Bushwhacking in the Australian bush #2

[Currawong]

I’ve done a couple of exploratory walks lately so thought I’d post this one as well. It’s in a national park (and wilderness area) to the south of me.

From looking at maps I knew there was a valley just over the lip of the Eastern Escarpment (the steep drop off on the coastal side of the Great Dividing Range) that looked like it had some big rainforest patches. It was a strong candidate area to contain big trees - looking for big trees is a hobby of mine. Forest giants are scattered all over the place, but only grow in certain locations which you have to try and ‘problem solve’ and predict from reading the landscape and pouring over maps. The hike in would involve a lot of bush bashing over some steep country into a pretty remote area.

The drive in.

Start of the wilderness area. This is not a highly frequented, touristy kind of wilderness area - this is somewhere people mostly don’t go at all. Just the occasional ranger or trail biker but they would stick to trails. Some of it is an old logging area, but there is still a lot of old growth left, and beyond the logging area it's completely untouched. The bush is extremely thick here and very easy to get lost in - I’ve seen experienced hikers get lost after bush bashing for 15 mins in this area.

On foot from here. Trail running for a few kilometres down an old access trail, now being left to overgrow.

A side trail veers off and crosses the headwaters of the river. I left the trail just up ahead and started bush bashing towards the escarpment.

Climbing the hill towards the edge of the escarpment. Very steep slope (think stairs but without the benefit of steps, covered in dense shrubs and vines).

These ‘tree highways’ help. There are a lot of fallen trees, and you can walk up them to bypass the vegetation. The ground cover is so thick in some places that this is the easiest - sometimes only - way to move forward.

When there are branches across the tree, sometimes you can go over them, sometimes you can go under them, and sometimes you just have to chop them out. A lot of logs here can be up to 2m in girth and sometimes a metre or two off the ground, and easy to fall off of. There’s a limit to how much risk you want to take manouvring around branches on an uneven and slippery surface, and it can be safer to just lop them off to save yourself a possible fall.

Almost put my hand on this - funnel web spider nest. Funnel webs are one of the deadliest spiders in Australia, about an inch and a half long, with fangs that can bite through fingernails. They live in holes in rotten logs and build a funnel-shaped web that radiates outwards. When these are triggered by something walking over them it rushes out to bite it and drags it back in. You don’t want to touch these.

Top of the hill. Right on the peak is the only spot I’ve seen that’s completely clear of vegetation. This is a lyrebird mound, which males build for mating rituals. Lyrebirds are turkey-sized, semi-flightless birds that mimic the calls of other animals. The males have large display feathers, and sing and dance on the mound to attract a mate.

Over the other side of the ridge I finally found the edge of the rainforest I was looking for.

Continued....

 

[Currawong]

I headed downhill but it mostly involved sliding down through this stuff (too steep and slippery to walk). Where smilax (thorny vine) wound through it too badly I had to cut the vines with the NMFBM, it becomes impossible to move forward otherwise, you get so tangled up.

Into the rainforest…

Down near the creek I found the first big eucalypt. Girth was probably about 7 metres (20 feet). Not sure if you can see the NMFBM near the middle bottom of the trunk, it was pretty dark under there.

Found a few big ones but this was the biggest. Must have been more like a 30 foot girth.

Tried to go deeper into the rainforest but started going down mud slips and sliding uncontrollably. I was still only on the edge of the rainforest but it was hard going and I was worried about running out of daylight. I decided I had to head back upward. I went through a weird patch of tree ferns where many were growing like this.

Some of the ferns are pretty big - these were medium-size ones.

This gets a bit of use out here.

In country like this, I carry it on my hip because it gets used enough to keep it out of the pack. I’m sure I could get by without carrying a chopper - I bushwhacked for years without one - but it would limit the number of places I could get to. Sometimes you just can’t get through without a tool like this to assist. Accessing these kinds of places involves a lot of time climbing over things, crawling under things, sliding, rolling, cutting, chopping - it isn’t ordinary hiking where you just walk. Having a large chopper lets me access places i just couldn’t realistically go otherwise. The sheath is a Mashed Cat with drop loop and thigh strap. I added another thigh strap lower down to increase stability, tied it on with some paracord I took off ExtraBaconPlease's Infidu he sold me ….Sheath has never let me down.

Getting hungry. These are forest lillies and have edible fruits (the purple ones are ripe). They are spicy, kind of like blueberry and chilli mixed together.

Going back down the hill I was wading through these chest high ferns. It hides vines, logs, rocks and can be very difficult to push through. Sometimes it’s so impenetrable you have to lie down on top of it and sideways-roll down the hill. This is not as fun as it sounds.

Almost back out. It rained most of the way down the trail so I pulled out my raingear. Even though it’s summer, rain can be very cold still, and when your’re at the end of a walk and your metabolism is down getting wet isn’t sensible even on a hot day. I’d used up all my water by this point but usually carry a steel cup with me, running water here is safe to drink. Beats bending down and sticking your head in the water when you’re tired and thirsty.

Overall it was a pretty good adventure for only a 6 hour hike. I never actually got into the bigger rainforest area where most of the big trees might be - just to the first gully on the edge of it. Maybe next time I’ll penetrate deeper. Cheers

 

[ExtraBaconPlease]

Should of poked a stick in the funnel web to see if he was sleeping or not

 

[Andy the Aussie]

Good Stuff Mate !!! I am only walking between air conditioner and air conditioner today thanks !!

 

[Wilkes]

I see those berries all the time but too scared to try them! Any idea what they are called? I will definitely give them a go next time

 

[Currawong]

I see those berries all the time but too scared to try them! Any idea what they are called? I will definitely give them a go next time

It's a Dianella (genus name), or 'Forest Lily'. They're fruiting right now.

 

[gruntmedik]

Very cool! What is the snake threat like in that area?

 

[Currawong]

Very cool! What is the snake threat like in that area?

Plenty of snakes around but you tend not to see them. The noise (and vibration) of walking scares them off. Occasionally you see one but it will normally be one that is still cold (and slow) and you see it when you get too close and it decides to move away at the last minute. We get a few poisonous ones like browns, red-belly blacks, and (not often) tiger snakes. I used to hang out with guys who caught snakes for a living (they're herpetologists). One guy would walk up to it, wave one hand to distract it, and grab it with the other. Snakes go crazy when you catch them, their body whiplashes around all over the place so you have to hold on tight. I've caught a few but I used a stick to pin them down.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

Very cool! What is the snake threat like in that area?

.... it is also a bit of mindset, as Currawong's response intimates we don't process it as "snake threat" (sorry I should not speak for us all here, *I* don't process it as such) but any visit to any part of Australia in the warmer months poses the possibility of encountering a snake. It is just part of living here. From what I have seen, there is a far greater chance of a close encounter with Mr NoLegs in many parts of the US than here. I/We don't let sharing the bush with reptiles discourage outdoor adventure but you do apply a little common sense about where you stick your hands and such. Walking through waist deep ferns or tussock grass does give me the ebby jeebies at times in hot weather but, as Currawong notes, snakes normally decamp at the first opportunity, I have had more close calls with hogs in fern than snakes.

 

[rcb2000]

Wow, if you told me you saw a velociraptor there I'd believe you, gorgeous pics!
Man, you guys down under have some beautiful land.

 

[RobStanley]

Nice stuff man! If it's the area I'm thinking you're in, that's certainly a beautiful part of the world. Rugged country and very picturesque.

Gruntmedik, no such thing as a 'threat' from snakes man The only threat to anything here in Oz is people.

 

[AZTimT]

Wow, if you told me you saw a velociraptor there I'd believe you, gorgeous pics!
Man, you guys down under have some beautiful land.

I was thinking the exact same thing. If any nearby tar pits existed they could certainly make for an interesting dig site with fauna like that!
Great pics and thanks for sharing!

 

[PeteyTwoPointOne]

Makes my hiking pics look like the first half of a Foster's commercial...

 

[ExtraBaconPlease]

The only threat to anything here in Oz is people.

You can say that again..

 

[bflying]

Man this makes me miss Oz. It's been over 27 years since I was there. Such beautiful and diverse landscapes. Thank you for sharing your adventure.



•••••••••••••••

Sent from my mind....using Tap-a-Thought. (tm)

 

[elof_alv]

Very cool! What is the snake threat like in that area?

He lives in Canberra, compared to that, snakes are no threat at all...

 

[gruntmedik]

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't sure where that was, in relation to where the deadly snakes are. I'm geographically dumb when it comes to Down Under. It's definitely on my bucket list of places to visit.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

There is essentially NO part of Australia that does not accommodate one of the venomous species that abound here. Certainly they thin out when you get into the desert country but they are certainly still about ( have pics I took of a Western Brown just near Ayres Rock here somewhere). I live in the outer suburbs of Sydney and have had Red Belly Blacks and at least one Common (or Eastern) Brown in my yard...does this give me the ebby jeebies...most certainly...but I have taken all the common sense precautions I can. They don't really bother me in the bush but the last couple of years we have been getting more and more appearances of them around the huts and houses I stay in when hunting...I really don't want to share the kitchen with them !!!! There are places you can almost predict seeing a snake, they love to hunt around sitting and running water, so damn and creek banks are always good spots to spot something, but then you can just be out in the middle of nowhere and find one meandering around.

 

[Aias]

Currawong... great pics--beautiful wilderness man! But that funnel web and the talk of Brown snakes really does give me pause. The rattlers I have on the trails by me are at least polite enough to let you know they are there (usually).

 

[dman62]

Great pics!