We started our wildflower walk activity with morning tea at the Bundjil (the eagle) Lookout on top of the wind blown Anglesea Heath. While we did not see an eagle at that stage we were lucky to see a pair flying overhead later on as we walked through the area.
Some of the group who had gathered around the leaf-shaped bench seat having an early morning tea. Wendy’s sausage rolls were delicious!
There were magnificent views over the former Alcoa mine site.
A splash of green is becoming more visible on the sides of the old open cut with the proposed lake increasing in water level
With the pandemic regulations we split into two groups of ten with one group making its way down the Yan Wirring Mirr Loop and the second group doing the walk in reverse, starting off walking down the Alcoa Boundary Track. We had a planned circuit that saw the two groups meandering along the Loop track, along Bald Hills Road and back up Alcoa Boundary Track to the Lookout. This was the best area for the springtime flowers.
Group 1 started on the ‘Yan wirring mirr loop’ on the gravel path across the heathland
Group 2 were quick to start looking at flowers on Alcoa Boundary Track
There were certainly plenty of flowers to admire and the two groups became actively involved in observing the various species using the flower guide to help with identification.
The beautiful flowers of the Shining Peppermint ‘Eucalyptus falciformis’
Rob and Debra identifying and photographing the Peppermint
The Silky Teatree Leptospermum myrsinoides was just spectacular with masses of white and pink flowers.
White flowers were more common
With a few pink specimens along the way
The Victorian Smoke-bush Conospermum mitchellii with its greyish-white flowers in a terminal flat-topped cluster was in full bloom
Emma and Laurence introducing themselves to the Smoke-bush
There were brilliant colours from the peas although there was not enough sunshine to convince the Common Flat-pea Platylobium obtusangulum to open and display its large orange-yellow pea-flowers.
But the Common Aotus ‘Aotus ericoides’ showed off its brilliant clusters of small red and yellow pea-flowers
There were some tiny treasures that caught our eyes.
Sue and Debra using hand lens to look at tiny Pygmy Sundew ‘Drosera pygmaea’
And Paul shows us its beauty captured with his macro lens
Paul used his camera again to photograph the Southern Bearded Greenhood ‘Pterostylis tasmanica’ that we were thrilled to find on the sides of both tracks.
And Ellinor took a photo of one while Laurence checked it out in the orchid book with other group members nearby.
The choice of the walk was certainly a good one as the flowers were just so beautiful massed together in the heath environment
The beautiful landscape of the Anglesea Heath
Group 2 amongst the flowers with Sean from Warragul (on the right of the photo) assuring us that his trip from Warragul was worth the effort.
Sean also completed the Yan wirring mirr loop and was thus given a good introduction to the Great Otway National Park.
Margaret MacDonald