Love the ground orchids. Couple of places I frequent - one up in the hills and one down the coast I see them every year around this time, but can’t get there…
Mr Cannibal is a nice loop close to the south eastern suburbs. Just off the Princes Fwy. (Got hit by the fires last year, has been rebuilt and is closed due to Covid)
Blitzers always welcome - just message me and drop in to see Tiffany, Joey and me.
Better to START your walk from Daylesford though - it’s more downhill.
1 Like
I grew up around Sassafras and used to see this fairly often. Often without any obvious cause. It was sometimes also caused by trees around it growing and cutting out sunlight. Now I’m just out of London and in the forests near me there is a lot of bracken. It dies back competely every year, along with the brambles (blackberries). I remember how good the sap in bracken was at easing bull ant bites.
cos of your recommendation i’m thinking of heading up there tomorrow.
what walk would you recommend to do ? i looked it up and saw a waterfall or two and i like seeing them, if that helps haha
It will be a beautiful day for it tomorrow.
If you park at Middle creek campsite, it’s an easy 3 hour return walk to the waterfall.
Otherwise you can just drive to the waterfall, it’s like 5 mins walk from the car park.
You can do a really challenging hike up mount Sugarloaf, which will be an all day walk. It’s very steep. Leave from middle creek.
This is part of the hike. I kept climbing up Sugar loaf, which ended up being 7-8 hour hike.
There’s also a hike to the Buangor lookout, which is at the summit. Another really challenging hike. But that’s about 3 hours from the waterfall car park.
1 Like
sweet, thanks for the tips 
I did this one today. It’s one of my favourite hikes. I like to do it once a year.
Today I felt every bit of the 23kms I walked. It’s a really tough walk. But absolutely worth it for the untouched rain Forrest that you walk through.
Most of the hiking track is hardly used. Until you get to Erskine Falls and start walking back to Lorne.
For all the years of hiking, I’ve never seen a snake. Today I saw 3 copperheads.
4 Likes
In my university days a guy in our had a pet copperhead. It was quite pretty with its stripe coat. He was from Tassie, and said that tasmanian copperheads were cannibals and the female often ate her male partner after a night of passion.
Interesting! I remember walking on the High Plains near The Fainters some years ago and came across the remains of a dead copperhead with a half swallowed snake hanging out of its mouth. Maybe it took on more than it could chew or maybe it copped a nip on the way down.
I was walking near Creswick yesterday, with a couple of mates. There was a fair bit of leaf litter and fallen branches and sticks on the track so we were a bit careful. Suddenly, on a clear bit of track, the guy in the middle yells out and jumps sideways. The guy on the other side of him, who already has an achilles issue, looks down and starts Irish dancing up the track. Don’t know how we didn’t see it but there was a 3’ copperhead lying there between them and it looked to be getting a bit nervous. 2 inches from one boot and about a foot from the other. Ha! Ha! The snake just lay there for a bit then wriggled off into the bush. Needless to say, the achilles really didn’t improve much after that. Probably lucky it was a copperhead. I believe they’re a bit more laid back than some of the others.
1 Like
Has anyone here hiked the South Island of NZ? I hear they have heaps of long overnight trails with huts. Plenty of water and amazing scenery. Plus no snakes.
Yep! Done a few hikes there - Milford, Kepler, Greenstone and Routeburn Tracks. Scenery is incredible. Beautiful place. Done a few fishing trips on the South Island as well. Takes a bit of getting used to wading through waist high swamps and not having to worry about snakes or leeches. Sandflies can be a drag though when you stop moving. I’d almost prefer snakes.
Did Milford Track & Queen Charlotte Track with the fam a couple of years ago. Have done both ends of the Routeburn - was due to do the full hike this April, but something happened. Also the volcanic Tongariro Crossing day hike in the NI a few years ago.
All really great and nothing like Australia.
Check out the DOC site for huts or Ultimate Hikes for catered lodges & soft toilet paper.
If anyone is after a moderate day hike close to Melbourne, this one was pleasant. Google maps the Lawson Falls picnic ground and walk from there. I drove in there by car, didn’t have any dramas.
3 Likes
If by stripe coat you mean dark on top and a pale colour down the side, ok. If you mean cross banding though, I’d be guessing it was a tiger. I’ve seen a lot of copperheads and never one with cross banding. They’re generally dark grey through to mid-dark brown and pretty uniform on top. Got struck once on the boot - no puncture…
Snake report please
There was a really long 4 legged snake. Colloquially known as a goanna.
1 Like
The Walls of Jerusalem in the north of Tassie is a bloody ripper of an overnighter and plenty of options to continue on much longer if you wish.
Did it a few years back with a mate and it ■■■■■■ down late Arvo so we made our way to a trappers hut for shelter. There were 2 older hikers in there mixing up Rusty Nails to pass the time who insisted that we drink with them.
I’ve never done an overnighter since without taking supplies to mix up a couple Rusty Nails. Something about fresh air, exercise, nature and Rusty Nails that just soothes the sole.
3 Likes
Love The Walls. Walked it 3 times coming in from different directions. One of my favourite places. Just hope it doesn’t become too commercialised. It wouldn’t handle that much traffic. Plenty of snakes though. My first walk in there we saw 13 snakes in 4 days. (5 tigers and 8 little whip snakes.)
1 Like