Many of the grey gums have mammal scratches from possums and koalas Photo: 22 Upper North Ridge from knoll.

Below the cliffs there is a band of rainforest which includes Figs, Red Cedar, Coachwood, Yellow Carabeen and Rosewood. It is quite unusual as it is growing on a boulder slope with virtually no understory except for rock lilies and ferns. Photo: 30 Birds nest fern in rainforest

The steep loose boulder slope has prevented logging in more recent times although a few very old stumps indicate some logging was carried out a long time ago. Photo 29 Rainforest on boulder slope

A side track leads into this area where there is a small tank and water trough. This water supply has been important for wildlife as they no longer have to leave in very dry times as they would have done in the past. Many of the birds that live in this rainforest (such as the wampoo fruit dove, topknot pigeon and regent bower bird) will not drink in open areas so it is important to provide a source of water in their habitat. Photo: 32 Tank in Rainforest

We could spend all day exploring this unique area, but instead we will continue our tour. From here the route goes up a boulder and scree slope which runs alongside the cliffs to the top of Peppers Mountain .Photo 24 From near cliff facing south

The northern edge of the scree is populated with large Xanthorrhoea and there are rock lilies, pink rock lilies (kingianum) and liparis reflexa on the cliff ledges. Photo: 26 Grass Trees

The property runs across the top of the mountain for a short distance and this area is mainly an open forest of spotted gum and ironbark with grass underneath. It is about half a kilometre walk along the back boundary with extensive views in all directions. Photo: 33 Stroud Trig from Peppers

A gravel road runs up to the back boundary from Johnson Creek Road on the west and it leads to the communication towers which are sited on the mountain top adjacent to our property.

From the South west corner, our route passes through a break in the cliffs down a steep gully into the rainforest before coming out to the trail along the southern boundary. The rainforest here supports numerous twig orchids which hang everywhere. The boulder slope has numerous stag horns, rock lilies and other orchids . Photo: 34 gully from top

The trail down along the southern fence line is in open forest and there are several side tracks into the southern creek valley Photo 27 Southern Creek

One of them leads to a small rock dam which is perched above a series of cascades . The dam provides a permanent water source in dry times when this creek is reduced to a trickle. Photo: 28 Small weir in Southern creek

The trail down along the southern boundary ends at the grassed flat beside Mill Creek. In the evening, the flat is a popular feeding ground for red necked wallabies and Bandicoots. Photos: 20 Bottom Flat.
The flat is bordered by rainforest with Bangalow palms and large eucalypts including Tallowwoods which are a Koala favourite. Photo, 19 Beside Mill Creek

We cross the flat to the end of a long deep pool which is bordered by Ironwood trees and some tall Flooded gums. If you sit quietly you may catch a glimpse of a platypus feeding in the still waters. Photo: 18 Mill Creek

Time to sit, dangle your feet in the cool water and relax.