I was keen to visit Sassafras Gully after a long break due to Easter and a visit to Tasmania. I wanted to see how some fungi was going that I had seen last visit and also to look for more fungi.
Having been away, I did not know how wet it had been or how hot. You can look up climate statistics online but they only tell part of the story. Many fungi only “fruit” just after periods of rain. If it has been dry, hot and windy – then they soon dry out and fall to bits. Continue reading
I spent a very enjoyable ten days on the Overland Track in late April. I think this was my tenth time along the track so therefore I am quite familiar with the country it traverses but at no time did I find the walking tedious. I last visited the track three years before – again in late April and I wrote about that occasion singing the praises of the walk when the fagus, the native deciduous beech is changing colour.
My motivations this time were much the same. It would be a fagus and fungi walk, similar to what I have been doing at the time of the year for the past three years (and also at earlier occasions). It would be timed to hopefully coincide with the period when the fagus leaves would be changing colour from green to orange.
Another motivation was that one of my sisters and her husband had recently moved to Tasmania and the walk would provide another chance to visit them. Indeed they gave me a lift to Cradle Mountain and joined me on the first day and night of my walk. Continue reading
A few days before Easter a few trips were suggested in the Northern Blue Mountains, and just before we headed out one was settle on. Dave Williams had contacted the farm managers involved and we would be able to drive close to where we wanted to start walking. Also on the trip were Wendy, Martin and Michael.
So, on Good Friday, we drove into the Capertee Valley and later turned off onto a farm road, and after chatting with the farmers we parked at the base of the Red Rock Trail. This led into Gardens of Stone National Park. Not far along, we left the trail and climbed up the spur leading to Mt Harvey. This was straightforward but not always easy walking – some parts were scrubby, other parts were bouldery and we had to scramble up and around obstacles. Continue reading
This was a truly amazing day of fungi photography at three locations in the Blue Mountains. Most of our time was spent at Coachwood Glen on the Megalong Road close to Blackheath.
Hygrocybe roseoflavida
I had travelled up the mountains by train to meet Liz at Springwood. Atli was coming up with us, but I had unfortunately told him the wrong train to catch. So while we were waiting Liz and Myself headed off to nearby Birdwood Guly to see what was out.
Mycena interrupta
Birdwood Gully Continue reading
The fungi at Sassafras Gully at Springwood have really benefited from the recent wet period and their is now a lot on display. I headed up the mountains with Atli, a visiting nature photographer from Iceland. We had met the year before when he was visiting Australia. Not far down the track, we also met another friend Tam. She had her camera out and was photographing fungi too. So she joined us on the day.
Humidicutis taekeri
Its always a good sign if you see fungi early on along the track, and this time we came across some large coral fungi – Ramarias, growing next to the track. This was along the track that starts from the end of Sassafras Gully Road. Lower down, in the rainforest there was a lot more fungi out – and some of it was truly astounding. Continue reading
This was a joint activity of the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc and the Wolli Creek Preservation Society. After meeting at the picnic tables at Girrahween Park, we broke up into two groups to look for and collect fungi specimens.
One group headed down the Two Valleys Track and the other group, the one I was in headed up the track – walking from Bardwell Park to Bexley North and back. On the way our group found a fair bit of fungi – but not a huge variety or abundance and nothing too interesting. Continue reading
Digi Dave and myself headed back into Royal National Park for a day of fungi photography at Bola Creek. Being able to spend the whole day there meant we had the time for god look around to locate species and take the time to set up for photography.
Humidicutis taekeri
The day was very worthwhile. We found a lot of interesting fungi out. Some of the highlights were seeing a lot more trumpet fungi out, seeing a cluster of the pale blue Entoloma ( Inocephalus virescens) and also Digi Dave spotted a nice pair of the rare Humidictis taekeri. Continue reading
This was quite a long and strenuous walk at Blackheath, particularly so with stops to photograph waterfalls and fungi. But it was very worthwhile and spectacular.
I caught an early train to Blackheath and then walked the 30 minutes to Govetts Leap Lookout. I was going to do this walk a few weeks ago – but it was far to wet on the day. On that occasion, I had descended to the base of Govetts Leap and found the water too high for the series of crossings needed to traverse Rodriguez Pass. This time, the water level was a lot lower, so I was confident that I could cross all the creeks. Continue reading
This was another walk from Thornleigh, down the Great North Walk Track down the Lane Cove River to De Burghs Bridge and the crossing over and along the Riverside Track to Porters Creek and then by road to Macquarie Park Station.
A fair amount of fungi was out. Not as much as I have seen recently at Sassafras Gully at Springwood or at Bola Creek in Royal National Park. Continue reading
More recent rain has brought out more stinkhorns. Too much rain in fact – many of them have been a bit washed out. Here are some photos taken in parks at Dulwich Hill and along the Cooks River.
Aseroë rubra
So far I have found three species. The most common at present is Phallus rubicundus. It seems to grow in profusion at many sites along the Cooks River. Continue reading
