October 18 Rivers and creeks meanderings

Everyone knows Marlo nestled on the east side of the mouth of the Snowy River but few people explore the other side of the estuary. Corringle straddles lazy gentle river and wild ocean. 

The boardwalk only goes so far then it’s sand and bush

Marlo across the Snowy.

You can only drive in so far and then you walk quiet sandy tracks over dunes and through scrub and rushes and flowers poking out here and there.  

Rushes formed dense side curtains.

Myoporum acuminatum - waterbush, pointed boobialla or mangrove boobialla. Belongs to the figwort family and is endemic to eastern Australia. 

Carpobrotus rossii -  pig face or sea fig. 

The fruit is said to be Australia’s tastiest wild fruit with soft wet pulp like salty strawberries or fresh figs. I watched this bug enjoying it. The leaves are also edible, juicy and salty. 

Disphyma crassifolium or rounded noon-flower. It bears no fruit but the leaves are edible

We drove back inland skirting around Lake Corringle a shallow lagoon heading to Youngs Creek in the Orbost State forest. Here stone artefacts have been found. 

Lookout over the falls. We didn’t take the track to the bottom of the falls because it was steep, narrow and rocky. 



Unfortunately 2 of the 3 walks were closed but we walked in to the waterfall - gorgeous and tranquil but for the rushing water pouring sarsaparilla foam over granite boulders. 

Viola hederacea - native violet

A pretty hover fly enjoying the sewer nectar of a Xanthorrhea minor (grass tree)



Horribly mesmerising clump of insects right at eye level and hanging across the track. 

Lomandra sp.

Caladenia carnea - pink fingers orchid

A juice meal. Eat and be eaten in this forest. 

A nodding blue lily (or a flax lily - hard to be certain)

Dodonaea triquetra - common hop bush or large leaf hop bush

Our return to base was via the old reservoir the source of the water supply to Orbost in the early 1900s. It was bleak and  silent in the late afternoon. 

Can’t find the babe if this but I love its delicate wee fans.

Rasp fern

An infinity pool of dark water. 

This reservoir sprang a few leaks. 

The rest of the drive was via narrow forest roads guided by my trusty MapsMe app without which we might still be driving around aimlessly.

Falls and reservoir circled. We had to get back to the white road - only MapsMe shows those little tracks (and maybe Hema but I can’t zoom in as closely with that app)