Long Walk – Leanganook / Mount Alexander

The annual FOBIF Long Walk began bright and early as promised on Sunday June 15th, with a group of seven intrepid hikers setting off into the eastern reaches of Leanganook (Mount Alexander). Confidently leading the way off-track, Jeremy guided the group to some of the mountain’s hidden gems.

Much of the walk unfolded beneath a thick winter mist, which, while obscuring the anticipated lookouts, lent the landscape a cosy, almost mystical atmosphere, giving more than it took.

A visit to the mysterious stone circle.

Offering a glimpse into what the pre-European vegetation may have once looked like, several sections of the route passed through relatively intact woodland where mature eucalyptus trees (mostly manna gums or messmates with a scattering of river red gums) stood tall above a sparse tussock grass understorey.

A glimpse of the pre-European landscape with large eucalypts scattered around a sparse tussock understorey.

Less uplifting, however, was the number of dead or dying younger trees—likely a result of prolonged drought stress, particularly in areas where shallow soils cap granite outcrops.

Some highlights of the day included a side quest to a sculptural rock cave, a visit to the rock maze, admiring giant river red gums and manna gums and the joys (and pains) of tackling large hill climbs.