Wednesday 23 November 2016

Morning Tea on the track

The Karens admire the first of many orchids

A beautiful specimen

Chris up close and personal with orchids in the wild

Walkers on their way down near a rocky outcrop

Leader Brian finds a shelter in case we had rain

Nature’s bridge on the Discovery Trail

A recent fall on the trail

Photos by Helen, Brian and Mary T

Walk Leader Brian called his walk The Secret Door because the start point is a very overgrown track off Mt Agony Road, North Durras – hard to find, even if you know what you’re looking for.  But Brian had no trouble locating it today and after pushing through tangles of vines, and climbing over fallen trees and branches, the Secret Door opened into a magic world.  A world of deep gullies vegetated with temperate rainforest and stately blue gums, spotted gums and cabbage leaf palms.  There were old tree stumps crowned with flowering snake orchids (Cymbidium suave) and a rocky outcrop tumbling down the hill, covered in moss, more orchids and with a commanding view of the surrounding rainforest.

After lunch among the rocks we went offtrack, pushing our way through rainforest vines and thickets, over a creek and up a hill to find the Discovery Trail, a short National Park circuit through some really outstanding Murramarang forest.  To finish our magical mystery tour, we emerged on the shore of Durras Lake, and followed the Lake Track along the waterline for a few kilometres back to the start.

The dire weather forecast of 90% chance of 15-25mm of rain did not eventuate until we finished the walk and started our drive back to Batemans Bay.

Karen M