Some pics of trips with Armidale Bushwalkers.

 

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Barokee to Native Dog Creek and return,  Sunday 2nd November 2003
The New England Ecotourism Society Inc
PO Box 929 Armidale NSW 2350
www.ecotourism.com.au
info@ecotourism.com.au
 
Summary
This day's walk was on the 1:25000 Maiden Creek 9337-3-S and Ebor 9337-2-S maps.  We walked a total of  18.5  km, leaving at 9.36 am and finishing at  4.10 pm. The altitude was about 1360 metres at Barokee, then climbed to 1550 at the Cathedral Rock, and dropped back to 1260 metres at Native Dog Creek.
The highlights were the views from Cathedral Rock, and the large granite tors scattered throughout the park.  Everywhere there was evidence of the severe fire regime that occurs in the park, and the many adaptations of the flora to cope with it.  Many really interesting, and some rare, plants are also found in numbers here. A really fascinating feature could be the flora of the many perched swamps.  At the moment, many were dried out, and were easily accessible, but nowhere near as interesting as when they are full. 
            The walk was all on NPWS track- about a poor Grade 3, with some erosion and rougher sections.  The leg up to Cathedral Rock lookout is too difficult for unfit tourists, with the last chain climb a little unnerving for those with a strong fear of heights.
              
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General Track Notes
Note: waypoints in all caps eg BAROKEE, all on the 1:25000 Maiden Creek 9337-3-S and Ebor 9337-2-S maps. 
Party of David Lawrence and Don Hitchcock.  Fine, cool but very windy day
Left Armidale at 7.15 am, started walking at 8.55
56J0427994 6631654  BAROKEE (sign at car park)
Crossed the dried-out swamp. 
27871 31646 First photo of regenerating Eucalyptus acaciiformis -displaying the growth of 'suckers' from epicormic buds that is such a characteristic of Eucalypts, especially under a severe fire regime.
27830 31830 Photo, first junction of track- left leads up the West side of Cathedral Rock complex, right goes to the East side.  We went left.
27677 32077 Photo Crossing gully, regenerating ferns .  Very tall Banksia integrifolia beside the fern gully- about 15 metres.  E. viminalis, E. radiata  dominant
27654 32077  (1) Photo Lycopogon deuterodensum(?) - a very unusual plant, a club-moss. It looks rather like a miniature Casuarina, growing as a 40cm herb beside the track.  A relic from early days of the plant kingdom, from before seed plants evolved.
27483 32568 Photo Burnt-out regenerating grass tree.
27917 33000 Photo of track junction, leading up to Cathedral Rock Summit lookout.
27991 32783 Photo of 3 plants growing out of the rock just under summit, keyhole view through rocks.
28005 32812 Photo   Tree Heath (2)Trochocarpa laurina,an erect shrub with very conspicuous tan to pink new leaves at the tips of the shoots.
27963 32764 Photos   Don took a panorama, other camera has simple shot, of the view from the Cathedral Rock summit.  Heavy wind blowing, very hard to keep camera steady.  Can see the radio masts near Pt Lookout 15 km East, and Chandlers Peak about 40 km West  - almost on straight line through the summit.  At about 10 oclock, a bit sumnny and also a bit windy for a good photo- things looked a bit washed out.
28005 32821 Photo (3)  New England Tea Tree Leptospermum nova- anglica  growing to 2 metres high beside the rock faces.
 
 Down off Cathedral Rock, past the point where we rejoined the Native Dog track, E. campanulata, E. dalrympleana, Banksia collina the dominant understorey shrub, Snow Grass Poa sieberana the 'floor' of this grassy forest, plus quite a bit of Bracken Fern Pteridium esculentum
28156 33146  Photo Junction with the track that leads East around Cathedral Rock- a forest of Banksia integrifolia
28239 33272 Photo Donkey Orchid , also Buttercup Ranunculus spp- sparse leaves, a few digitate narrow -linear stem leaves.  Basal leaves large, look very much like a geranium leaf.  Also Viola betonicifolia.  Area burnt out, quite flat, alluvial soil, E. viminalis, E. campanulata,  with native herbs recolonising . 
A little further on - 28080  33704 Lomatia silaifolia and L. fraserii growing entwined 
27915 34243 On crest of a ridge- first unburnt B. collina
27914 34397  Local high point of the track, looking hard for orchids following the fires- no luck
28017 34340 Billy Buttons Craspedia spp- dropping done quickly from the ridgetop- less sign of fire
28205 34442 Photo Possible rare plant -Gentian? - blue petals, 5 blue 5mm petals, lanceolate-broad lanceolate, white-cream closely appressed stigma and stamens, stalk 25 cm long, few leaves each 2 cm X 1 mm leaves, growing in rock - possibly Wahlenbergia
28288 35181 Photo Junction - Woolpack Rocks turnoff - very burnt- B. collina, E. campanulata, B. integrifolia, Pteridium esculentum
28488 35315 Photo Burnt-out Hakea (eriantha?) - classic example of the release of seed by the action of fire
Little creek- not a sign of water- bordered by B. integrifolia, Tree Ferns Dicksonia spp. Meets larger creek at 28603 35366
28674 35871 Flat area, fine stand of   Broad- Leaved Stringybark E. caliginosa , with Snow Grass and Lomandra spp
All burnt out beside swamp - B. collina, Drumsticks Petrophile canescens
29500 37731 Photo  of low forest just before Native Dog camping area
29549 37866 NATIVEDOG  Photo Sitting at table at 1.12 pm.  Lunch.  Tables, toilet, fireplaces, level mowed campsites, no big trees likely to fall on tents, flat, fairly close to the road with car access, but not close enough to be disturbed. Party of people at ND.  Left at 1.55, bit overcast
29250 37076 (4) Photo Five Corners Styphelia spp. , (5) Fan Flower Scaevola spp
( plus a photo of Acacia dealbata?)
A few feet further on,  (6) Photo Australian Bugle Ajuga australis, low labiate herb
29209 36861  (7) Photo? PurpleViolet Viola betonicifolia
28662 35657 Photo William's Stringybark E. williamsana  sessile, large fruits, crowded knobbly mass- fairly rare plant- stems of epicormic shoots are rugose= rough
28198 34960 Photo Exfoliated granite due to fire action
28034 34939 Photo Billy Buttons, Craspedia spp-yellow button daisy about 2 cm across, each bract 3 x1 mm. leaves mostly basal, lanceolate, stem-clasping, 4 X 1.5 cm, somwhat stem-clasping, stem about 3/4 cm X 2mm, total height 35 cm
28176 33157 Near sign alternative way to Cathedral Rock Photo  colonisation of a granite boulder by plants.  Took the eastern route around the massif, more open, flatter, very dry, just a few violets
28206 32742 Pepper Bush Tasmannia (stipitata?)  - in protected gully
28183 32480 Oxylobium ilicifolium (to 2 metres)
27842 31820 Photo Back at junction of track on South side of Cathedral Rock massif
56J0427994 6631654  BAROKEE (by 4.10 pm) Camping area at Barokee has toilet, big in ground bin, cleared spaces, NPWS barbecues, tables, nice mixture for group and individual camping  - could camp 40 people easily