Wildflowers - Mount Barney
Welcome to the Wildflowers Mount Barney Lodge gallery. This gallery is a collection of images of wildflowers from mountainous areas around Mt. Barney Lodge.
Mt. Barney Lodge is a special place, nestled in scenic countryside at the base of Mt. Barney, in rural south west Queensland, Australia. It is well worth a visit; check out their website. It is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Innes and Tracey Larkin, who took over the reins when Innes' parents retired. They offer a range of accommodation to suit all budgets, as well as camping, bush and nature appreciation activities, and guided walks and mountaineering. We hope this gallery increases your enjoyment of the natural scenic wonders of the area.
From a geological perspective, the mountains in the area were formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. After surrounding rock was eroded away over eons of time, hard residual iron-containing rock has formed the mountains. There are several National Parks in the area, comprising Mt Barney, Mt. Gillies, Mt. Maroon, Mt. Ernest, and Mt. Lindsay. Further west and north are more peaks including Mt. Barlow, Mt. Superbus, and Minnage's Peak. Please see the video that shows the panorama (Innes as narrator and photgrapher). Mostly this area is untouched and offers a range of habitat and significant biodiversity. It links with the Mt. Warning area further to the south as part of what is known as the "Green Cauldron".
Innes and I have been walking and climbing in the area over the last eight years. Over this time, we have done more than most in the area: we have climbed main peak Mt. Barney five times, West Peak twice, Mt. Maroon three times, and on two occasions have climbed Minnage's Peak and Mt. Barlow on the north side of the Mt. Barney complex. A day on Mt. Ernest was well spent, admiring the views and white basalt rock structure. Along the way, we have ranged far and wide in the hills, exploring rivers and waterfalls, and have enjoyed camping out in rustic locations. Recently we tackle Isolated Peak, via Tom Tum, which for us was a tough fourteen hour day. The Portals, Upper and Lower, are lovely locations and relatively accessible especially for those who are not "bush hardened". There is a diversity of habitat, which is extremely dependent on altitude and rainfall. The three main zones are Eucalypt Forest, Rainforest, and Mountain Top, and each zone is host to specific flowers.
Through Mt. Barney Lodge we have met some wonderful people, including Mr. and Mrs. Larkin Snr., Innes' parents. Dad, in his sixties, did the first Mt. Barlow trek with us, and blew us away with his fitness. Innes' lovely wife Tracey is a delightful companion on a bush walk, and a real gun when it comes to wildflowers. Be sure to sample her delectable home-made fruit cake, as well as a range of local chutneys and pickles available through the office at Mt. Barney Lodge. We particularly would like to remember the late "Panther", Innes' scoutmaster. Panther passed in 2010 and was an inspiration to all bushwalkers. I first met Panther when, well into his seventies, he was guiding a group of fit young ladies up the Logan's Ridge approach to Mt. Barney.
In the field, Innes has taught us useful skills: bushcraft, bush navigation, and, importantly, abseiling, a necessary skill if you ever want to get down from some areas, especially from the top of Isolated Peak - where we found ourselves recently. Innes himself is a tower of strength and ability. He is an amazing technical climber, who is called upon whenever rescues must be made on the mountains. Since my first venture, alone into the hills, where I took the wrong turn at Rum Jungle and ended up a bit worse for wear on West Peak instead of East Peak of Mt. Barney, I have engaged Innes to guide us, and would not go into the hills without him.
We have increasingly developed our interest in wildflower photography, and with this has come a change in purpose for our expeditions. Along the way, we have upgraded our cameras from point and shoot, to the Nikon range D80, D 7000, and just recently the fabulous D 800. A tripod is a necessary piece of gear to hold the camera as still as possible. We do not disturb the flower for photographs, so the images are as you would see the flower in the field. We have assembled a gallery of our flower images for all to enjoy. These images are not copyrighted, on the principle that flowers belong to all. They are not intended for commercial purposes. If the reader choses to borrow an image, please credit the source. The gallery will continually evolve, given the flexibility of the smugmug format. We a planning to produce a laminated guide to wildflower identification for bushwalkers to carry with them, and perhaps also an app for mobile phones. We are keen amateur Botanists, and there will be some flowers we cannot name, or others where we have got it wrong, but this is part of the learning process and we would value input from viewers.
We must acknowledge the splendid work by the authors of "Mangroves To Mountains" and the recent edition which has helped us enormously in identification of the flowers. The recent edition is a superb reference work, though I prefer the first edition in the field, as it is lighter to carry in my pack!
If you have comments or suggestions, please contact Innes at innes AT mtbarneylodge.com.au. You can also access bushwalking and climbing commentary via the Mt Barney Lodge website.
Enjoy, and we hope to see you soon on the mountain.
Roger Welch.
September, 2012.
Read MoreMt. Barney Lodge is a special place, nestled in scenic countryside at the base of Mt. Barney, in rural south west Queensland, Australia. It is well worth a visit; check out their website. It is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Innes and Tracey Larkin, who took over the reins when Innes' parents retired. They offer a range of accommodation to suit all budgets, as well as camping, bush and nature appreciation activities, and guided walks and mountaineering. We hope this gallery increases your enjoyment of the natural scenic wonders of the area.
From a geological perspective, the mountains in the area were formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. After surrounding rock was eroded away over eons of time, hard residual iron-containing rock has formed the mountains. There are several National Parks in the area, comprising Mt Barney, Mt. Gillies, Mt. Maroon, Mt. Ernest, and Mt. Lindsay. Further west and north are more peaks including Mt. Barlow, Mt. Superbus, and Minnage's Peak. Please see the video that shows the panorama (Innes as narrator and photgrapher). Mostly this area is untouched and offers a range of habitat and significant biodiversity. It links with the Mt. Warning area further to the south as part of what is known as the "Green Cauldron".
Innes and I have been walking and climbing in the area over the last eight years. Over this time, we have done more than most in the area: we have climbed main peak Mt. Barney five times, West Peak twice, Mt. Maroon three times, and on two occasions have climbed Minnage's Peak and Mt. Barlow on the north side of the Mt. Barney complex. A day on Mt. Ernest was well spent, admiring the views and white basalt rock structure. Along the way, we have ranged far and wide in the hills, exploring rivers and waterfalls, and have enjoyed camping out in rustic locations. Recently we tackle Isolated Peak, via Tom Tum, which for us was a tough fourteen hour day. The Portals, Upper and Lower, are lovely locations and relatively accessible especially for those who are not "bush hardened". There is a diversity of habitat, which is extremely dependent on altitude and rainfall. The three main zones are Eucalypt Forest, Rainforest, and Mountain Top, and each zone is host to specific flowers.
Through Mt. Barney Lodge we have met some wonderful people, including Mr. and Mrs. Larkin Snr., Innes' parents. Dad, in his sixties, did the first Mt. Barlow trek with us, and blew us away with his fitness. Innes' lovely wife Tracey is a delightful companion on a bush walk, and a real gun when it comes to wildflowers. Be sure to sample her delectable home-made fruit cake, as well as a range of local chutneys and pickles available through the office at Mt. Barney Lodge. We particularly would like to remember the late "Panther", Innes' scoutmaster. Panther passed in 2010 and was an inspiration to all bushwalkers. I first met Panther when, well into his seventies, he was guiding a group of fit young ladies up the Logan's Ridge approach to Mt. Barney.
In the field, Innes has taught us useful skills: bushcraft, bush navigation, and, importantly, abseiling, a necessary skill if you ever want to get down from some areas, especially from the top of Isolated Peak - where we found ourselves recently. Innes himself is a tower of strength and ability. He is an amazing technical climber, who is called upon whenever rescues must be made on the mountains. Since my first venture, alone into the hills, where I took the wrong turn at Rum Jungle and ended up a bit worse for wear on West Peak instead of East Peak of Mt. Barney, I have engaged Innes to guide us, and would not go into the hills without him.
We have increasingly developed our interest in wildflower photography, and with this has come a change in purpose for our expeditions. Along the way, we have upgraded our cameras from point and shoot, to the Nikon range D80, D 7000, and just recently the fabulous D 800. A tripod is a necessary piece of gear to hold the camera as still as possible. We do not disturb the flower for photographs, so the images are as you would see the flower in the field. We have assembled a gallery of our flower images for all to enjoy. These images are not copyrighted, on the principle that flowers belong to all. They are not intended for commercial purposes. If the reader choses to borrow an image, please credit the source. The gallery will continually evolve, given the flexibility of the smugmug format. We a planning to produce a laminated guide to wildflower identification for bushwalkers to carry with them, and perhaps also an app for mobile phones. We are keen amateur Botanists, and there will be some flowers we cannot name, or others where we have got it wrong, but this is part of the learning process and we would value input from viewers.
We must acknowledge the splendid work by the authors of "Mangroves To Mountains" and the recent edition which has helped us enormously in identification of the flowers. The recent edition is a superb reference work, though I prefer the first edition in the field, as it is lighter to carry in my pack!
If you have comments or suggestions, please contact Innes at innes AT mtbarneylodge.com.au. You can also access bushwalking and climbing commentary via the Mt Barney Lodge website.
Enjoy, and we hope to see you soon on the mountain.
Roger Welch.
September, 2012.
A low rambler, the " Goodenia rotundifolia" with characteristic flattened leaves with scuptured edges.
