Hazel creek over 2 months ago not long after we arrived.
A couple of week ago the trees were putting out leaves and flowers dotted the edge of the creek. Quite lovely.
This has been a time to explore and discover local and learn - for us at least. We are ‘camped’ beside Hazel Creek (Warragul) so of course we explored along its banks - a number of times! Fortunately there’s a path which winds beside the creek into Brookers Park - a circuit of about 7.5km.
Along the trail sign posts tell you how far you’ve walked or have still to walk. Also dotted along the length of the trail are artworks so the park is also called the Linear Arts Park discovery trail.
The Brayakoloong people, the first people of this land, once camped along the creek where the food was, and still is, quite plentiful. It’s a popular area for walkers, cyclists and families. It is also a conservation park protecting a number of endangered species: the Strzelecki Gum (a swamp gum), the Growling Grass frog one of the largest frogs in Australia, the Warragul Burrowing Crayfish (and other species of freshwater cray) and the famous Giant Gippsland Earthworm. They say you can hear gurgling sounds as the worms move through their burrows which are 1 metre or so underground. I didn’t get down that close to check this out but the birds do and probably also feel the vibrations.
Bulrushes, once a staple food for aborigines. They extracted starch from the roots (underground stem parts). This could be eaten raw or cooked. The young green flower heads could also be eaten. Left over fibrous stems could be spun into tough string.
This is the chimney of a freshwater crayfish. The shape and height is different for each species. Sorry I’ve no idea which this is but perhaps a Gippsland burrowing cray.
This tree was decorated with noisy red and green baubles - King parrots And all along the creek there were fat ducks!
As usual the vegetation drew my attention - no really!! And I’ve found lots to send me burrowing into the wee library I am carrying. I wish I were braver to collect some of the lush greens growing at our backdoor but I remain a would-be forager. I saw kangaroo apples, lily pilly, wild celery, nettles, mallow, fennel, angled onion (three cornered leek or garlic etc), violets, numerous fungi species, fat hen or maybe that was dock, bulrush, tall spike rush - and many other things. Much I what I saw is edible add to that fat ducks and other birds, crayfish, eels and other small fish species - quite a smorgasbord, bountiful fare. Quite fascinating to contemplate.
Tall spike rushes. These are curious things. Hollow and partitioned inside they are quite bendy. Starch could be extracted from the underground stems. In the north the tubers provided food raw or cooked. Interestingly water chestnuts come from the same plant. Everyday has been a learning experience!
Kangaroo Apple which I’m sure you all know. The name? Maybe the leaf shape but kangaroos don’t eat them. There are 4 different species it seems. They say the fruit is sickly sweet with a bitter after taste. I haven’t found them to be sweet but maybe those I tried weren’t ripe?
Its pretty Kangaroo Apple flower. Belongs to the same family as potato and tomato bushes.
This is the Common Lilly pilly and is not very palatable but it’s pretty. There are other species which are sweet and edible.
I believe this is wild celery - didn’t taste too much like the celery I love but it’s a member of that same family - I think. It reminded me a little of the cow parsley we saw in Russia.
Dock or fat hen? I’m reckoning those seeds could be used for something.
Ah Flinder Bells - or that’s what we call them (Harris back to when we used to camp at Flinders). They are edible and can be used in place of spring/green onions. Note to self for next salad.
Two of my travelling companions. Love these little books.
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