Fungi in Sassafras Gully – 16 May 2021

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave Noble

After finding some great fungi out at Ferndale Park and Mill Ck, I was keen to have a look in other places around Sydney. This day I went to Springwood and went down Sassafras Gully. I entered via the track at the end of Sassafras Gully Road walked down to the gully and along eventually to Glenbrook Creek, then exited via the Wiggins Track.

I found a fair bit of nice fungi out. It is the time of the year when a lot of the colourful waxcaps start to appear – and I did find quite a few. Here are some – Continue reading →

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Fungi at Mill Ck – 15 May 2021

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave Noble

I was pleased to be able to attend the fungal survey at Mill Creek in Dharug National Park near the Hawkesbury River. It was organised by the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc. The fungi at Mill Ck can be variable in both quality and abundance. On the way, we found quite a lot of interesting fungi out.

Humidicutis helicoides

Also – the habitat at Mill Ck is different from the typical rainforest gullies of Sydney, so you often see different species than are often encountered. Continue reading →

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Fungi at Ferndale Park – 14 May 2021

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Dave Noble

After seeing plenty of amazing fungi in Tasmania, when I got back to Sydney, I thought it was time to check out some local sites to see what was out. My first visit was to Ferndale Park at Chatswood. It was a short afternoon trip – and I really needed more time. At this time of the year, it starts to get dark early, and it was quite gloomy at Ferndale Park not long after 3 pm. Not too dark for photography (I use a tripod), but too dark to spot of lot of fungi.

Nevertheless, what I did see was very nice. Continue reading →

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The Dooley Track – 12 May 2021

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Dave Noble

This was my last activity in Tasmania, and it was a bushwalk in North West Tasmania, along a track called the Dooley Track that goes along the Wilmot River. My sister Alicson and her husband Shane had both suggested the walk, being one that they had not done, and it was great that they organised it and were both able to come along.

The Wilmot River is a tributary of the Forth River which joins the coast not far to the east of Ulverstone. A track along the river was originally cut by James Dooley, a prospector, in 1859 after a gold rush in the upper Forth Valley. The Wilmot was seen as an easier, less rugged route and so Dooley cut a track along the river. Recently bushwalkers have looked for and found this old track and cleared it, added river crossings and alternative tracks making it an attractive bushwalking area. And particular credit must go to the late  Bill Shepherd, who initiated the project and seems to have done most of the work. You can read about the walks and their story on wilmotwalkingtracks.com. Continue reading →

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Fungi and Waterfalls – A Visit to Philosophers Falls – 11 May 2021

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Dave Noble

I had visited Philosophers Falls twice before, in April 2018 and June 2019, and it had been an outstanding place to find colourful fungi. So I was pleased that my sister proposed it as a trip for this day. The previous day had been an inside day – wet, cold and windy, so it was great to wake up to improved weather and then head out to Waratah and a short way beyond to Philosophers Falls.

It was a good omen at the carpark, to be welcomed by a beautiful Pink Robin. Continue reading →

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Fungi at Castra Falls – 9 May 2021

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Dave Noble

I was still in Tasmania enjoying the hospitality of my sister and brother in law at West Ulverstone. On a previous visit, we had been to Castra Falls, and I suggested that it could be good for another visit.

Like the previous day, some wet weather was forecast, but the rain seems to be patchy, so my sister and myself headed out to the Castra Falls Track. The track was built and maintained by a group of locals and it is a credit to them – it takes your through some really nice rainforest habitat. We only visited one section of the track near Silver Falls – there was plenty of fungi to be found, and like the day before, we left when it started to rain heavily. Continue reading →

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Fungi at Ferndene – 8 May 2021

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Dave Noble

I had finished the walk in Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park with Roger. He was heading back to Sydney. I was in Tasmania for an extra week and this gave me a chance to spend some time visiting my sister and brother in law at West Ulverstone. While there, the weather was mixed, but we made the most of it – visiting some nearby sites to photograph fungi on some of the days.

The first day, I headed out with my sister, Alicson, to the Ferndene State Reserve at Penguin. This is at the base of the Dial Range and is excellent fungi habitat. Recent rain should mean we could expect good fungi. The fungi turned out to be very good indeed.  We were lucky to time our visit between rain storms. Continue reading →

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The Larrairremener Tabelti Walk – 6 May 2021

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Dave Noble

We had to wait at Cynthia Bay at the south end of Lake St Clair until the mid afternoon for our minibus to Launceston. After a hearty breakfast at the cafe, I thought it would be nice to walk around the loop of the Larrairremener Tabelti – the Aboriginal Cultural Walk again.

I was nice to repeat this short walk. The conditions were nice with mist between the trees and some great fungi to observe on the forrest floor. Continue reading →

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Back to Cynthia Bay 4 – 5 May 2021

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Dave Noble

Roger and myself had left the Labyrinth and were now on our way south to Narcissus Hut, where would spend a night, and then to Cynthia Bay at the south end of Lake St Clair.

The weather was fine, mainly overcast but no rain – good weather for walking in valleys and in rainforest around a lake. Continue reading →

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Some Time in the Labyrinth 1 – 4 May 2021

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Dave Noble

I was on a 7 day walk with Roger, and the highlight was our visit to the Labyrinth. We camped for three nights at Lake Elysia. It was nice to enjoy the beauty of this place in a range of weather conditions.

While there we didn’t do anything too strenuous in terms of side trips. We wanted to experience the maze of lakes, the surrounding peaks and the very special vegetation. And amongst that special vegetation was the fagus – the native deciduous Beech – Nothofagus gunnii. It was possibly a little past its best – but still very good. Continue reading →

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