On Saturday morning, our group of 20 admired the tall Messmate Stringybarks and Manna Gums on the walk up to the Mount Buninyong crater. Grass tussocks abounded between the old growth trees. We looked down into the crater while hearing the Wadawurrung dreamtime story about the origin of the mountain. The crater is populated with a dense covering of Red-anther Wallaby-grass (Rytidosperma pallidum). We then drove to the summit, with extensive views north over the rich basalt agricultural plain and west over the city of Ballarat to the Pyrenees. Our invited local birder, Joel Ellis, helped us to spot 33 bird species on this forested volcano. Nearby we walked within the Union Jack reserve, a site of remnant woodland and streamline vegetation. The site was heavily mined in the 1850s gold rush. We heard about the gold-mining history of the area and saw evidence of this activity: coppiced trees, mine-shafts and mullock heaps. There were echidna scratchings next to the walking track in several places. Many seasonal wildflowers were observed, such as the Common Bird-orchid Chiloglottis valida, and Joel helped us to identify 23 bird species in the reserve.
ABN 23 918 778 150
Incorporation No A0044963D