looking good, we had almost one inch / 27 mils of rain overnight so it  has a little water in the bottom already .

I intend to leave the rock that you can see in the picture there  plus I will add some more for habitat, the bottom of the dam is not even I have left shallow spots as well as deep places there is also a small ledge, all this is intended to create habitat as well.

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I grew up in Cooriemungle when they were still clearing land and have vivid memories of the bulldozers and the fires.

In the 1950s and 60s the Heytesbury forest was  cleared to make way for farm land. This farm land based around the township of Simpson is now prime dairy farmland, producing great amounts of high quality milk that goes to make the things we eat each day fantastic !

The outcome for native fish and other creatures that lived in the creeks and streams that passed through this land is not so good.  The run off after heavy rains ( and it rained very heavily during that time) contained tons of ash and silt that clogged  all the waterways.

As you can see below the devastation was complete, the tons of silt and ash that washed down the Cooriemungle creek and the little Cooriemungle and many other runnels that existed over most of the hillsides   into the Scotts creek and then into the Curdies river killing every living thing on is way. The eastern side was not spared the Kennedy’s creek took its load down to the Gellibrand river with the same result.

If you like more info about the clearing of the Heytesbury forest please visit the historical site

I have been told by people who lived there prior to the clearing that Platypus and blackfish were abundant in these waterways, now we would not give this great farmland back to nature but we can fix some of the damage, with excavator’s and other machinery that’s available today such as backhoes and bobcats etc .

There are  places where near virgin forest still remains along the Cooriemungle creek.

as below

The problem is basically one of  depth as you can see there is plenty of timber in the stream however it is shallow and during the summer months it all but dries up the remaining water is to hot for large fish to survive.

It is my belief that when the silt from the clearing went down the river and creeks it changed both the shape, contours and depth of these waterways, if we could deepen parts to allow a place for fish to see out the drier months it maybe possible to restock some in the future.

So I would like to ask the authorities to have a look and see what can be achieved, it would be a great thing to bring back to the area both Blackfish and Platypus and of course their food fish such as pygmy perch etc.

The Scott’s creek today.

Its not what it should be or could be.

Merry Cristmas all readers of this blog.

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I would like to wish all the readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas and a great new year especially all my international friends hope all is well over there.

this fish is a year old and not growing for some reason it could be that he spent a year hiding in a tank with mature Blackfish, he has a few dings and scrapes but he is improving slowly.

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Still waiting for this seasons young it will be late because the cold persisted for so long, hopefully very soon, all those people wishing to purchase a Blackfish it will be a little just  longer.

Thanks for your support this  past year hopefully we can start putting these iconic fish back into our rivers and streams soon.

Stephen Mueller

ph/ 0407843998

It needs nothing except Blackfish.

I was after some fresh water shrimp to feed my blackfish and was stunned at the water quality.

MY WIFE

A day in the
life of a
district nurse
The work day starts at 7.30 am when
the nurse comes to Timboon and
District Healthcare Service to collect
her equipment and car. The equipment
includes wound care dressing supplies,
client history folders, car keys, mobile phone and monitoring equipment.
She will check her emails, phone messages, and collect her list of people
to visit for that day. Completing a sign in/out book ensures the Healthcare
Service knows who is in the building or out on rounds, and a copy of
her client list will stay with other staff.
Her fist client could be around the corner or 20kms away.
In Corangamite it’s not unusual to travel 100kms in a day. She will try to
see people for hygiene assistance early as most people prefer this in
the mornings. Then she may see someone for wound care. As people
age of course the body’s ability to heal quickly is reduced and some
wounds which might also be affected by other diseases can take
months to slowly come together. Other services can be taking blood
or monitoring of blood pressure, whilst some people need fortnightly
or monthly injections.
The Department of Health and Human Services requests that the
district nurses survey people over the age of 65 for their risk of falling.
This involves a questionnaire and conversation about footwear, eye tests,
mats on the flor, steps with no rails and medications that may increase
their risk factors.
Then, there are the odd jobs that just help people out, like teaching an
elderly person how to use the microwave or arranging the burial of a pet.
Sometimes we help change batteries in clocks and torches or even help
to move cows off the road.
In the early morning it’s special to see wildlife on our rounds.
There are koala, deer, foxes, ducks and once a nurse came across
2 eagles on the road in front of her car.
Being in someone’s house is a great opportunity to talk one on one
to people about their health problems or worries. The nurse can offer
suggestions as to the best place to go to have their queries answered.
That might be the general practitioner, the dietitian or the My Aged Care
hotline.
The district nurse may need to fill the car with fuel or visit the town
pharmacy before returning to the Healthcare Service. Of course lunch
is included in the day, and the staff at Timboon choose to have lunch
together, before moving on to paperwork. The nurse will enter all client
visits into the appropriate computer program and arrange the next day’s
runs. Some Information will be forwarded to the doctors or enquiries
made on behalf of the clients.
During the year student nurses, doctors and occupational therapists
will travel with the district nurse to learn from her and gain insight into
the services available to people. Most students find these days very
enlightening and rewarding.
Some nurses are on committees in other areas of the Healthcare Service
and participate in meetings to keep up to date and assist in the success
and overall functioning of the Healthcare Service.
A typical day will conclude at 4.00 pm.
Sherryl Mueller
Manager, TDHS District Nursing Service

And then she comes home and helps me with the fish farm.

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This fish was just caught in pond no 4 it is one year old and looks great, hopefully he will have many cousins very soon.

This Yabby was caught in my dam this morning he is a beauty, it makes me wonder why there is not any Yabby farming in the area, I have made some efforts to start one but to no avail. this yabby has not been fed anything other that what’s in the dam imagine if he was farmed.