Info wanted: Mt Baw Baw to Mt Erica, via Mt Mueller & Tyers

[andrewbish]

Hi
I am interested in following a route from Mt Baw Baw to Mt Erica, via Mts Mueller & Tyers. The contours and distances seem doable, but I'm keen to hear from anyone who can advise on the scrub conditions.

[MartyGwynne]

I'm pretty sure it is doable but heavy scrub may prevail. I've walked some of it, I got dropped off by helicopter to help cull willows and ended up having to walk out to mt Baw Baw. Interesting place though.
If I remember correctly the strzelecki bushwalking club has walked there a bit and there may be a walk report on the web site SBWC.----- forgot the web site but I'm sure mr goooogle will work it out.
You may have to contact the club to get more details but I know of one person who is very knowledgeable in the Baw Baw national park..

[andrewbish]

Thanks, Marty. I had quick scan of their site, but nothing came up. I reckon it will be doable. Will report back in a week or so.

[andrewbish]

Reporting back on the trip, for those interested. PM me if you want more details. (No, I don't have a GPX file.)

We camped at Mushroom Rocks on the Friday night finding a nice, sheltered spot beneath one of the giant boulders.
Around 8am Saturday we walked up to Mt Erica, then Mt Talbot. We came to the head of a river valley at 9:45am, with a clear view of Mt Tyers.

We then followed it to the base of Mt Tyers, walking about 50-100m south of the river where the valley narrowed, on the last 1km to Mt Tyers The going was varied, but generally very slow - mostly due to very thick scrub, other times due to fallen trees and litter on the ground. You definitely got the impression that no other human had been here for a very long time.

We climbed Mt Tyers (which sports a little cairn), then Mt Mueller. Different scrub, but thick and with lots of fallen trees.
At around 7pm, after 9 hours off-trail walking and 6.5 km covered, we found a rare open area to camp, about 500m from the Pudding Basin marker on a Mt Baw Baw ski trail. We found a good water source about 100m away, through - as is par for this course - thick scrub.

The next day we pushed our way through the scrub to Pudding Basin, in an hour.
We then had a relatively leisurely walk back to the Mt Erica Carpark via the AAWT.

[andrewbish]

We encountered this prickly plant, generally guarding the access to the creeks in the open, mossy areas. It was up to chest height, with long, strong stems. Does anyone know the name of it?

[MickyB]

We encountered this prickly plant, generally guarding the access to the creeks in the open, mossy areas. It was up to chest height, with long, strong stems. Does anyone know the name of it?

Looks like Richea scoparia which doesn't grow in Victoria. Perhaps Richea victoriana (I've never actually see one so it's just a guess)

[neilmny]

I think it's Richea Continentis or Candle Heath and it is fairly prickly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richea_continentis
Lots of it about in the Baw Baws.

[MickyB]

We encountered this prickly plant, generally guarding the access to the creeks in the open, mossy areas. It was up to chest height, with long, strong stems. Does anyone know the name of it?

Looks like Richea scoparia which doesn't grow in Victoria. Perhaps Richea victoriana (I've never actually see one so it's just a guess)

According to your description of where it grows and the info on this site ( http://data.rbg.vic.gov.au/vicflora/flo ... ab1b736bcc ) I am confident it would be R. victoriana although I still haven't seen a photo of one (other than yours).

Narrowly erect shrub 0.7–2 m high; older branches with prominent annular scars. Leaves usually persisting only on the upper 5–40 cm of stem, spreading, sometimes slightly twisted, ovate-lanceolate to triangular, 3–10 cm long, 5–11 mm wide, flat to concave; apex straight or decurved, shortly pungent-pointed; margins serrulate. Flowers in dense narrow spike-like panicles to c. 12 cm long; peduncle not or only slightly exserted from leaf-sheaths; inflorescence axis glabrous; lateral branches to 18 mm long; sepals 4 or 5, broadly ovate, 1.2–1.5 mm long, obtuse to subacute; corolla white, 3.5–4 mm long; anthers narrowly oblong; filaments 3–3.5 mm long; nectary absent, style c. 1.5–1.7 mm long. Fruit c. 2 mm long; seeds 0.8–1.1 mm long.

Restricted to montane and subalpine sites on and near the Baw Baw Plateau and the Blue Range, between Marysville and Taggerty. Occurs in wet heathland, wet scrub or margins of cool-temperate rainforest.

Looks like a beautiful area. Thanks for sharing.

[MickyB]

I think it's Richea Continentis or Candle Heath and it is fairly prickly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richea_continentis
Lots of it about in the Baw Baws.

I did think of that Neil but didn't think R. continentis grows to chest height.

[GBW]

Nice Andrew. Looks great flowering in January...

.

[andrewbish]

Yes it does, GBW!
And thanks to all who commented here

[MartyGwynne]

Well done guys looks like you had a good trip and even found one of the few clearings up there. Its very prickly, that plant, when you have to walk through it.
I think the trip reports are on the sbwc.org.au members only area which is where the walk was mentioned about ten years ago from memory but you made it any way.