“The Porongurup, which reads like a history book dating back many thousands of years, is a researcher’s dream.” So, here’s a good place to go for a walk through that history book – a critically important bit of wet forest right in the heart of Gondwana Link – the Porongurup Range National Park. That energetic and incredibly well organised bunch the Friends of the Porongurups have just opened their latest project, the Walitj Meil Walk Trail. Picured here cutting the ribbon at the start of the Trail is Friends Secretary Maggie Shanklin (Secretary), Wendy Williams, Judy MacKinnon (Chair), Glen Colbung, Federal Member Rick Wilson, Peter Hartley from Parks and Wildlife and Loxley Fedec (Committee Member). We also grabbed a photo of the paparazzi the opening attracted, and thank Bo for the photo of Gondwana Link CEO Keith Bradby with Rick Wilson and Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Chair Heather Adams.

As the Friends put it “The Walitj Meil Walk Trail, initiated by the Friends of the Porongurup Range, was funded through a Community Heritage and Icons Grant. The program was designed to support community participation in the promotion of places on Australia’s National Heritage List

The trail was developed in partnership with DBCA; in meetings with the local Noongar community; and with support from South Coast Natural Resource Management’s cultural officers. Scientists, researchers and nature photographers, to name a few, willingly offered assistance when requests were made for information or photos. “The Porongurup, which reads like a history book dating back many thousands of years, is a researcher’s dream. Significant Noongar totems including the Wedge-tailed Eagle, the Mighty Marri and the Wardong (raven) are featured as well as the Iconic Porongurup Karri described by Von Mueller as the Grandest Tree and local flora noted for Noongar use. Bush Melodies highlights a few of the many bird species in the Park. A walking worm endemic to the Porongurup who boasts 15 pairs of legs and has remained relatively unchanged for over 500 million years takes its place in Relics to showcase an ancient Gondwanan species.
A portion of Porongurup timber country was set aside 91 years ago to create part of the Park we cherish today. A newspaper photo of officials and guests who attended the Park opening in 1926 was a rare find and is included in Declaration of the Park.”