Coastal events- natural and otherwise

 This post will stretch the wildlife element a little, but the weather near Mallacoota is important to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.  The disaster of 1998 was focused offshore from here with the Mallacoota Airport used as a base for the rescue effort.   The Bunker Museum has a collection of accounts by rescuers describing their efforts in saving people which is well worth study.  So it was interesting to look at the position of the fleet on the morning of 28 December to realise they were just off shore.

Closer to our house I gt a couple of good (by my standards) photos of a New Holland Honeyeater enjoying a Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia sp,)

Our expedition for the day was to do the Shipwreck Creek to Seal Creek walk. It was a good day for it according to the weather forecast: sunny but not too hot,  The road down was still in fair condition - better than expected after the amount of rain earlier in the month.  A few potholes are beginning to appear but it has been a lot worse.  The campground was reasonably well occupied, including some antisocial git playing loud music.  We left rapidly and got down to the beach where the creek was easily forded without getting our feet wet.

Frances spotted a large Goanna (~1.5m) at the Heath end of the beach.

Looking out to sea one of the competing boats was visible.

According to my Marine Traffic app it was Highly Sprung!

At the far end of the beach it was good to find that Parks have finally opened up the track.  Until now it has been a matter of bushbashing through about 20m of 2m high scrub.

They have also mown along the path through the heath.  This makes it easier walking (and gives a better chance of spotting any leg-challenged reptiles) but has trashed a few orchids.

Getting into the forest and down to a creek crossing there were some spectacular specimens of Bursaria spinosa (Blackthorn).  Surprisingly there were no insects on them (except some honeybees).  In fact there were few insects all day - and I can't find it in myself to complain about the lack of mosquitoes and blowies.

Getting close to Seal Creek Frances spotted another reptile which I think is Egernia saxatilis (Black Rock Skink).   This one looks to be gravid.

The final bit of track has been cleared and graded, but is still steep and slippery.  We both made it down without face-planting.

The waterway was interesting with the carved edge on the beach.

Frances' favourite rocks!

Hoodie SL is still occupying the beach, together with its unflagged partner.

So was this grasshopper.  Identified on iNaturalist as Cirphula pyrrhocnemis.

On the way back more yachts were still passing.  I suspect these were competing, not just recreational cruisers.

As we neared the end of the heath a flower was visible on one of the Banksia serata (Old Man Banksia).  Good to see them recovering from the fire (after 2 years).