South Sand Track greenhoods Seven Mile Beach: August 17 2024

A clear blue sky day makes a good day to do something different. Drive up to Gerringong to walk the markets and find a fish and chips lunch

View across to Minnamurra Point on a fab day

View across to Southern Tablelands - folding green country

Had our lunch in Sea Vista Cafe with its fab views. Food was simple and well done with good service. Photo is view across the bay from up above the cafe

Got a different plan for the road home. My wife dropped me off at the half way down Seven Mile Beach access road. Got a few orchids in mind and the road home

I knew there were going to be a few orchids. Budding nodding greenhood to start

Closer to opening right on the edge of the track

Twining glycine - maybe pea flower day

Did find a fully open nodding greenhood - pterostylis nutans

Walked the start of the South Sand Track - a greenhood not seen on this track before. ID is hard - helmet is quite short - going to guess pterostylis erecta

Front on is a bit harder - wonder what the spider is

What is clear is Landcare group has been in to poison the lantnana. Needs to be done - hard part is the weed killer kills all the orchids below

Headed back at the lantana to get access to the beach. A few colonies of pterostlyis curta here too

Did check each flower. Last time there were a few straight labellums mixed in - not this time

A few angles to make sure - a twist and the brownish top

Native violet - a visit to Seven Mile Beach NP would not be complete without one

Never tire of these

Seven Mile Beach looking north to Gerroa

And looming south across the Shoalhaven River mouth. Surf club is building on the right before the river

Pea flower from back on the beach access road

Nodding greenhood found this side

Did find a new orchid for the day - budding on the roadside. Long single leaf and a flower spike - caladenia

Bud forming - colours and height suggest catenata

A few greenhood leaves on the side track but no flowers. Got back on the bike and stopped at the midpoint access to check on a greenhood spot off track

Not the orchid I was expecting - probably pterostylis erecta

Quite a few buds and flowers in frame

Walked up toward the criss path to see the tall greenhoods - a few new plants opening up

Top two flowers

Front on. These have to be among the hardest orchids to photograph. The colours and contrasts just wash away and one cannot get top close as labellum triggers

Was a good move to take the bike to Gerringong and get dropped off. Got the walk in and only had to ride half. My body was struggling with digesting the lunch - as good as it was

Dinner: did a mini BBQ for me. As we had had lunch my wife did not need dinner too.

Late night watching Tour de Femmes cycling from France

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Cycling, Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking