Mt Richardson

Mt Richardson is an Easy day's tramp under anyone's grading system. It sounded ideal when Honora suggested we tag along on this club trip. Other times I might prefer something more adventurous. However I'd been just a bit frazzled by the past few weeks build up to Graduation the day before, so I needed a nice mellow leg stretch with some nice friendly easy going people.

Just two car loads headed off from the meeting place at the Carlton Service Station. Alice Yung came along with us. I'd known Alice for quite a while but we hadn't been along on the same tramp before now. The other car had Andrew and Stephen (Stick) Nichols, John Shrewsbury and Andrew McCain. Jeff Rogers met us at the Glentui carpark.

The day was sunny but a bit cool. That worked out ideal for the stroll up through beech forest on Mt Richardson.

I walked with the two Andrews and 'Stick'. They were keen to get to the view so we got there 10 minutes ahead of the others.

Honora walked up with Alice, John & Jeff and we all met at the trig just on lunch time.

There was a cool breeze blowing from the west. So shelter was preferred over view for our lunch spot. We stopped and nestled down in the tussock at the bush edge just 50 m beyond the trig.

After lunch Jeff headed back down the way we'd come up.

We carried on along the ridge to complete the loop via the bypass track.

This is the best part of the tramp as the vegetation changes and the views open out, with the snowy ranges to the west and the green plains in the east.

The beech trees along the ridge are gnarled and wizened and the ground is dry and dusty shattered rock with little soil.

Further on there are only old whitened trunks of long dead beech trees standing up here and there among low scrub and short tussock grasses.

This was all forest covered until thirty years ago when a fire unleashed by carelessness swept through, destroying it all.

Sadly, with beech's slow reclamation rate it'll likely be several hundred years before it's entirely covered in beech forest again.

A little further along we turned off the ridge and the track brought us back into the forest again. The air was warm and sweet with the smell of honeydew as we descended to the valley.

We were back at the cars at 2.30 pm.

Someone suggested driving into Oxford for afternoon tea.  We found a cafe there with outdoor tables.

That made for a very pleasant finish to a really enjoyable day. It was a good walk with continuous friendly conversation right through.