Golden Doneky Orchids from a KNP train/bike ride : October 15 2025

In a busy season as investing markets I am focused on explode - rare earths, antimony, uranium, nuclear tech. Makes for busy mornings and finding excuses not to go cycling.

Dragged myself out after lunch to catch the train with the bike and rode into the National Park. Looking for a few spring orchids. First orchid is a seeding bearded orchid - hard to ID but going to guess copper bearded orchid based on the yellow beard remnants

Did see quite a few plants on the road verge. Not the grassy verge but the sandy gravelled bit right next to the road - two in frame here

Rode down to visitor centre and turned back to check a known spot for onion orchids. Found donkey orchids instead. Looks like I got here in time - only top flower going with the ones below seeding

Stopped under the big powerlines ti check on a waratah tree I saw last time. It is in the open and grown very tall - just up in the blue is one flower. It is the NSW State flower

Lambertia formosa starting to show all over - good light for this photo

Had not seen the bug when I took this pea flower photo. No doubt it was what nibbled the right hand petal

A green bug - hard to focus on a narrow subject but the colours are worth it

Milk maids aplenty - burchardia umbrellata

Dyanella time

Next open orchid of the day - red bearded orchid - calochilus paludosus

Tape coming out the bottom of the labellum is the distinctive feature of this bearded orchid

Tne little orange pea flowers herald spring too - one off flower for the first shot

Tear drop flower (my name) twins. Also a tough photo change to get something in focus

Purple kunzea also heralds spring

Grey spider grevillea. My friend calls them woolly spiders - name fits better

Parked the bike and walked down the Chase Trail - a side track - expecting to find donkey orchids - a few growing in the middle of the track

A few close up. Orchid looks like it jas donkey ears and it is golden yellow - hence its English name - golden donkey orchid

A few differences in speckling

Diuris aurea

Now for a bit of photo challenge work. Where to focus. The art to get something in focus

Top left is in focus

And for a three version of the orange pea flower right down on the ground. One flower is in focus and not the one I expected

Ride done - chose to ride back a few stations further than I did on the way out. Was good to get out in the open and not bother with traffic

Super hero jersey was seen on the train. Too bad the cyclist did not check in the mirror to see if the collar was set right

Dinner: Cooked a shredded chicken pasta dish. Shredded was not the design. It is what happens when one uses leftover roast chicken. Washed down with probably the best Australian Chardonnay from Lakes Folly in the Hunter Valley

This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

Cycling, Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking

Height 183.0 cm		Weight 90.0 kg		Body Fat %
Waist cm		Thighs cm		Chest cm