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At least one member of each of the two then visibly-present mammal species had a good look at each other.
Deep Creek Conservation Park’s stringybark forest is rich in both flora and fauna…and in other living things.
Humans aside, Deep Creek has at least eleven mammal species, but most human visitors see only the one you are now looking at: Macropus filiginosus, the western grey kangaroo.
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Whenever you are walking in a forest, there is one thing you should always remember to do, at least every few minutes: look up.
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I am sure that many who have walked In Deep Creek Conservation Park’s stringybark forest would agree that its grass “trees” are as striking as are its actual trees.
The former are examples of Xanthorrhoea australis, the most commonly seen & widely distributed of Australia’s Xanthorrhoea species.
All members of the “grass tree” genus are endemic to Australia; this one is found across a deal of southern Australia, including Tasmania.
It’s known as the “southern grass tree”. In South Australia it is commonly called “yakka”/ “yacca”, a word probably borrowed/mangled from its local indigenous name.
As was generally true of Xanthorrhoea species, many non-indigenous people used to call members of this one, “black boys”.
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…and ferns.
However – as later posts will reveal – although “the greenery” is lovely, what makes this particular forest’s “floor” so amazing are its non-photosynthesizing, legless, living beings.
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…where the walking is easy, and highly rewarding.
Much of the “Adelaide Hills” and Fleurieu Peninsula is “highly picturesque”.
However, only a very tiny portion even remotely resembles its “natural” or “original” state.
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The featured image was taken at 4.19 pm on 20 June 2023.
We were standing on a rocky headland, adjacent to (and southeast of) Blowhole Beach; the photo looks south-southwest, across Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island.
With sunset less than an hour away, there was not enough time to “explore” the actual Blowhole Beach, but we were able to potter around the rocky shores immediately east of it, before heading to the 4WD track – our safer uphill option, should darkness fall before we had “conquered” Cobbler Hill.
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When I took the featured image it was 4. 03 pm, and we had walked the greater portion of the steep track down from Cobbler Hill to Blowhole Beach.
You can see Blowhole Beach on the right hand side.
Kangaroo Island’s northern edge provided most of the photo’s horizon.
You cannot see a blowhole, because Blowhole Beach has none.
However, over umpteen thousands of years, countless humans have stood on or above this beach and witnessed the “blow” emitted by whales, breathing.
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The featured image looks across to the Cape Willoughby lighthouse which sits atop Kangaroo Island’s eastern edge.
We were standing on the nearest part of mainland Australia.
Mainland Oz is “our” world’s largest island; and smallest continental landmass.
Relative to the mainland, Tasmania is tiny – less than 1% as big.
Tasmania is, however, by far the biggest other Australian island; it exceeds the next ranked – Melville Island – by more than ten times.
Kangaroo Island is a little smaller than Melville, but much bigger than any other of Australia’s more than eight thousand islands.
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