Mount Wilson Sleeps

Never say never. Yet another trip to Mount Wilson in an attempt to drain every last drop of beauty from the Autumn season. First of all Carolyn put my rainbow umbrella to good use.

Colour At Mt. Wilson

A fourth visit to Mt. Wilson this year and each time there is something of beauty to impress. The colour has left the main avenues but there are still intense colours to be found along the side streets and in all the gardens. The red and white mushroom (Amanita muscaria) which grow almost exclusively beneath pine trees are still dotted through the pine needles along the roadsides and in the private gardens. 

We discovered a new location in Breenhold Gardens which is perhaps the most impressive of any location I've seen in all the years I've visited. Two contrasting stone pathways meander from the wisteria arbour down towards the lower level. Named the Acer and Laburnum steps they are created of slate stones and festooned with a myriad of tiny maple shaped leaves. The sunlight radiates through the rich golden and orange branches creating a shimmering dappled light which illuminates the carpeted steps and ornate bench. 

 The Laburnum Steps

The Acer Steps 

The Autumn colours lend themselves beautifully to Impressionist interpretations

To Exeter And Back

Memories of the beautiful colour last year in Exeter had me hoping to catch the last of the Autumn colour. Although a reasonably long drive, many interesting locations can be visited en route: Moss Vale, Mittagong, Bowral, Berrima and Sutton Forest to name a few. Sutton Forest has some magnificent horse studs and the driveways are usually gravel and lined with trees. Unfortunately the poplars were well past their best, but the drive was still worthwhile.
Whenever I'm 'out and about' I always receive an unexpected bonus. The bonus today was some young lambs frolicking after their mums. Unfortunately sheep seem to be easily spooked and ewes and lambs ran off before I could grab an interesting shot of a tiny young lamb.

The Lure Of The Red Mushroom

Was drawn back to Mt. Wilson to try yet again to capture the beauty of the red mushrooms with white spots. I was also hoping that there may have been some deeper colour in what was left of the leaves after the recent deluge which hit parts of NSW.  These large red mushrooms have intrigued me since being introduced to them in childhood fictional tales such as "Noddy and Big Ears".  Perhaps their greatest fascination stems from having lived in an imaginary world fuelled by  bedtime stories read by my mum, where these mushrooms sheltered wee folk.

  Wikipedia describes the mushrooms:

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a mushroom and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, associating with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare.

  This year the mushrooms could even be seen along the roadside and beneath the trees in Cathedral Reserve.

We knew however to return to Breenhold Private Gardens . 

 I felt I would have guaranteed success for my hunt beneath the gigantic chestnut tree in Breenhold and I wasn't disappointed. The tree is located in a sheltered corner near the front fence.

 Sadly all of the chestnuts had fallen and deteriorated and the colour had passed its peak but it is still indeed a magnificent tree and I doubt any photo could do it justice.

Searching For Signs Of Autumn

It's always difficult to gauge the best time for a visit to Mt. Wilson in the Blue Mountains. Too early and all is green, too late and all is on the ground. Mt. Wilson is one of the most scenic locations during the Autumn, however being about a 2 hour drive from home, not the sort of place suitable for regular trips. Our first trip was a little too early this year. Although there were pockets of colour, strangely enough many leaves had already fallen and lay brown on the ground. The large chestnut tree in Breenhold Gardens had already shed many of its chestnuts and they lay rotting on the ground beneath. 

We were however rewarded for out trip when we discovered the large red mushrooms with white spots. I'd located these the previous year after following directions from the Breenhold gardener and had not been pleased with the shots I captured, so we were lucky to have another opportunity.

Some enormous samples littered the ground beneath both the pine avenue and the chestnut tree which kept us occupied for a long period.

We visited the Cathedral Of Ferns but were unable to walk very far as it was very muddy underfoot.

ANZAC Autumn

Not able to make the dawn service this year I decided to head to Mt. Wilson for my own contemplation. As luck would have it, the weather alternated between fog and rain. Fog produces amazing atmosphere but the constant drizzle had made the fallen leaves a skating rink. My childhood holidays were spent breathing the invigorating mountain air and striding along paths to lookouts. There was an aura of excitement when surrounded by so much natural beauty, and of course, a child's life is carefree. I yearn for the mountains of my youth, unlike today's tourist mecca. I should have known better than to attempt a visit during such a popular time but I'll know better next time and ensure I arrive before dawn and leave before the first onslaught of visitors. The fog created an otherworldly atmosphere with many of the trees looking as though they belonged in some prehistoric landscape.

In spite of the noise and colour pollution created by the picnickers, I still enjoyed my rambles and was able to rejoice in reasonable solitude once again in Breenhold Gardens as I'd done the previous year in almost identical conditions. The bonus this year was the fog and a chance encounter with the gardener. He divulged the location of some giant red spotted toadstools beneath the chestnut and pine trees. Toadstools are something I'd not yet captured successfully so I'm guessing this was Nature's bounty for the day. As I explored beneath the giant chestnut tree and uncovered toadstools of all shapes and sizes, childhood memories of Noddy and Big Ears surfaced. 

How I yearned to experience living in a cosy little toadstool or midst the roots of cavernous trees. To be able to emerge with the fairies at night. I often think longingly of those days before political correctness soured childhood perceptions, and I am thankful that I experienced a safe, free childhood and that my memories allow me to relive those moments with incredible clarity.

Autumn Days in the Blue Mountains

I decided to risk the predicted inclement weather and visit a number of Blue Mountain locations. My main aim was to avoid the tourists and large crowds, so I planned on arriving at Katoomba for the rising of the sun. Although the sunrise was less than spectacular, there were only a handful of people until about 8.30 a.m and better still, the parking meters are not functional until 9.00 a.m.

Mt. Wilson

By the time I reached Mt. Wilson it was raining intermittently, so while the light was better, it is always somewhat challenging to shoot while holding a camera in one hand and an umbrella in the other. One stroke of luck - there are a number of private gardens at Mt. Wilson, renowned for its Autumn colours. One of them, Breenhold Gardens, is extensive and as luck would have it,  due to the poor weather, there was no admission charge. On a return trip I will ensure that I take a map in order to spend more time here and plan my route.

I'm still working on images taken on this trip. Im afraid they've been pushed way to the end of the priority pile.