A walk on the wild side

With the Smalls off school my blogging time is much diminished but I have lots of things I want to tell you and show you. Not sure how I am going to fit it all in...

 

Anyway, firstly we have been back to the Millennium Forest to make more footprints. This time with the help of some friends. The girls did this one with the most wonderful wire bird painted by Tall Girl.

And here's the boys...

Next I want to tell you about a walk we did at the weekend: three families together. We went down the track beyond the bell stone and out into the wilderness.

You pop out of the eucalyptus forest into a weird scrub land. In the summer the ground here is dust, almost ash, but now, when there has been quite a lot of rain, it is sticky slime covered in low growing plants.

 

As always the ocean is only a shear-drop-over-a-cliff away.

The middle of the island was shrouded in mist but we stayed dry all afternoon.

The Smalls had a great time getting very muddy.

 This is known as creaper

and has the most beautiful flowers.

 

 

Sadly a lot has died back in the recent drought (now mercifully over) but it is producing tiny green shoots again.

And some red ones.

This is a St Helena indigenous plant (not unique to here but has been here since before people interfered). It is called the ice plant and has the weirdest texture.

The leaves are covered in moisture and it feels a bit like a tongue, except it is cold.

Quite gross really!

Awesome lichen...

 



and worrying wildlife. This beastie is about 10cm long.

 

 

 

 These two peaks are where the track goes. The nearer one is called Little Stone Top, and the farther is Great Stone Top. They were too far for a bank holiday stroll.

But we found a great vantage point on top of a little hill and admired the views: back towards the barn and flagstaff.

 And towards the central peaks.

Then we had a picnic snack. Always welcome!

 

And contemplated the walk back - uphill almost all the way...

Ooo I do like a good walk.

xx