Australian Hiker

Nearest Town

Forde, Canberra

Best Time of the Year to Travel

Year round. Springtime after rains will see more birds

Starting Location

Car park entry for the Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve Bird Walk

Shelter and street signs at Mulligans car park

Bike racks if you feel so inclined to ride to the trail head

Finish Location

Trail head car park located just off Mulligans Flat Road in Forde

Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve Bird Walk Review

Mulligans Flat is a nature reserve on the outskirts of Canberra and an ideal choice to take tourists to see wildlife on the central and northern side of Canberra. If you happen to be on the south side then look at the many options for walks available in Tidbinbilla Natural Reserve. Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve is fully fenced and is designed to be Kangaroo, cat, fox, and dog proof to allow a number of smaller marsupials to survive and flourish. The outer fence of this reserve is electric and the gates are spring loaded to ensure that nothing that shouldn’t get it does.

There are three main walks inside this nature reserve including the 12km Mulligans Circuit, the 11km Goorooyarrooo Track, and this walk, the Mulligans Bird Walk, which depending on your starting point is around 7.6km. In addition there are another three walks located outside of the fenced area nearby: The Northern Campground Walk, the Walk from Forde to Hall. and the North Mulligans Circuit.

If you are driving to this site then you will start the walk from the Mulligans Flat car park which will add about 1.2 km in distance to the advertised walk length which is supposed to be around 6km. There is ample parking, a picnic shelter and water at the car park and in the reserve itself there is also a toilet located at the wood shed as well as descent interpreation signage as well.

The Mulligans Bird Walk is shorter of the main walks within the reserve proper and as the name suggests is designed to get the best out of the birdlife. On the day we did this walk, mid autumn, we were having one of the driest starts to the year having had only 163mm rainfall so much of the birdlife has migrated into the city proper. Having said that there was still plenty to see on this walk, both in the bird variety as well from the kangaroo family. Gill and I aren’t that much into birds but we still enjoyed this walk and it was a good way to spend a morning. We did bypass the large dam section of the walk as it wasn’t obvious but if you are feeling so inclined then look for the signage to the main dam.

This walk is on formed management trail, has plenty of interpretation signage as you go as well as a walk brochure that you pick up at the start of the walk to help you with what you are seeing. We saw a number of the more common birds and I must admit we tend to take them for granted when we see them in our front yard. There were also lots of wallabies as well as some Kangaroos, although not in the quantity that you see in the unfenced section of the reserve across the road on the northern boundary.

This is an easy to access walk and if you don’t feel like doing the full 7.6km distance just have a wander around an turn back at the appropriate point.

Part of this trail also forms part of the Canberra Centenary Trail

Fox (and dog) baits are down to control these animals which decimate the smaller wildlife. Dogs are not allowed in this reserve

Follow the trail signs to the main gate which is about 600metres from the car park

Main Gate sign

Main gate

 

The main fence is electric so hands off the very obvious live wires

Close the gate, although having said that it is spring loaded so its hard not to

Activity signage. Twilight tours are run

Pick up a brochure the way in to help you with what you are seeing

Follow the trail markers. This walk is designed to be done in a clockwise direction

Go straight ahead. The return road in visible on the right of this image

The interpretation signage is excellent on this trail

Chough

Rosella

Wool shed. Drop in and look at the interpretation signage. There is also a toilet at the rear of the building

Don’t drink the water. I have but I filtered it

Toilet sign on the left hand front side of the building

Woolshed signage

Contemplating the views on the Mulligans Bird walk at on of the dams

Magpie

Spectacular Eucalypt

While there are some Kangaroos inside this reserve they aren’t in the numbers that appear across the road outside the reserve

The Wallabies are much more timid than the Kangaroos and are hard to get close to

Follow the signage otherwise you may be in for a long walk

Eucalyptus bark

Fence close up. Even if something can manage to scale this fence the curved out top and electric wire will prevent anything from climbing in

An exit option on the back of the this walk

Noisy Miner Bird

Out the gate

Back to the car park

Getting There

Google Map to the trail head for the Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve Bird Walk from the Canberra GPO which is about 19km:

• This walk is located on the northern edge of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The car park is located in the suburb of Forde

Car park for the Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve Bird Walk

Things to Know

• Phone: The mobile phone coverage is excellent on this trail
• Water: You should bring your own water however there is a water tank at the woodshed as well as dams along the water but I suggest bringing a filter if you
• Toilets: There is a toilet at the wool shed which is about 1.5km into the walk
• Trail: This trail is mainly unpaved management road
• Dogs: No dogs allowed
• Other: 
  • This trail is walkable year round
  • This trail is best done in a clockwise detection as that is the way the signage runs

Disclaimer

This walk was undertaken by the team from Australian Hiker

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