Photos Another trip to the forest

[Currawong]

Another exploratory trip, bushwacking into some thick old growth forest and rainforest. I've been systematically working my way down every valley and over every hill in the local wilderness, just to see what's there.

Entering the forest...

Lots of rotten logs to clamber over

A funnel web nest in the log. These radiating webs are the triggers. Basically a giant black spider crawls out of this hole and tries to kill you

Some kind of yellow goo growing on the log

Spiky vines block the path everywhere. They're too sharp to easily grab with bare hands (you have to do this a hundred times, the pain adds up), so a Battle Mistress is a useful tool for pushing them aside.

Down into the rainforest

The 'path' wound around a series of small cliffs

This is my hiking belt

Only the essentials !!

 

[Currawong]

A tree fern has gone to sleep

A fallen log makes a bridge over a small muddy creek

A rainforest tree growing out of the side of a tree fern. Any rainforest trees that germinate on the ground tend to get eaten by wallabies, so almost all rainforest trees here begin life this way.

A mature rainforest tree, about three or four metres wide at the base. Battle mistress on the trunk for scale. There once would have been a tree fern in the middle.

Their roots start two or three metres up in the air (where they originally germinated) and grow downwards towards the ground.

SCABS small choil anorexic boss street

CGFBM combat grade fusion battle mistress

The bottom of the gully - a dry creek bed - ran underneath this tree. But where is the water?

These rocks in the dry creek would form small waterfalls when it rains

The stream emerges from the rocks a bit further down. Above this point, it was obviously flowing underground

 

[Ryker]

I always enjoy your pic-heavy hiking threads, thanks.
The rain forests there remind me of the movie “Predator”.

 

[Currawong]

A giant tree had fallen across the creek. I think it knocked down some other trees as well. It was too hard to go around (forest and vines too thick to the left and right), so I had no choice but to go through the middle of the debris.

Didn't look any better up close

So I got started

Lots of chopping later, about third of the way through

The tree knocked over this tree fern. You can see the new fern frond here. These are edible, in a pinch. You strip off the tough skin and eat the inner part. A few are okay, but don't eat too many or they'll poison you.

2/3 of the way

Most of it was just clipping off these small branches so I could crawl underneath the big ones

Almost there

After about 15 mins... made it through !!

 

[Currawong]

I had made it to the heart of the rainforest

Lots of fungi everywhere

You shouldn't put your finger near these !!

Big vines growing here

Going up the other side, it was steep enough and the soil loose enough that I periodically would slide two or three metres back down the hill. Had to use the Mistress as a handhold for every step in the worst parts

 

[Currawong]

Then the mist came in

And big trees began appearing

And many more as I climbed the slope on my way back out

The mist then turned to a steady rain for the last hour or so. I was soaked by the time I got out of the forest. But it was worth it ! Thanks for joining me

 

[Apocryphiliac]

Always awesome to follow one of your adventures! Love the choices of FBM and SCABS. Love those trees as well. Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[DamascusBowie]

I always enjoy your pic-heavy hiking threads, thanks.
The rain forests there remind me of the movie “Predator”.

Same here, its like another planet.

 

[Cobalt]

Awesome pics. Where is that forest?

 

[Currawong]

Monga National Park, about 300km south of Sydney, Australia

 

[gruntmedik]

Very cool!

 

[duramax]

Thanks for sharing !!!!! Great pics !!!! And two great blades

 

[Cobalt]

Monga National Park, about 300km south of Sydney, Australia

Beautiful!!!!!

 

[RobStanley]

Amazing pics as usual mate. Beautiful area. And good to see those blades in action.

I've done that Clyde Mountain drive about a million times. Truly stunning forest.

 

[Ptac157]

Awesome pics mate

 

[Ptac157]

Awesome pics mate

 

[Currawong]

Amazing pics as usual mate. Beautiful area. And good to see those blades in action.

I've done that Clyde Mountain drive about a million times. Truly stunning forest.

That's a long way from home for you ! I hope these aren't day trips.

 

[drift draft]

Damn those are nice forests! Thanks for the great photos! Not to mention some gutsy photos, with all the poisonous everything’s around.

 

[RobStanley]

That's a long way from home for you ! I hope these aren't day trips.

haha yes it is these days. I'm originally from Canberra, so trips 'down the coast' were a common thing.

 

[Private Klink]

Great pics of some really nice country.