Fungi of the Mt Burr forest

In an attempt to get out into beautiful nature, I visited the Mt Burr forest last week. This patch of forest is only about 8km from my home.

I was looking for the elusive ghost mushrooms which glow in the dark at night. I did find a few, but they were a little worse for wear, but in hindsight I still should have taken photos of them! Darn hindsight! I did capture lots of other interesting specimens of fungi on the forest floor.

Ghost mushrooms are quite the drawcard in our area, with self and tour guided night walks through the forest near Mount Gambier. It has featured on The Living Room on TEN, and as recent as this week, being visited by Cosi for South Aussie with Cosi on Channel 9. We did the self guided tour last year as a family, and it is worth rugging up for. Don't forget your torch!

The forest is so peaceful during the day, the echoing chirp of birds and the crackling of the forest underfoot. Looking forward to bringing the kids back during the night, to see if we can see any of the glow in the dark ghost mushies.

On top of the world

I was here back in January when the girls and I hitched a ride in Brett's truck into the forest.

This time the kids stayed home with Brett while I ventured back out there. I picked up Jake on the way. It was good to spend some time with him, it was a bit like old times, just me and him going on drives. Kicking myself now I didn't take some photos of my son while I was out there. 

I was surprised he actually knew which way to go home, passing the Millicent Golf Club and onto the Mt Burr road. I forget, how cluey he actually is. Maybe it's because he might have been one too many times hooning in the forest with his mates. Probably the latter. 

I've been spending a lot more time with him since his mental health diagnosis. I am more or less his carer, making sure he takes his meds and goes to appointments. He is finally getting support from counsellors and organisation like MIND, which is a load off me. 

I wasn't really happy with the photos, as when I got home there was a shadow on the photos, so I had to edit out the shadow. Must have been a bit of sand of something on the mirror. I have hopefully cleaned it and fixed the problem. It's happened once before.

It was amazing to look out over the land, to see town from up high. To see the sandhills on the horizon. To be on par with Mount Muirhead, when usually we are looking up to it from town. My uncle says it's the only landmark he can see when out on the deep ocean in the boat.

It's quite peaceful out here too.

I needed some time out from the kids, and the house. Brett had gotten back from a camping trip the day before and I wasted no time in flying out the door that morning, on my own. Even though I did take my son with me, and I wasn't alone recharging my batteries, my soul felt replenished. I felt the fresh air wash through me and for that morning everything was alright in my world. 

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Hitching a ride up the hill

I took the photo above with my phone yesterday. Another one of those times when my camera was sitting at home and I was wishing I had brought it with me.

You can't see it very well, but on top of that hill, in between the hay stacks, is a tv tower. 

As a trucky, Brett's carts chip from forests all over the region. Last week the chipper was operating at the top of the tv tower hill. Being so close to home, the girls and I hitched a ride for one run into the forest. It was pretty cool, and something completely different for the girls in the school holidays.

I wasn't leaving my camera home for that.

I sat up front, and the girls sat in the sleeper cab. They got pull down on the horn a few times. 

I never forget growing up in a small forestry town, with trucks rattling past the house all day. Us kids would stand out the front, with our fists in the air, furiously pumping our arms at the drivers, for a horn blast. What fun that was.

There was a spectacular view from the top of the hill, one that isn't visible when the pines are there. I am going back on a clear day to try to capture it better. 

A friend who grew up rambling through these forests on his motor bike, commented on the weekend, that I'd better do it now, as when they replant and the trees grow, that view will be harder to see.

I could see all of the wind towers, a great view of town, and Mount Muirhead looked like an ant hill compared to the mountain it looks from town.

Besides the views, the other thing that was uber cool was seeing how they move the chipper. It was a big remote control unit. 

It was amazing to see the operater standing beside it with his remote control and this monstrous beast, which I expected to be bigger actually, moving on it's own. Amazing!

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