Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Octopus Tree and Sphinx Rock Wednesday 14th November 2018

Octopus Tree and Sphinx Rock Wednesday 14th November 2018

It is sunny as we arrive at The Springs and order our lunch to be ready on our return






 Into the bush, beneath tall eucalypts
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 


 



The Octopus Tree. Eucalyptus delegatensis. The leaves are  assymetrically joined to the stem and the leaf has a curved point. It has many common names and is an important timber tree.









Heading to the turn off onto Lower Sawmill Track








Up we go









All happy so far!






 Not so happy, stopping for a breather.





A floral interlude while we rest...

Sassafras



Probably Cyathodes juniperina (also Leptacophylla)




Cyathodes glaucoma (Cheeseberry)



Debate over this one. Dillwinya or Oxylobium, on balance I think Oxylobium ellipticum.



Olearia (Dusty daisies)



Mystery plant found below Sphinx Rock. Possibly Lycopodium.



Snowberry? Gaultheria hispida



And not floral...but nearly

Interesting history here.

Arty





Sphinx Rock from the below





The last little climb...






 
to see...

 
 
the view from the top of Sphinx Rock.



 
Wandering back
 


To lunch at Lost Freight Café



Before the rain began






Map... started anyway






Wednesday, 7 November 2018

Allens Rivulet Wednesday 7th November 2018

Allens Rivulet Wednesday 7th November 2018


Mmm!


 



We get ourselves organised and set off down a grassy laneway








 
 
The next part of the walk is through some bush beside the creek, with a few enormous trees, some hollow.



 
 
 
Clematis

 
 
 
 











A leaf (Eucalyptus oblique) which has been infested with some gall creating critter.


 

Horses everywhere today





 We popped in to see Donna's horse, he was accompanied by some cute chooks.










He wasn't too interested in us so we moved on to find more obliging characters






 
After we had crossed the rivulet we walked beside it and below the cliffs











Into some open grass land and the road back to our cars, (more horses)






Flood damaged trees



Sleeping Beauty. She has her eyes open from this spot, and her hands resting on her tummy








 
Fun around a very big tree, I got there too late to see Wayne swinging from the branches.




Arriving at the cars we discovered a serious number of walkers were missing. They had deviated to look at a local garden (by invitation...sort of)






Lunch at Longley Hotel





Map
 
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