Checking out Grassy and more orchids with the local ladies
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| Thelymitra rubra - pink sun orchid |
The day dawned unbelievably still . It's overcast but there's a small boat out on the water and it's certainly not moving up and down.
Today is the opening of the recreational rock lobster season so I can only speculate that's what they're doing.
I drive down to Grassy and out along the constructed breakwater, at the end of which the little penguins have made their own. I was told that coming down to watch the penguins coming in of an evening is a 'must do' on King Island, but I had no desire to drive from Grassy to Currie in the dark after such an event.
I go around to the jetty and the water is very calm and in the shallows looks clear enough. Although further out looks a little milky, I'm amused by the presence of a cup of cray pots in very shallow water, tied to a railing on the jetty. Presumably locals know what they're doing.
Access to snorkeling this area would involve negotiating a lot of mooring ropes and potential risk of tangling in them and I'm not sure I want to do that, plus there's likely to be a few small boats going out today.
I drive around Grassy Township which has a somewhat dilapidated look about it, I'm guessing many of the houses are mine houses and they look dangerously as if construction is fibro sheeting.
After asking the only person I see around the town, I am pointed towards the op shop, which Scott told me the other night is just amazing. Only to find that it's not open today even though it normally is. Open tomorrow though.
On my way back I stop off at a roadside eggs and produce stall, May need to drop off the empty egg carton from the other day, but I'm amused by the price of their eggs being double what I paid last Sunday.
I divert via Pegarah nature reserve, which started life as a recreation reserve for returned soldiers, but then was handed over to the King Island field naturalists to manage.
They have planted some good things to supplement the remaining native vegetation and I admire those and enjoy the labelling of them
Back in Currie I head to the bakery to pick up my pre-order for afternoon tea for another excursion with some of the King Island field naturalist ladies to enjoy more orchid hunting.
And I am not disappointed. Lizzie joins us and Renae takes us to a couple of her favourite spots in the Forestry area where we find 8 or 10 different species. Uncertain numbers as the blue sun orchid buds may have represented more than one species, as might the Caladenia buds. And we see a few other interesting things as well.
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| Caladinia pusilla (endangered) tiny pink fingers/pygmy caladinia About 2-3 mm across |
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| Caladinia pusilla (endangered) tiny pink fingers/pygmy caladinia Pale version; about 2-3 mm across |
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| Calochilus sp, beard orchid bud |
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| Thelymitra flexuosa, twisted sun orchid |
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| Schizaea fistulosa, narrow comb fern |
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| A fungus |
Walking down the track in the opposite direction Renae locates her spot with bird orchids - and there are SO many in the peak of condition. One species with colour variation and probably another species as well. So these are in addition to the 8-10 on the first little walk!!
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| Chiloglottis grammata |
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| Green bird orchid Chiloglottis cornuta - we think |
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| Amanita sp |
Renae then takes us to another spot, in the Sea Elephant area, where she knows there should be some red beaks in flower.
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| Boronia anemonifolia (Stinking Boronia) |
The area has heaps of stinking boronia - which is actually not an unpleasant smell, though I could not live with it in a confined space
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| Bearded orchid Chalochilus sp - just not sure which one |
We are not disappointed with the orchid offerings, we see not only a couple of red beaks in flower but also a bearded Orchid and some Red Sun orchids as well as blue Sun orchids in bud.
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| Thelymitra rubra - a sun orchid |
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| Another Thelymitra sp. A blue sun orchid |
Lizzy takers me back to town and at one intersection we have rather a narrow shave with a careless, young, male p-plate driver who failed to slow down for a t-junction. While we both failed to note the number plate, Lizzie is confident of being able to track him down in this small community.
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| Pyrorchis nigricans, red beaks |
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| Pyrorchis nigricans, red beaks |
Back at my accommodation, it is warm enough and still enough to spend a little time sitting outside with a glass of wine and some cheese and biscuits.
And the sunset is just perfect. No cloud bank on the horizon tonight so I'm able to watch the sun sun as it dips below the horizon. Just stunning.
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