Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: Jupiter on January 19, 2018, 09:23:34 PM

Title: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Jupiter on January 19, 2018, 09:23:34 PM

We've just returned from a family holiday to Tasmania where we visited two alpine regions, Ben Lomond National Park and the stunning World heritage listed Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park. Unfortunately it was an earlier than typical season in the Australian alps, so we missed the flowering of the cushion plants and some of the other iconic alpine flora, but there was still plenty to see!

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Driving toward Ben Lomond from Launceston the mountains beckoned

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At the foot of the plateau where a walking trail winds up through the scree to the summit, but not a walk for small children so we took the easy way up...

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Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Jupiter on January 19, 2018, 09:30:56 PM

Once up on the plateau I found myself in a fantastic alpine wonderland, like the most perfect rock garden stretching on for kilometers in every direction!

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The early season meant that the stunning and showy Richea scoparia was finished but I found a few cooler pockets with flowers just hanging on.

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Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Jupiter on January 19, 2018, 09:44:35 PM

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Bellendena montana, a member of the Proteaceae family believe it or not! Alpine environments do stage things to plants.

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Leptospermum rupestre grows taller at lower altitudes but hugs the rocks tightly up on the plateau.

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A very miniature Violet sp. I'm yet to identify

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Ewartia catipes

Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Gabriela on January 19, 2018, 11:15:35 PM

Wow! Spectacular, looking fwd to see more Jamus.
Hope there will be some fix to this problem of loading pictures.

Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Robert on January 19, 2018, 11:37:38 PM

Jamus,

 8)  Very very interesting terrain and plants.

I look forward to the remaining photographs.

Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Jacek on January 20, 2018, 12:56:31 AM

Beautiful and  so different to what I'm used to see in the mountains. Please, show more if possible.

Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Jupiter on January 20, 2018, 04:46:24 AM

Thanks guys. I got the images loading so now I'll continue the essay.

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Euphrasia collina subsp. muelleri

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Lycopodium fastigiatum and Colobanthus pulvinatus? and others?...

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Gentianella diemensis

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Cushion plant habitat

Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: shelagh on January 20, 2018, 10:17:28 AM

I really envy you, Tasmania is the only place in Australia that has ever held any fascination for me. Please keep the pictures coming.

Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Leucogenes on January 20, 2018, 02:26:08 PM

Hello, Jamus.
I am also absolutely thrilled by the great recordings and I am happy that you share your impressions with us.
Tasmania is such a mystery to me... especially in botanical areas.
 
The Species Ewartia is one of my absolute favorites... maybe because it looks a bit like Raoulia. A few years ago I had received a few seeds, but unfortunately I did not succeed. Probably the seeds were already too old. 😭😭

Please show more of this breathtakingly beautiful region.

Thanks
Thomas

Title: Re: Ben Lomond Tasmania - better late than never
Post by: Jupiter on January 20, 2018, 08:37:31 PM

Cushion plants grow in communities of several species, Abrotanella fosteroides, Pterygopappus lawrencei, Donatia novae-zelandiae, Dracophyllum minimum and Colobanthus pulvinatus

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