Snobs Creek Hatchery and Discovery Centre

A short drive ’round the corner’ from our campsite took us to the Snobs Creek Discovery Centre and to MAFRI (the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute).

Since 1945 they have been breeding mainly Brown and Rainbow Trout. Native fishes have been bred here since 1980.

• Snobs. We learnt that Snobs Creek was named after an English bootmaker – not snobbish at all.
• Rising temperatures. Research ove the past 20 years reveals a 3 degree temperature rise in the water of Snobs Creek.
• Raising Murray Cod. We viewed the hatchery where Murray Cod and the endangered Trout Cod are bred, and saw tanks of trout fingerlings, part of a program reseraching new fish food. The wonderfully simple Murray Cod nest boxes imitate hollow logs.
• Videos. We watched the informative videos and enjoyed feeding very large vigorous fish.
• The aquarium. We walked threough the garden filled with native plants and into the aquarium containing tortoises, eels, Trout Cod, huge spiny crayfish, blue yabbies, frogs, lizards, native perch, a large ans still growing Murray Cod, and a tank containing pests (including Carp and Goldfish), and finally putting our hands into a large tank of very cold water, amongst hundreds of fingerlings.

A very fishy morning, and much enjoyed.