ANPS discovers the Queanbeyan River

The designation of the broader area we visited was the Yanununbeyan State Conservation area.  It borders the Queanbeyan River thus having a relatively humid sub-climate which possibly explains the good growth of lichen and moss.

We didn't have great expectations of finding flowering plants today but there were a few beauties,  This bud of Tetratheca sp was delightful

 but the open flowers discovered (why do I keep using that word?) later were possibly better.

 Brachyscome spathulata is a regular at this spot.

 Flowers on Luzula densiflora are less usual!

 I started with a relatively isolated example of Leucopogon attenuatus at the junction with Spring Creek Road

 and followed up with this from the very dense flowering near the point at which we headed off in the search for the Queanbeyan River (and the leafless pea).

And here is the leafless pea.  I hope you haven't got too excited about this image: I will try to go back sometime later when it is in flower, at which time it is wunnerfull.

A couple of fungi were snapped today.  This coral fungus was interesting in forming a trail: presumably the mycelium is following a root.

 This fungus found by Dianne and Helen at the lunch spot is I believe a young form of Dermocybe austroveneta.  It has a vernacular name of Green Skinhead.

A ranger was met!  Astonishing!!!  Apparently there was lots of conversation about the spiffy and no doubt expensive picnic area they have erected.  Pity they don't do something about feral pig control!

After lunch we got down to the Queanbeyan River.  In this first image note the vertical distance between the pile of flood debris and the water.  (The leafless pea was lurking in the extreme RHS of this image so can survive submersion!)

 This is a more chocolate box image of the pool in the river, usually the haunt of platypusses.

Someone else had discovered (that word again) the area in 1962.  Obviously recycling was not big back then.

As we got back close to Widgiewa Rd we discovered that the Discovery had discovered what the warning system described as a suspension problem, so we slowed down.  After a few graunchy noises we stopped to look to discover we had acquired a new ultra low profile tyre.

 We then discovered:

• it was extremely difficult to  get the spare tyre out of the vehicle (major design flaw 1); and
• the jack supplied with the vehicle was totally not up to the job of lifting it - at least when a tyre is flat  (major design flaw 2).

So I came up with a variant on the British Paints ads starring Rolf Harris.

"Trust Land Rover?  Sure can't."   

It is also possible I used, quietly as always, a few bad words in this process (but I can't claim to have discovered them - the Anglo-Saxons covered that centuries ago!).

I also discovered that Widgiewa Rd is slightly busier than the M5: where were all these people going?  I think Frances almost became hoarse warning me about the hordes going by.   Fortunately a friend from Billenya Landscaping (support local business, not the Pommie car makers) came by and quickly provided a more adequate jack

and we were on our way.

In terms of birds the utter highlight was a couple of Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters spotted by Muriel as we were pursuing a Satin Bowerbird (seen by Jo).  I also liked, as always, the sight of a pair of Scarlet Robins and the sound of a Superb Lyrebird.