Moe - Day 28

This is a very boring post, but really nothing happened for the day. Darryl rested while I went shopping and to the library.

Moe - Day 27

We packed up slowly as Darryl was still in a lot of pain. We forgot to go back and get a photo of Wilhelmina Falls - there was a walk up to it which we didn't do - but there was also a lookout from along the road. We wound  our way through the magnificent tall eucalypt, (with the tree-fern understory), forest of Toolangi State Forest to Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk. This was a lovely little walk through cool rainforest of Myrtle Beech, Blackwood, Southern Sassafrass (the leaves smelled like nutmeg), Mountain Ash, huge treeferns and giant mosses (the largest in the world). The boardwalk wound around two little bubbling creeks. 

Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans)

Pink bells (Tetratheca spp)

Back at the picnic area we had morning tea, and I spied a Tiger Snake coming down from the rocks behind the table. 

We made it to Moe, and booked into Moe Gardens Caravan Park for a couple of nights.

Murrindindi Reserve - Day 26

Woke to a lovely sunny day, at last! We rested, Darryl slept and I did some computing, working on the family tree mostly. During the day most of the other campers left, until by about 4:30pm we were the last.

The campground sign

The fires jumped from ridge to ridge here

The Blue Fairy Wren and his family continued to entertain us  - you can see how closed he came as that is our camping mat

Murrindindi Reserve - Day 25

Disaster! Darryl started out on an early walk to the Falls, but on the way slipped on a rock and tore his hamstring. 

At least I had the transcript of the story of Sydney Robert Smith, given to me by Lynette, for Darryl to read to occupy himself. The family lived in far north Queensland, so was of 'some' interest to him. 

Blue Fairy Wren

 We went for a little walk to the suspension bridge, and there was some excitement as a few people were gathered around looking at something on the ground which turned out to be a snake. Someone said it was a 'Yellow-belly' and it did have some yellow scales on the lower part. The top scales were a slatey grey. I had to drive the D-Max back to the start of the park to book in for another 2 nights, as Darryl couldn't push in the clutch. Today we saw a pair of King Parrots, and another bird with a yellowish-olive chest.

King Parrots

Murrindindi Reserve - Day 24

Lynette had told us that Trentham Falls was worth a visit, so this was the first stop. A short walk led to a viewing platform of one of the highest falls in the region, tumbling over ancient basalt. It was certainly stunning. 

Trentham Falls

Rocks downstream from the falls

The rural countryside was green and picturesque through Woodend, Newham, Lancefield and Kilmore, where we stopped to shop at Aldi & Coles, and had lunch in a town park. We set the GPS for Kinglake, and went to see Mason's Falls in the National Park. We had been in this area only days before it exploded in Feb 2009 with a terrible bushfire, but had been unable to camp as we arrived after 9pm, and the gates were closed.. The trees have recovered to some extend, but still the blackened skeletons of many tower above the new growth. Mason's Falls were a lovely set of falls over stepped hard mudstone. 

A lovely moth on one of the signs

Mason's Falls

The top of Mason's Falls

Red bracket fungi

A beetle conference

Scars of the fire

As we were turning to go to another section of park, right in town, I saw the National Parks office and we stopped to get information. The two rangers told me that the only camping spot in the park, Gum Tree Camp, was closed, but if I was looking for a place, then they recommended Murrindindi Reserve, which was only $7 per vehicle for the night. It is well set up for camping with six campgrounds along the river, and two of them suitable for caravans. We chose a spot then shifted twice until we were in one we were happy with (due to towering blackened trees). There are lovely little Blue Fairy Wrens, and another tiny insect-eating bird family flitting around the campsite entertaining us. 

The river is behind us

Darryl was happy as he had a challenge: someone had lost a lure across the river, and he was trying to retrieve it without having to go into the freezing cold water. Of course, he was finally successful, but it kept him occupied for quite some time.