Consistency in the Hinterland

10 September was Glossy Count Day, so I took myself off to Fern Gully Track, sort of in the Howe Range area.  Access is off the Fairhaven Freeway (a humourous name for a reasonable dirt road) which runs from the Johnson Bridge over the Wallagaraugh toward Fairhaven on Bottom Lake.  The drive (via Genoa) takes an hour, the same as going in a putt-putt rental boat to Dowell Creek.

Here is a map of Fern Gully Track: note the word "Track" which suggests it isn't going to be smooth.

It is interesting that the track has become a no through road because Parks have stopped - since the Black Summer fire - clearing the section indicated as overgrown and the alternate route .  has a locked gate into private property.  The next image proves the status as 'track', rather than road.  With sufficient incentive - eg being pursued by an angry mob, or possibly a bushfire - I could get up there in the Mazda, but lacking such incentivisation I was pleased I was in the Pajero.

The bush was not far off the road!

The track was in better nick, both state of the ground and freedom from vegetation at the far end

A general view of the forest with much flowering wattle.

Here is the wattle.  I have no idea of the species and neither the Plants of SE NSW app; Vic Flora nor (so far) iNaturalist are not helpful getting either species beyond Acacia sp.  Single ball flowers rules out A. longifolia, which seems to be the default in the area.  Consideration by an expert from iNaturalist has got this first species to A. genistifolia: much lusher than it grows on shale in the frosts o Canberra.

The second species.  This has been worked on by the expert and on the evidence of this photo can't be matched to any species.  A. subporosa is close but the the Plants of SE NSW app concludes this is rare in Vic and possibly hybridises with A. cognata (which has much narrower phyllodes).  So leave it at e Genus level.

iNaturalist suggests Daviesia ulicifolia for this pea which seems about right.  Confirmed on iNaturalist.

This is an Allocasuarina covered with cones.  Unfortunately there is a full complement on the tree, none having been removed by Glossies.

I noticed this large (close to 2m. nose to tip of tail) goanna sitting on an area of disturbed ground.  It was soon a little elevated.

It didn't seem unduly fussed by me!

I was hopeful of 3 species of birds on the outing.  Glossy Black-Cockatoo at this track; Black Bittern at the Wallagaraugh; and Brown Cuckoo-Dove at Gipsy Point.  I was consistent, on dipping on all three!