A walk with a thrill at Munibung Hill
Words and pictures by Marion Lugg, Lake Macquarie Landcare Volunteer Network (LMLVN) Chair.
MUNIBUNG HILL RISES from several different suburbs, and three Landcare sites are on or at the base of it. After visiting the north eastern Landcare site recently, I realised I’d found a manageable, but badly eroded route up the hill, and went back a couple of weeks later to make the climb – something I’ve wanted to do for years.
As I walked through the Lucilla Ridge Landcare site, I was quite thrilled to see three clumps of what I think was Long-flowered Mistletoe Dendrophthoe vitellina, a native that favours open eucalypt forests.
I haven’t seen native Mistletoe growing in its natural habitat before! What a find! Its fallen flowers alerted me to its presence.
On reaching the top, and exploring the area near the northern telecom towers, the views, which are spectacular, were not the only delights on my way to the top.
Turpentines, Syncarpia glomulifera, were a surprise as the walk became more exposed, since they are more typically found near rainforest or wet sclerophyll forest. But the standout for me was finding several Bottlebrush Grass Trees Xanthorrhoea macronema, including this one (see photo below) still partly in bud at the top of the hill.
The Bottlebrush Grass Tree is not rare, but it’s not exactly common either, so seeing half a dozen on my way to the top was definitely unexpected.
It was so disappointing to find this unusual mix of native vegetation marred by heavy infestations of invasive weeds! Two in particular – Pampas Grass Cortaderia selloana and Formosa Lily Lilium formosanum – are a serious problem and out of control. These weeds can find their way uphill because they have light, wind-born seeds and these two fit that description perfectly.
Sadly, there appears to be very limited weed management, and I wondered what was possible on such steep slopes and especially the cliff overhang where Pampas Grass infestations have become established.
Three Landcare sites hug the base of the hill, but none are higher up, and most of the higher areas wouldn’t be feasible for even the keenest Landcarer!
I later discovered that Lake Mac Council has an overall Management Plan for Munibung Hill, finalised in March 2022, after I’d been told that work has in fact been started on the Pampas Grass there, and more work is planned.
I also read recently that a drone is being used to treat Pampas Grass in the Hunter Wetlands. What a great idea if it could be used here!
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Walking and chalking up a threesome
Three walks* in one could be a way to describe this outing by Hunter Walkers.
THE WEATHER FORECAST was for a partly cloudy day with a maximum temperature of 24 degrees. With only the slight chance of a shower and light winds, it’s what you’d call a great day for walking. And chalking up a threesome plus.
“I always love the view from the hilltop looking over the Lake and surrounding hills,” says walk leader with Hunter Walkers, John Robertson, in his note to prospective walkers prior to the day. “Views down the Lake all the way to Swansea as well as westward to the Watagan Ranges.”
“Sadly there are a lot of invasive plants like the Formosa Lily, Coolatai Grass and of course Lantana.”
And a word of caution: “Be careful on parts of the ridge track where erosion has made walking more difficult,” John concludes.
The when and where: Wednesday, November 20, starting at Speers Point car-park, difficulty is Medium, estimated length 7 kilometres, walking sticks may be helpful and the finish time, midday. “Oh, and a BYO cuppa as we take in the views from the top of the Hill.”
It’s little wonder there is no shortage of takers for this Munibung Hill morning outing. And so it was that …. turned out on the day. The map and photos tell the story.
To have completed this combination of three walks in one, is to have chalked up what few others do when they visit Munibung Hill. Visitors may well do one or two, but rarely three in one go.
Wantalong (Wattle Tree) Walk – Munibung Hill Conservation Society
Songline Heritage Walk – Munibung Hill Conservation Society
Gondwana Rainforest Walk – Munibung Hill Conservation Society
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A vote for traffic at Munibung Hill – foot traffic
We are constantly crossing paths with people who say: Guess what? ‘We went for a walk up Munibung Hill yesterday’ or ‘…on the weekend.’ ‘We really enjoyed it’ and ‘You’re right, the views are fantastic.’
MANY OF THESE PEOPLE are first time (or first time for a long time) walkers who, being so impressed, put Munibung Hill on their walking agenda, making her a place of interest worthy of revisiting.
Invariably there are comments about the state of the tracks from the north east side – the fact that they are so badly eroded as to be hazardous. Yet in spite of this, the end result is worth the effort, especially for those who are younger and fitter.
In the end, it all adds up, to once again being a vote FOR Munibung Hill as a place to conserve and protect, as a common community space. And a vote for PEDESTRIANISM that’s been subsumed by TRAFFICISM. So what’s with this particular ISM that has fallen out of our vernacular?
There are any number of isms … ageism, Buddhism, colonialism, elitism, hedonism, idealism, materialism, racism, sexism, tokenism and even truism. But where is pedestrianism? It doesn’t seem to rank a mention these days. We would suggest it ought to be afforded greater status, something to be adopted and practised – made at least equal to trafficism. When we talk about the traffic being heavy or light we are actually talking about their being a lot or a few drivers on the roads, making up the collective traffic.
If being a walker is being a part of pedestrianism, then being a vehicle driver is being a part of trafficism.
The history of pedestrianism has a much longer lineage than trafficism. It is worth noting that it was more than just a means of getting around, going from place to place, it was an activity equal to a sport. See Wikipedia history entry here.
Give the pedestrian right of way. Make pedestrianism something to be proud of.
We need to ensure that Munibung Hill, not only retains her pedestrian status, but becomes one of the most desirable pedestrian destinations in the Lake Macquarie LGA.
A Pedestrian Festival, that celebrates all things legs and walks, with all the descriptors we have used to express this most basic means of getting from A to B, focusing our attention on the benefits of being a pedestrian, could be held in Lake Mac with the focus on Munibung Hill.
Sauntering, meandering, plodding, roaming, strolling, wandering, wayfaring, rambling, galivanting, trudging, moseying, toddling, all under the category of pedestrianising our neighbourhoods. Giving them back to foot traffic as the preferred means for humans to engage in naturalising the place they occupy in the catchment they reside within – a part of, not apart from, country, in keeping with indigenous ways of knowing where we’ve come from and where we’re heading in the future.
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Weaving, wellbeing and walking
At first glance and without a second thought the image that comes to mind is weaving textiles into a rug or weaving cane into a basket.
PERHAPS THERE’S ANOTHER way to look at weaving. The idea of weaving some walking into our weekly routines or more vegies into our weekly meal plan or, let the imagination wander and we might discover a richer meaning for the ‘weaving’ word.
‘Wellbeing can feel like something else that you need to think about, make time for or spend money on. At Space to Breathe we believe wellbeing should be weaved into your everyday life and it’s about knowing what helps you to be well, to flourish and to make consistent time for that,’ says this poster at https://spacetobreatheuk.com/stories/2021/6/10/how-do-you-weave-wellbeing-into-everyday-life
Try 6-6-6 walking routine to stay fit, improve wellbeing
https://www.healthshots.com/fitness/staying-fit/6-6-6-walking-routine/
… From Issue #47, Dec 24 – Jan 25