A beautiful sunny morning saw us heading to the Roadknight back beach via the car park at the Gulch, the first park past O’Donohue’s corner off the Great Ocean Road.
We stopped at the small wooden bridge to look along the swale and berm formed by the primary and secondary dune, a rare geographical feature in this area.
Plants were showing the effects of the dry weather but we saw excellent examples of White Correa Correa alba, Coast Everlasting Ozothamnus turbinatus and Coast Daisy-bush Olearia axilaris.
Walking on down to the beach we saw growing side by side, Hairy (or Silver) Spinifex Spinifex sericea with long lovely soft blue-grey leaves and the more upright stiffly leaved Marram Grass Ammophila arenaria, both great for binding the dunes. Marram is introduced and it is now recognised that the indigenous Spinifex is preferable.
We also noticed the aged and gnarled Moonahs Melaleuca lanceolata along the ridge line and down the slopes of the dunes.
Of course the beach and views to the Aireys Lighthouse were as gorgeous as ever and we finished the walk stopping on the bridge again and watching a very industrious Scrub Wren, coursing along the bank.
A Singing Honeyeater perched on a dead branch gave a very fine display, too.
Eathorne Mitchell (photos by Ellinor Campbell)