Excursion to Binalong Bay June 2023

Despite gale force winds twenty-one people turned up on Saturday June 10th for a walk that would take us from Skeleton Bay, just east of Binalong Bay, via the coastal path, passing Skeleton Rock and Grants Point and finishing at Dora Point and Granite Rock at the entrance to Georges Bay. As predicted we were sheltered by the forests of Allocasuarina verticillata commonly known as drooping sheoaks and named for their resemblance to the plumage of the cassowary. It was easy walking on well-formed tracks, covered with the fallen soft yellow/brown male flower spikes of the sheoaks. The only hazards were the ankle-rolling fallen cones from the previous year and the exposed roots of the trees. Many had succumbed to recent strong winds and their shallow root system was on display, along with the brilliant red/brown of the wood where branches had been torn off.

Nothing much grows under the thick stands of sheoaks but on the seaward side of the track where trees were less dense we admired the dark green leafed Alyxia buxifolia (sea box), Rhagodia candollleana (coastal saltbush) with its ruby red berries and Tetragonia implexicoma (bower spinach) which formed dense bowers over fallen timber. We stopped to wonder at Australia Rock, a vast granite boulder roughly the shape of Australia but missing Tasmania! In an area that had been recently burned we found Solanum laciniatum, ( Kangaroo apple) a pioneering plant, the fruit of which can be made into preserves when ripe orange.

As we rounded Grants Point the vegetation type changed from sheoak forest to denser understorey. The usual coastal plants such as Myoporum insulare and Monotoca glauca became more common. Muehlenbeckia adpressa vine (climbing lignum) threaded its way through the undergrowth and we saw the odd Correa reflexa with its hanging green bell-like flowers. Banksia marginata and Acacia terminalis, suaveolens and myrtifolia were all observed. Unfortunately, due to the size of the group walking mostly single file along the narrow path it was difficult to share sightings. Photographers were interested in the yellow jelly fungus (Tremella mesenterica?) and the earthstar (Geastrum triplex). Surprisingly we even spotted a young tree fern (Cyathea australis?) growing in a damper area.

Birdsong from silvereyes, thornbills, grey shrike thrush and a currawong accompanied us, and sharp-eyed Anne and Ian saw a pair of hooded plovers on a small sheltered beach. The orange lichen-covered granite rocky outcrops along the way provided a brilliant contrast to the turquoise water, famous at these white sandy beaches. Lunch was enjoyed on the beach at Dora Point before people moved off to view some of the Bay of Fires Arts offerings- from Nature’s delights to human creativity in one hour!

Pam Bretz