CAMP OUT TO HORSEYARD FLAT, MOROKA RIVER AREA
3rd to 5th December 2005
by Pauline Stewart, Heather Oke and James Turner        

Five members ventured forth from Bairnsdale on Saturday 3rd. heading for the Moroka area. We met up with another member (Joy Johnstone) from South Gippsland at Licola. While waiting for us Joy recorded the Noisy Friarbird, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Wood Duck, Common Bronzewing Pigeon, Grey Fantail and Superb Fairywren.

Along the way were many species of plants in massed flower. Oxylobium ellipticum (Common Shaggy Pea), Daviesia laxiflora (Mountain Bitter Pea), Viola hederacea (Ivy-leaf Violet), Dianella tasmanica (Tasman Flax-lily), Euphrasia collina (Eye Bright)  Subsp. not noted but most likely paludosa as quite common and showy in area.

After a cuppa at Licola we all headed up the Moroka Rd. to Horseyard Flat.  The day was not cold but overcast, with intermittent light showers. It was intended to begin the camp on the previous day but was cancelled due to the weather conditions which were very poor with lots of rain in the area. The lady at the Licola shop told us they had about 25ml on Friday, following on from 40ml a few days earlier.  Previous storm and snow damage was very much in evidence throughout the whole area.  Trees were toppled exposing mud encrusted root formations and large branches lay everywhere on forest floor.  On reaching Horseyard Flat, camp was set up and we had some lunch before heading off to see what we could see.

On the drive to have a look at the Moroka Hut the following plants were seen: Podolepis robusta (Alpine Podelepis) (leaf rosettes only), Podolepis jaceoides (Showy Copper-wire Daisy), Muehlenbeckia axillaries (Matted Lignum) (rare), Eucalyptus pauciflora (Snow Gum), Eucalyptus stellulata (Black Sallee), Hibbertia pedunculata (Guinea-flower), Brachyscome spathulata (Coarse Daisy),  Craspedia sp. (Orange Billy-button) (rare), Pimelea ligustrina (Tall Rice-flower), Epacris paludosa (Swamp Heath), Pterostylis monticola (Mountain Greenhood), Lycopodium fastigiatum (Mountain Clubmoss).

We walked about 300 metres along a path into the bush to have a look at the cattleman’s hut.  Water was overflowing the surrounding pastures from the swollen streams nearby, creating lakes around the hut.  Cattle were grazing around the hut.  It certainly looked the iconic part.

Back at camp and a ‘walk about’ discovered many plants of Chiloglottis valida (Large Bird Orchid),Ranunculus scapiger (Buttercup), Senecio pinnatifolius (Variable Groundsel), Craspedia variabilis (Common Billy-button), Thelymitra media (Tall Sun Orchid), Baloskion australe (Mountain Cord-rush),  and near the entrance to the flat, a rare Thelymitra simulate (Sun Orchid).

On Sunday the 4th the group packed their lunches and embarked on a walk from the campsite to Moroka Gorge. The beginning of the track was very wet with swollen streams and creeks and water channels had to be negotiated where the track should have been.  We passed through a sphagnum morass and on and up onto higher, dryer, terrain.  The track was unmaintained and at times difficult going.  After hearing the roar and feeling the spray from a distance we reached the first falls.  An enormous amount of water was pouring over the falls and it made a wonderful sight.   James was on the lookout for a rare Zieria, (Zieria robusta) and we found it growing amongst large boulders on top of an exposed lookout.

Another plant James wanted to find couldn’t be found as a track that it had been reported to grow on had reverted back to nature.  We continued on down a steep section until we reached the Moroka River.  Here there was a rocky platform beside the river and a rare Asplenium trichomanes subsp. Trichomanes (Maidenhair Spleenwort) was discovered sheltering under a ledge. On our map a track should have taken us from here to the gorge itself: which showed as just being around the next bend in the river but this track also had returned to nature. 

A couple of members decided to bush bash through to the gorge but only one made it.  The other retired in defeat.  Orchids found near the gorge were: Caledenia phaeoclavia (Spider Orchid), Caladenia congesta (Black-tongue caladenia) and Caladenia gracilis (Musky caladenia).  Plants found during the walk were: Derwentia derwentiana (Derwent Speedwell), Derwentia perfoliata (Diggers Speedwell), Drymophila cyanocarpa (Turquoise Berry), Luzula meridionalis var. densiflora (Woodrush), Patersonia sericea (Silky Purple-flag), Diuris monticola? (Mountain Golden Moths), Banksia canei (Mountain Banksia), Greville miqueliana subsp. Moroka (Oval-leaf Grevillea) (rare), Hakea microcarpa (Small-fruit Hakea), Olearia phlogopappa var. phlogopappa (Dusty Daisy-bush), Olearia erubescens (Moth Daisy-bush), Ozothamnus conditium (Pepper Everlasting), Persoonia confertiflora (Cluster-flower Geebung), Persoonia chamaepeuce (Dwarf Geebung) and Pterostylis squamata syn.aff.rufa (Rustyhood).

We all ended up back at camp worn out after strenuous but satisfying day’s activities. It is glorious to wake up in the morning to the dawn chorus. Some of the birds heard and seen were: Flame Robin, Grey Fantail, Grey Shrike-thrush, Rufous Whistler, Striated Pardalote, Spotted Pardalote, White-eared Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Tree Martin, Great Cormorant, Pied Currawong, Magpie, Australian Raven, Golden Whistler, Olive Whistler, Eastern Whipbird, Crimson Rosella, Fantailed Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, White-naped Honeyeater. We left camp Monday morning for the short trip to the Pinnacles.

We climbed rock steps up to the vacated fire look-out and we were rewarded with views looking down on the Wonnangatta River and, across to the south-east: Castle Hill.  Fluttering around the summit were many beautiful black, white and green, Macleay’s Swallowtail Butterflies. Plants recorded were: Arthropodium milleflorum (Pale Vanilla Lilly, Brachyscome diversifolia (Tall Daisy), Brachyscome nivalis (Snow Daisy), Brachyscome spathulata (Coarse Daisy), Caladenia alpine (Mountain Caladenia), Celmisia latifolia (Silver Snow daisy) (rare), Chrysocephalum semipapposum (Clustered everlasting), Euphrasia lasianthera (Eye Bright) (rare), Euryomyrtus ramosissima (Rosy Baeckea), Gaultheria appressa (Wax Berry), Leucochrysum albicans subsp. albicans var. albicans (Hoary Sunray), Pimelea alpine (Alpine Rice-flower), Tasmannia lanceolate (Mountain Pepper), Viola hederacea (Ivy-leaf Violet) and Wahlenbergia sp. (Blue-bell).

From the Pinnacles we intended to have a look from Billy Goat Bluff, but one of our two vehicles couldn’t quite make it up the 4WD track so we headed back to camp for lunch. We broke camp after lunch and headed for home down the Marathon Road.  James pointed out to the group the Kybean Mallee-ash (Eucalyptus kybeanensis) (rare) on the way down. Usually 2-4 m it grows on shallow soils of exposed rocky sites usually near Snow Gums.  Also found were: Oxylobium arborescens (Tall Oxylobium) and Tetratheca labillardierei.  About 30km down the Marathon Road was Callistemon pallidus (Lemon Bottle-brush) and to finish of the trip a colourful display of Stylidium sp (Trigger Plant) straddling a saddle to great effect.

Many thanks to James for leading us on a mountain weekend.