O’Neills Creek picnic reserve

O’Neill’s Creek Nature Trail is an easy 15-minute walk (approximately 700 metres to O’Neill’s Road) and leads to the start of the Mt Roland Regional Reserve walking tracks. Spectacular Mt Roland forms the backdrop to the Mt Roland Regional Reserve east of O’Neill’s Creek Picnic Reserve.

You will find White Gum eucalypts, Blackwood trees, Browntop Stringybarks, Myrtle trees, Sassafras trees, Dogwood trees and fern glades. . O’Neill’s Creek is host to the iridescent dragonfly, frogs, yabbies, freshwater crayfish and platypus.

There is logging evidence from a bygone era. You may encounter tree stumps with notches cut out of them for holding boards that were used for axemen or sawyers to stand on whilst felling trees. Bullock teams or draught horses were used to skid out the logs.

Next to the creek and rodeo ground, this pretty forest reserve has places for vans for short stays (2 nights maximum), BBQ facilities, and shelter with tables and benches. The neighbouring Gowrie Park Wilderness Village has cabins and powered van sites for longer stays.

You can access the trail from the C136 at the O’Neill’s Creek Picnic Reserve, 16 km (5 minutes’ drive) south-west of Sheffield.