Friday October 9
On the way to Cann River we stopped about 1km east of Hospital Creek near Tostaree to admire quite a number of one of the green-comb spider orchids, the Mantis Orchid (Caladenia tentaculata) and a very pale mauve Wax-lip Orchid (Glossodia major). 

Around the caravan park and river at Cann River we saw or heard a pair of White-winged Choughs, Red-browed Finch, New Holland Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Yellow Robin, Blackbird, Raven, Fantail Cuckoo (which we heard everywhere we went all weekend), Olive-backed Oriole, White-throated Treecreeper, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Fantail, Magpie, Pied Currawong and Superb Fairy-wren.  The vegetation along the river walk was rainforest with Lillypilly (Syzygium smithii) and Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) beneath large eucalypts.  There was Swamp Paperbark (Melaleuca ericifolia) and Mutton-wood (Myrsine howittiana)which had been selectively and heavily grazed, presumably by Sambar Deer.  Two creepers with white flowers were Wonga-vine (Pandorea pandorana) with tubular flowers with frilly mouths; and Mountain Clematis (Clematis aristata) with 4 petaloid sepals, and male and female flowers with many parts on different plants.

After lunch we travelled north up the Cann Valley Hwy and turned east into Magazine Track.  Just before the junction with another track was a tree across the road, a little too large for James’ chainsaw, so we lingered to look about before turning back.  The vegetation was very open forest with no shrubs and little on the ground.  We did find Tiger Orchid (Diuris sulphurea), Pink Fingers (Caladenia carnea) and buds of Common Ruddyhood (Pterostylis squamata) which has reddish flowers with fine white hairs along the edge of the labellum.  As well as the orchids were little rosettes of Austral Bugle (Ajuga australis), a herb with purple flowers and square stems in the lavender family Lamiaceae; and Hairy Pink-bells (Tetratheca pilosa).  At the top of the hill was an old gravel pit and a solar panel used by seismologists from ANU (for what??).

Near the corner of Lesleys Track and Cemetery Track was lots of white-flowered Peach Heath (Lissanthe strigosa).  This small shrub (to 1m) has prickly leaves and masses of tubular scented  flowers.  Also in flower was Common Riceflower (Pimelea humilis), Creamy Candles (Stackhousia monogyna), Pink-bells, Purple Coral-pea (Hardenbergia violacea); daisies Fringed or White Everlasting (Chrysocephalum baxteri), the rare mauve daisy Brachyscome salkiniae with a rosette of leaves, and a Yellow Billy-button (Craspedia variabilis). There was blue Love Creeper (Comesperma volubile) and a bright yellow Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.)whose leaves were trilobed and wedge-shaped, and whose achenes each had a curved down hook (which is also seen in the Colquhuon Forest).  The orchids were Brown-clubbed Spider-orchid (Caladenia phaeoclavia) and Tiger Orchid.  There were some small fungi; cream rough puffballs covered with soft deciduous warts.  The mature puffballs are smooth and papery with a hole at the top through which the spores are dispersed.  They were possibly a Lycoperdon species.  There was also a bird’s-nest fungus; a tiny smooth open cup with just a few round pale brown peridioles containing the spores.  These are popped out of the cup by water droplets falling into the ’nest’.

One km N on Cemetery Track were quite a few species of peas; red Running Postman (Kennedia prostrata), and some “egg and bacon” (yellow and reddish) flowered peas, Handsome Flat-pea (Platylobium formosum), Large-leaf Bush-pea (Pultenaea daphnoides) with wedge-shaped leaves, and Showy Parrot-pea (Dillwynia sericea).  Most wattles were finished except Thin-leaf or Snake Wattle (Acacia aculeatissima).  It is a scrambling shrub to 50cm with small thin pointed phyllodes and usually solitary globular flower heads.  Again we saw Wax-lip Orchid, but also Brown-beaks (Lyperanthus suaveolens) and Nodding Greenhood (Pterostylis nutans).  In a patch of green alga growing over the soil was the belly button fungus Omphalina umbellifera.  It is a tiny pale orange toadstool with a ridged cap with a dimple in the centre.  “Omphali” is Greek for “the navel”!!  On Cemetery Track just south of Magazine Track an overstorey tree was Black Sheoak (Allocasuarina littoralis) with lots of Peach Heath below and a Kookaburra.  Further on above a creek (55 621109E, 5818452N) was the daisy Brachycome spathulata and the orchids Brown-beaks, lots of tiny Pink Fingers, White Fingers, Tall Greenhood and the rare spider-orchid Caladenia osmera.

Saturday October 10
South and east of Cann River onto Bass Track and about 1km along (55 688825E, 5833703N) we heard Fantail Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Fantail and White-throated Treecreeper.  The area had been burnt about 21/2 years ago.  The lower vegetation was a sea of flowers.  One fascinating plant was the bright green Curly Wig (Caustis flexuosa).  This rush has much divided, curled and coiled ultimate branches.  Lilies were Milkmaids (Burchardia umbellata), Nodding Blue Lily (Stypandra glauca) and Dwarf Wire-lily (Laxmannia orientalis), a tiny lily with whitish sessile flowers and thin leaves up the stem.  A daisy was Fringed or White Everlasting.  Peas were Running Postman, Showy Parrot-pea, Leafless Globe-pea (Sphaerolobium vimineum) and Hop Bitter-pea (Daviesia latifolia).   Others were Blue Dampiera (Dampiera stricta), Hairy Fan-flower (Scaevola ramosissima), Heath Milkwort (Comesperma ericinum), Pink-bells, Pomaderris (Pomaderris sp.), Prickly Erect Guinea-flower (Hibbertia calycina) and Common Apple-berry (Billardiera mutabilis).  Orchids were Clark‘s Caladenia (Caladenia clarkiae) named for Ruth Clark, a late member of the Bairnsdale Field Nats, which is distinguished by its tri-lobed labellum and the outer surface of the petals and sepals lacking glandular hairs; Wax-lip; Tiny Fingers (Caladenia pusilla); Hybrid Sun-orchid (Thelymitra Xtruncata), a hybrid between Spotted Sun-orchid (T. ixioides) and Slender Sun-orchid (T. pauciflora); and a Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum sp.).

At a fork on the Bass Track we turned to the right.  More orchids were Yellow Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum flavum), Tiger Orchid and Clark’s Caladenia.  On burnt wood on the ground were a group of small cylindrical wasps’ nests made of clay.  Another 100m further south we saw (Prasophyllum sp. aff. patens), Large Duck-orchid (Caleana major), Wallflower Orchid (Diuris orientis) with some purple colouring, a very pink Pink Fingers (Caladenia carnea) in a forest of Pink Fingers and lots of leaves of Brown-beaks.  Other plants were deep pink Common Heath, White Everlasting and Dusty Miller (Spyridium parvifolium).  Sharp eyes spotted a Scarlet Robin.  A fallen burnt log was being colonised by mosses and liverworts.  Of particular interest was the thallose liverwort Marchantia as both the male and female green umbrella-shaped reproductive structures were seen.  The male structure is a disc raised on a stalk.  There are cavities in the top surface of the disc, and in these are antheridia which produce swimming sperm.  On the female structure the archegonia arise below the raised umbrella.  Each of these contains an egg.  When moisture is around the sperm swim to the eggs attracted by a chemical released from the archegonium.  Fertilisation then occurs and a sporangium is produced.  Spores from this are released and germinate to form new thalli.  Further down the hill where there was Small Grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea minor) was a cream form of the Purple Beard-orchid (Calochilus robertsonii).  The beard orchids are named for the prominent labellum which is decorated with long bristly hairs.  This track ended at Cann River amongst rainforest vegetation. There we lunched amongst Shrubby Velvet-bush (Lasiopetalum macrophyllum), a shrub where the undersurface of the leaves and the stems are covered with brown stellate hairs;and Ivy Violet (Viola hederacea). 

Back up to the Bass Track junction we took the left-hand fork and after about 2km came to an area regenerating after logging.  There were masses of young eucalypts with bright pink new leaves.  Silvertop Ash (Eucalyptus sieberi) was flowering and was probably the parent of all the seedlings.  Bright peas were Large-leaf Bush-pea (Pultenea daphnoides) and Giant Wedge-pea (Gompholobium latifolium) whose leaves had three leaflets, and the large yellow flowers had densely fringed keels.  There was a plant of Tall Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum elatum) with an inflorescence about 90cm high with many flowers .

Along the Point Hicks Road just before the turnoff to Tamboon Inlet was a damp area where most of the ground layer had been burnt not too long previously.  The overstorey included Paperbark Teatree (Leptospermum trinervium) and Spear Grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea resinosa).  Spear Grass-tree is a plant of East Gippsland, is always trunkless and its 3-angled leaves produce a yellow resin from their bases.  Apparently the indigenous people used this resin to help attach stone spear heads to the shaft of the spear, hence the common name for the plant.  Shrubs were Woolly Xanthosia (Xanthosia pilosa), a hairy shrub with trifoliate leaves and flowers held in umbrella-shaped groups; Wedding Bush (Ricinocarpos pinifolius) and Pink Beard-heath (Leucopogon ericoides).  Along the edge of the road were many plants of Twisted Sun-orchid (Thelymitra flexuosa) in bud.  This orchid has a wiry zigzag stem and small cream flowers.

Going north again we turned west onto Broome Track and stopped about 100m along the road to admire the lovely Pink Boronia (Boronia muelleri).  Here one of the trees was Saw Banksia (Banksia serrata).  Other shrubs were red Common Correa (Correa reflexa); Wiry Bauera (Bauera rubioides); Slender Rice-flower (Pimelea linifolia); Leafless Broom Spurge (Amperea xiphoclada) which is a small shrub with almost leafless 3-angled green stems and small clusters of tiny cream flowers; and the peas Giant Wedge-pea, and Common Aotus (Aotus ericoides).  A sedge was Red-fruit Saw-sedge (Gahnia sieberiana); there was the climbing fern Pouched coral-fern (Gleichenia dicarpa) and Bushy clubmoss (Lycopodium deuterodensum).  The only orchid was Tall Leek-orchid.  Broome Track ended also at Cann River with a moister environment.  There was Swamp Paperbark (Melaleuca ericifolia); Snowy Daisy-bush (Olearia lirata); Lance Beard-heath (Leucopogon lanceolatus); Rough Bush-pea (Pultenea scabra) whose leaves have a rough surface and inrolled margins; Creamy Candles (Stackhousia monogyna); Button Everlasting (Helichrysum scorpioides); and the ferns Rough tree-fern (Cyathea australis); Common ground-fern (Culcita dubia) which quite resembles Bracken but the growing tips are bright green; and a maidenhair (Adiantum sp.).

Sunday October 11
Just over 3km along Stony Peak Road on a little hill was a recently logged and bulldozed area.  We were amazed to find thousands of Copper Beard Orchid (Calochilus campestris) in this very disturbed environment.  The flowers of this orchid are spectacular.  They are grey-green with the petals with red stripes, the labellum is covered with purplish yellow tinged bristly hairs and the base of the labellum has two bright purple plates.  Apparently the beard orchids are like sun orchids and open best on hot days.  There were also a few fungi; one was a bracket with an orange top with concentric circles radiating out and ragged pores below, and there were large clumps of 3cm mustardy-brown gilled toadstools which were paler below with scaly stalks.     Birds were quite prevalent and we saw or heard Horsfields Bronze-cuckoo, Fantail and Pallid Cuckoo, Welcome Swallow, Grey Shrike-thrush, Red Wattlebird, Olive-backed Oriole, Rainbow Lorikeet and Dusky Woodswallow.

About 1km west along the East Wingan Road was an old gravel pit with white Blunt-leaf Heath (Epacris obtusifolia), and white Common Heath (E. impressa) with pointed leaves.  One of the trees was White Stringybark (Eucalyptus globoidea).  There was a tiny Wiry Bauera.  We were entertained by a curious female Golden Whistler and other birds were Laughing Kookaburra, Horsfields Bronze-cuckoo and Sacred Kingfisher.  On the opposite side of the road was a swamp known to contain rare orchids and it had been control burnt.  The area was quite wet.  There were many flowering Small Grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea minor).  There were more birds - Crescent Honeyeater, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Fantail, Grey Shrike-thrush and Jacky Winter.  There were Milkmaids (Burchardia umbellata); Bluebells (Wahlenbergia sp.); Rush Lily (Sowerbaea juncea) with a tuft of mauve flowers; and the orchids Tiny Fingers (Caladenia pusilla); blue-spotted Rush-leaf Sun-orchid (Thelymitra juncifolia); and lots of Great Sun-orchid (T. aristata).  In a large pool by the side of the road Pobblebonk frogs were croaking loudly until we approached too closely.  Then they stopped.  We couldn’t see them, but they could obviously see or feel us!

About 100m further up the left was an old track on the east side of the road.  It was very overgrown and unfortunately some of the overgrowth was that of the well-named Bushy Needlewood (Hakea decurrens) - ugh - very prickly!  A tiny Jacky Lizard ran under a clump of Thatch Saw-sedge (Gahnia radula). On the way in we passed a Sour Currant-bush (Leptomeria acida). Sour-bush is a green broom-like shrub with leaves reduced to scales and the stems acting as the photosynthetic tissue.  Its fruits were green drupes.  It is semiparasitic on the roots of other plants.  The area further in was damp with Pink Swamp-heath (Sprengelia incarnata) and Woolly-style Heath (Epacris lanuginosa).  Some sun orchids were tiny Pink Sun-orchid (Thelymitra carnea) and Spotted Sun-orchid (T. ixioides) with unusual pink hair tufts on the lateral lobes of the column.

Just west of the East Wingan Road was a rough track Blaze Trail leading to Dingo Creek Track.  We didn’t proceed very far along this but found tiny Short-lip Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum brevilabra) and the rare mauve daisy Brachyscome salkiniae, and heard Spotted Pardalote and the lovely warble of the Olive-backed Oriole.

On the west side of Cann River township and going north is Reed Bed Road.  About 2km along, the gas pipeline to Sydney lies buried alongside the road and the vegetation above is kept slashed.  There was a wealth of small shrubs and herbs.  These included the sun orchids, the bright pink Crested Sun-orchid (Thelymitra Xirregularis), Spotted Sun-orchid and everywhere Pink Sun-orchid.  Other orchids were Wax-lip (Glossodia major) and Pink Fingers (Caladenia carnea).  Two daisies were Blue Bottle-daisy (Lagenophora stipitata) and Shiny Buttons (Leptorhynchos nitidulus).  Again we saw Woolly-style Heath.  There was a tiny Sundew (Drosera sp.)with a deep pink rosette of insectivorous leaves.  Related to club mosses was Swamp selaginella (Selaginella uliginosa).

At about 5.8km from the Princes Highway we again found Brachyscome salkiniae.  Another daisy was white Twiggy Daisy-bush (Olearia ramulosa).  There was Nodding Blue Lily (Stypandra glauca) and Wattle Mat-rush (Lomandra filiformis).  There were again many orchids.  These were Wallflower Orchid (Diuris orientis) and Tiger Orchid (D. sulphurea), Mantis orchid (Caladenia tentaculata), White Fingers (C. catenata), Pink Fingers and Clark’s Caladenia and Peppertop Sun-orchid (Thelymitra brevifolia).   This strangely-named sun orchid is distinguished by a short broad leaf and a mostly brightly-coloured post-anther lobe.  We tried really hard but couldn’t see the Rufous Whistler that called repeatedly.  A Quail was flushed and gave us a scare.

Monday 12 October
The Thurra Junction Road is east and north of Cann River off the Princes Highway.  The first little creek we crossed was filled with ferns beneath Hazel Pomaderris (Pomaderris aspera).  There was Austral king-fern (Todea barbara) which has a short massive black trunk often with several crowns.  The fronds are large (up to 2m) shiny and bipinnate (twice branched), and the sporangia with the spores covered the bases of the fertile fronds.  Other ferns were Rough tree-fern (Cyathea australis), a scrambling Coral-fern (Gleichenia sp.) and two water-ferns, Fishbone water-fern (Blechnum nudum) and Hard water-fern (B. wattsii).  We had a longer stop where the road crossed the West Branch of the Thurra River.  While James and Alan bush-bashed to search for the rare Angular Hop-bush (Dodonaea truncatiales), the rest of us surveyed the vegetation around the river.  We were now in Coopracambra National Park.  In the overstorey were Apple Box (Eucalyptus bridgesiana) trees.  Close to the water was Kanooka (Tristaniopsis laurina) which is the family Myrtaceae with the eucalypts, but differs in that the fragrant flowers have free yellow petals and the stamens are united in five bundles.  Again we saw Rough tree-fern, Austral king-fern and Fishbone water-fern, but also River or Long-leaf Lomatia (Lomatia myricoides), a shrub with long toothed leavesand Tall Saw-sedge (Gahnia clarkei).  Further away the vegetation was really dense with Snowy Daisy-bush (Olearia lirata), Hairy Pink-bells, Handsome Flat-pea, Common Heath, Ivy Violet, Wiry Bauera, Shrubby Velvet-bush, Royal Grevillea (Grevillea parvula) with a small leaf and Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa).   Birds were Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Fantail Cuckoo, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Fantail, Eastern Whipbird, Crescent Honeyeater, Yellow Robin, Golden Whistler and excitingly Cicadabird.  The intrepid bush bashers failed to find the hop-bush, but did find Giant Bitter-pea (Daviesia laxiflora).  The bitter-peas have their leaves modified to phyllodes or reduced to scales and have triangular pods.

We backtracked to and down Nevilles Falls Track, and then abandoning the cars, walked down a very steep slope to the lovely Neville Falls on the Thurra River.  These picturesque falls really need a more descriptive name.  The road is replaced by a wide rock sheet (about 30m across) which holds back a large dark still pool.  The water then flows widely over the rock and drops about 3m to form the falls.  The area surrounded by tall trees forms a large amphitheatre.  Some of the plants close around the river were Kanooka, Scented Paperbark (Melaleuca squarrosa), Royal Grevillea (Grevillea parvula), Narrow-leaf Logania (Logania albiflora), a shrub with opposite leaves and small white scented flowers in clusters in the leaf axils; and Scrambling coral-fern (Gleichenia microphylla).  There were lots of mosses and liverworts growing over the rocks at the edge of the falls.  We heard a White-throated Treecreeper.

Along Black Snake Track on the way back the substrate was very grey sand with big grass trees and Paperbark Teatrees.  The only orchid was Large Duck-orchid (Caleana major).  This amazing looking orchid has flowers which resemble a duck in flight.  The flower is inverted and the smooth dark labellum is shaped like a duck’s head and attached to the column base by a sensitive strap.  This bizarre arrangement leads to the flower being pollinated by the copulatory advances of male sawflies.  There was Bushy clubmoss and a lichen covered with bright orange fruiting structures.  Growing on the stump of a grass tree was a foliose lichen which was loose, spongy and cream, and appeared like “snow“.  This same species or something similar covers large areas of the ground in the Blue Tiers in eastern Tasmania.  It might be like the “reindeer lichen” (Cladonia sp.) which forms extensive lichen pastures in the birch forests of Scandinavia and the lichen woodlands of subarctic Canada which are important feeding areas for reindeer and caribou.  There were Superb Fairy-wren and a Female Whistler with a very young male.

What an amazing trip.  In all we found around 28 different species of orchids among the hundreds of plants we saw.  Many thanks James!!