If you’ve ever been in the car with me, you’ll know I yell “duck!” whenever I see one waddling along the side of the road. I love birds, especially ducks and swans. There’s just something so soul-cleansing about watching birds be birds, flying from branch to branch, flapping about in the water, bending their necks all the way back to preen themselves. So, with a nice sunny day, my partner and I went to the Hunter Wetlands Centre in Newcastle to see all the ponds and swamps, and of course, ducks!
The Hunter Wetlands Centre is a not-for-profit wildlife conservation group. What was once a dumping ground in the 1980’s, is now a beautiful sanctuary of native plants and animals for everyone to enjoy. Forty-five hectares of land have been restored by volunteers to house vulnerable and endangered birds, like ducks, swans, egrets, herons and storks. This unbelievable feat was all inspired by Dr Max Maddock, who saw a group of egrets nesting within what was once a rugby field. As the Professor of Education at the University of Newcastle, Maddock began his efforts with many other volunteers to re-establish the land as a Wetlands Education Centre. This year marks forty years of the Hunter Wetlands Centre protecting the environment and nearby species from natural and man-made threats, and being a haven for nature and bird lovers.
When we arrived at the Hunter Wetlands Centre, we were greeted by a lovely staff. The lady at the desk was so kind and you could tell she loved what she was doing, which is so important for a place like this. The entry fee is only ten dollars, which is pretty good considering there is no time limit, so you can stay there all day if you’d like. As a community-run organisation, this money goes straight to helping maintain the wetlands centre and the wildlife living there. So, we were given a map, and an information sheet, and off we went.
The first place we went to was the animal house, of course. It was only a small shed, but it housed some gorgeous reptiles and aquatic animals, including none other than Squirtle the Turtle. He was a very active little long-necked turtle, and he seemed to love the camera. Every angle I snapped, he was diving for it. Other than Squirtle, there were some beautiful tree frogs, bearded dragons, blue tongue lizards, snakes, and even an eel! The eel was actually more creepy than beautiful but, I digress. Something I found really cool here was the names and backstories of each animal on the tanks. If you’ve read my post about Melbourne Zoo, you’ll know that this is what I want to see more of in zoos and wildlife parks. It builds the connection between the animals, the handlers, and the visitors. Like one of the bearded dragons they had named Opal who had lost a foot to another beardie. You get to read the story of the animals before they arrived at the wildlife park, gaining an insight into the personality and history of each one.
The ponds and swamps were lovely. Obviously not up to human swimming standards, but great to take photos of! There were a lot of different water birds there to watch and photograph, like this one pond that was just FILLED with ducks splashing about. My partner and I stood there watching them for a moment, ducking their heads underwater, flapping their wings about, racing each other. I’ve never seen ducks so active. We climbed one of the viewing towers to sit and watch for a bit while they played in the water. I saw a pair of beautiful black swans in one corner of the pond closest to us. They looked so majestic and regal compared to the playful ducks. If it weren’t for my partner pointing it out, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the three floating fluffs between the two of them. Baby swans! They were so adorable. Just grey balls of feathers. We had to stay here for a bit and watch. I don’t think I’ve ever seen baby swans before, so this was definitely something I wanted to sit and enjoy for a while.
The Hunter Wetlands Centre is probably one of the best places in Newcastle for bird watching and wildlife photography. They have counted 217 bird species in the area, including endangered species like the black-necked stork, freckled ducks and the Australasian bittern. The centre has built towers and “hides” so birdwatchers and photographers can observe these beautiful animals without disturbing them or their habitat. While walking along one of the boardwalks, we met a lovely lady who photographs birds. We talked for a while about the centre and the birds, and she even gave me tips on how to photograph finches. That’s something I love about places like these. They bring like people together, and you can meet people who share the same interests and passions as you. Because of my anxiety, I’m never one to just meet someone on the street and start a conversation with them. But something about this place just felt so comfortable that even strangers felt like friends.
We soon found our way to the Freckled Ducks enclosure. It was actually a really unique design. You walked up onto a platform as if you were walking into the enclosure, with little hatch doors you can open for photos. As we looked around for the ducks, we remembered what the lady said when she was introducing us to the centre. The freckled ducks like to hide. We stood there for a while, trying to find just one duck. No luck. As we were walking back to the trail my partner said “Wouldn’t it be funny if they were all underneath us?” Lo and behold, they were all underneath the platform we were standing on! Now we know why people have a hard time finding them. My partner and I stood there for a moment laughing at the coincidence, then crouched down to have a closer look at all the ducks. They didn’t seem to be bothered that we were standing only half a metre from where they were resting; they just kept sleeping, scratching and preening. So, if you go to the Hunter Wetland Centre and can’t find the freckled ducks … look down!
The Hunter Wetlands Centre is also great for walking if you’re looking for something different. It’s a pretty big area, and they have a few walking tracks to follow with lots of scenery and nature. For the plant lovers, they have tons of different native plants like wattles, cedars, paperbarks, and even mushrooms! If my dad came with us he’d be pointing out every single plant and tree in sight. Now, while I say the centre is great for walking, I wasn’t aware how much walking was actually involved. Trust me, even if you’re only going to look around, PLEASE wear comfortable shoes. I made the mistake of matching my shoes perfectly to my outfit for the day and left with blisters on the bottoms of my feet. I didn’t even know that was possible, but learn from my mistakes guys.
This place would be great to take your kids to. I would’ve loved it as a child and tickets are cheaper for kids under 15 years. There is so much to learn about native wildlife as well as the environment, and I also think it’s important for children to learn about how these places have a large impact on the environment these days. There’s a playground to let your kids loose when they need to get rid of some of that extra energy, as well as a climbing gym for the more adventurous. The centre is also disability friendly with lifts and ramps along the way, as well as being open to guide and assistance dogs! It’s a great place to get away from a busy atmosphere for people with sensory issues or anxiety, and it doesn’t get too noisy or crowded as all the ponds and walks are outside.
Now, I can’t leave anywhere without looking at the gift shop, I’m sure you know that by now. It was pretty small but that didn’t stop me from finding a perfect little travel coffee cup for work. My partner also bought the same in a different colour. For a gift shop, their items are pretty cheap! The visitor centre also had a café if you were going to spend the day at the Wetlands Centre and wanted something to eat, but as we came in the afternoon, we had to leave before they closed. Honestly, the whole time there was so relaxing and uplifting. I loved seeing all the birds in their natural environment, as well as all the different plants. This is one of those places I’ll definitely be coming back to!
All photos in this post are taken by me.
For more information, visit https://www.wetlands.org.au/
The Travel Journal 
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