Drron takes on the DPRT aka he's off to Tassie again.

[drron]

This is what the reserve has become.
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The car park which in february could only sqeeze in 6 cars.
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A bit sad for walkers as there was a trail following the shale tramway and passed the original latrobe water supply.and for me many orchids.too dangerous for a walker now.
The road back into Latrobe.i have driven on this road many times but I hadn't noticed this before.
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The railway bridge over the Mersey when the trains used to go through Latrobe.The Queen travelled across this bridge in 1954.
Just before 1100 so a morning tea of a scallop pie and a cappucino from olivers bakery.Once again a good pie with 6 good size scallops and a nice curry filling.
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[drron]

After that it was out to the orchid reserve again.Along the way I stopped at the Dolly Dalrymple reserve.Doesn't look exciting but I noticed one of the signs had a platypus on it.
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The river seems to be running a bit fast here to be able to regularly see platypi.
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But I looked to the left and saw this.
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Dolly and her husband are buried here.Dolly was an aboriginal who married a convict.However theirs is a success story and they ended up well off.

Biography - Dolly Dalrymple - Australian Dictionary of Biography

adb.anu.edu.au

 

[drron]

And my last visit to the orchid reserve.The native violets starting to flower.
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Lots of Caladenia now.
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When you see these leaves look around as the terrestial orchids usually need a mycorrhizal relationship to grow.If these orchid leaves are present look around the immediate area as other species may be present.
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Which is how I found the ones in bud that sadly may flower in the next 2 weeks after I have left Tassie.Note it's different leaf.
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The edge of the reserve.To the right is the Reserve with more old trees.To the laft is still a forestry reserve.No mature trees.
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Got back to Latrobe ~ 1400 and had a late lunch at Bellys.Scotch fillet cooked as asked for with a seafood sauce.3 scallops,3 prawns in a creamy garlic sauce.Seafood cooked to perfection but the amount of garlic sauce did overpower the steak.
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That evening finished the leftovers.So smashed avo with miso,honey,lemon juice and coriander on toast.Quite nice.

 

[VPS]

I love Rhododendrons. What's the best time to see these in Tassie - I'm presuming it's a bit later than the mainland

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

These are my photos from 7 November 2017 - Kings Park and Princes Park Launceston. Spectacular display !! I love them too !! I have a LOT of photos

 

[VPS]

When I was working in England in the 80's my bedroom window overlooked the 18th hole of the Wentworth Golf Course and our back yard was this huge lawn surrounded by Rhododendrons and I was just amazed at how beautiful they were. I'm making a note to visit Tasmania this time next year because I doubt I'll be heading anywhere in Europe for my white Christmas

I'm trying to find some photos I have from the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park Isabella Plantation and Kenwood House - I just can't remember what year I was there.

I also have some wonderful ones of Savill Garden - Wikipedia but I need to scan them and they're in a box somewhere - can't wait to unpack everything and start sorting things out

 

[RooFlyer]

I love Rhododendrons. What's the best time to see these in Tassie - I'm presuming it's a bit later than the mainland

As mrs.drron indicated, it’s about now.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

As mrs.drron indicated, it’s about now.

I am hoping they still will be flowering when I fly down at the end of this month !

 

[VPS]

As mrs.drron indicated, it’s about now.

See you next November then

 

[drron]

So Tuesday 3/11 and today I return to QLD.However my JQ flight LST-BNE is not scheduled to depart until 1740 .have to be out of my accommodation by 1000 so some time to fill in.
Now on previous visits to Lonnie I have tried to find the Hidden railway tunnel on the old north east line.The directions say turn at C280 (Tunnel road ) and proceed to Tunnel Station road.Now I did see previously a sign for C281 that had in brackets C280.But it didn't get to the tunnel.So after passing that road just out of Lilydale I went slowly and found the right road.

And this is what you come to at the end of Tunnel station road.I presume there was a station here and it was somewhere in the first pic.
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The tunnel though was to the direction of the second pic.Was pretty wet going in parts.There is a bunch of Train enthusiasts who are trying to get the line reopened so as to run tourist trains.The line isn't in too bad a condition as it was upgraded in 2002.A sign about the project.
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So off to the tunnel.
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The signs say no entry but looking down I didn't really want to go in.
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[drron]

So back to the car.As I turned around a wallaby bolted across in front of me then hopped it's way through the bushes on the left of the pic.Scared the whatevers out of me.
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Tunnel Station road actually ends at the rail line.Across the line it becomes the driveway of a farm house.
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[drron]

I then went back to Launceston and went to Kosaten for lunch.I do enjoy it.
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[drron]

Still more time to kill so off to find some orchids in the middle of Launceston.On Country Club Drive is a vacant block of land.It was to be a school but those plans were shelved.As you get to the Golf course on your way to the Casino it is on your right.A totally degraded piece of bushland and in the lkast couple of years some locals have turned the tracks into mountain bike tracks.But you do see a lot of orchids.
Lots of flowers and most are not orchids.A lot more native violets out here.
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Blackberry bushes and garden waste prominent.
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And the view from the land.
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[drron]

Now I do go on about the green leaves I see that I know are orchids.they could be of 3 species-chiloglottis,acianthus or corybas.The 3 can occur together making it difficult.Now here were lots of flowers mainly chiloglottis triceratops-because the other 2 of this species are rare.They have paired leaves,the corybas a single leaf and acianthus the leaves are usually slightly off the ground.
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There were a few specimens of Glossodia major.similiar to caladenia but larger with a distinctive colour.
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And lots of caladenia.probably 3 different species with the variation of colours.
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[drron]

An idea of how abundant the chiloglottis is here.This was on one of the paths.
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and nearby the last of a pterostylis.
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So in the middle of suburbia and totally degraded bushland but a wonderful collection of orchids.

 

[drron]

Stopped at the convict road bridge on the old highway just south of Launceston and on the road to the airport.
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And to the west the house that took over from Kerry Lodge which was close to the bridge.
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[drron]

Got to LST about 2.5 hours prior to scheduled departure time and had to wait about an hour before checkin opened.Had to go to checkin even if checked in online and given a new BP.
No lounge open naturally.Good views from the upper floor.
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A Sharp Airlines plane landed.
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And soon after our JQ bird.
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Appeared to be a lot of passengers on the incoming flight.our flight was completely full.Back to normal JQ service with take off 45 minutes late.But the pre-Covid catering was back.Only 10% were wearing masks.I passed the time reading Anh do's The Happiest Refugee.An interesting and amusing read.

We made up the time and landed on time.Parked at a stand and had to wait 10-15 minutes for the stairs to arrive.Everyone obeyed the Captain's call to remain seated.
I was through to the baggage carousel quickly having my pass and driver's licence displayed but it was checked 4 times.At the baggage carousel there were some bags out but the carousel had stopped and an alarm going.several minutes before the carousel started working.There were I think 3 bags after mine so I felt the airport experience was back to normal.