Peter Murrell Reserve 2016

We were to be walking on the new track between Kingston Beach and Taroona, but Kingborough Council are still delaying the opening. So, we're walking around the Peter Murrell Reserve today, and Tas is our leader.

We park just off Patriarch Drive at the entrance to the reserve near Coffee Creek.

Adie looks happy, we'll soon fix that!

One of the few times we know where we are

As soon as we enter the reserve, a pointing finger appears

I assume it wasn't a tree fungus or aerial orchard but a bird. I never saw anything, though.

It begins to drizzle and it's cold even though the forecast was for 18C. A few stops to put some wet weather gear on, but the rest of the pack abandons them and heads for a shelter.

This is a special spot providing shelter and access to a small dock overlooking Penrhyn Pond. This is specially for disabled people so they can watch the bird life and occasional platypus in comfort.

Penrhyn Pond and dock

Seasoned walkers cowering from rain

Coffee Creek

The drizzle has stopped

The rain slackens and we move off again, heading south, but rain isn't far away.

Still plenty of rain about

Heron Pond

Coffee Creek exiting Heron Pond

Mt. Wellington has disappeared

We've been walking through grass, but now we enter some bush, still going south.

Ron and Howden Road

Walking up the road a short distance, we re-enter the reserve, heading north this time.

We walk for a while before turning off onto a small unmarked track which has lots of flowering plants.

The track

At last! An orchid has been spotted and this leads to a flood of sightings.

Waxlip Orchid

The orchids are coming thick and fast as we stop for Morning Tea.

Flying Duck Orchid

Purple Beard Orchid

A forest of orchids

Tea finished, we move on, soon coming to a large area of various orchids. Bob has given us free rein to hunt them out. At least, I think he did.

People are heading off to do their own thing

 I believe Peter said he spent some time here a while back, taking photos of orchids.

The quarry

Exhausted from hunting orchids, Bob & Adie have a rest

Now, the Peter Murrell Reserve is a perfect place for orchids. which explains the 44 varieties recorded here. More than most other places in Tassie of a similar size. About 17% of the of native plants in the reserve are orchids and 20% of Tasmanians species are here.

The is also a small area of button grass, a plant usually associated with the west coast of Tasmania.

We continue on around the outer boundary. There are properties on our left and some of the inhabitants are having a look at us.

A well dressed local, but what's he/she looking at?

That explains it. Perhaps it belongs to a mate

On we go, heading west. As you can see, we photographers have a lot of catching up to do.

And catchup we do

The rain clouds have all gone

That's Sleeping Beauty in the distance. Perhaps not her best angle from here

We turn back into the bush and follow a small track around.

Very sandy area

We're heading back towards the two ponds and lunch.

That's the shelter from this morning and our lunch site

On the way here, we passed a couple more orchids and another flowering plant.

Trigger Plant (Stylidium graminifolium)

Unopened Leopard orchid?

We settle in overlooking Penrhyn Pond and are entertained by some of the birdlife.

Another colourful local

Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

Duck

Reflections

We had 11 walkers and covered 11.4km in 3:56hrs. Tas was our leader although both Peter and Bob contributed.

We also saw a test pit that was dug for the new sewerage pipe line proposed for this area. This will pass right through the reserve following an existing pipe line from before the reserve was created. To get to the spot where they dug the pit, they knocked down a wide area of bush so the machinery could get through.

This was unnecessary as there are alternate routes that locals and users of the reserve have put forward. However, Taswater seems not to have noticed or taken on board these suggestions. Peter Murrell Reserve is a unique area in a unique and convenient location and should be left alone. Petitions have been signed and a large public meeting held in Hobart, so let's hope it has some effect.

Click here for an animated track.

Click here to download the GPX file.