Bulburin 2014

We decided to take a couple of days to camp and do some walking.

On the first day we found the old steep track that we had been on years before with the 4X4 club. 

We stopped at the top and went back to the start of Bulburin Scenic Drive (4X4 only) which is currently closed off due to works being carried out on the road. Here we found a shady tree, and started unpacking our lunch. As we were doing so, 2 National Parks vehicles arrived, and the ranger got out to check that we were ok. We explained what we were up to, and despite an initial formal conversation, we ended up following them down to the top of the Boyne River to have lunch with them under the shady trees there.

After lunch we went back past the campsite, to the other end of the closed off Bulburin Scenic Drive, parked and walked down the road to the first creek. There was an old bridge which is closed off as it is dangerous, but NPWS has put in a culvert beside it.

  I really like Alocasia spp so was pleased to see so many growing here.

This is one of the largest land snail shells we have ever seen, almost as big as the palm of Darryl's hand.

Some Tradescantia spp. Also along this walk were plenty of maidenhair fern and shield ferns perched in rocky outcrops.

A smaller snail shell (just to prove that they aren't all giants).

I am not sure what this 'flower' is.

I spied the bright fruit on the ground, but could not see the tree or bush that it came from.

Some of the beautiful boulders we scrambled down, and then back up on the way back.

A huge tree had come down so we were able to get quite close to these large Elkhorns.

A tiny orchid on the same tree.

After our walk, we went back to the campsite (the old Forestry Research Station), and as we stopped had a flat tyre!. Darryl changed it before we set up, had happy hour, then cooked dinner.

A Tawny Frogmouth at our campsite during the evening.

The next day we returned to the northernmost end of Bulburin Scenic Drive, and parked at the top of the ridge and walked down the road to the place we had eaten lunch with the rangers the previous day.

The first area of interest along this part of the Boyne River is what the rangers called 'Flat Rock'.

Lots of Water Dragons lazily warmed themselves in the sun. Mostly they took absolutely no notice of us at all, and just held their ground.

The whole river bed was ablaze with Weeping Bottlebrush - Callistemon viminalis.

Interesting rocks made the 'rock-hopping' enjoyable.

A huge fig tree provided a nice shady spot. Near here was also a lovely stand of Burdekin Plum trees Pleigynium timorense, along with plenty of native blackberries Rubus spp.

One of the lovely pools along the way.

This should give you an idea as to why my ankles were aching, after rock-hopping over 8km of this (although, not all of it was this bad).

There were plenty of these Cordyline spp, especially at one spot where another creek joined in.

This was as far as we went. We 'were' trying to get to Mt Jacob mine, but Darryl realised that we had only made it just over half-way, and it was already 11am. There was no way I would have made it any further.

This gorgeous flower - Turraea pubescens (native witch hazel) had a beautiful perfume to go with its delicate looks.

Another interesting snail shell.

I couldn't resist a photo of this bottlebrush just because of the number of blooms.

A conglomerate.

Pink granite.

This flower smelled strongly like bananas! I believe it is Melodorum leichhardtii (zig-zag vine).

I am not sure if this is the red flush of new growth, or just the normal colour of these leaves.

The Leech who got me! See how engorged she is with blood? That's my blood she took there, and this was just before Darryl popped her. (By Sat afternoon behind my left knee was looking pretty red, and I started getting a streak up my leg. So, after 8pm I got Darryl to take me to Emergency Department, and I was admitted for IV antibiotics. Not a nice way to spend a few days!)

Some of the leftover machinery from the Forestry days.

This goanna decided I was the sort of risk that required a tree ascent.

These were some of the plants around the campsite.

 

Mount Sleipner

Mount Sleipner 

I was keen to show the very fit group from the Mt Nicholson walk my way up Mt Sleipner and organised to take them. As it was a late start, I went for my usual paddle on the Fitzroy River before meeting everyone at the turn off to Nerimbera and leading them to the National Parks, where I left my car. I then jumped into John's car and we drove further along Arnold Drive to leave the car. We found an easy way to the Black's Creek and followed one of its many tributaries upstream. There had been a few major floods since the last time I was there four years previously and everything looked different as a result of the heavy scouring by large rocks. I usually opt to climb out of the creek early and follow another tributary up over a ridge, but as there were complaints about the lantana I tried to find the main tributary that passed up through rainforest. I thought I had found it and walked alone upstream for about 100m before turning back, (I later found out it should have been 200m). 

I mistakenly decided to continue walking upstream and when I realised I had passed the start of the creek, walked up one of the recently burnt out spurs to the summit.

That spur gave good views of Sleipner Ridge, (I have walked it in the past to the Summit).

After a short rest at the summit, we walked down to the rock face that gave good views of the Fitzroy River for lunch.

We stopped at the fossil patch on the way down to have a look around. Many small form fossils were found. Further down we were forced to leave the track to avoid upsetting a couple of intertwined snakes.

Darryl