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2018 Road Trip – Holland Track and Beyond – Day 8

Numerous days, Road Trip

31/08/2018

Leaving camp after a wonderful breakfast we pass by Centenary Rocks as there does not appear to be a firm parking place or entry point, so we decide to just keep travelling along. Soon enough we come across some more water hazards of unknown depth, so our pace slows down again.

Another Hollan Track bog hole

Here we go again

Its only 10.40am and its time for a pit stop before tackling a bog hole that is quite deep. No chicken tracks around this one. Whilst Deb and Richard are pondering their next move I check out the surrounding bush and come across a spider orchid and the good old Sugar orchid (Ericksonella saccharata).

Unknown species
Proving to be the most common orchid in these parts

Now to tackle the bog hole.

Just the other side of this hole I spy a bright green little orchid in the scrub so jump out to discover another Midget greenhood (Pterostylis mutica).

Cupped lateral sepals and a small rounded cupped labellum
Full plant shot and neighbouring rosette

7.51kms into the day we hit a T junction and head north. Unfortunately this part of the track was sloping sideways and travelling up an incline. Without a strong forward momentum the Triton slips into the ditch and we are stuck.  With out trusty “Maxtrax” and some shovelling of mud,  Deb is able to get us out of a slippery situation.

At the top of this incline we pull over for morning tea, before turning east again and you guessed it, more water. However going slow through the water allows me to spy orchids in the nearby scrub. Further Sugar orchids found.

At least the sky is blue
Full plant shot
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10 km further along is our lunch stop, Krakouer Rock. This was named after brothers Rudolph and David Krakouer who accompanied John Holland on his epic trek. Nice stop but only found some lonely snail orchids.  They appear to be more Hairy-leafed snail orchids (Pterostylis echinulata) due to the small size of the rosettes and small stature of the flowers.

Rosettes galore
Small stature and small rosette
Nice pit stop for lunch

16kms further along we come to Agnes Gnamma Hole which with the recent rains is overflowing. More snail orchids found here as well.

Agnes Gnamma Hole

Rocks are piled around to stop animals falling in and contaminating the water

Ganamma hole in the foreground to the left.
Nice little hood

We have over 15kms to go before we set camp, so we make tracks and drive past Diamond Rock and turn off the track to camp at Thursday Rock. Its 5.19pm and after setting up camp I am allowed to go exploring the rock for orchids. Prior to getting to the rock on the walk trail I find large hoods of snail orchids. However to my surprise, bright yellow catches my eye, as I mounted the granite rock. All over the rock in groups are donkey orchids. From the location I will name these Yellow granite donkey orchid (Diuris hazeliae) which are found between Paynes Find and Salmon Gums flowering August and September.

Thursday Rock campsite

We had the large campground to ourselves and lit to obligatory camp fire.

Snail orchids

Hairy-leafed or Hairy-stemmed … One or the other

As the name suggests grows in soil pockets on granite outcrops
Two to three basal leaves
Broad petals and dorsal sepal
Reflexed lateral sepals
The bright yellow that caught my eye
Standing proud

We enjoy another meal cooked on the campfire and make our way to bed exhausted form another day on the track. Orchid numbers down but another eventful day. What will tomorrow bring. 

2018 Road Trip – Holland Track and Beyond – Day 7

Numerous days, Road Trip

30/08/2018

After enduring a wet n windy night we awaken to a grey morning with misting rain so we persevere with breakfast and pack away wet campers again. We break camp, then using the Trip Notes head north along Bounty Mine Private Access Road. Our first point of call is not to far into the drive and is a rock hole found by John Holland. It has now be greatly enlarged but was still a nice historic site to visit. Another plus for the spot was, you guessed it, orchids were found. 

Rock holes filled with water

Found by John Holland

First up were good groupings or as I like to call them hoods of Hairy-leafed snail orchids (Pterostylis echinulata) which seem to like laterite soil.

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Nearby were some Sugar orchids (Ericksonella saccharata)
Nice full plant shot
Stark white petals and lateral sepals
Also covered in water droplets were two types of spider orchids. Twisted together were possible Western wispy spider orchids (Caladenia microchila)  and nearby was a lone Drooping spider orchid (Caladenia radialis).
Tangled together
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Drooping petals and lateral sepals
Dorsal sepal weighed down by water droplets
 Four species within a few metres, not a bad little spot. We however move onwards as the trip notes lead us to believe the worst of the track is behind us, so we expect a quicker run going forward. Oh well that prediction soon proved incorrect.
Sticky, slippery mud
Water everywhere
As muddy as ever
At one bog hole we stopped to inspect the way forward and being one to take my opportunities to look for orchids, I hit the bush for a quick scout. The little lime green orchid catches my eye as it did yesterday. Further Midget greenhoods (Pterostylis mutica) are found including one with 4 flowers in bloom which is a first for me. They usually have only 1 or 2 open. 
Awesome full plant shot
4 flower inflorescence
Labellum cupped by the later sepals
I then noticed another snail orchid hidden under a nearby bush, so moved some branches away to get a photo and was shocked and elated to have found my first ever Sigmoid spider orchid (Caladenia sigmoidea). These little beauties are found between Mt Jackson and Mt Ragged during the months July through September. In fact this little orchid was actually smaller than the snail orchid.

Clubbed petals and sepals
Size comparison with snail orchid
The distinctive S shaped labellum apex
Labellum is creamy white with red stripes
We again hit the track, pass through more bog holes and large puddles before the track turns abruptly north. A little further and at the top of a ridge is a great camping spot, where we stop for morning tea.
Morning tea

Great camping spot, but we must move on

We head off climbing up further when Deb radios us to advise Richard that his power connection to his camper trailer had come loose. So whilst he is fixing this I head off on foot up the long gravelly incline, where I luckily find some Sugar orchids.

Slow incline. Slippery gravel with puddles to transverse.
The most prolific orchids out these parts

Near the mine site the track turns east and after what seemed like ages, we find another area large enough to pull alongside each other, so we could have lunch. It was in fact less than 1 hr and only 5kms.

Lunch-time on the Holland Track

Sunny but still a cold wind

Windy with light rain and still slow going … Check out this video footage!!!

Next stop is in the Jilbadji Nature Reserve at a place named Sandlewood Rocks. Only 2pm so we have a quick walk around with the only orchid find being some good hoods of snail orchids. They seem to be more Hairy-leafed snail orchids. 

Nice size hood of snail orchids
Also have a hairy stem

Leaving Saddlewood Rocks we move further east and come across the State Barrier Fence again. This time it is the southern end of the eastern section. We skirt around the end and travel alongside the fence in a northerly direction then turn northeast and head out of the Nature Reserve. A few kilometres later we come to what at first appears to be a daunting task. A claypan with deep ruts filled with muddy water, but luckily we were able to skirt around the edge and continue forward.

Bogged out clay flats

A daunting sight

At the 11.52km mark from where we left the State Barrie Fence we come across a Commemorative Plaque, erected for the Holland Track centenary, at the crossroads with Mount Day Road. The Holland track was actually in better nick that the so called Road.

XRDS Mount Day Road

Centenary Plaque of Holland Track.

We still have 22 kms of track before our planned camp at Blazed Tree Camp which is near Centenary Rocks. So off we head and as we get close a fallen tree blocks the path. Richard gets out his trusty chainsaw and in the windy conditions he saws the log into movable sections and we are soon back on our way. A rainbow appears and guides us  to our camping spot.

Chainsaw

Richard saws up tree that had fallen over the track

Sunshine brightens up the bush under a black sky
Richard’s Trtton and camper at Blazed Tree Camp
The mighty Triton and Camper at Blazed Tree Camp

A long 8 hrs of driving today. We set up camp, light our obligatory campfire and enjoy an evening under the stars, when they peaked out behind all the cloud that is. 

2018 Road Trip – Holland Track and Beyond – Day 6

Numerous days, Road Trip

29/08/2018

Well after a wet night we awake to a windy and overcast day. So we have breakfast and pack up some damp campers, but not before I have a very quick scout for any orchids that may be around. Guess what? I found a patch of Mallee banded greenhoods (Pterostylis arbuscula) which are a recently named species. Common name “Mallee” is yet to be confirmed.

Lighter brown colouring than Dark Banded Greenhood (Pterostylis sanguinea)
Named from specimens collected along the Hyden-Lake King Road.

 As the track had become a boggy mess after last nights rain we sneak out of our camping spot using a recently pushed through “chicken track”, so called as you bypass the gnarly parts of the track. A little way along, but a few hours into the drive (9.50am), we get out of the Tritons to check out a particularly challenging bog hole, when I spy something small and bright green in the drab understory of the surrounding woodland. It is a small Midget greenhood (Pterostylis mutica) which upon closer inspection has neighbours.  

Standing up to 350mm in height
Photo displayed to show the labellum
This little guy grabbed my eye from 2 metres away

Also nearby were some Hairy-stemmed snail orchids (Pterostylis sp. ‘inland’) which are found inland to Kalgoorlie on a line from Kalbarri to Balladonia.

Lateral sepals can be up th 35mm in length
Much shorter neighbour
Close-up showing hairs to stem

We move on and finally reach the Southern Cross – Forrestania Road intersection, which is 18.02km from Wattle Rocks. It was a long tough stretch of the track but we have made it to Mount Holland, where after much deliberation we have decided to camp for the night. After about 1/2 an hour we have set up camp and started collecting fire wood but before we have lunch we decide to climb up the so called Mount. No orchids found on the climb up, but on the lee side of the hills summit some small orchids are found. 

Possible Hairy-leafed snail orchids (Pterostylis echinulata) however these are recorded as flowering June and July so late August may be a bit of a stretch. Also they are recorded between Hyden and Kulin so a bit East of this as well. Have a very hairy stem so may just be small more Hairy-stemmed snail orchids. A 3rd party has confirmed ID as Hairy-leafed snail orchid.

Little hood growing on top of Mt Holland
Very small rosette and only 1 stem leaf

Small stature and small rossette
Close-up of rosette with what appears to be hairy margins

Also very close by were some small Sugar orchids (Ericksonella saccharata).

Purple haired ??? in a white jumpsuit
Dorsal sepal not yet erect
Seems to be dancing

Making our way back down the Mt we cross the vehicle track and come towards the camping ground from the East. Debbie finds a lone Midget greenhood with a Mallee banded greenhood as a neighbour.

Small but bright green against the other foliage
Newly names species

Back to camp for lunch, then afterwards Richard takes his Metal Detector for a spin, I go for another explore whilst Deb get organised for dinner, which is cooked over the campfire. After we hit the sack the heavens open up and we have a wet night to content with. Toilet breaks in the rain are not fun….