Lacy Coral Lichen and Other Things In the Great Outdoors

Besides the opportunity  for beach walking, the Aldinga house sit was within walking distance of the Aldinga Conservation Park where, among other things, the rare Lacy Coral Lichen could be found. I took my brand new bike out to the conservation park and pushed it along the very sandy tracks. Then I went back later with Roger for a longer walk, looking for birds and Lacey Lichen.  The Conservation Park nestled in the valley between Aldinga and the hills of the Fleurieu Peninsula.  The sun shone, and despite the bitter wind the grass was splattered with wildflowers.

The park was busy on a Sunday afternoon. A kangaroo paid close attention to a mob of juvenile cyclists. The cyclists, busy with teenage pecking-order rituals, didn't appear to notice the kangaroo at all.

Those eyelashes!

Keeping our eyes peeled for Lacey Lichen, we wandered through the coastal scrub, passing fenced-off areas where something was being protected from someone (or the other way around) but in true South Australian style there was no information to be had so we were none the wiser. 

Sandy paths through the forest.

 

We passed groves of grass trees where, on my original bike-pushing reconnaissance, I had indulged in a spot of bike posing.

I think it's well camouflaged.

We reached the far end of the park and turned for home, still on the lookout for the Lacey Lichen, although handicapped by not knowing what it looked like.

What good is a lookout if you can't see anything for the trees?   But maybe the trees are the point?  It's a good spot to sit a while anyway.

Finally we reached the home stretch, almost back to our starting point, and I had given up all hope of sighting the elusive Lacey Lichen when there it was, all neatly fenced off and with an information board and a seat to boot!  If we had walked the other way we would have found it at the start rather than the end of the walk, but then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of all that anticipation, would I?

Looking for all the world like froth and bubble between the trees,

...but on closer inspection living up to its Lacey name.

Well nothing could top that excitement so home we wandered to reassure the dog that we still loved  him and would feed him dinner.  He didn't care about Lacey Lichen at all. Or us.  He just cared about dinner.

Bonus birds of the day.