Wednesday 23 September 2020
Photos courtesy of Donna and Erika
Tarourga Road runs through Bodalla State Forest south west of Potato Point. The forest was burned in recent bushfires, but is not as fire damaged as the forests around Mogo and Batemans Bay. Bushwalkers took the opportunity of going off track while the forest floor is now relatively clear of debris to explore the area.
We made our way through a boulder field, finding the first of many yellow Leopard ground orchids. Crossing our first rivulet, we put up a red belly black snake. Further along the track we carefully skirted another stretched out in the sun. We spotted some emu feathers caught in a fence line, and came across the owner wandering through the trees ahead of us.
After lunch we treed a goanna, and found several large patches of Flying Duck ground orchids – so called because the flower profile looks like a duck in flight.
The wildflowers weren’t as many as we expected, especially after the fires, but there were plenty of blue native flag irises and creamy candles. With so much to stop and look at, it was a slow 8km circuit, made all the more enjoyable by the cheerful company.
Karen