This year we chose the Walpole Wilderness Area as our excursion destination. All 15 members who attended opted to stay at the Walpole Lodge in the centre of town. The lodge turned out to be an excellent choice, as not only did it provide comfortable rooms at a very reasonable price, but our exclusive use also allowed us to meet around the log fire for our nightly recap before dinner and to use the large screen in the media room for showing photos after dinner.
Our itinerary
We were extremely lucky with the weather; no rain on any of the days, mainly overnight.
Our observations
- Plants in flower [37]
- Fungi [46]
- Fauna excl. birds [19]
- Birds [52]
The lists are included as appendices. Many of the observations were posted on iNaturalist.
Monday May 21 Eco Wilderness Cruise and Walk to Sandy Point.
At 9.30am all 14 of us who were already in Walpole assembled at the Town Jetty for our trip on the WOW Wilderness Ecocruiser for three hours with Garry Muir. We travelled out of Walpole Inlet, after waving to the man at Rest Point, meandered across the Nornalup Inlet, out to the sand dune where we walked to the open sea and sailed back to Sealers’ Cove for Garry’s mum’s cake and morning tea. The Banksia seminuda subsp. remanens was towering over the jetty with its orange/yellow flowers.
But what entertainment! With large maps, many photographs, world globe (now so worn W.A. was almost invisible), stuffed toys and sand models, our enthusiastic guide described all things Walpole – the history from Gondwanaland to warm Pacific waters, from aboriginal sites and sealers to European settlement, from grand plans of city and port to farmers coping with 1080 poison in the native Gastrolobium plants and finally to the establishment of the Walpole Wilderness and the surrounding National Parks.
In the afternoon we drove to Rest Point to take a walk on a narrow trail above the side of the inlet under the towering karri trees. Lots of fungi. It seemed a long 1.2kms and only some did the return walk. The day concluded with the evening species call and some of our slides.
Margaret Larke
Tuesday 23 May Eungedup Wetland and Harewood Forest
On a crisp May morning the group met up with Shaun Ossinger, Manager, Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee (WICC), at the Eungedup Wetlands, east of Denmark. For nearly a century used for potato growing, with donations and sponsorship this voluntary organisation is finalising the purchase of 254 acres, most of it wetlands. A government grant will enable formal management practices to be put in place to eradicate weeds and pests such as cats and foxes, and to begin to look after the wetlands as protected conservation area. Traps and remote cameras have been invaluable; and school students are able to view from home or the classroom wetland fauna activity and the changes in nature over time. In the long term it’s envisaged that an interpretive centre at the Eungedup Wetlands may be built to enable further appreciation and understanding by the public of a living natural wetland in the Great Southern region. Two separate groups were guided by Shaun and Brad Kneebone of the Denmark Bird Group to two areas to view birds and plants, adding to our species lists, and to hear about the landscape and future plans.
After a relaxed riverside picnic in Denmark, we enjoyed the Harewood Forest walk. Logged for several decades from the 1890s, now after a hundred years, it’s a great example of the natural rehabilitation of a Karri forest with a well-developed ecosystem of flora and fauna, including many beautiful fungi and plants, photographed by Nats members using the camera power of their digital phones.
On the return journey we squeezed in a visit for an hour or so to Duckett’s Mill Wines and the Denmark Farmhouse Cheese shop to try some cheeses, wines, ice creams and other goodies before, fully satisfied with the day, we arrived back at the Walpole Lodge.
After dinner we met volunteers from the Walpole-Nornalup National Parks Association (WNNPA). Don introduced us and summarised our Nats organisation and activities. In reply, the President, Tim Andrews explained the activities of the WNNPA which is run by volunteers; then David Edmonds, Co-Ordinator of their annual Bioblitz spoke about their successful Bioblitzes that had attracted over 100 participants from far and wide each year since COVID. Mini-bioblitzes are held occasionally through the year to follow up on changes or to fill in the gaps for some sections covered earlier in an annual Bioblitz. The meeting was in preparation for our Nats group to participate in a mini-bioblitz with some of the WNNPA members on the Thursday morning.
Heather Galluccio
Wednesday 24 May 2023. John Rate Lookout and Mt Clare.
As expected, the low-pressure system hit Walpole early Wednesday evening and rain fell for most of the night.
However, the rain had cleared by the time we headed off to John Rate Lookout, named after Walpole’s first forester and the person who found the third species of tingle, now known as Rate’s Tingle. Tragically he was killed by a falling karri branch.
The lookout platform provided panoramic views over the Nornalup Inlet. From there most of the group took to the walk trail to Mt Clare. It was ideal weather for snails and we weren’t disappointed. Within a few hundred metres of the start we found both the species we were looking for.
Heather, Lyn, Jolanda and Alan made it all the way to the Mt Clare car park while Gia, Guat and Alan opted for a ride after meeting Don at Delta Road.
The one-kilometre hike to the top of Mt Clare resulted in a disappointing view to the north but by following a descending path Nick led us to a granite outcrop with spectacular views in most directions. Shallow depressions in the granite were covered with emerald, green moss.
The red-eared firetails we saw on the way to the summit were nowhere to be seen on our return journey.
After lunch, we drove the loop road around Mt Clare which took us along parts of Deep River. After Don lead us to the wrong bridge we turned around and drove back to the swinging bridge where eight brave souls crossed the bridge three at a time.
We were surprised to find a couple of banksia flowers on the ground. On searching the canopy, we spotted what we believed were two specimens of Banksia seminuda but as this was granite country, probably not the subspecies we saw on Monday. We also came across a couple of old-timers.
Two old-timers masquerading as Alan and John.
After resting for the rest of the afternoon, we all headed to the Walpole Hotel-Motel Restaurant for Dinner where we were joined by David and Liz Edmonds.
Don Poynton
Thursday 25 May Mini-bioblitz
Thursday morning saw our group meet at the Visitor Centre where we connected with David, Tim, Colin and Rachel from the Walpole Nornalup National Parks Association (WNNNPA) and Prue who had specialist fungi knowledge.
We drove in convoy to old growth tingle forest and broke into two groups to do mini-bioblitzes of two areas, in particular looking for fungi. Many specimens were found and photographed. Our hosts were very knowledgeable regarding local issues and the flora and fauna of the local area.
A search for the minute trapdoor spider that lives on the tingles was unsuccessful although we did find a much large one – about 5mm in diameter! One group also found a very small snail, only about 10mm in length, which was later identified as Whissonia repens. They also found the land crustacean isopod, Wilsmore’s False Triumphant Pill Woodlouse (Pseudolaureola wilsmore).
Whissonia repens
(Pseudolaureola wilsmore)
Andersonia caerulea
After morning tea, we followed our hosts to Circular Pool, a popular picnic spot on the Frankland River, before returning to Walpole.
Susan Davis
Coalmine Beach
Our late afternoon convoy of cars met near the Coalmine Beach Holiday Park and we walked along the shore to the cliffs. The weather was overcast and cool. The soft coal seam (technically a low grade lignite) reached from the bottom of the cliff to about two or three metres. A few lumps of disintegrating black coal at the base of the cliffs contrasted with the white sand. A section of the cliff consisted of yellow sand, and Don explained that material deposited here could indicate it was once a channel during a warming cycle a very long time ago. (The lignite was probably laid down in swamps and marshes during the Early to Middle Eocene, about 45-50 million years ago.)
A mixed woodland of Melaleucas, Banksias and other members of Proteaceae and Myrtaceae, with smaller shrubs and grasses stabilizing the sand closer to the shore. Mosses were also growing on sections of fragile coal along the cliffs, and at the precipice above were grasses, weathered roots and straggly trunks. At the end of the beach, the cliffs continued out into the water. A small pool of fresh water stained dark brown with tannins was at the end of the beach. Contour marks on the white sand at the pool’s edge indicated a fluctuating water level, and clumps of grasses grew along one side and up the cliff slope. A grotto in the side of the coal cliffs was dripping with water. A limited number of grasses and moss-like plants had established themselves here.
Coalmine Beach Heritage Trail
On flat ground, a compressed gravel path meandered through patches of very dense thickets of woody shrubs including Beaufortia sparsa (Right). We had hoped to find honey possums feeding on them, but none were to be seen as most of the orange flowers had already finished in this area.
Through breaks in the scrub, we could see a flat landscape mostly covered in grasses and shrubs approximately 1-2 metres high. There was a stand of Melaleucas, appearing to show some dieback – Phytophthora or recovering from fire? A pink Stylidium was one of few flowers in bloom. Anigosanthos, grasses, rushes and woody shrubs were in abundance. Quokkas inhabit this landscape, but the only evidence we could find were their runnels (runs or tunnels) through the dense undergrowth. The trail continued through swampland towards Walpole for another 1.5 km, but we decided to turn back before reaching the boardwalk. On returning to the carpark, we noticed some pelicans flying overhead towards the inlet.
Knoll Drive
We finished the afternoon by driving through the forest along Knoll Drive. The group split up at this point to investigate individual interests. Glimpses of the channel connecting the Nornalup and Walpole inlets were too compelling to miss. A delightful, shady picnic spot tucked under the trees was easily accessed by a sloping bitumen path. Many birds could be seen and heard amongst the trees, and the forest on the opposite bank was only a short distance away. We followed the flight of a pair of seagulls barely a metre above the water. We did not come across the rest of the group, so assumed that they had returned to camp without stopping to look for Eriochilus (Bunny orchids). Before leaving the National Park, we encountered several Western Grey kangaroos, some with white facial markings, feeding on the side of the road.
Gia Clarke
Friday 26 May. Albany Pitcher Plant
Friday was a little cold and grey, but the group arrived at the Visitor Centre in advance of the allotted time to meet up with Colin from the WNNP Association. He had volunteered to guide us to a patch of Albany Pitcher plants (Cephalotus follicularis).
We headed for Mt Franklin along the North Walpole Road and turned onto another gravel road that took us to the site. It wasn’t long before Lyn Myles spotted the first clump of plants and from there everyone was able to find the expansive extent of these amazing plants in the boggy site just off the road. One flower was also seen although most plants had finished flowering. Unexpectedly, the flower stalk is about 300mm whereas the plant itself is no larger than 50mm. In addition to the pitcher plants there were pigmy droseras and moss later identified as Brownseya serpentina.
Mt Franklin
Colin then guided the group to a recently burnt area that had a patch of water with an ancient Melaleuca in it that had been burnt but survived the controlled burn that got out of control in November 2023. It was amazingly large and gnarled, indicating an extremely old age. After this he took us further along the track to a bulldozed firebreak constructed to stop the fire. This firebreak was put in to stop the fire from getting into a fenced-off area designed to prevent the feral pigs from damaging the natural vegetation in the peat swamp. The protected vegetation was a lot denser compared to the unfenced land next to it. We had morning tea here then had a wander through a pine plantation where we discovered some early Greenhood Orchids and a few Bunny Orchids.
Then we returned and took Mt Franklin Rd, where we had lunch at the shelter. The group went to both lookouts with a small group walking around the base of the magnificent granite rock.
Margaret, Gia, Alan, Guat, Elva, Sue, Jolanda and Lyn on Mt Franklin Lookout.
No one climbed to the top of the rock but it was noted that since the Club’s visit in 2016, the steps had been recast as evenly spaced concrete ones and were much easier to navigate, although the two metal ladders still existed to take you to the top. There were 300 steps (150 up and 150 down) to the top. The birds, animals, flowering plants and fungi were all duly recorded on the day.
Lyn Myles
On the way back to Walpole Don and Gia took a detour to Nornalup to meet Jim Goodsall, a founding member and first chairman of the Northern Suburbs Branch, then known as the Wanneroo & Northern Suburbs Branch. Jim and his wife Norleen, moved to Nornalup to build and run the Valley of the Giants Ecopark. Don and Gia’s route also allowed them to view the Walpole Mini-Pumped Hydro scheme. The micro-grid will be able to provide enough power to supply Walpole’s 500 customers for up to two days if there is a disruption to the network.
with NSB’s first member and Chairman Jim Goodsall
Don Poynton
Saturday 27 May. Fernhook Falls
Fernhook Falls, which I had been constantly referring to as Fernbrook Falls all week, was an optional stop on the way home as it only required a 6km detour off the highway. However, as people were ready to leave Walpole at different times, there was no organized walk. To examine the whole area would require a half-day excursion rather than the 1-2 hours that those who made the trip spent there.
There was very little water running over the falls, so most time was spent walking the paths and the boardwalks along the pools at the bottom of the falls. Plenty of birds, including the first sighting of a Scarlet Robin. Numerous runnels (tunnels through the vegetation made by quokkas).
No snails but some lovely pagoda and coral fungi and a grayish-black fungi with a white rim and distinctive grey teeth on the underside, later identified as Black Tooth fungus (Phellodon niger).
A couple of plants in flower which we hadn’t seen elsewhere- two white acacias, a white Grevillea with spikes on the leaf, possibly G. diversifolia, a yellow bud on a stem which was most likely an Hibbertia and the Heart-leaf Flame Pea (Chorizema cordatum).
Don Poynton
Appendix 1. Plants in Flower select page 2.
Appendix 2. Fungi see page 3.
Appendix 3. Fauna excluding Birds see page 4.
Appendix 4. Birds see page 5.
Appendix 5 Participants see page 6