Seeking Out Australian Native Orchids #72 - Murramarang NP, NSW

My first Australian holiday was on South Coast, NSW in Murramarang NP. Time to come back to look for orchids. The plan for the day is to cycle the 26 kms from Surf Beach - walk in three different areas covering different terrains and cycle back. The route is quite varied - the front section follows the banks of the Clyde River into the town of Batemans Bay. Then it crosses the Clyde River and passes through the Benandarah State Forest before taking a right for the climb up Durras Drive and back down heading to the village of South Durras, which is totally surrounded by Murramarang NP

Spanning 44km of dramatic coastline, Murramarang National Park is the ultimate spot to soak up some sun and explore the cliffs, headlands and pristine beaches of the NSW south coast. This is one of the rare spots in Australia where the spotted gums grow right down to the ocean, offering plenty of shade in the warmer months and a stunning backdrop for a nature escape all year round

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/murramarang-national-park

There are 3 quite different areas to explore.

1. Coastal forests where the sandstone cliffs and gums come down to the sea
2. Lakeside forest on the estuary
3. Ridgeline forest on the North Head Road.

As I crested the first climb away from the Princes Highway, I noticed a path running parallel to the road that went back down to the top end of one of the lake's arms. I parked the bike up and walked down the track. The track was more like an old creek bed with a lot of debris washed down from the road run off. I did find a few leaf rosettes and a few heart-shaped leaves - voila - mayfly orchids in flower. Photo work was very difficult because of the bright sun.

Mayfly Orchid- Acianthus caudatus

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acianthus~caudatus

Zoomed in I am a bit disappointed to not capture the yellow tip of the column. Any way it is a good start to the orchid pursuit for the day.

I rode through the village of South Durras and parked the bicycle behind the Murramarang Resort which is on South Durras beach. Always find wallabies here - today is no exception. I walked in a big loop behind the resort to Wasp Head.

Great views and lots of bird life including this little white eye feasting on the nectar of the newly flowering wattle flowers. She was literally 12 inches away from me - but not willing to stand still for a photo. This is the best I could get.

The path to Wasp Head then loops back to the Northern end of Emily Miller Beach which is accessible with a healthy walk. No orchids here though the beach views and the tranquility are enough. The forest is also providing shelter from a very strong westerly wind. I make my way back to Old Coast Road and walked along there for quite a while. Nothing much doing on the roadside - then I find the car park area for the walk down to Dark Beach. Not far along here I spy this plant sticking its head above the palm frond that has fallen on top of it.

These orchids are normally only 6 to 12 inches tall (or so). This one has kept growing to reach the light and is a good 15 inches tall.

Nodding Greenhood - Pterostylis nutans

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Pterostylis~nutans

In the same area I did also find the heart-shaped leaves of a white helmet orchid - sadly only two flowers. One not quite formed

And one gone to seed (or maybe just about to open) which is not enough to give a positive identification.

I continued all the way down to the remote beach through the eucalyptus forests running right down to the sea.

The views were worth the effort though there were no more orchids to be found.

I walked back along Old Coast Road to where I had parked the bike. Two young ladies coming towards me were somewhat surprised to see a man in cycling gear walking in the bush. They were the only people I saw all day in the bush. I then cycled back up the climb away from the beach and walked a section of North Head Road and a section of one of the creeks - no orchids. Disappointing as I did expect to see orchids in the ridgeline forest. Made my way back to the Princes Highway and made one exploration into Benandarah State Forest along Old Gravel Pit Road. No orchids here either though it looks like a positive environment.

I am tired now - some hard walking and some hill climbing. Back on the main road and I am bombing down the bottom of one of the long hills at some pace. I notice a big kangaroo coming along the road in the bush below me. I slow a little as they are quite unpredictable. Then I see the other one come out ahead of me onto the road. Car coming up the hill has slowed down as he can see the action - escape route onto that side is what I am thinking. Kangaroo slips on the tar literally 10 metres (30 feet) in front of - I hear the sounds of his feet clipping the tar. Panic stations - me on the brakes and kangaroo scrambling to regain its footing. It succeeded and went back the way it came. My heart is pounding - a close shave.

Another great day of cycling and walking - 53.5 kms cycled and some more personal records up the climb. last time was also done with all my camping gear.

End the day with a great view down the river at Batemans Bay. The wind is blowing the water flat - I did not need to pedal here - set the sails and go.

Tonight is lunar eclipse night. Wonder if I will get any photos. I did practice as the moon rose over the sea with the big lens (100-550 mm zoom) and the tripod. What I could see was the moon standing in front of a fair bit of cloud which was catching the last rays of the sun and quite a bit of definition on the moon itself. This is what the camera sees.

Bright moon and clouds taken at f/6.3, 1/80 sec, ISO-1600

Moon in some detail taken at f/22, 1/250 sec, ISO-1600

and this is what the eye sees - a little bit of working on Photoshop to bring the two images together.

Well I did get up to see if I could capture the partial lunar eclipse which was due to begin in Sydney at 3:22 am. This photo was taken at 4:01 am which was 19 minutes before the maximum extent of the eclipse - I see nothing BUT I was there - the shadow should be forming on the top left hand edge.

It was too cold out there to be waiting another 20 minutes to get the maximum.

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@2176639?iso=20170807

Note: Moon photos taken with Canon 600D. Durras Drive photo taken with Samsung Galaxy S5 - clipped from a video. Other photos taken with Canon Powershot G16 on August 7, 2017