Who are the Friends of the Colo?

The Friends of the Colo aim to combine their passion for wilderness bushwalking or river rafting with keeping the Colo River and its tributaries in their wild, pristine state. All members are unpaid volunteers, and membership is open to anyone with the necessary fitness and skills.

What is the Colo River?

The Colo is a major feature of the 10,000 square-kilometre Wollemi Wilderness Area, home of the Wollemi Pine and other endangered species. Along with its largest tributary the Capertee River, the Colo winds through nearly 100 kilometres of amazing wild gorge country. Other tributaries, including the Wolgan and Wollangambe Rivers and Wollemi Creek, are also contained within spectacular ravines. This is the most rugged country on the Australian mainland.

What do we do?

FOC was formed in the year 2000 to control willows which had infested the river within the wilderness. After a time, attention as also turned to the control of willows in those parts of the Colo River on private lands outside the wilderness—as those willows were the source of the seeds infesting the wilderness. Having succeeded in those objectives, the group moved on to other significant weeds, such as cape ivy, tree of heaven and lantana.

FOC has the support of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the NSW Environmental Trust.

Our activities

Much of the work was originally done using white-water rafts, in a program called WOW (Willows out of Wollemi). However, most activities now involve multi-day bushwalks. Some trips involve negotiating sections of the river on airbeds.

Many activities are conducted through each year, usually in autumn and spring. Weekend trips involve a bushwalk to and from sites on the river. This usually involves steep tracks or no tracks at all, but inexperienced bushwalkers may be suitable providing they are fit.

Other activities are up to seven days in length, and are only suitable for those experienced in and equipped for rugged off-track walking. A major feature of the program is the bi-annual Colo Colossus, which targets the Capertee and Wolgan Rivers and the higher parts of the Colo.

At the easy end of the spectrum, some one-day canoe trips are conducted in the Colo River where it flows through farm lands downstream from the wilderness, to control willows through that section. Such trips are held in conjunction with our associated group the Willow Warriors.

Control of weeds species is achieved by a variety of techniques, most involving application of glyphosate herbicide. Training in plant identification and treatment is provided during the activities.

The group also operates a small volunteer nursery to grow native seedlings for planting out in areas near the Colo that been regeneration. (The nursery is currently inoperative pending relocation.)

All activities are planned and managed by Friends of the Colo volunteers, under the overall supervision of the NPWS.

Would you like to join us?