Walk from Strathnairn to Shepherds Lookout with a self-guided audio tour via the Ginninderry Tracks app. Photo: Ginninderry.
It’s a relaxing walk that boasts stunning views of the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor – but you can now level up your walk from Strathnairn to Shepherds Lookout with a self-guided audio tour via an app.
Working to protect and restore the Murrumbidgee River Corridor with the support of the Ginninderry community, the Ginninderry Tracks app and audio tour was created by the Ginninderry Conservation Trust to enhance placemaking and storytelling in the area.
Leading users through an hour-long walk with options to either start at The Link or from Shepherds Lookout, Ginninderry Tracks leads walkers along the trail, encouraging them to pause at each marker to listen to stories about the cultural and natural values of the area.
According to Ginninderry Conservation Trust CEO Jason Cummings, the idea of the app is to match audio content from Conservation Corridor experts with what walkers can see in the landscape.
“The app with the onsite signage, imagery, and storytelling brings the experience together,” he says.
“It provides a visitor experience and it’s self-guided to educate and inspire the community to care more for nature, the Murrumbidgee River, and the landscape we have the privilege of using.”
Connecting the urban area of Ginninderry to the popular Shepherds Lookout, the track weaves through the Conservation Corridor, two forest types and native grassland areas, and passes ever-changing vegetation types and landscapes – including Stringybark Woodland, Tea Tree Scrub, and several valley edges.
Incorporating the knowledge of Conservation Corridor experts including Tyson Powell – Ginninderry Conservation Trust Caring for Country team leader and proud Wiradjuri man with Ngunnawal family ties – and using native bird and frog calls, the app’s aim is to teach walkers about the importance and history of the Ginninderry landscape.
The aim of the app is to teach walkers about the importance and history of the Ginninderry landscape. Photo: Ginninderry.
“They’ll learn about the critically endangered ecosystems, and they’ll learn about the migrations of animals through the landscape as the Murrumbidgee River Corridor has been a migrations pathway for animals and people for thousands of years,” Jason says.
“They’ll also learn about the heritage of the place. The stories and culture of First Australians are authentically and respectfully told within the landscape.
“There’s also a painting of the landscape created in the 1930s by Elioth Gruner. So there’s a particular story there asking people to view that painting from nearly 100 years ago, look at the landscape in front of them, and then reflect on what’s changed over the years.”
Encouraging walkers to take in the beauty and learn something along the way, users of the Ginninderry Tracks app can also access a transcript of the audio tour so they can read the stories on and off the track.
“We hope users get a richer appreciation of the local landscape, and we hope they can see and hear the things they might not otherwise see and hear… that we can highlight to them points of interest that spark their curiosity for nature and culture,” Jason says.
“We hope they have a more informative and inspiring walk than they would have otherwise had in the absence of the app and signage.”
For more information visit Ginninderry
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