The weather gods were smiling on those of us who had the pleasure of participating in the walk at Tarra-Bulga NP on the shortest day of the year.
Blue skies & no wind was the payoff for a very crisp start to the morning's walk, which started at the Tarra-Bulga visitor centre & consisted of 2 x approx 5km loops, with morning tea in between each loop. Both loops involved a bit of walking up & down hills with fairly muddy trails.
The first loop was along the Forest Track, which led onto the Lyrebird Ridge Track, with both tracks living up to their name by spoiling us with magnificent old growth forest, inhabited by several very vocal lyrebirds. The group was treated to about 5 minutes watching one of them scamper around before our eyes, letting everyone know of its whereabouts with a wide variety of sounds. Those with keen eyes (not the author!) were also treated to a vast number of varying species of fungi growing here, there & everywhere.
Morning tea was back at the carpark picnic tables, before heading off for the second loop along the Ash Track to the suspension bridge for some marvelling at the lush tree ferns below. An out & back detour walk on the aptly named Scenic Track took us through some more superb, forested area, before then heading back on the aptly named (once again!) Fern Gully track to the cars for lunch in the sunshine. Big thanks to Helen for not only playing the role of walk leader but also supplying one very edible apple strawberry crumble cake for us all to partake in with our lunch at the finish.
For those who travelled from afar, great people/conversations, great weather & superb surroundings made it well & truly worth the drive. All in all, a terrible way to spend the shortest day of the year!
Helen (leader), Elizabeth, Tina, Derek, Stava, Catherine, Elizabeth, Roz, Graham, Cheryl & Pat
Author Derek
