395. Frith Gully-Mt Misery Loop 11.4km

 U3A Hike No 394






Hike Report by Lyn 


🌫️After a foggy start, 19 hikers gathered at Bald Hills in the Enfield State Park. With the briefing out of the way, we were introduced to our newest member Greg (2). The weather was ideal for hiking.

🥾Following Kim, we headed down Mt Misery Road only to stop and pause to confirm our route before turning off the road and proceeding down the single file track.

🌸Soon some of us stopped and paused to admire our first hyacinth orchid which was keenly spotted by Gordon. Some of us also stopped and paused to admire and photograph the complex, lacy and intricate spider webs of the leaf curling spider that were glistening with the dew in the morning light.

🕸️The quiet ambience of the forest also made us stop and pause as we soaked in our peaceful surrounds. Our final stop and pause on our southerly route was for morning tea.

📍Further on Greg (1) also spotted a hyacinth orchid. This section of the track took us down and up many gullies and as we neared Surface Point evidence of past mining operations was becoming more evident. It is here that you see a memorial cairn to the Chinese miners that worked this area in the 1850s–1860s.

🪦Leaving Surface Point the track levelled out as we followed a water race and yes you guessed it we stopped and paused to witness the after effects of mining activity (quartz rock mounds, eroded gullies and a breached dam).

🥾As we headed north the weather was warming up and fortunately, we had plenty of shade from the regenerated eucalypt forest. But just as the end seemed to be coming in sight we were faced with two more sizeable gullies before we hit the road.

🚗Arriving back at the cars some of us had our last stop and pause for lunch before we headed back to Ballarat. Many thanks to Kim for leading and Gordon for whipping.

🌸(As a side note there are over 60 species of orchids found in this locality as well as the endangered Enfield grevillea. I must also mention the march flies were in abundance with Barbara keeping a tally. Last count I heard was Barbara 12, march flies 0 I think).

Photos by Susan Crocker





Photos by Andrew Parker











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