Day four: 1) Boat Tour #3 2) Vereker Track 3) Walk Darby Saddle-Tongue Point Derby River 4) Walkerville Exploration

Thursday February 27,2014 

1) Boat Tour # 3

Leaders: Jenny and Bill

What is it like to ride a bucking bronco? Why does the flap on my Gore Tex jacket go as high as my nose? We found out today on the Zodiac ride down the east coast of the Prom. Being the third group we had been warned to dress very warmly which we did and appreciated the layers as we took off into Corner Inlet. The goggles (provided by Michael)  protected our eyes from the cold and the flap the rest of our faces. We passed the beacon on Lighthouse Point on our way to Refuge Cove but didn't see any sea-life other than white-faced cormorants and Pacific gulls, none of the 80 dolphins seen last week (the captain's report)! The walk at Refuge Cove was very relaxing and the ride back to Port Franklin was so easy that Jenny said: "I wish it was rougher!" Bill recommends the meat pies at Foster's Bakery and we enjoyed seeing Agnes Falls.

Janie

one photo to be emailed by Maree

2) Vereker Track, Easy, 10.5 km, 3 members ( Faye, Jeannie, Andrew)

Leader: Andrew

The same summary as Michael's on the previous day and this supplement

A highlight of the Vereker track at this time of the year is the abundance of Common Brown butterflies to be seen in the long tunnel of dense T-tree lining a section of this delightful walk.  Andrew was able to fill us in on the life cycle of this butterfly which is currently a subject of research in relation to climate change.

Jeannie

Beetle on Vereker track! How pretty!

Darby Swamps

Faye & Jeannie

Red Hill Track

Vereker Track

3) Derby Saddle to Tongue Point to Derby River, a simplified 'complicated 2 walks' car shuffle 

Leader: Michael

After complicated calculations by Karen, the car shuffle involving Andrew, Faye and Jeannie being left at the end of 5 Mile Road for the start of their Vereker Track to Derby Beach walk and Michael, Karen, Pat and Denys at Derby Saddle for the Tongue Point and back to Derby River walk was elegant in its simplicity. It only involved two cars for two walks because both ended at Derby RiverBridge.  Michael, Karen Pat & Denys followed the well worn saddle track to Tongue point with its stunning views over Waratah Bay and south over Bass Strait.  Two young Austrian men agreed it was one of the best in Australia.  Overcast weather with a bit of breeze and a nice sunny day to follow made for a stunning walk even though it has been walked many times before.  Not the season for flowers.  There were large patches of teatree and casuarinas post the last fire all racing for a place in the sun.  The sea was emerald and turquoise and crystal clear with hardly any white horses.  A great walk and worth doing anytime particularly in the Spring.

Michael 

4) Walkerville Exploration

Leader: Connie

In fine mild weather Connie, Ron, Pam and Dianne set off around 10 am to connect with walks which required awareness of tide times. Our first walk was from the top Walkerville road  down a narrow track through the heathland  to a cliff top lookout which gave great views across Waratah Bay to the Prom and around to the Walkerville cliffs while sitting on a bench for our morning tea. On our return we stopped and photographed  several very large Wombat burrows. Next we drove down to Walkerville North Beach to commence our walk over the cliffs in the direction of Walkerville South Beach with  some steep climbing at first on a narrow track and signs of recent landslides. A side track led us up to the Historic Cemetery with graves dating well back into the 19^th century. The bodies of many local workers involved in the mining of limestone from these cliffs are buried here; it operated between 1846 and 1926. The lime was shipped up to Melbourne from the nearby wharf. We found and photographed the gravestones of the ancestors of friends of Pam and Ron. Next we walked on to find the impressive  lime kilns which are being carefully preserved  for future generations to see. Then we walked down to Walkerville South Beach, found a good lunch spot which we shared with many Fantails hovering around us. Our walk continued along the now water free beach back below the cliffs to our waiting car at Nth Walkerville.

Connie 

Ron acting out how wombats protect themselves by entering their hole. These were extremely large in sandy soils.

 

Coral ferns identified by Connie as fire fuel!

Start of walk along the beach to connect with climb up to cemetery and viewing platform of lime kilns

A small cemetery full of history. We didn't see the ghost reported to be seen early mornings next to Margaret's tomb!

Lime kilns

Ron's find of a part of a dead shark, an animal he highly admires