We have had just over 150mm or 6 inches of rain over the last five days. Prior to this it had been hot and dry with a couple of days around 40 degrees. So these last five days have been lovely. Some people complain about the rain but I love it. It is cool and refreshing, soothing to the soul.
I love how the earth comes to life after rain. How my parched backyard has sprung back to life overnight. What was dead grass is now green, the rock hard soil in the garden is now soft and crumbly again. If you listen through the sound of the rain on the roof, you can hear a chorus of frogs in the background.
Today we had light rain until late morning. We had been out for a small drive to get a coffee and as I was driving I had an urge to get out there in the rain, to wander around and take it all in. Mount French is only a few kilometres from home so on the spur of the moment I set off on my own to wander around the national park up there.
As I drove into the National Park, I noticed how all of the wattles were in flower. The weight of the rain drops hanging off their leaves forced them to droop low across the road so I was driving through several arches of yellow blossom.
There are two easy walks – the first about 360m to Logan’s lookout where you have a view of the valley to the north and west of Mt French. This is a nice easy bitumen track. I was on my own up there, it was glorious.
Everything was damp from the rain, it was pleasantly cool and the air was still. As I walked, I could smell the pollen from the wattle blossoms in the air and the stillness was occasionally broken by a bird’s song.
I left the lookout and headed back to do the second walk – the Mee-bor-rum circuit. This is about an 850m round trip. It is a formed track and very easy to walk but isn’t bitumen like the previous walk.
On this walk there are views to the east of Mount French. There are areas of solid rock along here. I love the colours and patterns in the rock. I also like the lichens that grow on the trees and the rocks.
So after an hour or so wandering around in the solitude, it was time to go home again…….
How nice Steve.. to get away for some relaxation in the bush! I love the rain too.. & I don’t mind it in the middle of a Victorian Winter either 🙂
Why is the wattle flowering at this time of year ?
I’ve no idea why it’s flowering. I can’t remember seeing any flowers anywhere else, just up on the mountain. It hadn’t occurred to me that it is out of season. It’s very pretty though! 🙂
The wattle is one of the first signals of Spring arriving, here down south.. it always flowers a good 6 to 8 weeks before the official first Spring day gets here. Very often there is snow on the mountain at the same time.
It is very pretty, but can also bring on allergies of the sneezing varieties, lol.. not for me, but my number 1 son 🙂
I just did a bit of searching and apparently there are so many different varieties of wattle you could have flowers every day of the year. I didn’t realise that.
Oh cool.. I didn’t know this either. I always thought it was a Spring time occurrence.
Looks like a great place for some peace and quiet Steve.
Love the wattles too! Although we only have the spring flowering types here down south. The sneezing types that is!