Spring walk to Horseshoe Bay

I woke to hail showers last Saturday so decided another walk would be more productive than filling tyres with muddy soil. This time I set off to walk the Back Road track; up past the quarry, through the muddy bush track and down on to Horseshoe Bay. The sun came out for lengthening periods so it was very pleasant slow-walking and looking closely at what was happening in the ngahere (bush).

Ten minutes after leaving home Back Road curls around to the left and heads up to a privately-owned quarry. The bank at the side of the road is full of interesting flora...

Something's been eating these leaves

this is what they are supposed to look like

A false morel fungus, Gyromitra tasmanica, not edible

Crustose lichen fruiting body?, Baeomyces spp

A deep puddle with algae growing in it

Not sure if it's the toxic blue green algae - it didn't look very nice

After the quarry, the metal road peters out to a bush track which can be quite muddy in places. The trees arch over the track which remind me of a cathedral - Mother Nature quietly builds such wonderful structures without power tools, mechanical devices or rubbish skips!

The start of the track - looking back toward the quarry

This orchid should be in flower in the next couple of months

The Horseshoe Bay end of the track is the muddiest

It's a short 150m from the track end down on to the sweeping bay with its white sand...

Looking west along Horseshoe Bay

Looking east from the same spot

The community nursery grows native plants for $2 each

Horseshoe Bay usually has a great selection of intact shells and is a favoured place to walk the dogs and play beach golf. The bay is about a kilometre long so plenty of space to experience the elements.

A beautiful volute shell - about 150mm long

A seagull meeting

The east end of the beach was full of these 'worm casts' (see below)