Tasmania – Fungi and Birds at Lake St Clair 17 – 28 April 2021

It was great to be in Tasmania again. I was on the first part of a visit to the state with good friend Roger. We had originally planned to visit last year for a bushwalk, but had to cancel because of Covid. We had made new plans after restrictions for interstate travel were lifted, and had timed our visit for the Tasmanian Fall – the changing of the leaves of the native deciduous tree – Nothofagus gunnii. I was also hoping some nice fungi would be out.

Mt Olympus

There were still some Covid restrictions in place. Some of the huts in the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park need to be booked, and there are limits on the total number of people and the duration you can stay. Roger had been able to book three night at Pine Valley Hut and we had planned our trip around that. After flying down to Launceston, the next morning, we got picked up by a transport operator – Overland Track Transport and went by minibus to Lake St Clair. We were dropped off at the Visitor Centre at Cynthia Bay and then after getting our National Park Passes, we enjoyed lunch at the cafe, and then checked in to our accomodation at the Drumlin Bunkroom at the nearby campground.

We booked spots on the ferry to take us up the lake the next day, so that gave us the afternoon and the next morning for some short walks.

We first walked along the Larmairremener tabelti – the Aboriginal cultural walk. This is a great track through a variety of habitat. There were plenty of birds and fungi to photograph.

I was pleased, not far along the path, to spot a beautiful Pink Robin. This was one of the birds I wanted to photograph.

We also walked out along the Playpus Bay loop, both that afternoon and early the next morning, but did not see any platypus. But the birds and fungi remained good.

Some of the other birds –

Grey Shrike-thrush