How many seasons in one day?

Warning: There are about 40 photos in this.

Overnight leading in to 16 May the wind howled in Halls Gap, banging a branch on the roof under which we were staying.  I still got a fair nights sleep, as did Frances.  When the day got light - talking about sunrise would be giving what was going on a little the best of it - we had a visitor on the lawn. 

A view from the centre of the town carpark.  You will note it wasn't raining: but the sky isn't blue.

There were a lot of Laughing Kookaburras around the campground.  This one had just extracted a longish (15cm) worm but I missed the image.

I was shocked to  find the rock here is sandstone, as I expect that to be brown rather than grey.  It does of course explain the erosion effect in the landscape.  

The next few images are of the walk to the Baths of Venus.  A good start as there isn't much uphill in it.

There has been a lot of work done in this area as evidenced by the very good quality of the pavers on the track.  This made me think about how many tourists must visit the area in peak times, and feel very smug about choosing a non-peak period to visit!

There are the baths themselves.  I suspect Venus didn't like a deep bath!  We did contemplate how impressive the creek would be in a very rainy period.

My hoped for bird was Long-billed Corella as they are rare in Canberra and unrecorded in Mallacoota.  A flock of ~20 was found in the town centre as we finished the walk.

This Rainbow(with) Serpent is in the main drag!

An Acacia : will be loaded to iNaturalist for ID (if possible from this image).

A Hakea (ibid).

We weaved our way to the Mackenzie Falls area.  The road was quite interesting in being narrow and fairly twisty: those familiar with the Gorges du Verdun and surrounding area would be quite at home here.  We noted with some surprise that there were quite a lot of cars in the car park (but space for many more).  It must be a zoo at peak times.

Our first site to be visited was the Broken Falls a level 1km walk from the car park (the relationship between the various sites is depicted in a later image).  A very attractive fall.

Heading back towards the car park we came across the Cranage Lookout.  This was close to the site of a sawmill set up by a Mr Cranage, a timber getter in the early days and presumably enabled him to spot good timber.  The main Mackenzie Falls are visible below.

The signage at the top of the track to the base of the Falls used the word "strenuous" a coupe of times.  A later sign mentioned 260 steps.  Both correct.  Here is a person sensible enough to bring her stick and wear a raincoat descending a few of the steps.  There is a lot of work - highly skilled at that - gone into this track.

Some views of the falls from close up.

WE extended the walk a little towards the Fish Falls with a nice view of the river and back towards the main falls.

When we got to these interesting steps we noticed that they would increase the number of stepd to ascend on the way back and bailed out.

The walk up was enhanced by some rain.  After a pause at the car for a drink we went for a stroll to view the falls from a lookout.  A few Correas were in evidence (and flower) along the way..

This is the view from the lookout.

I have added a few labels to show how the various bits relate.

Getting back to the car the rain was coming down again.  We headed back towards town and turned off to the Reed lookout and the Balconies.  The lookout had wide views, probable explaining why there was a fire tower there, but not particularly photogenic.  We headed out on the balconies walk, passing some interesting eroded areas.  I suspect these might actually be the balconies.

This specimen has been confirmed by iNaturalist as Monotoca scoparia.  It is the heath that flowers through Winter.

At the end of the track the lookout is quite spectacular.

I was struck by these hoodoos across the valley.  Why spend all the money to go to the Bungle-bungles?

Again heading back towards town we turned on to the Silverband Rd, pausing at the Sundial car park to walk out to the Lakeview Lookout.  There were lots of this plant along the track which we got to Persoonia sp.  iNaturalist has come to the party with Stenanthera pinifolia which is correct on checking with Flora of Victoria.

As we got close to the lookout there were more eroded rocks, including this strangelt eroded one.  Must the rock most likely to fall soon!

Here is the view, first looking slightly North ....

.. and then over the Lake which is we thought more of a dam.  The story is here.

We had no idea on this plant.  iNaturalist has made it Callitris rhomboidea which is correct.

Our final stop was at the Silverband Falls.  Indeed a sliver band!  For most of the walk from the car park the water is flowing under the rock but there was a small flow at the Falls themselves.

Back to Tandara Rd and Emus were evident.

Our accommodation was called Banksia Cottage.

Our evening meal was a product of the Tastes of Punjab restaurant (very pleasant Rogan Josh and Tandoori chicken) and a Dark Vader stout from Paper Scissors Rock brewery in the town centre.