Seven participants enjoyed the cool winter morning sunshine as we descended on the main track from the Point Addis Rd car park into the Ironbark Basin. Although not the flowering season for most plants there was plenty to keep us interested starting with the bright blossoms of the Varnish and Golden Wattles.

Lynn, Chris, Mandy, Frances (hidden by arm) and Neil checking out the Varnish Wattle, Acacia verniciflua

Austral Grass-tree, Xanthorrhoea australis

We gradually made our way down the track to the dam (dry) and junction of the nature walk where Chris was pleased to see Ridged Ground Berry, Acrotriche affinis, which is slightly different to the more commonly seen Honey Pots, Acrotriche serrulata.

Ridged Ground Berry

Chris examines a Hairy Pennywort, Hydrocotyle hirta

The Ironbarks, Eucalyptus tricarpa, had almost finished flowering for the year but the forest was alive with bird song.

Group descending track checking flowers on the Red Ironbark

Peach Heath, Lissanthe strigosa ssp subulata, and Sandhill Sword-Sedge, Lepidosperma concavum

We missed out on seeing the dolphins which a lady on her morning exercise saw down at the viewing point over Addiscot Beach but as we had limited time we returned by the nature walk with tall Greenhoods, Pterostylis melagramma, and one Mosquito Orchid, Acianthus pusillus, flowering by the track being the only orchids in flower that we saw.

Scented Sundew, Drosera aberrans

Silky Guinea Flower, Hibbertia sericea var sericea

Text: Neil Duncan
Photos: Gail Slykhuis 

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