Veronika Wild

  The Golden Way - apologies for the poor picture quality in these. Only had my phone with me and it doesn't seem to capture the true vibrance and colour I may have missed the main blossom season, but on Sunday I went to Knocklofty – a nearby bushland reserve which lies a little higher up the mountain and where there were still quite a few wattles in bloom. Though the larger, showier Silver Wattles were already in decline, it was a chance for some of the more subtle ones to shine.  It was a glorious sunny morning and everyone seemed to have the same idea. Families with children were out and about, also the joggers and dogs walking their owners. Birds sang. I heard parrots in the trees - Kookaburras, mournful crows and a bird that sounded like it was saying “Get a job.” I really wanted to try to catch the sound of the “Pobblebonk” frogs but their ponds were already dry. Lovely as they sound, I hope the Kookaburras -an introduced species, weren't responsible for their absence....

Start of the Leslie Vale Track  Af ter the Mt. Dromedary fiasco, I have set my sights a little lower literally this past week and my friends and I have gone for gentler, shorter walks, not far from home. On both days the weather was still a bit drizzly, hence the rather dull picture quality, but quite pleasant walking weather all the same. The first walk was the Leslie Vale Track through horsey country at the back of Kingston.   This is in fact one of several horse trails in the area and should take about an hour and a half if all goes well. The first part travels through farmland alongside the main highway and then does a short traverse through the bush before re -emerging between five acre paddocks. Unfortunately, we then came upon a “Y” junction which was not marked on the map and with no indication of whether to go left or right.   This seems to be the story of my life lately. Since this was to lead us to a road, we decided on the route to the right, w...

A Winter landscape - Mt. Field It’s official. It’s winter now, but yesterday was our first fine day in a while. Or at least that’s what the weather bureau promised, so my long suffering walking buddy hauled me off to Mt. Field.   It was still overcast and gloomy as we made our way up the narrow Lake Dobson Road, but suddenly we were above the mists and in the most beautiful alpine wonderland. Little pillows of snow lay on the moorlands and the mountains beyond carried a delicate dusting of snow. Curiously it’s not at all cold and there’s not a breath of wind.Yes, we may have missed the fagus this year with its glorious autumn display and we’d missed the summer wildflower show, but don’t think there’s nothing to do or see, just because it’s winter.  Sunlight breaks through the fog, Lake Dobson Road, Mt. Field National Park Once the showier plants have gone, you notice more subtle things such as the colourful trunks of the Snow Gums, the fresh greens o...

Western Australia's Floral Emblem, the Kangaroo Paw  Anigozanthos mangalesii , I presume, which is only found in the South West of Western Australia Had my first walk for the season today, not a very long one I am embarrassed to say (had to call on my daughter to come and pick me up), but I did see the first of the glorious wildflowers – the first kangaroo paws, the first orchids and many other flowers and birds whose names I don’t know. There were certainly the stunning blues of the lechenualtias (endemic to Western Australia and named after Baudin's naturalist) , a deep purple pea flower, the occasional parrot -pea like clumps and a few guinea flowers, but pink and white seemed to be the order of the day. An unusual Lechenaultia - a different blue to most The first Orchids - definitely a Donkey Orchid but not sure if it's the winter one or the regular one Calothamnus rupestris or Mouse Ear saccording to Ray, who has a lovely website on native...