Southwater Downs - Forest Condition

Linda and Roger's Southwater Downs – Robertson Rainforest

The Condition of the Forest

This is a page within Roger and Linda's Southwater Downs Web-Site.

Southwater Downs is an 8-acre property on the escarpment 4km east of Robertson, in southern N.S.W. 3 acres are Robertson (lilli pilli) rainforest, and subject to a Conservation Agreement.

This page shows the condition of the forest, focussing particularly on the edges, but including the insides.

The page also doubles as the control for treatment of the Trad flum, which in 2012-13 carpeted 40% of the forest.

The segments are:

The House Boundary Stable
The Paddock Boundary
The Central Clearing and Pathway Down
The Riparian Clearing
Inside the Small Southern Forest
Inside the Larger Northern Forest, SW Corner
Inside the Larger Northern Forest, NE Corner

All images are thumbnails – click to display a larger copy

1. Behind the House
From the gateway, SE corner of the Stable-Yard

Reference Photos – October 2010

The rectangle bounded on the east by the house, on the north by the stable, and on the south by the fence, is difficult to defend against human depradations. But despite that it still contains a lot of conservation value, and appears to be a remarkably robust buffer-zone.


Looking S along the Eastern Boundary from the NE corner	Looking E towards the house from the NE corner	Looking W behind the stable from the NE corner

17 March 2013

GPS coords: 56H 0282212, UTM 6171696, Elevation 726m

The area was test-treated once, using three different approaches, which made very little difference. The Trad. is awfully healthy:


	Location Shot: Eastwards	Location Shot: NW

Looking N, 5m centred	N, 3m centred	E, 3m centred	W, 3m centred

1B. Behind the Stable
From the SW corner of the Stable

Reference Photos – October 2010


Looking S 10m from the N edge, behind the stable	Looking S from behind the stable	Looking W from behind the stable

17 March 2013

GPS coords: 0282 208, 617 1699, Elevation 724m


Location Shot: Looking N	Looking S, 3m centred	Looking W, 3m centred

1C. 30m Down the Hill

Reference Photos – March 2013

GPS coords: 0282152, 617 1705, Elevation 719m


Location Shot: Downwards at the leading edge of the Trad	Looking E, 2m centred	Looking W, 5m centred	Looking N, 5m centred

2. The Paddock Boundary

Reference Photos – October 2010


2a. Looking NW, along the E boundary ...	2b. ... in more detail	2c. Effects of the 2010 rubucide project ...	2d. ... continued

3. The Central Clearing and Path Down

Reference Photos – October 2010


3a. Looking N to upper Nthn side of the central clearing	3b. Looking NW to upper Nthn side of the central clearing, looking upwards ...	3c. ... and looking downwards at 2010 rubucide ...	3d. ... and the cane-stack on a rock to the left

3e. Looking N across the central clearing	3f. Looking S to upper Sthn side of the central clearing	3g. Looking W at the lower side of the central clearing	3h. Halfway down the path, N side, 2010 rubucide

4. The Riparian Clearing

Reference Photos – October 2010


4a. Low down path, looking NW, after 2010 rubucide	4b. Bottom of path, looking W, with 2010 plantings	4c. Bottom of path, looking NW, showing 2010 rubucide ...	4d. ... plantings plus natural growth

4e. Looking NW along forest margin, with 2010 rubucide	4f. Looking NE into forest, with 2010 rubucide	4g. Just inside edge, looking outwards with cane-stack

5. Inside the Small Southern Forest

Reference Photos – October 2010

Oops, none taken in Oct 2010!?

6. Inside the Larger Northern Forest – SW

Reference Photos – October 2010

This position was based on a wombat-hole (but has since been replaced by the edge of the Trad in March 2013).


6a. Looking northwards, from halfway down the pathway ...	6b. ... ditto ...	6c. ... ditto	6d. Just inside the W edge, looking N ...

6e. ... looking E	6f. Dead-centre, at the wombat-hole, looking SE ...	6g. .. looking N ...	6h. ... looking E