With the unpredictability of the weather in spring and early summer this year, we were so pleased when the weather was just perfect for this annual celebration enabling the Friends and Angair members to enjoy the tranquillity of the Moggs Creek environment.
A group of twelve came along to the picnic ground at 10am and enjoyed morning tea together before we set off to share the experience of walking the Moggs Creek Circuit Trail.
Morning tea
As we started the walk we could hear the Gang-gang Cockatoos in the trees, and Paul was rewarded for his patience with a photo of two young immature birds feeding down the track. After the heavy rains there was plenty of water in the creek and gullies and although there were no bird experts in the group we nevertheless managed to identify 12 bird species as we walked the track.
Gang gangs with their adult plumage just appearing
The walk along the creek track was just as beautiful as ever with mosses, algae, groundcovers, ferns, bushes and shrubs all growing together.
The Trolls’ bridge
Resting on the bridge
The small blue flowers of the Cut-leaf daisy and the white flowers of the Prickly Starwort carpeted beside the track and were admired by all.
Cut-leaf Daisy
Prickly starwort
The Rasp Fern was most attractive displaying its beautiful colours of red, orange and varying shades of green as it intermingled with the delicate Maidenhair Fern and the native geranium.
Rasp fern
Unfortunately the Victorian Christmas Bush Prostranthera lasianthos which is usually in full flower at this time was just starting to come into bloom and we had to be satisfied with just a few flowers on the bushes.
Isabelle admires a spray beside the track
Back at the Picnic Ground and our numbers had swelled as another 21members came to join in the celebration, bringing our total to 43, just one more than last year. It was great to see the table of attractive salads and it wasn’t long before the smells of the barbecue wafted through the air. We had certainly missed this aspect of the celebration with the coronavirus restrictions and regulations of the last two years.
Matt and Craig BBQ Experts
It wasn’t long before people filled their plates and spread out to relax and enjoy their lunch in this great environment and share experiences with others.
The attractive Salad Bar
Enjoying lunch together
Lesley spread some special Christmas Cheer
Pete and Craig said some thank-you’s on behalf of The Friends, and Sally did likewise for Angair
Matt responded on behalf of Parks Victoria thanking both groups for their efforts during 2022.
Another year of conservation activities had come to an end and people were looking forward to a break to recharge and start again in 2023.
Margaret MacDonald