Wednesday 3 August 2016

Thick scrub in Murramarang National Park

With wet gullies full of sword grass

Twisted spotted gum forest nearing the coast

Myrtle Beach

Headhunter Mike with quarry (it’s a coconut)

Huge spotted gum

At the base of the big spotted gum

Photos by Karen & Bob M, and Donna

Karen C proposed a “scenic pleasant walk in Murramarang National Park” for a group of 22 hikers and it was delivered.

The initial cloudy cold weather quickly cleared to a sunny warm day. Our hike along roads and tracks was in forest from start to finish and kept our photographers busy. We walked in pure stands of spotted gum, including a few who could rival ‘old blotchy’ and transitioned to swamp mahogany as we got close to the shore and the sandy soils.

Lunch was on Myrtle Beach, and if the whales swam by (as promised) we were all too busy chatting to notice. On the way back we were serenaded by numerous lyre birds who were unperturbed by our group of noisy bushwalkers and kept up a constant melody of bird song mimicry that I’m sure impressed the girls.

This is a great hike, 11km with not too many hills, and should be done once a season to remind us why this a great national park to visit. Well done Karen.

Rob