Bushwalk Australia

Howdy all
I need some help please. Does anyone know the location of any permanent bogs, lakes, wetlands (excluding coastal lagoons/wetlands, tidal inlets and obviously European places such as farm/irrigation dams) in, around and adjacent to the Scenic Rim? I am interested in places from which organic core samples can be obtained for the purposes of reconstructing environmental histories using fossil pollen preserved in waterlogged places. The wetlands do not have to be very big - just permanent. They can be in open or forested locations at any altitude and on any geology. The very small samples are obtained with hand held piston device rather like a yabby pump and collection does not involve any disturbance other than splashing and wading. Ultimately, the object is to assess aspects of plant community change, fire history and climate change over (hopefully) the past 3 or 4 thousand years. In my youth (40 + years ago) I walked and climbed over most of the major bushwalking areas but can't recall many obvious sites which would suit my purpose (Honours and PhD projects in a University Department of Geography).
Thanks in advance
Ian

Two places you might try, both near Mt. Lindesay and the border fence:
Mount Lindesay 1:25 000, 742 639 but on private property
Palen Creek 1:25 000, 759 623 on the NSW side of the fence (Border Ranges NP)
There is another just behind Mt. Barney Lodge and at the foot of Mt. Gillies but is probably an old dam that has deteriorated into a bog. Private property - ring the Lodge for access details. Lodge owners and experienced bushwalkers Innes and Tracey Larkin may also be able to help you with your search.

Thanks for that information. I'll break out the maps and have a good look. It's amazing how everyone despises bogs and how everyone has horrendous bog stories and yet how it's so very hard it is to find one; especially one in good nick. I think most people nowadays associate bogs with poor vehicular access.
Thanks again and I welcome any other suggestions.
Ian

G'day Ian:

Here is one potential Great Grimpen Mire near the border fence:



This was over 40 years ago so I have no idea of the present condition.

Cheers,

Ted

The swapy area beside the Beaudesert race course, on the east is a natural bog. Does fill with race course run off in heavy weather, not sure if that matters.

Hello Ted and Facebox
Thanks for the info. The Beaudesert area may have a few wetlands which might lend themselves to my purpose and your comment has triggered a distant memory. Actually, I can remember camping next to the old show-grounds in an exceedingly wet patch after a night on the turps! The little wetlands below Mt Lindsay are also interesting and may well prove to be spring fed mires. There are lots of farm dams scattered through that rolling country and differentiating between natural and european features is difficult using Google Earth, but some of the features do look suggestively like pre-european bogs. I shall have to look for better imagery or better still, fly up and press-gang a couple of friends into driving me down there! What I would really like is to find a set of bogs/wetlands in rainforest. There are a couple of such places on a break of slope just below Witches Falls at Mt Tamborine which could well contain the sort of sediments I need. There must be more. If anyone else knows of such places please let me know.
Thanks again
Ian

ithomas wrote:Howdy all
I need some help please. Does anyone know the location of any permanent bogs, lakes, wetlands (excluding coastal lagoons/wetlands, tidal inlets and obviously European places such as farm/irrigation dams) in, around and adjacent to the Scenic Rim? <Snip>
Ian

There is one unique small hanging lake/swamp/lagoon in rainforest that immediately came to mind, that always intrigued me when doing the Main Range trip several times in the early 1970's. We got water from it one dry summer trip, but it was so full of stagnant organic matter that we had to filter it through my felt hat before drinking any. It is located west of the main range ridge line about two thirds of the way between Double Top and Huntley, and could be seen from the ridge line back then in the rainforest. I think I have located it on Google Earth at 28° 7.789' S; 152° 25.618 E where it just looks like a shadow, but it is shown on my old 1974 Forestry Map of the Main Range. I might have an old slide of it so will have a look.

Here is a clearer photo of the lagoon from an older sat photo taken in October 2009.

Great Information. I will certainly blast up there in the next 6 months. Sounds perfect. Yay.
Cheers
ian

ithomas wrote:Great Information. I will certainly blast up there in the next 6 months. Sounds perfect. Yay.
Cheers
ian

I assume that you will be making a photographic record of your collection points, so It would be great to see some photos of this particular lagoon posted here, as I most likely will never get to see it again. (An iPhone panorama or such like would be great!)

An iphone - I can barely manage a public phone!

ithomas wrote:Great Information. I will certainly blast up there in the next 6 months. Sounds perfect. Yay.
Cheers
ian

Have you been able to explore the lagoon on the Main Range yet?

ithomas wrote:(on Mon 22 Jul, 2013 4:24 pm) Great Information. I will certainly blast up there in the next 6 months. Sounds perfect. Yay.
Cheers
ian

Have you completed your mission yet Ian? Keen to hear about it if you have