Friday 20 January 2006. Leaders were Ern and Lesley Perkins.

Two options were

• a 3 km walk around the lake, an easy walk
• 7 km walk around Lake and up to View Point, a moderate walk.

A group of keen naturalists joined Ern and Lesley on the bus trip to Lake Catani. The trip from Harrietville took approx 1-1½ hours. Ern handed out informative guide notes that outlined the Park’s points of interest. The notes gave an indication of the different ecosystems that could be found along the way at Lake Catani. The Lake is used for canoeing, swimming and provides habitats for water birds.

Walk to View Point. Once we arrived, the group divided into two. One group to walk the distance of approx 7 km. This walk took us around the lake on the north side to join a path onto the View Point pathway. The return was on this track and then on the southern side of the lake. The walk up to the View Point took an hour at a steady pace and up variable inclines. The second group took a more leisurely walk around the lake. Parts of the walk around the lake consisted of rubber matting, boardwalks, tracks and a dirt roadway. The track up to the View Point is rougher and steeper in small parts. It has a boardwalk through the sphagnum bog and various steps along the way. Also along part of this track there is evidence of the fires in 2003 and regeneration taking place. Bark has stripped away from some of the trees leaving bare whitish trunks. In contrast, the surrounding trees show trunks blackened by fire and the silver grey blue regenerated undergrowth. Many of the old logs, from a previous fire, had been burnt again and barely keeping their shape. They appeared to be paper thin and cinderlike in appearance.

At higher elevations. Up on the higher regions there were fascinating shapes of large granite outcrops, Mountain Gums (up to and over a metre in diameter) with stands of flowering Burgan. Up on the top of the scenic viewpoint (a platform on one of the large granite rocks) views could be seen over the Buckland River Valley towards the high plains. Major peaks that could be seen were Mt Bogong, the Fainters, Mt Feathertop and Mt Hotham. Looking in the reverse direction, over the treetops, Lake Catani could be seen in the background.

Plants. Flowering plants along the walk included patches of Orange and Waddell Everlastings, pale Bluebells, pink Trigger Plants, Brachyscomes, Pale Vanilla Lily, Prickly Starwort, Ivy-leaf Goodenia, Creamy Candles, Snow Daisies, Common Fringe-lily, an abundance of Rice Flowers, Dogwood, Shaggy Pea, pink Milkwort, Yam Daisies and Granite Buttercups.

Bladderworts (Fairies Aprons) approximately 10cm high could be seen in the Snowgrass grassland area. At the side of the track towards the end of the walk Cinnamon Bells (Potato Orchids) were found.

The sound of Pied Currawong and a honeyeater could be heard and we managed to see a family of Pacific Black Ducks with 8-10 ducklings waddling off to escape to the water’s edge. Other birdlife spotted around the lake were Great Cormorant, Red Wattlebird, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-faced Heron, Striated Pardalote, Magpie, Scrub-wren and Australasian Grebe.

Great photographic opportunities abounded all along the walk and both groups commented on how much they enjoyed this trip to the View Point and around Lake Catani.  

Marilyn Honeybun

1: Waddell Everlasting.
2: Ivy-leaf Goodenia.