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Published: November 10th 2010
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Well once I put my ear plugs in to block the persistent calling of the Willy Wagtail last night I slept quite well. I had thought I might go to sleep listening to the frogs croaking in the wetland behind the caravan park but the ‘willy’ was too overpowering!
Once up I got my usual morning tea organised; thermos, cup and teabag or coffee sachet depending on whether I carried milk with me and yes something to eat if I needed a morning tea snack (usually a yoyo or muesli bar). This morning I was off to Bunjil Shelter in the (other) Black Range Scenic Reserve near Stawell. I was anticipating some great views across the country side to the eastern side of the Grampians and some thought provoking indigenous art. The information about the area said that there was a loop walk around the top of the hill. Well I tried it three different ways and could not find a looped path anywhere, they were all dead ends. Maybe since the 2006 fires they had disappeared behind regrowth and fallen timber. The country side was looking very bucolic and productive, the grass was green and the lakes were blue.
The rock art cave was fascinating with just the three figures tucked away under a massive boulder, in a natural cave made by wind and rain over the millennia before the artists arrived.
As I was leaving I noticed a magpie attaching a bird of prey in my rear view mirror, so I did a quick u-turn and went back for a closer look. It was a Whistling Kite and then three Brown Falcons turned up having an argument between themselves. Satisfied with these two close up sightings I continued on to Stawell.
This time I found the Tourist Info Centre, they had moved into the same building as the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame at Central Park. But not made the signage to it very clear, i.e. left the old signs to the Western Hwy building up! I collected a map of Deep Lead Nature Conservation Reserve, to find the directions to a picnic spot for lunch. Then I drove into the business district and found a couple of bakeries to try. After a walk around the shopping centre and having a good browse through the local book shop (but not to buy anything), I jumped in
Central Park Gate
Stawell, where the Gift is run the car and headed out to Deep Lead.
It was pleasant sitting beside the fire dam at McCann Dam Picnic Ground there were frogs croaking and birds singing the only bother were the mossies and flies! Just because we had all this water lying around didn’t mean the mossies could breed up and annoy us! All the way around the country side on my tour there were too many mossies and it did not matter if there was no water nearby they were there in the bush or forest waiting for fresh blood! I did find out that tooth paste will stop the bite from itching, true try it and see!
After lunch I did the 2km loop walk at the picnic ground, which takes you though some lovely habitats and past an old mine shaft. You could stand on the mesh cover and look down into it, dropping stones at the same time, it did not sound too deep. But it was a little peculiar standing over a straight drop without falling down it. The only other sign that this forest had supported a European gold settlement was the remains of a brick chimney further along the
track.
For afternoon tea I decide to go into Halls Gap and out to Brambuk the National Parks & Cultural Centre. While looking around the gift shop there I pick up a map to show me an interesting way to get home tomorrow (two wheel friendly not 44 tracks!). I had my coffee and orange cake outside on the veranda overlooking the wetland behind the Info Centre to Boronia Peak enjoying the French accents I could hear over in the left corner of the veranda. After remembering to use the public conveniences at Brambuk, I was almost starting a walk around the wetland when I remembered I needed to go! I did not finish the walk I almost started but instead went into the Halls Gap shops to buy some tea, a pizza from the Black Panther cafe.
When I got back to the cabin I finished off a blog, reheated half the pizza and ate it on the front step of my cabin. Boy the hot salami was hot! I didn’t even offer it to the one Silver Gull that turned up trying to scavenge a tit bit of me. It was a bossy bird too keeping
any other gulls away that tried to turn up by screeching at them long and load. I could see right down it’s gullet to the crop! Which reminded me of how they are able to swallow ducklings whole (sorry but they do I’ve seen it happen).
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