Time Travelling
Newcastle Herald
Saturday August 9, 2008
Readers may remember this time last year, when my son Simon and I were attempting to enjoy Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and our holiday was foiled by a snow blizzard.
But, undaunted by memories of freezing cold and heavy snow, my family's winter holiday destination was again the world-heritage-listed Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair National Park.This year we opted to stay at the Cradle Mountain Lodge, figuring that if we became house-bound we wouldn't have far to walk for food and could still access trails which weren't closed by bad weather.It was a wise choice. Our recently refurbished cabins, hidden among the dense leptospermum, were everything a holidaymaker could want, including a fire which warmed our rooms day and night. We were so cosy we felt sorry for the local wallabies and wombats huddled under native bush close to our cabins.Waking up to a fine day, we quickly made decisions about which peaks to conquer Simon and Nick opted for Dove Lake and Marion's Lookout, both fairly extensive walks, the ice and gradient making them a little tricky. I opted for the Waterfall Walk which encompassed rainforest and plants commonly found growing in the park.Pencil pines (Athrotaxis cupressoides) and myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghammi) reached skyward, blocking the sun from the ground and allowing only rainforest plants to grow. The mountain pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata), a pretty, red, stemmed, low shrub, provided shelter for carpets of emerald green moss and ferns where the Tasmanian tree frog finds a safe haven.The Waterfall Walk wound past Pencil Pine Creek where basalt rock had been forced through the earth's surface, creating a base for the thunder of the falls the only such example in the national park.The boys arrived back safely from their slippery climb up the mountain, where Simon identified the tallest heath in the world, pandanus (Richea pandanifolia), which grows to 12 metres. I found it not unlike New Zealand cordylines.Together with button grass (Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus) which, when it dies, forms a blanket of peat, it provides extensive vegetation on the mountain.The remainder of our stay was hampered by rain and mist, but we were undeterred and walked regardless, thoroughly enjoying the Enchanted Walk. This rainforest was aptly named, home to a workforce of recyclers recruited from groups of fungi, bacteria, worms and spiders, breaking down leaves, logs and dead animals to become soil materials for use by plants.The carpet of emerald green moss, liverworts and ferns created an enchanting pattern on the floor of the forest, where grey-green lichen sprout from the tree trunks.The King Billy Track, where ancient pines have grown for 1500 years, the Waldheim rainforest and the Dove Canyon Track offer those interested in horticulture such a diversity of plant species only found in Tasmania, eastern Australia and Chile, and thought to have originated in Gondwana, the land mass dating from the time when the southern continents were joined.GARDEN NOTES UPDATE: The Australian Open Garden Scheme has just released the 2008-09 guide book, available in bookstores and ABC shops. This year the guide book features 600 outstanding gardens. It is great for gardeners to browse while keeping an eye out for garden openings.JOB FILE: Starting August 4, it is time to: Consider fertilising citrus. Begin with container-grown plants which should only be fertilised with a slow-release product such as Bounceback or Organic Xtra. Ground-grown citrus should be fed with poultry manure, followed two to three weeks later by citrus food. Always water before and after fertilising to avoid defoliation. Check Camellia japonicas for tea mite the leaves become discoloured and begin to drop. Plant petunias in pots ready for a colourful display in spring.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald