Snow gums and fires
Submitted: Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 12:41
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Andrew
28 C in
Melbourne and not a cloud in the sky - makes you think of the mountains. It is around this time that the mountains start to lose all that white cold stuff and look inviting again. One of of the
places that I love is Blue Rag. The air is brisk, the terrain wonderful and on a clear day the mountain tops stretch for what seems an eternity. It is a very spiritual experience - invigorating and refreshing and makes you wonder why we live in the city.
Last time we were at Blue Rag was about four weeks after the fires. The landscape was completely changed - it was eerie and forboding and left me with a feeling of unease. The snowgums, previously so beautiful in life, with their colored trunks and soft canopy above us were now black and charred. There were some shoots coming out of the bottom at ground level but that was all.
What can we expect nearly one year on? Will they only regrow from ground level or will they shoot again from their burnt bows. I hope that soon we can get back to the mountains and I hope that spring will bring good news on my favorite place.
Andrew
Reply By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 13:15
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 13:15
Hi Andrew,
Your mountains will be beautiful again, mother nature has a wonderful way of healing herself, and lets hope it's a long time before we see fires like those again. We live 15 mins from
the Summit of Mt Macedon, which was devestated by fire during the Ash Wednesday fires. The Mt. is beautiful again, it takes time, but like the add says 'it does happen'.
cheers and enjoy the day, it's grand!
Lyn [Mrs. Al]Laugh alot..life's too short not to....
Memorial Cross - Mt Macedon Vic
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Follow Up By: Andrew - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 14:29
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 14:29
Yeh Ma
I know it will happen but somewhere I heard that it might take the snowgums 100 years to regenerate. I don't think I have got that long.... I believe that the Mountain Ash regenerate fasta that Snow Gums. Keep looking after Mt Macedon Mother Nature. LOL
Andrew
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 14:56
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 14:56
Blue Rag sounds like a plan this year, it was speccie two years agoLaterally Literal
Seriously Cerebral
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Follow Up By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 15:49
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 15:49
Ma indeed!...lol...
Plenty of snowgums up here Andrew...
cheers
MaLaugh alot..life's too short not to....
Memorial Cross - Mt Macedon Vic
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:19
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:19
Ma....hehehehe careful Andrew, Ma amongst the snowgums heheheheLaterally Literal
Seriously Cerebral
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Follow Up By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:26
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:26
and what's wrong with ? hmmmm?Laugh alot..life's too short not to....
Memorial Cross - Mt Macedon Vic
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Follow Up By: Andrew - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:42
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:42
Remember Mrs McGillicutty from Hey Hey. She moved to near Mount Macedon - I've been thinking...... are they one and the same. Lyn McGillicutty sounds like it could be her real name
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Follow Up By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:48
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:48
Watch it you!!...lol..
[cheers by the way, I'm sure that one is going to stick...and no....I don't belong to, and never had belonged to the McGillicutty family....and I certainly don't look like her....haaha]Laugh alot..life's too short not to....
Memorial Cross - Mt Macedon Vic
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Follow Up By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:59
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 16:59
it was a case of mistaken identity..!!! lolLaugh alot..life's too short not to....
Memorial Cross - Mt Macedon Vic
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Follow Up By: soldierboy - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 17:30
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 17:30
you might just be on to something there.
lyn mcgil(AL)cuddy.love you long time lol
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Follow Up By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 17:42
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 17:42
Last bottle of Glayva I buy you!!
MaLaugh alot..life's too short not to....
Memorial Cross - Mt Macedon Vic
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Reply By: diamond(bendigo) - Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 20:35
Saturday, Oct 18, 2003 at 20:35
no need to be like that now lololololol.
of course you will in two weeksback bye popular
demand lolol
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Reply By: dock - Sunday, Oct 19, 2003 at 10:54
Sunday, Oct 19, 2003 at 10:54
Snowgums or White Sallee,have a root system called a lignotuber that stores food and shoots to allow survival should the top of the plant be damaged or destroyed .This could be because of fire,grazing or a large snowfall. Most Eucalypts have this facility but is most highly devoloped in those in extreme environments i.e.snowgums and mallee's (hence a mallee root.) These roots can weigh 100's of kilos and be 100's of years old.Those snowgums of Blue Rag will regrow in time but those that suffered the most intense heat will most likely lose their limbs.Having been up the high country a couple of times since the fires it is incredible the amount of regrowth that is ocurring but is random and depends on how hot it got.One side of a
hill can be devestated while the other looks as if it has had a controlled burn.Having said all that it is well worth going back at various times to witness the changes as those fires are a once in a lifetime experience (I hope!).
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Follow Up By: Andrew - Sunday, Oct 19, 2003 at 16:50
Sunday, Oct 19, 2003 at 16:50
Fantastic reply. Good to have someone intelligent replying....... not that Mrs McGillalcutty is not intellingent but she is ....... quaint.
Andrew
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Follow Up By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Monday, Oct 20, 2003 at 13:28
Monday, Oct 20, 2003 at 13:28
QUAINT!!! that's a firstLaugh alot..life's too short not to....
Memorial Cross - Mt Macedon Vic
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Follow Up By: Andrew - Monday, Oct 20, 2003 at 18:54
Monday, Oct 20, 2003 at 18:54
Sorry Ma - I meant queer
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Reply By: Member - Colin (ACT region) - Monday, Oct 20, 2003 at 11:52
Monday, Oct 20, 2003 at 11:52
We did a short walk in mountains near Tidbinbilla (ACT) on Sunday - its been months since the fires went through here and there are large areas which only have about 1 in 100 Euc. tree
survival (my guess)!! The fire must have been so hot - there is virtually nothing growing. Fortunately there are small patches where the fire didn't reach.
It is strange walking in the bush when its like this - very quite, no birds, and trees which look like match sticks.
I imagine these areas wont recover in my lifetime!
Also the ACT has strict water restrictions in force (as a result of the fires) because even though it has rained, the water is not clean enough for human consumption
Subaru Forester
size isn't everything !
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