Bushwalk Australia

Just a warning to let you all know that there is a large stinging tree on the outskirts of the campsite at the base of Strongleg. It's on the Kanangra Creek upstream side of the campsite and unfortunately, the big *&%$#! leaves are right at face height!

One of our party got done on the hand when she put it up at the last minute to move the bush away from her face (in the dark). Just as well it didn't get her in the face!

How come I never find any! (Although I'd like to see them in daylight, from a distance, not at night, when they get me!)

What's the best treatment for the stings?

Take a trip to SE QLD and pic any walk FC . The moment you find a nice moist gully it will be sat there on the edge of the rainforest.
As for treatment its more an attempt to get the fine hair like stings back out. Most carry gaffa tape for this purpose or wax strips (though be wary in the summer months as they'll melt all over your gear). I know one poor bloke who sat on a leaf (yes even when dead and rotting on the ground they'll still get you) and had forgotten his tape. Even after 18 months the area still burns with incredible pain if in contact with water etc and is only now calming down. Nasty stuff.

Lots of stinging trees in the Southern Bluies. Francis Barralier and party had the odd encounter with them on their travels. Often found in the Kowmung and Kanangra Ck tributaries. You see them in Kalang Falls, Danae, Waterfall Ck, Red Cliff Ck, Jenolan Pit etc etc. The highest density of them that I have encountered is in Rankin Gully - a tributary of Gingra Ck - in one place every tree was a stinging tree and the ground was carpeted in their leaves (which I think may be able to sting you - at least for a while).

Interesting that there are not many in the Northern Blue Mts - only in two creeks as far as I know.

Dave

Great trees, i had a pet one in a pot for years in the lab, now it's in the garden (amusing how many people see a don't touch sign and disregard it!). They are very abundant in these parts. The leaves can get you whilst they are on the ground and yellow, but by the time they turn to brown and are pretty much mulch can be handled. The sting of the southern tree species is vastly overrated, the spindly northern shrub packs a punch though.

I whipped out the Fixomull tape and did a quick wax job on her hand. Wax on - wax off. Worked a treat after the Elastoplast was a dead loss and didn't have enough stickiness to give that great riiip sound that I needed to hear.

So stuff like mushed up dock leaves doesn't work? (like with stinging nettles?)

Cold water I find will help to reduce the pain and a old bush man once gave me a tip. To use the sap and it will eliminate the pain instantly. Now I can't 100% remember of what tree to use the sap from, I am pretty certain its the sap from the stinging tree.

I used to get stung by them many times, I don't get stung anymore. I have learnt how to recognise them from some distance and avoid them, can't remember the last time I got stung.

The sap from a tree does indeed work. I have tried it in the past. Not certain which tree it was from.

There's an taro-lily sort of plant that often grows in the vicinity of stinging trees, at least in SE Q. Apparently juice from crushed limbs is an antidote. Cunjevoi- that's the plant.

http://www2b.abc.net.au/science/k2/stn/ ... 98142.shtm

But then this guy says I'm wrong...

http://capetribresearchstation.blogspot ... t-for.html

Yep drifting is right. Many say the the sap of the cunjevoi, however Ive also heard it doesn't work too (thankfully I havent needed to test the theory). What I do know is where theres one, theres usually the other ie see a cunjevoi then look up and you'll usually see a gympie gympie and visa versa.

I remember this old bushman telling me about the tree with the healing sap.

I remember the day. I got stung bad somewhere in the hinterlands west of the Gold Coast in QLD. An old man came upon me and grabbed some sap of a plant and said use this. It was instant relief. He than explained the plant, I could not remember the plant. It would have been apx 25 years ago.

You could be correct with the Cunjovie.
If my memory serves me right I can remember him telling me how a tree that can cause so much discomfort can also heal. Hence why I mentioned it could be the stinging tree its self.

I knee'd one ( brushed one with my knee) here in the Illawarra once. It went straight through my canvas pants onto my tough old kneecap skin and stung like a muthatrucker!...and itched for days later. Being from the land of the stinging nettle and leech and surfing everyday with blue bottles i'm used to the odd sting but this trumped them all.

I've often thought it would be the utimate revenge on a prankster bushwalking companion to line their sleeping bag with the leaves of this plant...or would be that going too far?

Les Hiddins on Stinging Trees (starts around 2:40):

Here's some interesting info on various treatments, plus what they claim is a NEW one. Not sure that I'm going to be carrying hydrochloric acid with me though http://austrop.org.au/content/new-sting ... -treatment