Another weekend. Another segment of the Dreaming Track*. Another surprise.
Last time I walked this bit of the track from Gray Rocks to Mullimburra, it was some years ago through bee-buzzing tea-trees with my friend Rosemary. Today the beginning of the track is drab, although buds promise future glory. It’s paved with casuarina needles and lumpy with casuarina roots, astonishingly thick given the spindliness of the casuarinas themselves.
Everything is light and shadow, anathema to the camera. So I tackle a few closeups that turn out far better than I expected: a bit of old man’s beard in the fork of a dead casuarina branch, and the tiny brush-like female flower of the casuarina.
We walk beside a creek-bed, dry except for a large grey puddle.
Then J spots a eucalypt through the bush up the hill and sets off in pursuit. I dawdle on, remember he’s forgotten his phone (and the drama I caused when I stopped walking and lay down on a sand hill a few weeks ago), and turn back to join him, watching my feet as I stumble through lomandra, fallen branches and hunks of rock. I spot his blue jumper and find him sitting on a log, contemplating a grove of huge Eucalyptus tereticornis (forest red gum), at least two hundred years old at best guess. They twist their ancient branches, shed their bark and gleam grey and apricot in the midday light. We eat lunch cogitating how we could describe their beauty (and their characteristics) in a few sure lines, Picasso-in-words.
The trees by the track are more modest in size and age and they dance a corroboree of delight.
The walk ends with a water view, down to Cathedral Rock.
That is Saturday’s walk. On Sunday we return to the grove of forest red gums, ostensibly to find J’s specs which he’s lost somewhere, but more likely just to enjoy these monuments of nature again. We continue on, this time through casuarina forest: trunks, male flower, roots and needles all providing visual pleasures.
A tiny bell-like flower on a spiky bush catches my eye, and a hakea already budding
We pass an old dam and other traces of farming days, and then we’re at the ocean and a lagoon backing up beyond the sandbar, with traces of the sea evident amongst the rocks and sea grass.
A hardy casuarina has rooted itself in the rock, reclining comfortably and thriving, within cooee of the sea.
Behind the sandhills on a sidetrack on the way back to the car our final forest redgum for the weekend – and for a while. Next weekend will be full-on preparation for the arrival of Warsaw: nailing down errant boards on the deck; washing every bit of bedding I possess; spraying the yard with pyrethrum for ticks; restringing the clothesline. With Potato Point beach walks interspersed. And an omelette for any collaborators!
* Dreaming tracks or Song Lines link places visited by Aboriginal people: the Bingi Dreaming track links campsites, ceremonial and trade sites, fresh water and plentiful coastal food sources. We’re following in the footsteps of the Brinja-Yuin people as we walk the track section by section (it’s 13.5 kilometres one way), returning day after day to enter it at a different point, to cover new territory and to revisit a few favourites: trees, and a pathway or two.
the eternal traveller said:
Mother Nature at her very best!
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Lucid Gypsy said:
I still don’t know how big cathedral rock is!
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morselsandscraps said:
J’s best estimate is about 10 metres: 15-25 feet. It’s very much in Christine-country.
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restlessjo said:
My absolute favourite is the full size shot below the Picasso in words description. 🙂 🙂 This post radiates contentment with your life, Meg, but still with wonder at your surroundings. I’m always a little late for your weekend posts because my Sunday/Mondays are tied up with my walk, but this morning we must both have hit the comment button over at Cathy’s ‘sizzler’ at the same time and it made me smile. I identified so much with some of Cathy’s stuff. I must stop posturing and trying to create the ‘right’ impression, but it’s innate. 🙂 God forbid the world should encounter sad old me. Off to Knaresborough today to meet up with our old neighbours from the Algarve and then on to James at teatime (it’s only 30 minutes away, depending on traffic) I can imagine the hive of industry and the excitement at the weekend. 🙂 🙂 Hugs all round, darlin!
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icelandpenny said:
You spoil us, you really do — but if I must pick favourites (not that I must I just want to…), if I were to pick favourites (note that subjunctive), they would be the dry creek bed and those dancing trees
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wanderessence1025 said:
That grove of eucalyptus is wonderful and I love your description: “They twist their ancient branches, shed their bark and gleam grey and apricot in the midday light.” The apricot is perfect. I love the sea shots too. 🙂
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Rosemary Barnard said:
What bliss it would be to walk that track again. I love your photos: all the things that made it so special for me and then some.
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morselsandscraps said:
We didn’t venture amongst the big fellows. Praise be for J’s eye – and current eucalypt obsession. Maybe next year a visit back here?
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Rosemary Barnard said:
Now there’s a thought, especially if it can also coincide with orchid spotting.
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morselsandscraps said:
Yours or mine? We can decide. Although here H’s work schedule makes things a bit difficult – not impossible, mind!
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Tish Farrell said:
What a land you live in, Meg. Thank you, as ever, for giving us your keen eyed view of it. And what excitement for the Warsaw visit. Just imagining the twins’ reaction!
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Sue said:
Great post, Meg! And thanks for introducing me to another word! Oh, and I used to think bright light and shadows were anathema to the camera, but have learnt that they can be used with careful composition,…..but you wouldn’t have found them useful for what you wanted to portray here
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Suzanne said:
Sounds like a fabulous way to spend the weekend. I like the way you hone in on the details. Those eucalyptus are really unusual. They do look like they are dancing.
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Heyjude said:
Those trees are simply stunning. Had to look up corroboree. They are definitely dancing trees.
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morselsandscraps said:
Had to stop myself posting 100 images!!!
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Heyjude said:
I can imagine.
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Sue said:
I, too, had to look up corroborate, Jude!
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Heyjude said:
I think your predictive text has been somewhat over compensating again Sue 😀
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Sue said:
Aaaargh
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Sue said:
Corroboree is clearly out of it’s ambit
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Heyjude said:
😀
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Sue said:
😀😀😀
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morselsandscraps said:
Only Petra and Wadi Rum to go – and then my travels meet my blog. No photo of the map – couldn’t get an angle on it. And M-hugs back.
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