Saturday 19 March 2016

Ian and Mike

Margaret, Ainslie and Barbara

Butchered tree ferns in Penance Grove

Mike proves platypus spotting is a blood sport

Photos by Kay

9 happy walkers set off from Batemans Bay to visit the plumwood trees in bloom at Monga National Park at the top of the Clyde Mountain.  We parked at the Mongarlowe River Picnic Area and began the first part of the walk to Penance Grove.

The path wound its way through beautiful tree ferns, delicate ferns, eucalyptus and plumwoods (also known as pinkwoods), and the petals decorated the undergrowth like confetti.  The path was overgrown and had many fallen trees and branches and seen through the dappled sunlight, added to the magical effect of being in the bush.

Penance Grove is where many magnificent tree ferns had in earlier times been stolen, but there are many still remaining and there are good examples of how the plumwood seeds drop onto tree fern trunks and feed off them and climb over them until they are totally consumed.  This is a very ancient landscape.

We continued along a dirt track, stopping to look at trees, shrubs and the occasional echidna until we completed the circular walk at Mongarlowe River.  The platypus did not conform and so we continued to the barbecue area for an alfresco dinner before saying thank you and goodbye to our great leaders, Ainslie and Mike.

Barbara