Bushwalks

31 January 2023 Until I went to the northern part of Thark Ridge recently, I had forgotten how nice the plateau there is. This second visit there this year did a circuit of the plateau and went over to the southern end, where a rogue pine (radiata) was discovered and removed, with some difficulty. From there a loop via the high point on the northern end of Thark was done. Lunch was on top where a pleasant breeze kept an ideal temperature. Split rock Baeckea gunniana  Alpine Baeckea Ozothamnus ledifolius  Thark Ridge View to Collins Cap A photo album is online   Thark North Jan 2023

 Wednesday 25 January 2023 The track is along the eastern flank of Thark Ridge then after climbing to a saddle and along the southern part of Thark Ridge was pleasant to walk. After that we descended into the thick Bauera dominated vegetation before emerging on the Old Montagu Fire Trail.  The final 600 metre section climb to Mount Montagu was steep and strenuous. The day was warm without getting uncomfortably hot, but did cause us to take several breaks, particularly on the way back.    Perfume from spice bush (Ozothamnus ledifolius) was pleasant during the early stage beside Thark Ridge. The actual walking time was a bit over 7 hours for the 14k journey, with elapsed time on 9:30. Mount Montagu from Thark Down to go up a lower peak (1063m) Snowgum woodland Thark Ridge Mount Montagu still lower than view point Really thick Bauera with track barely visible. There is a photo album online Walk profile Montagu and back     Mount Montagu Jan 2023

 Friday 13 January 2023 Flowers were good and lost of Euphrasia. I had forgotten how nice the plateau at the top is.   Pimelea sericea mountain riceflower     Euphrasia collina Euphrasia collina Collins Bonnet Ozothamnus ledifolius Spice bush      See the Photos     Thark Ridge Plateaus

 Tuesday 10 January 2023 The scheduled working bee was cancelled so a bushwalk was substituted. We left cars at Fern Tree and took a vehicle to The Springs and walked along the Milles Track to Snake Plains and down the track to a junction with a pad leading to Levert Rivulet and up the scrub to meet the tree line on a hill top. From the start of the walk, the bushes were surprisingly wet from the misty conditions present at this altitude, but it was much drier as we descended down the plains.     View down Snake Plains Track Richea dracophylla   Melaleuca squamea   Cathedral Rock and Montagu Thumbs   Cathedral Rock and Montagu Thumbs   Trees in forest   Prostanthera lasianthos (Christmas Bush)   Graph of walk

  Thursday 5 January 2023 As half expected the scoparia was not brilliant as it was in 2022, but nevertheless there were enough flowers to be worth wandering about Kangaroo Moor.    On the other hand the Boronia (B citriodora)   was delightful and prolific along the western side of the valley.   Bellendena montana - Mountain Rocket Richea scoparia Richea scoparia   Celmisia saxifraga Snowdaisy   Boronia citriodora Boronia citriodora Epacris serpyllifolia   There is a photo album online     Kangaroo Moor Jan 2023