Coningham No. 1 2014

 In this chapter we'll hear about 'wee' hills, encounter venomous snakes and ants, find out how fast pensioners can move as a consequence of said encounters, and finally see how colourful the bush can be.

Today's walk was at Coningham Reserve south of Snug and Bob was our leader.

The weather wasn't supposed to be too great with a maximum of 13C., however it turned out to be largely a beautiful day. The sun was warm enough to encourage removal of outer garments.

The bush is about at its best at the moment as many of the flowering plants are showing, creating quite a spectacle as we walk.

I have a number of photos of orchids and by lunchtime people were calling me over to photo their personal discoveries.

The walk rambled around over old fire trails, fire breaks, small unmarked tracks and marked tracks. I'd been told when everyone arrived at the parking place, that we now had another category of hill added to Bob's definitions. Previously we had 'little' and 'small' (sounds like a double act) hills. Now, he's added 'wee'. The only 'wee' hill I know is the one you climb after a couple cups of tea, but perhaps that’s too much information!

Onto the firebreak

First orchid of the day

Large, angry dog ready to tear me to shreds...

...until I pointed out Bob at the front.

Wellington, now we have our bearings.

We wondered around heading towards the Coningham Clifftop track, which we followed for a while before turning uphill and eventually finding a place for Morning Tea.

Clifftop track

Educational signs

Around a fallen tree.

Where we are.

Morning Tea with Richard giving the photo that human touch.

Afterwards, we followed smaller tracks before we reached an open area that has been replanted and is looked after, partly, by a local primary school.

Replanted area

Good on them. No, we didn't water.

Hidden water tank & cans for passerby's use.

Finally we came to Bob's 'wee' hill. Actually, we've been up it before and you start out on a sandy vehicle track. That caused some difference in opinion as to the correct track to follow. Some followed Bob on the harder parallel track and others followed Peter's advice and zig zagged up on their own easier path.

Many clumps of these throughout the bush.

Closeup of flowers along reed like plant.

The flowers above form tiny clumps on the plant. Not easy to see here, and disregard the other flowers as they are another plant.

Off to find our wee hill.

Looking north towards Tinderbox.

Tinderbox

North towards Margate

On the climb up.

Wee hill track

Colourful bush.

Looking west

Brow of the hill

At the top of the first climb we turnoff and start up the final climb of the day, the rest is mainly downhill.

 While walking on this track we had a little adventure, or those of us at the rear did. I saw Tas jump ahead of me, saw a stick that he kicked up and told myself he had thought it was a snake. Getting ready to make a smart comment, I realized there WAS a Tiger Snake not a million miles from my foot and still moving. He was about a metre long, shiny black and though I don't like snakes very much, quite a handsome devil.

Having ignored me jumping out of his way (too bad the Olympic Committee wasn't there) he continued on his way into the bracken. Of course I was criticized for not taking a photo!

Just after the snake encounter. Amazingly, the photo appears to have been taken by a steady hand!

 

Another obstacle.

 

Not as colourful as the others.

 I quote from Wikipedia for people in other places.

The King Island and Tasmanian tiger snakes each have a blunt head distinct from a robust body. Younger snakes may be slimmer and similar to other tiger snakes, eventually growing up to 1.5 m in length. Dorsally, they may be jet black, jet black with lighter crossbands, grey with black flecks forming faint bands, or an unbanded grey or brown. The ventral surface is usually a lighter colour. Midbody scales are in 19, 17 or sometimes 15 rows, ventrals number 161 to 174, subcaudals 48 to 52 (single) and the anal scale is single. Tasmanian tiger snakes tend to be quiet snakes, probably due to the lower temperature ranges they inhabit.  

I see from a couple of articles the Tiger Snake is rated from 7 to 9 in the hit parade of venomous snakes. One article says it's found in various places including Australia AND Tasmania. Fancy that, both countries.

Continuing on with much watching of the ground, we travelled around the hills behind Lower Snug before finding an open, sunny place for lunch.

While everyone was getting settled, Bob and Tas were having a conversation which went on until Bob causally informed Tas he (Tas) was standing on a Jack Jumper's nest - second fast movement of the day.

Jack Jumpers are a large venomous ant native to Australia, but most numerous in Tassie. Aren't we lucky. I learned there have been 4 deaths in Tasmania between 1980 and 2000 due to anaphylactic shock, so they're not to be taken lightly.

I kept this in mind before I sat down, making sure there were no nests. While eating lunch I was leaning on my left hand when I felt a needle like sensation. Thinking I had put my hand on something sharp, I had a look and found 2 Jack Jumpers chewing merrily on my palm and fingers. Little buggers. I had almost no reaction, luckily.

Lunch

Another orchid about to bloom.

Different orchid, later blooming.

After lunch we made our way back to the cars. A good walk and the weather was very kind to us as on the way home the heavens opened for a short time while I was driving.

We had 11 walkers and covered 10.27km in 3:27 hours. Or thereabouts.


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