Where the bush breathes, history whispers, and the river sings
By Alex Schoeffel
Tucked beneath the wide skies of southern New South Wales, Gulpa Creek Community Farm (GCCF) is more than just a farm – it’s a living, breathing expression of connection to land, people, and place. Located near the historic Cobb Highway, between Deniliquin and Mathoura, GCCF is part of a powerful local movement to regenerate country, honour cultural and ecological heritage, and live cooperatively in harmony with nature.
Visitors and members alike often speak of falling in love with the unique spirit of this place. It’s in the dappled morning light filtering through towering river red gums, in the meandering waters of Gulpa Creek, and in the quiet companionship of shared work and seasonal rhythms. There’s a romance here – of the bush, of story, of stillness – that seeps into the soul.
The romance of the bush
At Gulpa Creek, the bush is not a backdrop – it’s a participant. The farm nestles within a landscape of shifting light, rich birdlife, and native forest that holds deep cultural significance for the Traditional Custodians of the land. Daily life here is shaped by the forest’s moods: the scent of eucalyptus after rain, the chorus of frogs, the rustle of echidnas in the undergrowth. People come to rest, reset, and reconnect – with themselves, with each other, and with Country.
Cobb highway: Thread of living history
Running past the region, the Cobb Highway still carries the echoes of old stagecoaches and drovers, linking remote communities across the Riverina. For many, the road is more than asphalt – it’s a living ribbon of Australian history, threading through pastoral lands, wetlands, and red gum forests. Members of GCCF often describe the drive to the farm as a kind of transition – leaving behind the rush, entering into something older, slower, and sacred.
Majesty of the river and red gums
The Gulpa Creek, a meandering anabranch of the Murray River, winds its way through a forest of ancient river red gums, forming one of the largest continuous stands of its kind in the world. These trees, centuries old, shape not just the ecosystem but the spiritual presence of the land. For the community, mornings on the creek’s edge are sacred: mist rising, birds wheeling overhead, and the deep silence that only forests can give.
