Dog Friendly Convict Farm Walk and Brickendon Estate Gardens

It took George and I a couple weeks to revisit dog friendly Brickendon due to being sick, but as soon as I was on the mend I scheduled another visit. Was it worth a revisit to cover the Gardens and the Convict Walk we couldn’t do before? Read on!

Convict Farm Walk to Woolmers Estate

This visit back to dog friendly Brickendon Estate I chose carefully for an overcast cool day. Last time we visited Brickendon it was quite warm and we didn’t get to visit the Gardens or attempt the Convict Trail as I was worried about George overheating. There’s no shade on the Convict Farm Walk and it can get quite warm.

We set off from Brickendon Farm Village, down a maintained track towards our first stop, The jetty. First we had to get past the Heifers that took an interest in George and the single rogue heifer that had jumped the fence onto the Convict Farm Walk track, for the long grass either side of the track I presume. The paddock the cattle were in was dry, but had enough feed for them as they looked good and fat.

As we walked down the track the cattle followed along the fence line, I kept a careful eye on the rogue heifer in front of us, didn’t want to startle or spook her with George and have to make a run for it! She eventually jumped back to join her mates. The electric Fence couldn’t be working I presumed, or she wouldn’t have attempted the escape. Grass is always greener on the otherside, even for cattle.

The Jetty

George and I got to The Jetty safely that overlooked the Macquarie/Tinamirakuna River. The river was very slow, sluggish and green. I looked at it and thought ‘eww.. I wouldn’t want to be bathing, washing or drining that water!’. There is a sign by the Jetty that explains two convicts James Gillen and Bill Bracer, hauled water from here up to the Big House (manor) in a big wooden barrel hauled by two bullocks called Doctor and Paddy. It would have been hard work hauling the laden water barrel up the long hill to the farm village and then across to the Main House.

I reckon if it had been autumn or winter, the Macquarie/Tinamirakuna River would’ve looked more inviting and George could have had a dip.

Apparently because of the two rivers, the Macquarie/Tinamirakuna and South Esk River, William Archer deemed it the best spot to settle. The land would be fertile with the rivers flooding on the lower paddocks, which in turn meant there was plenty of ditch digging for the convicts to drain the water from the enriched fields and prepare for crops.

Leaving the Jetty behind we continued along the track. I realised we were walking up on an embankment which ran the length of the track we followed, I think this may have been built later on to protect the paddocks from flooding from the Macquarie/Tinamirakuna River. There are hawthorn hedges which line the the trail and probably in their day were ‘layed’ for fencing, not the wild tangled mess they are now. We passed sheep hidden in the long grass under the heavy clouds. I kept an eye on the clouds as when we drove all the way from home to Deloraine, it poured. Gazing round I hoped it would rain after we departed for it was very dry everywhere.

Tip:

The Macquarie/Tinamirakuna River here is the same one that runs through the historic village of Ross, also a dog friendly place to visit.

Suspension Bridge to Woolmers Estate

The Convict Farm Walk takes you between Brickendon Estate and Woolmers Estate via a 40 metre suspension bridge over the Macquarie/Tinamirakuna River.

I wasn’t sure if George would walk on the Suspension Bridge without Inca leading him. He was little hesitant at first but gained confidence and was happy enough to sit halfway across while took some photo’s and to pose for me. We couldn’t walk to the other side which ends on Woolmers Estate grounds, as Woolmers is sadly NOT dog friendly. I was hoping to be able to walk across to the cafe in Woolmers grounds and have lunch, instead I spent my money in Longford itself.

Before crossing the bridge we met a friendly fisherman. When I commented that I was surprised at how sluggish and low the river was he explained that the water level in the river was low because Hydro Tasmania hadn’t released any water from the Great Lakes/Yingina (low water levels) through the water tunnel that runs down to Poatina into the canal into Brumby’s Creek which empties into the Macquarie River. As the Macquarie/Tinamirakuna River begins up in the hills by Lake Leake and it’s been a very dry summer I feel this may also have a lot to do with the low water levels. A quick enquiry as to how his luck went with the rod and he said he hadn’t caught any Brown or Rainbow Trout. As this suspension bridge is very springy and sways a bit, George and I let him cross first before venturing out.

After our brief stop in the middle and not able to explore Woolmer’s we headed back along the Convict Farm Walk to Brickendon Village and then across Wellington Street (C520) to visit Brickendon Manor and the gardens.

Tips:

The dog friendly trail is 2.8km one way and takes approximately 50 minutes to walk return, longer if you keep stopping for photos.

When the Macquarie/Tinamirakuna River is flooding the trail is closed.

Between the hours of 5pm and 9am the trail is closed.

Bring water with you for your dog, the walk is not shaded and will be hot on a sunny day.

Woolmers Estate is definitely NOT dog friendly.

Brickendon Gardens

Although the day was overcast it was getting warm and a stroll around the private Gardens, first laid out in the 1830’s by William Archer, surrounding the ‘Big House’ was very welcome.

A few minutes after we arrived at the Gardens a bus load of Asian tourists pulled up. We waited for them to go before us so we wouldn’t intrude, but upon spying George the game was up. He posed for them in front of the Main House and about a dozen had their photos taken with him with the house behind. A regular occurrence for George if we come across Asian tourists! I shouldve charged a fiver for each photo!

The flower beds around the Main House, built in 1828, were lovely to wander through and would be amazing in spring with the spring blooms out. We may have to come back for this another time. It was more the trees I was interested in, and as the day was warming up I was glad to walk beneath the cool shade and over the soft green grass. The collection of trees in the private gardens is quite remarkable, with The Royal Tasmanian Botancial Gardens being the only other place to rival the species on display.

George had a good sniff as we followed the carriage way round, headed down to the small Ha-Ha Wall built to keep the sheep out. It is easy to walk around the Gardens following the well maintained pathway, and to go off track to explore the grassy areas. Just ensure you bring poo bags and take the bags with you to dump in a rubbish bin later as there are no bags supplied.

There are several statues situated around the grounds, but you have to leave the pathway and explore a little, there’s a Wedge-tailed Eagle on the stump of a Deodar Cedar, a leaf in the Northern Shrubbery section and a water feature with dragon fly by the exit area.

To answer the question we posed at the top of this post, was it worth the visit to the dog friendly Brickendon Gardens and to do the dog friendly Convict Farm Walk. Yes, I think it was. George enjoyed his stroll to the Suspension Bridge and had a good sniff around the Gardens of the Brickendon Main House.