It was a very chilly when we emerged from our tents. We had a lovely healthy breakfast and I especially enjoyed an apricot preserve made by Willow’s father, from his own apricot tree!
I shared my perch with a Tasmanian Ladybird, Willow had never seen a yellow one but we checked it out and the ID was correct.
The landscape is identifiable, forest, heathland and marsh but the plants are so different. Vast areas of button grass, eucalyptus and other unidentified trees.
I was still being taunted by that bloody chirring bird. I’ve nicknamed it the Mocking Jay till I find out what it is!
After a drive we had a short walk to Donaghy’s Lookout overlooking the Franklin River and my god the landscape had a touch of the prehistoric. If you’d told me there were brontosaurus, I would have believed it!
I encountered my first ants, a jack jumper ant these bite and are venomous, if your allergic to wasps as I am, they can cause reaction so I kept well out of the way as they can jump long distances. We also saw a bull ant of some type, very much like our wood ant.
One of the plants that complely confused me was the Celery Top Pine (Phyllocladus aspleniifolius). It does not look at all like a conifer, with broad leaves instead of needles. It smells of juniper, or gin. I looked it up and yep its definitely a gymnosperm.
Willow was keen for us to try bush tucker, and we had an assortment of berries ranging from sweet to disgusting, but the only one I can identify now is the Tasmanian Pepperberry from which I had a nibble at a leaf and Wowee! It clears the sinuses.
The Travelling Bee 