Back to Bola Creek – a Look for Fungi – 13 May 2015

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Dave Noble

After finding some great fungi at Sassafras Gully the day before, I was keen to check out Bola Creek again. It is also a very good place to see colourful hygrocybes. I went there with Digi Dave. As it turned out, the day was fairly disappointing. I had thought that recent rain, falling while I was in Tasmania may have reinvigorated the fungi there, but it seems the rain came down in a big storm or two and brought the creek up in a flood that washed away developing fungi.

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We only found a few hygrocybes – and not really too much else. Continue reading →

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Colourful Fungi at Sassafras Gully – 12 May 2015

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Dave Noble

It had been about six weeks since I had visited Sassafras Gully at Springwood. It was time for a return visit. This year, Sassafras Gully has been a place I have regularly visited to check out the fungi growing there and it has been very interesting to see the changes.

Hygrocybe anomola var ianthinmarginata

Hygrocybe anomola var ianthinmarginata

The highlight of my visit this time was seeing a magnificent display of Hygrophoraceae. This family of fungi includes Hygrocybes – which are often particularly colourful. Some of the ones I found on the visit are quite rare and critically endangered and are thus protected species. Continue reading →

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Wolli Creek – Fungi Foray – 9 May 2015

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Dave Noble

Last Saturday, I joined members of the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc for a walk along part of Wolli Creek to look for fungi. on the activity we were joined by members of Wolli Creek Preservation Society. We split into three groups and visited different parts of Wolli Creek and then met up at Girrahween Park to see what the others groups had found.

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It was a very interesting day, even though not that much fungi was out. The week before had been quite dry. Continue reading →

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Tarkine in Motion – Sydney Exhibition

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Dave Noble

Earlier in the week I went along to the opening of the Tarkine in Motion Exhibition at the Salerno Gallery (70 Glebe Point Rd, Sydney). This was a great evening with a magnificent collection of photos on display. Guest speakers Costa Georgiadis and Simon Westerway both spoke very passionately about the beauty of the area and its power to move the emotions. They also emphasised the need for action if this area is going to be saved from destruction and despoliation. It was also great to meet Dan Broun, a bushwalking photographer from Tasmania and one of the key people behind Tarkine in Motion.

Photo by Dan Broun

Photo by Dan Broun

It is well worth seeing the exhibition while it is in Sydney. It runs till 24 May. After you are inspired by the photos please then see what you can do to help the campaign.

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Central Plateau of Tasmania Walk – 23 April – 4 May 2015

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Dave Noble

This was planned to be another “Fagus and Fungi Walk” in the wilds of Tasmania. Last year, a little earlier in April than this trip, I visited Tasmania and completed the Overland Track with an extended visit to Pine Valley. On that occasion there was plenty of fungi out, but it was an unusually late season for the leaves of the fagus to change colour – the native deciduous beech (Northofagus gunnii). A rough rule of thumb is that the fagus is best around Anzac Day (25 April). This season, as it turned out – the fagus was early and we missed the best of the fagus in the high alpine areas.

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My last few trips to the Central Plateau have been solo trips or around 12 days duration. This time, Roger Lembit invited me to join him on his trip. He was planning to start at Higgs Track near Deloraine and finish at Lake St Clair. I and originally thought of doing a trip in the southern Reserve (Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park), but Roger’s trip sounded good and I welcomed his company. He also did not mind me having a few photo stops.

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Continue reading →

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Erskine Creek Walk – 18 – 19 April 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Dave Noble

Keith had invited some friends to help celebrate his birthday by going on a walk to Erskine Creek. Erskine Creek is in the Blue Labyrinth and can reached along fire trails and then a choice of several tracks from Glenbrook. The eaiest way to the creek is along the Jack Evans Track, but the better place to go to is at the junction of Erskine Creek and Lincolns Creek where there is a very nice campsite and a really great swimming hole.

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Its a very short track to reach this part of Erskine Creek but you do need to scramble down a series of short cliffs. The scrambles can be a bit tricky and this is probably the reason why the area is not too crowded. Continue reading →

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Cataract Falls – Lawson – A Look for Fungi – 18 April 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Dave Noble

I was up the mountains with Digi Dave. Later in the morning we sod be meeting friends at Glenbrook and joining them for a walk to Erskine Creek. We were at Lawson and had an hour or two to spare – so we headed down to the carpark above Cataract Falls and set off for a look for fungi.

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I had been along the track past Cataract Falls a week before and knew there could be some more Cordyceps out. There was and a lot of there interesting fungi too. Continue reading →

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Return to Coachwood Glen – More Colourful Fungi – 17 April 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Dave Noble

I was keen to head back to Coachwood Glen just off the Megalong Valley Road for a fuller visit. I went up again, this time with Digi Dave and we both took cameras and tripods. There had been a fair bit of rain the day before, and the forecast was not too good. It was a dull and gloomy day. But, as it turned out, we had very little rain while we were there. The gloomy lighting did make macro photography a bit challenging and also the tripod seemed to slowly sink into the soft ground during the long exposure photos.

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But there was an amazing display of fungi, and it was good to take our time and wander around with our cameras. Continue reading →

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Lane Cove Valley Walk – Looking For Fungi – 16 April 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Dave Noble

I went on a very pleasant walk down the Lane Cove Valley from Thornleigh to Macquarie Park. I want to explore the valley a bit more and also to look out for fungi.

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I started from Thornleigh Station and I walked along the street to the trackhead at Short St. My intention was to walk down the track going down Boy Scouts Creek to the Lane Cover River. A track is marked going this way on the STEP map of Walking Tracks in the Upper Lane Cove Valley. I found the start of the track easily enough, but as I followed it – it didn’t seem to be going the right way. It followed the creek at the start and then crossed it and climbed up on the far side and then started going back up the valley. I decided the original track was either overgrown or didn’t exist, so I back tracked an climbed up a side track to the ridge out from Thornleigh Oval – out to a nice lookout. I then backtracked again and join the Great North Walk Track as it descended to the valley. Continue reading →

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A Day at The Zoo – Taronga Zoo – 13 April 2015

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Dave Noble

A group of us – John, Jasper, Ruth, Joey and myself had a very enjoyable day at Taronga Zoo.

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Here are a few of the photos I took – Continue reading →

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