From the moment I stepped out of the car I was enchanted. Revisiting Farrel Grove yesterday after a two-year interval, the last time I stopped here the bushland was still smouldering from a fire that had ravaged the area. Today though everything was absolutely vibrant in the forest; it was like everything was shimmering.
There were so many grass trees, and these glistened more than the other plants. The iconic grass trees are only found in Australia, there are 66 species of grass trees found throughout the country. With the blackened trunks on the older grass trees after the fire and their leaves sprouting from the top give these trees a real funky look, as they grow in all manners of strange shapes and sizes.
Some grass trees are extremely slow growing, only increasing their trunk height by 0.8cm to 6cm per year. Some of the taller grass trees are as old as 450 years. I love seeing them thriving like they are here in colonies.
One was beginning to flower, they take several years to flower, the flowers are a spear like spike that can be as tall a 4m in height. They are spectacular plants.
The area was very quiet, the scent of pine and eucalyptus heavy in the air. I only heard a small, panicked chorus from some nesting birds as I wandered, they settled down after I passed.
The only other sound came from the thundering crashes as a kangaroo went booming through the bush. Something had obviously frightened it and it was hopping at a swift rate. It appeared in front of me for all but a second before it disappeared from view in seconds camouflaged completely as it bounded off.
Reaching a fire break I took in the view, nothing but trees for as far as the eye could see.
I set off down the steep hill looking for another track to follow and decided that I would leave that one until my next visit...
2 comments:
Life does recover.
It does.
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