Lemonade Creek Track Walk March 15, 2025 - Friends Of Eastern Otways

Reports March 29, 2025

Perhaps it was the warning of High Fire Danger or just that our members had not got into gear for the new year, but it was a very small group of just six people who joined with us for the walk to Lemonade Creek on Saturday, March 15.

It was a perfect autumn day for the walk and, in contrast to the extremely dry conditions of the Anglesea heathlands, Lemonade Creek was just so delightful with its lush, green vegetation in the forest and creek gullies.

The photo taken by John Lenegan suggested 2.2 hrs but with our lunch break it was a 3hr walk to Erskine falls

The tree ferns were very impressive and we were able to distinguish between the Soft Tree-fern, Dicksonia antarctica and the Rough Tree-fern, Cyathea australis by feeling where the fronds join the trunk.

Leslie admires the impressive ferns — Lesley admires the impressive ferns

We had many other fern names on the list made in 2004 at the official opening of the walk, and we were able to identify some of them including Bracken, Common Ground Fern, Mother Shield-fern, Bat’s wing-fern, Kangaroo Fern and Common Rasp-fern. We would like to have had a fern expert with us to help with identification.

We thought the frond of the Kangaroo Fern but not too sure!

It was just delightful walking along the narrow track and crossing the creek on the newly renovated bridges. There was very little water in the creek but enough to provide for the birds and other animals that might live in this beautiful habitat.

Time to rest while Lynn captures a photo

There were many of our familiar plants along the way but there were others that prefer the moist rainforest type vegetation.

John captured the attractive Mountain Correa just getting ready to come into flower

While Lynn shows the unusual tri-foliate leaves of the Stinkwood, Ziera arborescens. (There had to be a reason we lugged Enid’s heavy book along the track!) — While Lynn shows the unusual tri-foliate leaves of the Stinkwood, *Ziera arborescens*. (There had to be a reason we lugged Enid’s heavy book along the track!)

A Southern Bracket Fungus captured our attention on the trunk of a tall eucalypt

There were many bird calls as we walked in sections of the track, but the vegetation canopy and dense undergrowth gave them good places to hide. We did glimpse a Mountain Thrush running in front of us along the track.

And John managed to capture this beautiful photo of the male Scarlet Robin — John managed to capture this beautiful photo of the male Scarlet Robin

We had lunch on the last wooden bridge before reaching the Erskine Falls Carpark where we had left some cars for our return trip to Blanket Leaf Picnic Ground.

I don’t feel there would be a better dining room in the world!

While we were sitting there enjoying the serenity and peacefulness of this most beautiful spot John drew our attention to a Cranefly that was flying amongst us as we had our lunch

We thank John for his brilliant photography and we also thank Lesley who managed to keep records and update our plant list for the walk.

Walk 26: Lemonade Creek Walk is featured on page 41 in A Guide to Walks in the Great Otway National Park. See Explore Our Walks on Home Page.

Marg MacDonald