Bushwalk Australia

Hi all,

I'm hoping that this could become a thread for people to update us on the state of the fagus over the next month or so?! I'm very much hoping to make the trip down from Sydney in April/May and would love to time it with the conditions of the season.

Cheers!

Dee

Over Easter: Pine Valley has a few areas of fagus that's about 30% yellow - on the plateau on the way up the Acropolis, and on the way to Lake Cyane. Most hadn't turned at all.

Same period a bit further north around Pelion the fagus is at about 15-20% yellow.

A few branches yellow/Orange on southern side of Sentinel range.

Similar Lake Oenone on Mt Olympus.

31st march, Sentinel Range.

Getting good up on the higher slopes around Cradle

Has anyone seen any Fagus closer to Rodway Range at Mt Field, as though heading to Mt Field West, K Col and Florentine Peak?

hutfinder wrote:Has anyone seen any Fagus closer to Rodway Range at Mt Field, as though heading to Mt Field West, K Col and Florentine Peak?

It swathes the Rodway around Tarn Shelf. A friend was there yesterday and it's looking stunning. It'll be past it's best in a cpl weeks I reckon, but Fenton should be good then....

Hmmm, I've been wanting to get back out to Lord and Lanes, via Fenton and Emmett. This might be good time to do it.

Was up in the Chalice Lake area on Monday and there are some strands changing now. Mostly still green but a few patches of yellow and red.

At Mt Field, it's there any fagus around Platypus Tarn or Fairy Tarn area? I'm planning a trip with 3 youngish kids (6-12yo). I know Tarn Shelf would be better, but it's also a bit steeper for them, and they've only done minimal walking.

Tarn shelf yesterday, great weekend for it

Thanks everyone for posting your updates! I'm heading back to Tassie next week and will be making the pilgrimage to Mt Field on Friday. Can't wait, it looks like it's been a really good season for the fagus based on what I've seen here and on instagram.

Dee

Some nice areas at Mt Field around Lake Fenton:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmjeaJYF

Cradle seems to be being ignored. Had a great walk there yesterday. Fagus probably at its peak for this year, and enhanced by pockets of snow. Only disappointment was the failure to find any red. Not a great photo - only from phone, but haven't downloaded from camera yet.

I went and had a look at the Cheyne Range, some hugely impressive stands of deciduous beech in there, even more impressive were the pencil pine forests...

Gorgeous picture, @sherpa!

Looking good at Lake Fenton

iaindtiler wrote:31st march, Sentinel Range.

Hi iaindtiler, you may not be aware - but the image you have captured here is in fact nothofagus cunninghamii aka Myrtle, not it's deciduous relative nothofagus gunnii

Myrtle can be prone to fungal disease, which can make some leaves and/or branches change colour and subsequently, die. Its leaves are quite a contrast to the 'crinkle cut' notoriety of the 'fagus' though

Had a wonderful time exploring the fagus last week around the Walls...

Is there any fagus around the sentinel range area? I was going to go based off the pic above, but the more recent comment tells me this isn't actually fagus

hutfinder wrote:Is there any fagus around the sentinel range area? I was going to go based off the pic above, but the more recent comment tells me this isn't actually fagus

No i'd think not. Especially after the recent fires. Not alot of fagus in the SW in general except at Mt Field and some up around the Snowy range.

Was up at Cradle for 5 days last week. Fagus was turning well and the weather was great. A few photos are attached.

Also, regarding the report of fagus on the Sentinal Range. About 20 years ago I had a job mapping fagus from the air. What we did was fly around the state at fagus time when the weather was suitable looking for its very distinctive colour (also did King Billy and Huon pine about the same time). During this survey no fagus was seen on the Sentinal Range. The photos also look like unhealthy myrtle.

Absolutely love that shot from little horn Jon.

Superb Jon.

From a walk up Labyrinth last weekend (around 20th April)

A nice variety, leaves falling readily, though nothing brilliant orange or red.

Best thing was the weather - almost like summer for days on end! And apparently far less crowded than Mt Field region was - there weren't that many people about at all.

Just past cradle cirque about 16/4.


a few days later near DuCane