Eureka Track - Stage One
U3A Hike No 84
Hike Report by Frances Watt
Hike Report by Frances Watt
Eureka Track Stage One - 21 October, 2019
There was an icy wind and light rain when 17 people began
their descent from Mount Buninyong to Canadian Lakes along the Eureka
Track. This is the revised version of
the Wallaby Track. Ultimately the track
will go through Woowookarung Regional Park, so our hike deviated from the
current track to accommodate this change. The Great Divide Trail Association is
the body which makes decisions about changes to trails and names. Many of us have walked on trails which have
altered over the years thanks to their work.
Descending the Zigzag Track many people remarked on the
large number of worms on it and wondered about the reason for their
presence. A short search on Google (choosing
scientific sources) revealed a few suggestions – paraphrased and summed up
here. One suggestion is that worms
breathe through their skin and after rain when burrows fill with water it is
harder for them to get enough oxygen, so they come to the surface. There is some dispute about this. Worms can survive being submerged in water for
two weeks, hence drowning is unlikely.
More plausible is movement for various reasons. Rain creates vibrations and alerts the worms
to moisture. Worms traverse a wet
surface more easily than a dry one and they come up to the surface in order to
seek mates or move to new territory. Or
maybe they just don’t like being flooded.
It also depends on the species and the country. It seems that earthworms can also swarm and
form herds to make so called group decisions.
I am not sure that herd is the right collective noun but that was used
in an article. In any case, there were
large numbers of mature looking worms on the Zigzag track and the road.
Leaving the worms behind we continued our hike via Granny
White’s Lane, Mount Innes and the Buninyong Gardens, deciding on a welcome
coffee break at Espresso Depot which is appropriately on the track route so
almost compulsory really. Then we walked
through Buninyong, along Henderson Lane and past the remnants of the old Bunny
Hop Railway Line now sadly in private hands.
After climbing the long hill that ends near the whimsical
sculptures of Trevor Abrahams, Andrew called on Jan and Chris to speak. Jan filled us in on her recent walk along
Hadrian’s Wall with her sister. They
walked along public paths, at times near ruins of the wall. Chris spoke about the plans of Friends of
Canadian Corridor (FoCCs) – responsible for gorse clearing, a coming wildflower
walk and planning towards a trail that will be accessible to those in
wheelchairs and with other disabilities.
Further details of their work can be found on the group’s website.
We then walked through the Union Jack Reserve, past
Federation University and Woowookarung Regional Park. En route we saw plenty of egg and bacon
plants, a few greenhood orchids and assorted wildflowers as well as numerous
grass tree in the bush. Some of us were
familiar with tracks along the route, however, most of us didn’t know that the
large building near Federation University is one of the State Library of
Victoria’s storage facilities.
Despite the cold weather and intermittent rain, it was a
satisfying walk. Thank you to Ingrid and
Andrew for welcoming us into their warm home for lunch. And to Theresa for the
delicious carrot cake.
Photo's by Mark Bevelander
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