Fagus watch 2011 [Multiple photos]

[stepbystep]

Wish the weather had been like that on Murchison when I went up . . .

...always complaining about the weather, you must be a fully fledged Victorian these days
Seriously though I did have to contend with a 5 knot Easterly, and all that sun.....

I wasn't complaining, just asking for something a little more photogenic. You should have seen some of the conditions I was walking in. The camera was a useless weight for too much of the time.

I've walked in crud, and I've walked with ollster, so I know about excess weight

[north-north-west]

Oooooo, you're a brave man, 'cause he's a LOT bigger than you.

Still, I understand. *remembers one or three past boyfriends*

[ILUVSWTAS]

I've walked in crud, and I've walked with ollster, so I know about excess weight

Lol, you worked today didnt Dan..... I bet your on bevvie no.6 to have said that publically.....

[ollster]

I've walked in crud, and I've walked with ollster, so I know about excess weight

The ladies don't think it's excess.

[ILUVSWTAS]

I've walked in crud, and I've walked with ollster, so I know about excess weight

The ladies don't think it's excess.

These ones??

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl= ... 66&bih=587

[north-north-west]

I've walked in crud, and I've walked with ollster, so I know about excess weight

The ladies don't think it's excess.

That would depend on exactly which bit of you we're talking about.

[Speculator]

.... seriously, get a room you lot!

Getting back on topic, the weather looks like it'll be good for a trip to Cradle over the Easter break, the Fagus should be looking great by then!

L8r.

[Phil]

Getting back on topic, the weather looks like it'll be good for a trip to Cradle over the Easter break, the Fagus should be looking great by then! L8r.

Planning to head up there on Monday for an overnight at Scott kilvert with my 6 year old; weather does look fantastic hey speculator, hoping it delivers on what is being forecast at the moment! Any others heading in?

Phil.

[Speculator]

I'm heading up for a day wander. Cant do overnighters until I get my new pack or fix my broken old one (but what's the point in fixing it, I never liked it anyway).

Hope you get good weather and have a great walk Phil!

Getting back on topic, the weather looks like it'll be good for a trip to Cradle over the Easter break, the Fagus should be looking great by then! L8r.

Planning to head up there on Monday for an overnight at Scott kilvert with my 6 year old; weather does look fantastic hey speculator, hoping it delivers on what is being forecast at the moment! Any others heading in?

Phil.

[pazzar]

There hadn't been much fagus activity up around Little Hugel on Friday, I'm hoping it is in full force on Monday-Thursday up at Mt Thetis. Forecast is looking amazing!

[telopea truncata]

heading up Cradle wednesday for a couple of days , hopefully suttons tarn will be in full action

[dee_legg]

Was up at Tarn Shelf today with about 500 other people (literally!!) and the fagus is definitely out!

[GeoffR]

Yep, was definitely out, but not as spectacular as last year i.m.o.

A couple of snaps from yesterday:





And I can vouch for the number of people, got out there early & left early, but I reckon I passed at least 150 on the way in as I was going out!

[GerryDuke]

The Advocate would like to do an article on the fagus on Mt Muchison. If anyone has an image from the weekend they could use it would be appreciated. PM me for details.

Thanks

Gerry

[telopea truncata]

Went up to Cradle last week , it was amazing. Most surprisingly on the Friday when drizzle and mist clagged in ,
just beuatiful

[norts]

Fagus at Pool of memories

Fagus on the slopes of Ducane and Massif

Taken before Easter

Roger

[Chrisbulldog]

Walked to Marions Lookout today . Some fagus left but has lost its brightness , so i'd say thats pretty much it for the fagus this year.
Nice brown carpet on the tracks however. A reasonably clear day afforded excellent views from the lookout.

[Drifting]

We were out there too- a bit of colour around Crater Lake, but not much. Glorious day though.

[DaveNoble]

A friend sent this link -

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/05/06/3210283.htm

worth watching for those that missed it.

Dave

[stepbystep]

A friend sent this link -

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/05/06/3210283.htm

worth watching for those that missed it.

Dave

Should have mentioned this Dave, I cut the story There are factual errors, see if you can spot them.

[DaveNoble]

Errors? - Perhaps -
"Australia's only deciduous tree" (some cedar trees are deciduous)
"orange or red" (should be yellow or orange, only very small ones are red, although South American beech in Patagonia can turn red)
"grows up to 2m tall" - should be higher 3m or so?

Dave

[frenchy_84]

apparantly 6 Australian deciduous trees http://www.gardeningtipsnideas.com/2009 ... trees.html
There is also in existence a Nothofagus Eugenana which is a hybrid between a south american nothofagus which isnt deciduous and our fagus which is

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yer it's Australias only NATIVE deciduous tree isnt it?

[Phil S]

I recently put this question to a botanist friend. Apparently the Kurragong family are dry-season deciduous and native. Also the Kapok tree although I'm not sure if these are strickly native.

[frenchy_84]

nope, i was lead to believe their were 3 native deciduous plants but the above link has 6 plants that are native

*edit, the nope is for ILUV

[ILUVSWTAS]

Well there you go! I KNOW i've hear people say that that is is the only native! So whats all the fuss about this tree then huh?? Why do thousands flock to see it every year?? The old timers didnt call it tanglefoot for nothing! Anyone who's ever walked off track through it knows how awful it is!!!

[stepbystep]

Errors? - Perhaps -
"Australia's only deciduous tree" (some cedar trees are deciduous)
"orange or red" (should be yellow or orange, only very small ones are red, although South American beech in Patagonia can turn red)
"grows up to 2m tall" - should be higher 3m or so?

Dave

I had the two of those Dave, not the colour one, the other thing was she said the Tarn Shelf landscape was formed millions of years ago in an ice age, not so sure about that one either, last ice age was 10,000 years ago or so wasn't it?

[frenchy_84]

Abstract from a K Kiernan Paper titled Glaciation and cave sediment aggradation around the margins of the Mt Field Plateau, Tasmania
"Landform evolution around the Mt Field Plateau has been strongly influenced by multiple stages of cold glacial climate. Only small glaciers were present during the late Last Glacial or Global Isotope Stage 2, but degraded moraines and the distribution of erratics indicate that ice cover was more extensive earlier when ice and meltwater invaded neighbouring karst areas and meltwater streams deposited gravel in caves. Weathering evidence suggests a significant glacial advance during Global Isotope Stage 4. Uranium–thorium dating of speleothems associated with gravels in proglacial caves suggests a major phase of gravel aggradation that post-dates Global Isotope Stage 5 and pre-dates Global Isotope Stage 2."

Global isotope stage 4 was approx 70000 years ago... so not quite a million

[stepbystep]

Abstract from a K Kiernan Paper titled Glaciation and cave sediment aggradation around the margins of the Mt Field Plateau, Tasmania
"Landform evolution around the Mt Field Plateau has been strongly influenced by multiple stages of cold glacial climate. Only small glaciers were present during the late Last Glacial or Global Isotope Stage 2, but degraded moraines and the distribution of erratics indicate that ice cover was more extensive earlier when ice and meltwater invaded neighbouring karst areas and meltwater streams deposited gravel in caves. Weathering evidence suggests a significant glacial advance during Global Isotope Stage 4. Uranium–thorium dating of speleothems associated with gravels in proglacial caves suggests a major phase of gravel aggradation that post-dates Global Isotope Stage 5 and pre-dates Global Isotope Stage 2."

Global isotope stage 4 was approx 70000 years ago... so not quite a million

^^^my thoughts exactly^^^

[Pteropus]

So whats all the fuss about this tree then huh?? Why do thousands flock to see it every year??

I have never been down to see the beech trees colour up, but it is something I hope to do. I think what sets Nothofagus gunnii apart from our other Australian deciduous trees is that it colours up fairly consistently and attractively, and grows in groves so colour is en masse. They are the closest tree visually to a northern hemisphere deciduous plant. Conversely, other native deciduous trees such as red and white cedar don’t colour very well (leaves kinda just go yellow and fall off) and they don’t grow in thick groves. Red cedar is a spectacular rainforest giant (and was Australia’s first natural resource for export), but definitely not spectacular for its colour. I have read that the timber getters used to spot the bare branches of the red cedars sticking out of the forest canopy in winter to locate where the big trees were. White cedar has pretty flowers and attractive live foliage and fruits, and is an attractive feature tree, but looks a bit scraggily when dropping leaves imho.
I hope I will get down to see the ’fagus next year...