In search of adventure, the walking crew minus the one who flew north for the winter, headed out to the forest today.

We parked in a new spot and wandered off the track through a valley, then up a little hill into an area where we’ve never explored before. This is an area that had a controlled burn a few years back and has regenerated considerably.

The first thing I noticed was a little shrub that I don’t recall ever seeing before. It looks like a kind of banksia with white flowers. Very small.

I stopped to take a photograph and was completely entranced. When I raised my head I realized were surrounded by them. They are all over this little valley. Having never seen one anywhere else on any of my walks I am now surrounded by these beautiful flowering natives. They are here and only here.

As we continued deeper into the forest the undergrowth became much thicker. We came upon a couple of small clearings which I realized are the camping grounds for kangaroos or wallabies. The brush is squashed down and it is protected and warm. Little areas of safety and seclusion for a kangaroo. Then, as if right on cue, I saw the back end of a little wallaby, jumping away from us. We headed in the other direction.

Go in peace little friend.

It had started raining again. I stopped to put my raincoat and my beanie back on. I’ve worn my gum boots - not the best for walking but better than wet feet.

The undergrowth here is so thick that I’m following animal tracks. At my heels, I have a dog whose head periodically gets kicked because she’s too close. She’s following me down the animal track. Behind her, another dog, all of us maneuvering our way along a kangaroo trail.

We are in the Victorian Goldfields area where there was a large amount of human activity activity in the 1850’s and 60s. I’m on the lookout for anything interesting - diggings or signs of human inhabitation. Maybe some relics or old rubbish or old bottles left behind from the golddiggers. So far today we haven’t found anything.

The wild flowers are emerging. So much pink. Yellow wattle and white heath. It is very beautiful.

We continued walking and found ourselves in a pine forest. It is a plantation really. I suspect that if there were any gold diggings here they would’ve been ripped up by the plantation owners. It is hard going walking through here. The skeletons of trees long gone remain littered on the ground.

We are heading back towards the car when I discovered a huge tree had fallen over, probably in a storm. At the top of the tree stump there is a little colony of fungi.

I smile. It makes me happy to see things like this.

Private priceless little moments.

Then the dogs found another tree with a lovely place for a creature to shelter from the weather. Big enough enough for me and a few friends.

Then the dogs are excited. We found a creek. Time for a swim and a drink.

Back to the car. The dogs will be nice and wet for the ride home.