Snippets From the South Coast - Plus the Snowy.

These were taken over a 4 day period on a 5 day trip to the south coast of New South Wales and then across to the Snowy Mountains high country. 

As we were going to be on the coast I was going to concentrate on sea weeds and the like, but instead of the 3 to 5 hours in the one spot as I usually do, travelling all day wouldn't allow this. Even when I did find a rock pool there wasn't the variety I was hoping for, this will have to wait for another day.

Native flowers were scarce,well at least until we reached the Snowy and even there they were in small numbers , so this post covers a more diverse group of subjects, locations and 'styles'(more of the whole plant, native, exotic and feral growing in the landscape) than I usually do. Also, not all plants are named as, well, I don't know what they are.

All the 'happy snaps' from this trip can be seen at 'Gumnuts and Other Stuff'.

Neptune's Necklace Hormosira banksii.
The only 'seaweed' I photographed.      At Mossy Point.

Lomandra sp. and Westringia fruticosa  - Coastal Rosemary,  growing out of the rock.
At Mossy Point.

I think this grass just growing out of the rock in the same location as above is native.
 Looks looks like a Poa sp.

Pelargonium australe  -  Native Storksbill, Native Geranium.
Narooma.

A wind-swept Allocasuarina/Casuarina sp. at Tarthra.

Araucaria heterophylla  -  Norfolk Island Pine.  Various Locations  This Pine can be found planted in most coastal towns in NSW.  I remember these trees from my childhood planted in beach towns with the square picket fence (usually painted white) around them.

Typical coastal thicket of (I think) Melaleuca sp.  Eden.

An exotic Pine planted at Narooma.

One of the dominant 'gum' trees seen on the south coast was Corymbia maculata (syn. Eucalyptus maculata)  -  Spotted Gum.  Narooma.  When I Googled the species most images of it were as 'floor-boards.

I think this bright yellow daisy is native.  Eden

Daucus carota  -  Queen Anne's Lace, Wild Carrot, Birds' Nest.
This garden escapee (feral) plant was seen growing along the road side in a lot of areas not far from the coast.   Moruya.

A very nice flower specimen of the feral Verbena (bonariensis ?) -  Purple Top.
Moruya.

The following 7 photos are garden plants taken in the little historic village of Central Tilba.

Lilium lancifolium (syn: Lilium tigrinum)  -   Tiger Lily.

Pelagonias (ivy-leaved geranium), climbing rose, hibiscus and native violets.

Climbing rose.

Hibiscus.

Alstroemeria psittacina   -  New Zealand Christmas Bell, Parrotlily, Parrot Flower, Red Parrot Beak, , Inca Lily.

Limonium perezii  -  Statice, Sea Lavender.

Marigolds.

 Amaryllis belladonna  -  Belladonna Lily, Naked Lady, Jersey Lily, March Lily.   Eden.

  Lomandra sp.
 Cooling reflection in 38C (100F) temperatures.   Rockton.

Slowly Disappearing.
Farmland skyline, Rock Flat Creek.

Grasses in sheep country,  Dalgety.

A collection (of 3) from the top and above the tree line of the Snowy Mountains.

left:     Chionogentias muelleriana subsp. alpestris  -  Mountain  Gentian, Snow Gentian.

middle:      Prasophyllum alpestre  -  Highland Leek-orchid.

t/r:      Pentachondra pumila  -  Carpet Heath

b/r:      Senecio sp.  -  Groundsel.

Clockwise from left:   Craspedia sp.  -  Billy-buttons.
Leucochrysum albicans subsp. alpinum  -  Alpine Sunray, Snow Daisies
Acaena novae-zelandia  -  Bidgee-widgee.
not sure

Eucalyptus sp.  -  Snow Gum.

Top left:   not sure
bottom left:      Prostanthera cuneata - Alpine Mint-bush.
middle:    Wahlenbergia sp.  -  Native Bluebell.
left:     Richea continentalis - Candle Heath.

Fantasticly coloured Eucalyptus sp. (could be Eucalyptus viminalis ?)  Berridale.

Lythrum salicaria  -  Purple Loosestrife.
Another feral,  Jinden.

FEATHERS, FUR and FANG.                 Some Of The Wildlife Seen Today.

Pacific Black Duck.

Grey Teal.

Royal Spoonbill.

Grey-headed Flying Fox  (fruit bat).

Large weevil.

Water Buffalo.
(I confess, they were from a zoo)

Sea Urchin.

Australian Fur Seals

Silver Gull.

Large Black Cormorant.

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater.

Goanna.

And it wasn't even Easter.

Spotted Mountain Grasshopper, Southern Pyrgomorph  (Monistria concinna).
This grasshopper is just as camouflaged on rock....................  

..............as it is in plants.
Spotted Mountain Grasshopper, Southern Pyrgomorph  (Monistria concinna).

Even when the semi-trailer came the other way she wasn't in a hurry to move.

Mudgee Town and Common. 1st November 2013

This weeks photos were captured at Mudgee, some 3 hours by road from home.

I first went for a walk in Mudgee Common, which is over the fence to where we staying, but the pickings were pretty slim (lots of lichen though).

Not wanting to go far I decided to just do a walk around a couple of streets in town and take photos of the plants in the front yards of some of the older cottages. A couple of churches and a public park were also included to fill the gaps.

If you can't grow roses where you are, and you would like to, well this is the place to try your hand.

My other blogs related to this outing:

Mudgee Meanders.     and       Gumnuts.... and Other Stuff.

 Click on photos to enlarge.
Photos from Mudgee Common.

I'm not sure if this pea is native or feral.



I know this St John's Wort is feral.



This Lichen looks like a cross between 'Oscar the Grouch' and a 'Triffid'.



"I am not a vegetable".  Deformity in the stems of a Acacia sp.



Lichen



Goodenia sp.



Lichen craters.



Xerochrysum viscosum  - 
Sticky Everlasting, Yellow Paper Daisy, Shiny Everlasting.

 

Part of the garden where we were staying. 



An easy on the eye courtyard.



Iris in the shadows.

Mudgee walk-around.

 



Roses were the dominant flower.

 

 



Aquilegia  -  Granny's Bonnet or Columbine.



Some plants had some colourful competition.



Great effect.   When you yard isn't big enough there is always the street.



A Lavender gets some  extra space while jealous Iris look on.



An explosion of roses.



St John's wasn't going to be outdone.

 





Just seeing what's going on out in the street.





These (I think they are) Gerberas seem to be saying, "pick me pick me!".



St Mary's have gone a little brighter.



These Hibiscus have a cooling effect.



A little hotter.





A corner full of colour.





Water Lilies in Lawson Park.



Water Lilies in Lawson Park.

The lady at number 113, kindly invited me to have a look at the plants in her backyard.

  

A cheerful Clematis.

Gold is not just restricted to the hills around Mudgee. 

Puff?

There was a lot of colour around the yard.

A nicely coloured Honeysuckle.

The lady called this her "Purple Trumpet Vine".
Could it be  Clytostoma callistegioides ?

Kingfisher and red rose.

Standard roses welcomed you to the front door.

Clematis, climbing rose and water lily.

And just down the road, something completely different. 

Some don't require a garden to attract the camera.

FEATHERS, FUR and TONGUE.                 Some Of The Wildlife Seen Today.

 

Hare.

Red-necked Wallaby.

White-browed Babbler.

Peron's Tree Frog.

Tawney Frogmouth. Can you see one of the young chicks under the mother (the 2 black dots are the eyes).

Musk Lorikeet

Long-necked Tortoise share a sunning log.

Dusky Moorhen

Common Bronzewing Pigeon.

A collection of bugs.

And ........THE TONGUE. Shingle-back Lizard.