June 2023 - takara limuna and Shag Bay

Eight of us rocked up for an easy walk from Lindisfarne around the Clarence Foreshore Trail To Gielston Bay and from there onto the new takara limuna (SheOak Walk) in the Bedlam Walls Reserve. Kat, Philip, Wayne, Gerwyn, Di, Fin, Angie and Caroline were today's keen walkers. It was a lovely day, warm enough, sunny and dry :)

We parked at The Esplanade, near Beltana Park, and set off at about 10.10am. The Foreshore Trail is a very pleasant, wide and well made shared pathway. When it is not right on the waterline it is meandering through a park or quiet residential streets. At the Gielston Bay playground we regrouped (and changed clothing layers), set off over the little bridge, turned left and entered the Bedlam Walls Reserve.

The path here is still shared (pedestrians and riders) but here it is narrow and unsealed. As it was a Sunday, the trail was quite busy with dog walkers and MTBers. Soon we came to the brand new takara limuna section. The signage is excellent and the new paths and carvings are expressive and artistic.

You can get a really good sense of how the original inhabitants lived and enjoyed life here.

Meanwhile inquisitive strangers are carefully kept away from the more sensitive areas. There is a friendly firepit for the local community to gather around for ceremonies.

Near here we found a beautiful example of a sprawling E. viminalis (Gerwyn's favourite tree).

The 1889 book "The Useful Native Plants of Tasmania" records that common names included White Gum or Swamp Gum of Tasmania, Manna Gum, Grey Gum, Blue Gum and Drooping Gum. It also states that "From the bark of this tree a kind of manna exudes. It is a crumbly white substance, of a very pleasant, sweet taste, and much in request by the aborigines".

We continued on down into peaceful little Shag Bay and made sure we reached the little bridge across the creek at the top of the bay.

On the way back, Angie and Fin showed us a source rock - an igneous intrusion into the predominant sandstone that was used by the aborigines to chip off stone tools. Pretty special.

Then it was a pleasant stroll back along the way we had come.

Back at Lindisfarne by 1pm, we enjoyed a very pleasant lunch sitting outside in the sun at Currency Cafe (it was originally a local bank branch). They have quite a varied menu and good coffee. Thanks everyone for another beautiful day on the trail. The total walk was about 11 km, and we took about 2h 45mins in total.