Seven hardy souls braved the morning fog for the 5km walk around the gorge. While gathering in the Distillery Creek car park we spotted a good colony of mosquito orchids Acianthus pusillus.
The Ironbark trees Eucalyptus tricarpa were in full flower or at least the path was full of flowers and the noise of the birds in the trees was almost deafening.
As we made our way up the hill the sun broke through and it gradually warmed up. There were more Mosquito Orchids as we walked along and the occasional Nodding Greenhood Pterostylis nutans colony but not much else flowering at this point.
As we got higher and further into the gorge there were a couple of Spreading Wattle Acacia genistifolia in flower and then Common Correa Correa reflexa became a common flowering plant.
Spreading Wattle
However, the most interesting features were the fungi and mosses of which there were many species.
Purple Brittlegill Rusulla clelandii
Unknown fungus
Rainbow fungus Trametes versicolor
Unknown Fungus
The top of the gorge has beautiful granite rock outcrops and with the moss covering them and the fog in the valley you could be in the land of the hobbits.
Mossy Rocks
Group at top of the gorge
The vegetation markedly changes as you descend into the gully, and ferns become a dominant feature.
As we made our way back to the car park and the flowering Ironbarks the raucous wattle birds told us they too were enjoying the beautiful Ironbark Gorge.
Neil Duncan