The Heathland begins to happen

One of the interesting areas near the centre of Mallacoota is the heathland near Davis Beach.  This got completely burnt by the fire and until recently has had bolshie signs by someone - probably the Shire - closing the track off.  The signs have now gone so we went for a stroll there yeasterday.

Here is an overview of the heath:

 In the past that was basically waist high Allocasuarina paludosa. (I have previously called this A. nana which is the species of Sheoke growing in heaths near the ACT.  However Joy Grieg's book "Wildflowers of the Wilderness Coast" backed up by Flora of Victoria have straightened me out.)  I suppose the key point is that there is none of it left now.

Some other species/genera are recovering.  Here is a Leptospermum sp.

 This is Banksia marginata.

 And some Acacia sp.  Joy only lists A. myrtifolia in this habitat but I can't find any images of thre juvenile leaves of that species.

 I apologise for the quality of the following photos: There have been so few around recently that I have got out of practice!  Hopefully they give enough to let you recognise the flowers.  This is a Wahlenbergia (possibly W. gracilis) aka Bluebell.  They were quite common.

 I think this is Leptorhyncos nitidulus.

 Scaevola ramosissima.  Quite common, but with a low growing habit can be hard to spot.

 Coronidium scorpiodes.

 An annoying species: it has distinctive shaped petals but I can't pick it at the moment and iNaturalist suggested Hypericum sp which I don't think is correct.  I did warn you about the naff photos.

 Hybanthus vernonii.  Only one tiny plant seen

Brachyscome spathulata: this species is appearing in low numbers all over the Mallacoota area.  Only 1 specimen in this site.

 Hypoxis hygrometrica - very common.  This was about the first floweer to appear in the broad area.

 Frances found an orchid!  Eriochilus cuculatus "Parsons bands".  Again, I did warn you about the quality of the photos.

 About the only possible risk of OHAS issues was this seat which looked OK, if  a tad black, until looking underneath showed the cantilevered situationthe support doesn't