Werakata Farewell to Hunter Valley in Flowers : September 18 2022

It was a big night. Chef did not eat enough and was not keen to get out of bed. Our guest left early. Chef kept sleeping. Did get up to cook breakfast - one for my wife and one for me. Got the phone call from the night before. Is it OK to go for the orchid walk you promised? Of course. It will fix the small headache

My guests are new to the area and they love orchids. I took them to Werakata SCA as I knew we would find orchids off track - caladenia catenata.

This one with tinge of pink

My guest, Karen, spotted this cymbidium orchid in a fork no more than two foot above the ground - new to me too

Seed capsule from last season

Right there was this bearded orchid

Closer up shows the basal glands - calochilus robertsonii

Close up - did find a few more

The detail is just fab and light was perfect

I just love it sharing slices of bush showing off orchids with new fans

Dosera everywhere - did not see any fly eating

Pink form of caldenia catenata - there were a lot

Front on of a bearded orchid - can just see the basal glands of calochilus robertsonii

Caladenia with carmine bands - probably a carnea - catenata hybrid - no bands on the labellum

Close up

This one shows the green column but a slice of pink - probably catenata

Mini version of boronia

More pink and with the green column - had to check every one of hundreds

More bearded orchids - was just fab to have 3 pairs of eyes looking for orchids

Close up - calochilus robertsonii

Drove around to other side of Werakata SCA to see if I could find donkey orchids - success

Golden donkey orchid - diuris aurea

Eagle eyes saw this as we drove by. It helped that I knew where to look

A pair

For me this is the sign of summer breaking. I was really excited to show my guests, my special Hunter Valley corners

The last photo captures the hard part of the weekend. We had a fabulous farewell party. I shared my Hunter Valley secrets with new friends. I dumped 20 years of memories in a skip. More than that. On the top is a trunk used when my mother came by ship from England to South Africa in 1948. It is the trunk I used when I went to boarding school in 1969 and university in 1976. Its service is done - 75 years of service in our family.

Was an emotional drive home.

Dinner: Stir fried rice with few bits not cooked in the grand reprise

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Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking