Orchids galore near Captains Flat and Mangarlowe : March 23 2026

The road trip did not start out the best way. Had a rattling noise going on - stopped a little out of town to check. A loose plate under the car touching the road. Googled a garage to get help

Was an easy fix - cable ties work better than plastic clips. Put the day's action an hour back. The plan for the day is to meet a friend to share orchids at Captains Flat

Rolling hills to start on a sealed road. Fulled up in Cooma - another higher price for fuel itching closer to $3 a litre. Sealed road after Cooma was just 7 kms - then a gravel road with corrugations galore

Was not sure where I was meeting my friend other than Tallaganda NP. No signage did not help - was hoping to find my friend on roadside. Got to Captains Flat where she lives. Called - track back a few kms. Park up and walk in for the promise of midge orchids

Christina has scouted a few while she waited for me - corunastylis clivicola - a first for me

Next up shows a labellum with hairy edges to the labellum - probably corunastylis oligathes - a few steps from the others - also a first for me

It all comes down to hairy edges - corunastylis oliganthes probably

In the grassy areas were some eriochilus orchids - probably Parson's Bands orchids

Not sure of ID - probably eriochilus cucullatus - need to study the shots in details as there are two others that grow this high

Probably corunastylis oligathes

Side on of the eriochilus - just starting to seed

Decide time - oliganthes vs clivicola - I am no help as it is day one for me from my house

Scrubby low bush is the locale - there has been some rain but no evidence on the ground - just in the orchids pushing up

Now this is a huge clue. Typically the leaf for eriochilus cucullatus disappears at flowering - this suggest eriochilus magenteus - altitude is right. Leaf is right. Timing is right. Colour is not a deciding factor- white or pink

Australian bluebell

Alpine daisy. My friend has been working on how to propagate it from seed - no success yet

Next orchid up flowering is corunastylis cornuta. My friend had found a few. By following where water runs we found a lot more

More cornuta

Photo of my host

Fab spider

One last corunastylis cornuta

We went for a drive down another road following a tip from a mushroom foraging friend

Ladies tresses

Spiranthes australis

Fab mushrooms

These are good for hypertension taken in moderation

The road to my next stop

Fab views down to the Shoalhaven River

Shoalhaven River

One last stop - eriochilus cucullatus in Mangarlowe cemetery

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Daily Activity, Photowalking

Height 183 cm		Weight 90 kg		Body Fat %
Waist cm		Thighs cm		Chest cm