Walking With Wildflowers: The Lodge Loop

 With the walking tracks of Belair National Park just at the bottom of our hill I took a break from clocking up kilometers on my bike and went walking instead. Spring has sprung in South Australia: tiny green leaves popped out on all the deciduous trees and the bright green grass, legacy of winter rains, was spattered with wildflowers. 

 

 The Lodge Loop walk followed the railway for the first kilometre or two.  I wasn't troubled by trains however, as the suburban network stopped at Belair Station so there was only the odd freight train to worry about and none of those came past during my walk.

The Lodge Path went up past the old Belair Lodge.  The Lodge is a private residence so no Lodge-visiting allowed.

 

Belair roads and walking tracks, still showing signs of winter rains.

I had the Lodge Loop all to myself apart from the odd mountain biker who came zooming past on a rapid gravity-assisted trip down to the bottom of the hill.

For purposes of fire fighting: camouflaged water tank.

Higher up on the ridges I saw yuccas. Yuccas is the South Australian name for grass trees, because South Australia does things differently.

Down below the yuccas I passed the ovals  where mobs of kangaroos came out to graze as the afternoon shadows lengthened to evening.

One of you is going the wrong way.

A long-billed Corella had his evening drink from Playford Lake.

More Belair flowers.

I finished the loop by walking back up the hill to Belair Station, catching the last of the evening sun.

Belair Railway Station buildings.

The cat noted my return with equanimity, gazing at me from the comfort of her cat bowl. Then she turned her back, because cats don't approve of people going for walks without asking for cat permission.

Go away, human.