The Whalers Way

Our first foray this morning was to the Reserve at the end of Dolphin Way.  Probably not the most successful walk ever, mainly because the small dog took the lead and the track isn't that obvious (understatement).  Our routes out and back diverged quite a bit as shown by this eBird track.

Very few birds were around in the bush here for reasons not known to me.  As we got back to the house (about 800m North of the Reserve) a pair of parrots flew into a small tree.  On checking, they were Mulga Parrots. I returned with my good camera and got some pix.  By that stage they have into a Pomegranate tree.

Our main plan for the day was to go to the Whalers Way South of Port Lincoln.  It is the red line in this snip from Google Earth.

We called in to the Port Lincoln Visitors Centre and picked up the key to the Reserve, paying our $30 entrance fee.  All excellent, unlike the street signs in Port Lincoln, which were non existent for the major roads I was looking for.  However, we didn't get lost and soon passed Lincoln National Park: I'm sure Its a lovely place, but canophobic as are most places in which a State Conservation mob are involved.

We stopped by a historic marker to where Flinders found water.

This sign is at the entrance to the Whalers Way Reserve.

Dogs are allowed on leads!!  I suspect their public liability insurance premiums (or their lawyers fees) are quite high: the gate is about 30 km from Port Lincoln and the Reserve is full of cliffs accessed by a reasonably rough road.  This is not to grizzle but to suggest the Parks Services could learn a lot from this.  Our route is very visible as the dirt road in this image.

Here is the first Inlet, Whalechasers Chasm.  It should be noted that the wind was extremely strong, adding to the range of things that could go wrong (but didn't).

I think I have mentioned cliffs.

There were also flowers available.  This Melaleuca sp. was flowering in profusion throughout the Reserve.  It was attracting a lot of New Holland Honeyeaters and in one area a flock of Dusky Woodswallows. (presumably feeding on the insects that were feeding on the flowers).

I have no idea what this is, other than a white flower.

A Correa sp.

All vegetation here is quite low which on thinking about it is to be expected on a limestone area exposed to the Southern Ocean (next land going South is Antarctica) and prevailing winds that have possibly not been interrupted since:

• Port Elizabeth (South Africa) if coming straight West - Google Earth suggests 10,000km; or
• Southern Argentina with a small amount of South in the breeze - add another 7,000km.

A flowering eucalypt ...

.. with interesting seed capsules.

Another eucalypt ...

.. which has dropped the flower caps on the ground.

A colony of fur seals (really sea lions) were stacking some zeds at the mouth of a cave.  Even knowing they were likely to be there the distance was quite a lot - both vertically and horizontally.

The cave is at the centre bottom of the island in this image.  Presumably there was some sort of fault which has allowed the sea to cut that channel.

Emus were available.  This image also gives an idea of the height of the vegetation.

More cliffs!

It was suggested that the pool at the bottom of this slope was a possibility for swimming (presumably in Summer).

I think this swimming is contraindicated by this sign.  There were quite  few signs about beware of freak waves in this area.  In WA they are a little more direct: King Waves Kill!

As we drove out a good flock (at least 27 birds) of Cape Barren Geese were seen grazing.

As we got close to our house (having dropped the key off at the Visitors Centre) we found 4 more geese sharing grazing with part of a huge flock of Galahs.

After getting back to the house I was going to take photographs of the Cormorants on the island in front of the house but the wind was so strong the telescope would have shaken continually (especially with my phone acting as an aerofoil).  So I had a glass of wine instead.

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Memorials all over and Old Bottlebutt

Bird of the day:  Gull-billed terns at North Haven

(narrowly over Bar-shouldered Dove at Old Bottlebutt ).  The first-named locale also delivered flock of the day with a dozen Australasian Pelicans.
Flower of the day:Very few contenders.  Camellias win as they are both evident and unexpected here.

Garden of the day: A well structured planting in front of a mural at Wauchope.

Geological feature of the day:  sedimentary layers in a rock at Nobby's Beach

Outstanding Weather feature of the day; Delightfully absent: as hoped for (and expected) sunny, still and warm.

Council behaviour of the day: Stretching the definition of 'Council' to include State Forests, their effort in setting up the Old Bottlebutt facility in Burrawan State Forest was an excellent example of encouraging good use of a forest.  Yest they are trying to counter änti-logging, but they are doing it well.

On to the details of the day.  We had a good night's sleep and din't emerge from the cot until after 7am.  It was still only 5^>oC so it took some time to drink the coffee and head off for a walk.  This was to Nobby's Beach, an off leash area.  Dog's were off leash everywhere.

 The first incident was when Tammy (still on leash)  was charged by a small poodle that leapt over her.  Then we encountered a 15 week old Border Collie that wanted to play.  Tammy displayed great speed in outrunning the pup and also a lot of agility in dodging it.  Then she got fed up and just headed off, leading me to sprint after her with a lot of yelling.

WE then extended the walk along the Kenny Walk to the next beach South.  En route we passed a couple of rock fishermen who seemed unfamiliar  with the term "risk assessment " but seemed likely to learn about the word "drowning" if a big swell came in.

We returned from whence we had come passing this boulder of serpentenite  ..

.. on our way to Flynns Beach crossing over a headland.  On arrival we were greeted with a canophobia sign which we ignored (as we didn't want to backtrack several hundred metres) and thus back to the camp.

Our expedition for the day was directed South and then West.  Still within the urban area we looked down on Lighthouse Beach, which Frances visited in the evening, and reported was as nice as it looks.

After a couple of stops to check birds we arrived at Laurieton, named after the original developed.  The War Memorials there were set in a park and covered a lot of the area.  This, featuring a woman with a wreath rather than a digger, was the main one.

Several of the trees were decorated with crosses.  These three were honouring three men who died in Afghanistan.  I can find no connection between them and Laurieton, but that is not a problem for the honours.  (The woven poppies are the second lot I have seen, the first were in Broken Hill.)

This commemorates a member of the Laurie family who died at Messines in WW1.

A smaller memorial at Kew.  Evidence of the forestry-town nature of the place is the axe mounted behind it.

The small town of Kendall is next to Kew (and judging by the real estate activity between them they will soon merge).  The town is named after Henry Kendall whose plaque refers to him in large font as a poet.  Smaller font shows he was the first Forest Inspector for NSW (and the memorial was assisted - presumably financially -  by State Forests).

The Kendall Memorial was now the CWA Hall, and only open once a month.  Who knows what is inside?

After leaving Kendall we headed towards Wauchope, up the Bago road.  This ran beside the Burrawan State Forest which was pet friendly and advertised "Old Bottlebutt".  This looked interesting so we headed off and found ourselves at a 600m walking trail.  We did the loop anti-clockwise and encountered a forest of what I take to be Livingsonia australis palms.

Then we got to Old Bottlebutt a huge Corymbiya gummifera.  This is the top.

Here is the bottle-shaped butt, about 16m around.  It seems no one knows what causes these engorged bases, but it is 'natural'.

On getting to Wauchope - a timber town.  We soon found the War Memorial.

I rather liked this Koalart - part of the Koala Art trail around the area.

As we got into Port Macquaruie, and having some time on hand we - or rather I - swung into the Little Brewing Company, rated highly in a book I read.  This is the entrance to the premises, with their awards on the wall.

I passed on the tasting as I wanted to go for a run (but was impressed that the charges they levied went to cover the tax they had to pay on them and then to the Koala Hospital.)  They had a Koala Art in Panda colours outside!  8 bottles were purchased - consumption reports to follow, possibly on return home as they start at 5.2 ABV and go up.

On return to the campsite we found Natures go at Koala Art in a tree almost above our site.

It was very active: this was the first time I have ever seen a Koala jump from one branch to another

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Interesting things around Dubbo.

Bird of the Day:  Grey-crowned Babbler: a good bird and their interaction with Tammy was funny!  Contenders were Apostlebird and Zebra Finch.

Plant of the day:  River Red Gums beside the Macquarie River 

Scene of the Day:  Distant view of the Warrumbungles 

Art of the day:  Murals under the White Bridge

Typically Australian thing of the day: Pullover rest areas with dunny.  Not noted anywhere else in the world.

Maximum Temperature 16C  Minimum temperature: 0C

Distance traveled  with camper  0km without camper 140km

In fact there are quite a few interesting things around Dubbo, including an excellent walking track along the Macquarie River.  Part of the walk is named after Alex "Tracker" Riley, employed by the NSW constabulary to track down miscreants and missing creants.  He preferred the latter target group.  We started this near the White Bridge, which as can be seen is well supplied with graffitti.

Our start was also quite close to the Circus site.

The circus was indeed close to the central caravan park and probably would have been a bit noisy when the punters left.  (But the place we were at wasn't really quiet with many trucks using the Mitchell Highway.)  Here is another view of the White Bridge.

After our walk, which took us out to near the Zoo including passing a couple of paddocks of lion food on the hoof, we strolled down the main street.  Here is truth in advertising time.

It appears that the iconic animal at the Zoo is the Rhino, which appears in many forms around the town.  This straight version was outside the Visitors Centre..

A more flamboyant version was outside the regional Art Gallery which Frances visited and rated rather highly.

A farmers market was in action and as seems now to be the common situation dogs were welcome.  When I returned from acquiring a bolt to fix up our main light I quickly spotted one small dog.

The War Memorial in Dubbo was a rather impressive edifice.

Having done Dubbo by lunchtime we decided a visit to Gilgandra would occupy the afternoon rather well.  This was a pleasant drive of about 66 kilometres.  Beside the main Memorial, of a fairly common design they had a large wall to display the veterans names.

The town is known for the start of the "Cooee March" which recruited people for WW1.  This mural relates to that and the two silhouetted figures recur all over the town representing the marchers.

We headed out to the Flora Reserve although knowing that few flowers would be around at this time of year.  On the way we got a good - OK, distant - look at the Warrumbungle Range.

The water tank at the Reserve has been painted well including these Glossy Black Cockatoos (of which we saw no trace).

Acacia was in flower ...

.. as were these white flowers.

The grass trees were just beginning to send up flower spikes ....

.. while this Melichrys urceolatus was opening up.

The town is promting itself as the windmill town and has set up a walk along the river bank with many specimens of different types of windmills.

On the way back to Dubbo this mailbox appealed to me.

The park was a little fuller tonight, with people mainly from Victoria.  All well behaved!

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