Sunday 26 April, 2026
Photos and walk report by Walk Leader Mary.
The wonderful autumn sunshine and warm temperature enticed a good number of walkers, 14 members and 2 visitors, for a pleasant forest walk followed by a visit to the iconic large spotted gum, known by locals as Old Blotchy. A walk along the tracks of Brooman forest took us down to the creek, the site for morning tea. A climb up out of the creek led us back along Wire Trap and Fletchers Roads to our cars.
We then travelled a short distance along more forest tracks to another beautiful forested area to visit Old Blotchy, a famous, ancient Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata) over 400-500 years old. This magnificent Spotted Gum reigns supreme being the largest in diameter but not quite the tallest in the area, measuring approximately 58–59 meters tall with a 10.7-meter circumference. Not surprisingly for its age, several large limbs from the tree lie on the forest floor nearby. Along another track lies a group of large gums nearby which were also visited.
The group enjoyed lunch in the sunshine near ‘the’ tree, before driving back to the Bay.