Wises Track Walk – 8 November 2021

Another nice day out in the bush with the National Parks Association of NSW. I was on a walk led by Brian Everingham. Brian had prompted it as “Duck hunting” and indeed that is what happened. We found quite a few Flying Duck Orchids.

The group (Brian, Valerie, Sue, Suzanne, Michael, Max, Anna and myself) met at the parking area at Audley – at the National Parks Office. In the carpark we found a very nice orchid – Cymbidium suave.

We then headed to the start of Wises Track. I asked Brian if he knew the origin of the name and he said he did not know, but being a historian he would endeavour to find out. Later after an email exchange with information from Bob Crombie, retired long time NPWS ranger at Royal National Park and Judith Carrick (author of a book on the history of Royal National Park), we found that the track is named after Bernhard Ringrose Wise (1858-1916). He was a NSW politician and had served on the National Park Trust early in the 20th century.

We set off along the track and found a lot of wild flowers on display.

The birds were a bit more scarce.

Not far along, we found more Cymbidium suave.

There were also a lot of Christmas Bells out (Blandfordia nobles) –

And some nice areas of Sundews –

The nest orchid we found was a single Bonnet Orchid (Cryptostylis eerecta) –

And then we started finding quite a few Flying Duck Orchids (Caleana major) –

And a single Scented Onion Orchid (Microtis rara) –

Some more Flying Ducks –

We found a nice place to have lunch at the end of the Karani Ridge side track.

In that area, we found two examples of Aboriginal sharpening grooves.

We then headed back.

I spotted a small flock of Beautiful Firetails but they flew off before I could get any photos. All I could get was this Grey Fantail –

There were quite a few of a second carnivorous plant growing amongst the Sundews. This is a Bladderwort, perhaps Ultricularia lateriflora.

Thanks to Brian for leading this very nice day out in the bush.