Wet weather was forecast , but not as wet as the previous few days, so I caught an early train to Faulconbridge, and was soon walking down the Victory Track. The water in the creek was nice and high – which would help me get a few photos of waterfalls.
Eleanor Falls
A few posts back, I had spent some of the wet weather stuck indoors working on a project researching the history of Sassafras Gully at Springwood. One question I had not answered was where were Eleanor Falls? I had thought I had found their likely location – in Parkes Gully, and higher up in the creek than Clarinda Falls. But that spot only fit if you assumed the creekbed had moved. That assumption was reasonable given that the only information we have on the falls was an old postcard.
But, on a recent bushwalk with Bob, we had been down a nearby tributary and found a waterfall that may also suit. Now which one was correct. It would require a good fall of rain to find out.
I soon arrived at the upper waterfall. My assumption about the stream bed having moved was correct – and now, with the high flow, some water was flowing in a separate channel to the left of the new channel (as you look upstream).
The newer and now main flow channel is on the right.
But the left hand flow does not fit the old postcard photo either.
I continued along the track. In wet weather you often see crayfish well out of the water – here is an example (Euastacus spinifer) –
Above Clarinda Falls, the creek traverses an area not in rainforest. Its good place to look for orchids. I found a cluster of Wasp Orchids – Chiloglottis seminuda –
Then on to Clarinda Falls. The flow was impressive.
Not far downstream a tributary enters from the true right. I followed this upstream a short way to where I had previously seen a waterfall.
With good flow, I think this better fits the postcard photo of Eleanor Falls. We need to assume the postcard photo was taken further downstream at a low angle to get more foreground and miss the lower part of the main waterfall.
The old postcard –
After returning to the track, I continued downstream, Along the way I found some red waxcaps. These where at the junction with Numantia Creek.
Hygrocybe miniata
Cyptotrama asprata
Slime Mould – Lycogala epidendrum
on a log –
Cruentomycena viscidocruenta –
Hygrocybe miniata –
Along the track, I could hear a lot of birds, but most of them stayed high in the canopy.
Lewin’s Honeyeater –
Large-billled Scrubwren –
Thanks to David Sinnott for the i.d.
And some coral fungi – Clavulinopsis sulcata –
When I arrived at the Sassafras Gully Track from Sassafras Gully Road, I went downstream to the creek crossing and then returned back upstream. The crossing would was high, a wade, but quite safe. But I wanted to leave via Sassafras Gully Road.
On the way back, I bumped into Jenna, another fungi photographer. She had found some nice blue tipped Ramaria sp.
And nearby was some rather waterlogged Entoloma sp. –
On my way back up the Sassafras Gully Road track, I had a look at the spot where I had seen a Gomphus sp. out on my previous visit. I soon located it, now bigger.
And another was going nearby. This one was displaying the blue bruising characteristic of this particular species.
And a smaller one –
This had been out on my previous visit and seems unchanged.
I continued up the track.
Russula sp.
I found this nice Slime Mould ( Physarale sp.) spread over sticks and leaves in two spots about a metre apart –
Thanks to Teresa Van Der Heul for the i.d.
I then stopped for lunch in a nice dry cave nearby. It was also oa chance to get rid of some leaches.
Bolete – Tylopilus ballouii
Amparoina spinosissima –
Entoloma sp. –
Russula sp. –
Slime Mould – Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa –
And I think this is probably Hydnellum fraudulentum –
This is the first time I have seen this rare species in Sassafras Gully. I will have to watch and see how it develops. At present it is about 12 mm across.
Entoloma sp. –
