August 5 Forests, lyrebirds and mountain ridges.

A scene from Wordsworth! 

Palest pink, mauve and blue forget-me-nots peeked our from roadside verges. 

We were on our way to Port Welshpool and Grand Ridge Road with a detour to the Lyrebird Forest Walk in a delightful gully near Mirboo North.  The area near Mirboo North was opened up for settlers in the 1880s but the soil in the area around the Little Morwell River was too poor for agriculture so forested and logged. Today it is protected and cared for by a dedicated group of locals.  

Little Morwell river a small stream flowing through farmland and forest is home to eels and crayfish, trout and other fish. 

Under a lowering sky we took this delightful walk through native forests and tree ferns. Spiders webs were strings of fine pollen, a hapless spider caught a drop of gum dribbling down stringy bark. 

Minus the spider!  This gum hardens black and is rather astringent (I tasted it) but the paler gum was once gathered and eaten. 

This rather gorgeous grass is Thatched Saw sedge, Gahnia radula. I find it lovely to look at but the leaves are sharp edged. 

The seeds are brilliant red little jewels. I saw one single seed suspended by a spider’s web gently swinging in the light breeze. 

Many of the trees are extremely tall. 

A number of big trees had come down during the recent storms and blocked pathways. This one had just been cleared. 

Pale and deep pink as well as white heath were tiny bells bobbed on the breeze here and there. Fungi and lichen were the maintenance brigade breaking down the forest detritus. 

I love the wee dimples at the base of the flowers. Flower structures!  I find them intriguing. 

Lichen and fungi grew out of logs and trunks alike. 

We escaped the rain and spent most of the rest of the day winding our way along the switch back ridge of the Strzelecki Ranges on our way to Port Welshpool, a favourite spot for us - quiet and perfect in winter. 

The drive was magnificent. Trees towered over a lush understory of scrub, tree ferns and flowers.  Silent and densely cool with an occasional opening onto glorious vistas of rich green rolling grazing land plunging into hidden deep gullies. On our way back we picked a straggling route through State forests along roads that had my eyes riveting back and forth between the forests and the tiny map screen anxious not to miss for the next turn which would take to us ever northwards. Thank goodness for MapsMe!

Gippsland really is a beautiful place.