Budj Bim to Halls Gap

Diuris sp on The Picannini

Just after I turned the light off last night it started to pour with rain and one or two very strong gusts of wind had me wondering if I was going to need to get out and put the awning away, but the wind abated somewhat and in due course so did the rain and by morning there were clear skies 

Budj Bim campsite int he morning light

I have been surprised that there are no birds or animals that have tried to steal my food, but this morning there is a wallaby grazing a few metres from the car, but not showing a great deal of interest in anything I might have, for which I'm grateful. 

Budj Bim national Park is really no more than a dot in the landscape surrounded by farmland, but it's a very pretty dot. It's obviously not an overly popular spot. I think a number of campers who were booked for last night didn't turn up and I think it's just me and a couple with a caravan some distance away as the only occupants of the whole campground. 

An southern view of the Grampians

A pair of delightful crimson rosellas visited a nearby tree. They really are stunning birds.

One of the sun dew - carnivorous plants

I drove north through lots of agricultural land including fields of, I presume, canola in flower and in due course was rewarded with my first few of the Grampians which look like rather impressive little mountains. Certainly not sandstone or volcanic as per the geology of the past 2 days. Though a later conversation with Google as I was driving, informed me that the geology is in fact sedimentary!

Erica sp - one of the heaths

After a little bit of turning around, I found the beginning of the Mount Picaninny walk and the information promised me wildflowers including wax lip orchids so it could be a slow walk. 

Pterostylis sp - one of the greenhoods

I stopped to remove my jacket and beanie and lo and behold in front of me. It was some green hood orchids. 

A neighbouring peak

A little further I stopped to take a photo of a neighbouring mountain and spotted a Diurus orchid and as I was stepping down to photograph that, I also spotted some white fairy orchids, Caladenia sp.

Diurus sp

About 2/3 of the way up, I crested a shoulder of the hill and received the full force of the wind.

Caledinia sp

I decided not to continue but was rather pleased with what the walk had given me three species of orchid even though I did not see a wax lip as was promised, although I may have seen a bud of it. I did also see a sun orchid bud and a leaf of an orchid that I just did not know - although consultation with iNaturalist suggests a red beak - rather exciting!

Red beak leaf

As I was descending, I paused to admire something that I can't identify, but will call 'wooly heath' for the time being and I met a couple ascending.  I commented that I was admiring this and he noted that the white heath bells were the first wildflowers he'd seen.  I engaged my mouth before my brain and said that he must have been walking with his eyes closed!  I did semi redeem myself by showing them a small patch of greenhood orchids, which he said he definitely would not have seen - they are cryptic.

Wooly heath???

I proceeded on and it was not long before I entered the area that had been affected by recent bushfires and  it looks pretty devastated. However, it was doing what Australian Bush does and showing regrowth in many ways.  There was even a grass tree with a big flower spike in full bloom, which was lovely to see. I did read somewhere that some of these are triggered by fire and I also read that the dead flower spike is known as kangaroo tail. So the grass tree is also known as kangaroo tail plant!

 The fact there wasn't a lot of leaf on the trees provided better views of some of the peaks along the way.

From Boroka Lookout

 I couldn't visit Silverband Falls as it is currently closed, and I decided to skip the Pinnacles, as fitting in a 4 km walk plus all the other little walks I wanted to do was just not going to fit into the remaining daylight. Plus Maps and road signs suggested that the direct route to it was not to be taken.

From Boroka Lookout

 

Since I had to go via Hall's gap to any of my other destinations, I chose to check in to my accommodation and then proceed to explore. After a bit of confusion with my navigation I did find Boroka Lookout. I was amused to find that, from it, I was looking directly down on my accommodation. Quite a long way down! 

Halls Gap from Boroka Lookout

From there it was on to Mackenzie Falls. At the start of the walks there were a couple of large kangaroos just quietly grazing on the lawn; totally unphased by the visitors walking past 

Rather a big boy

 I walked to a couple of the little lookouts including a lookout on Broken Falls

Broken Falls

Then on to a lookout over the top of Mackenzie Falls, which was a bit nothing. 

View from another lookout

The sign at the top of the walk down to the Falls suggested a lot of care was needed and threatened slippery rocks. 

sufficiently off-putting for me

Since slippery rocks were my undoing a little while ago, I chose not to descend and instead chose to walk out to the disability access viewpoint instead; to be honest, I think the view from there was probably better than the view from the lookout at the bottom of the path to the falls, because that path didn't seem to go right to the base of the Falls.  The walk also had some lovely wildflowers.

Mackenzie Falls

Downstream from Mackenzie Falls

Then onto Reed's lookout and I was most impressed by the panoramic view. Although my photos of it did not work well. 

I was less impressed by a serious squall coming through which dissuaded me from the 2 km return mark out to the balconies. 

A Hakea, I think

Another Erica sp

I did enjoy the comfort of a roof and a large bed, as well as the spa bath!

A comfortable night