Meetings and excursions 2022 archive
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December - Visit by Launceston Field Naturalists Club
Proposed itinerary:
Meeting 10:30 AM Saturday 12th at 21 Hawthorn Drive, Kingston (Hawthorn Reserve).
12 noon Blackmans Bay Beach - lunch, then the Blowhole and Mary Knoll Reserve.
2:30 PM Peter Murrell Reserve – Burwood Drive entrance; carpark accessed between 42 and 48 Burwood Drive.
If time permits, Boronia Hill Reserve and/or Boronia Beach.
6:30 PM Snug Tavern for a meal.
9:30 AM Sunday 13th Meet in the main car park at Conningham Beach, Conningham to do the Conningham Clifftop Track.
After that, decide where to have lunch and an activity for those staying on for the afternoon.
Thursday December 1st. 7.15 for 7.30pm - General Meeting
The December General Meeting is traditionally Member’s Night, and we have four knowledgeable members lined up to give short presentations on a variety of topics.
Meetings are held in the University of Tasmania’s Law Seminar Room and access instructions are here https://tasfieldnats.org.au/data/documents/Field-Nats-venueFeb-2022.pdf .
Saturday December 3rd 12pm - Christmas BBQ at Randalls Bay
This year’s Christmas BBQ will be held at Randall’s Bay, and previous club president and life member, Genevieve Gates, will be presented with her well-deserved Australian Natural History Medallion.
The long-range weather forecast looks great for the Christmas BBQ. Randalls Bay, near the mouth of the Huon River, is about an hour’s drive from Hobart. If you are driving along the Channel Highway from Huonville, the turn off to Randalls Bay is on the right, about 15 minutes after Cygnet. At Randalls Bay, the BBQ and toilet facilities are at the western end of the beach. After the BBQ, some members might like to explore the nearby Echo Sugarloaf or do the full Echo Sugarloaf Track circuit which takes about 2 hours, or do the shorter walk on the headland at the western end of the beach.
Memorial service for Hans Wapstra -Sunday December 4th.
Details here.
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th November - Visit by Launceston Field Naturalists Club
The Launceston Field Naturalists Club is having a weekend excursion to the Kingston and Snug area and have been kind enough to invite us along. Saturday will be their formal day with visits to several local reserves. We are also invited to join them for a meal at the Snug Tavern on Saturday night at 6:30. Feel welcome to join us at any stage on the weekend. It will be an excellent opportunity to catch up with like-minded enthusiasts and the first time some of the Field Naturalists Clubs have had a chance to get together since COVID.
See here for program
Thursday November 3rd. 7.15 for 7.30pm - General Meeting,
John Gooderham of the Waterbug Company will present “The Rivers of Southern Tasmania – a Guide to Macro-tourism and Waterbug Watching”.
Saturday November 5th. 10am -Excursion to Mountain River
Following on from John Gooderham’s presentation, he will give us a hands-on introduction to the invertebrates of Mountain River. Meet at the parking site at 10am.
From Hobart, take the Huon Highway to Grove and turn right into Mountain River Road. After about 6 km the road crosses Mountain River. Parking is available on the other side but as it may be limited, having some car-pooling could be useful. It will be about 30 minutes’ drive from Hobart.
Many of us will be helping out in the water so if you are thinking of joining in with sampling, please bring along suitable footwear such as gumboots or waders. To help us identify the waterbugs, we will be using the easy-to-use Waterbug App which is available to be downloaded from the Apple Appstore. John will inform us at the meeting if it is also available on other platforms. Phone reception is poor at Mountain River so please download the App prior to the excursion. Friends and relatives are welcome to join us on excursions.
Thursday October 6th. - General Meeting
Dr David Green from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Science (IMAS) will present:
‘Using seals to study Southern Ocean Ecosystems’.
Here is a map of the venue and instructions to access
Sunday October 9th. Excursion to Little Swanport Reserve
Note slight change to instructions for parking.(See red note below). Meet at parking area at the reserve at 10am.
In 2019 the Tasmanian Land Conservancy protected 150 hectares on the North side of the Little Swanport River https://tasland.org.au/reserves/little-swanport-reserve/ . It is located about halfway between Triabunna and Swansea on the East Coast. From Hobart it is about 1 hour and 40 minutes’ drive (110km) along the Tasman Highway. Travelling northward from Hobart up the Tasman Highway, the bridge over the Little Swanport River is located approximately 20 minutes’ drive (25 kms) north of the township of Triabunna. A little under 1km after crossing the bridge over the Little Swanport River, take the road first left off the Tasman Highway into Bresnehans Road.
About 300 m along Bresnehans Road, turn into a quarry and park there.
The TLC has provided a map showing the reserve, its location, and access. We will meet at 10:00 AM.
See map here: Little Swanport Reserve Visitation Map
Thursday September 1st - General Meeting
Dr Perpetua Turner and Dr Shavawn Donoghue will present "How to win fronds and influence people. A talk about tree ferns in Australian forests".
Saturday September 3rd.- Excursion to Mortimer Bay Track
The Mortimer Bay Track is part of the Tangara Trails that criss-cross the Sandford- South Arm area.
In memory of the passing of TFNC life member Priscilla Park, we will meet at the Priscilla Park
Entrance at the southern end of Gorringes Beach, Mortimer Bay. It is located on Gellibrand Drive,
Sandford, about 30 minutes’ drive from the centre of Hobart. The full circuit is 12 km so it is likely
most members will only do part of it. More information is available from
https://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/places/tangara-trail-mortimer-bay-circuit/ .
Thursday August 4th, 7.15 for 7.30pm - General Meeting
Els Wakefield will present: Albatross in Tasmanian Waters.
Our scheduled presenter unfortunately cannot make it to this week’s General Meeting. We are grateful to Els Wakefield for stepping in at very short notice to help us out. We know her as an acknowledged expert in Tasmanian avian fauna.
Here is a map of the venue and instructions to access
This excursion was cancelled due to poor weather
Saturday August 6th. - Excursion to Waterfall Bay
Meet at 10am in Tasmans Arch carpark.
Tasmans Arch and Waterfall Bay are part of the Tasman National Park near Eaglehawk Neck. It is about a 80 to 90 minute drive from Hobart. As soon as you cross Eaglehawk Neck, turn left onto Blowhole Road towards Penzance, Doo Town, Tasmans Arch and the Tasman Blowhole. After 3 km turn right onto Tasmans Arch Road. We will meet in the Tasmans Arch car park. A pleasant 2 km walk along the Tasman Coastal Trail, a safe clifftop track, leads to the Waterfall Bay lookout. If there has been a good rain in the previous few days, we will find out why it is called Waterfall Bay! Many will want to continue 2 km further around Waterfall Bay to Camp Falls and Waterfall Bluff.
Thursday July 7th.- General Meeting, 7.15 for 7.30pm
Don Knowler will present a talk about Michael Sharland
Don Knowler is a well-known ornithologist and author. Members will be familiar with his On the Wing column which appears weekly in the Sunday Tasmanian. He will present a talk about Michael Sharland, former TFNC president and life member. Michael was Secretary of the Scenery Preservation Board and a widely published author. For decades, his weekly columns on nature, particularly avian fauna, appeared in the Mercury under the name “Peregrine”.
Please note change of presentation.
Saturday July 9th - Excursion to Timbs Track
Several years ago, Timbs Track (also spelled on some maps as Tims Track) in the Florentine Valley was the location of forest protest activities. It features very tall eucalyptus forest with a rainforest understory and at this time of year should have a good display of fungi. The tracks through the forest are not difficult to walk.
How to get there: Timbs Track is on the sealed Strathgordon Road, about 2 hours’ drive from Hobart. Drive towards Strathgordon, past National Park and Maydena, over the high pass between the Needles and Tim Shea, and the track will be found in the broad valley below, located halfway along a particularly long straight. The track signpost and parking are located on the right-hand side of the road. Meet at the carpark at 10am.
Back-up plan for bad weather: If the weather forecast is for the west of the State to be wet but reasonable in the east, the excursion will instead go to Waterfall Bay near Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula. Such a change in plan will be notified by Wednesday night 6th July at the latest.
Thursday June 2nd.- General Meeting
Ian Jenkinson will present: ‘Maintaining grassy woodland threatened with sheoak invasion – results of a BACI experiment.’
Venue: University’s Sandy Bay campus Law Building Seminar Room (Room 132), located off Grosvenor Crescent near the University sports grounds. The entrance is located off the laneway on the northern side of the building.
Sunday June 5th 2022 - Betsey Island excursion
Please note changed instructions posted 31/5/22. See details here
Following the cancellation of last year’s Betsey Island excursion due to bad weather, another trip has been organised.
Thursday 5th. May - General Meeting
Presentation: Sue Robinson will bring us up to date on the Cat Eradication Program.
Sunday 8th. May - Excursion to Queen's Domain
Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick will lead an excursion to examine the grassland communities of the Queen's Domain Hobart. Meet for a 10am start at the carpark at the very top of the Domain. 3 km walk approx. finishing at 1pm. Everyone should wear masks and sturdy shoes.
April - No Monthly Excursion
Due to the Easter Camp at Tullah later in April, the next monthly excursion will be in May.
TFNC 2022 Easter Excursion at Tullah
Attending the Easter excursion? Please take a Rapid Antigen Test before leaving home to ensure you are negative.
Printable version of these notes with maps included
15th – 17th April 2022
Tullah Lakeside Lodge, 56 Farrell St, Tullah (Ph 03 6473 4121)
The start time on Easter Friday 15th April is 1:45 PM. If the weather is fine, we will meet in the Tullah Lakeside Lodge carpark. If the weather is poor, we will meet in the Lodge’s restaurant/bar area.
Contacts
If you are going to be late for the start of an event or if you become disoriented and need help, please call the people below. Please note that some parts of the West Coast do not have mobile phone coverage and some destinations will be outside of mobile coverage.
Eddie Gall 0429 417 980
Annabel Carle 0438 548 813
Itinerary
While the official part of the excursion goes from 1:45 PM Friday to 1:00 PM Sunday, some members will arrive at Tullah Lakeside Lodge on Wednesday evening. They will be having an unofficial excursion on Thursday. Any member in the area is welcome to join them. Similarly, some members are remaining at the Lodge after the official part of the excursion concludes. It is likely they will also organise some unofficial excursions for the following days, and these will be decided on during the excursion.
Please note that the following itinerary is subject to weather conditions. If the weather is poor, we will organise alternative destinations suitable for the conditions.
Thursday 14th April 9:00 AM – Unofficial day excursion to Montezuma Falls
Meet in the car park of the Lodge at 9:00 AM. We will then drive to Williamsford. The falls are 11.5 km return walk along an old tram track. This takes about 3 hours at a normal walking pace.
Friday 15th April 1:45 PM – Official Excursion Briefing
If the weather is fine, we will all meet and have a pre-excursion briefing in the car park of the Tullah Lakeside Lodge. If the weather is poor, we will meet in the restaurant/bar area.
Friday 15th April 2:00 PM – Afternoon Excursion
Depending on weather, options include the Mt Farrell Track (lower part), the Murchison Dam area and the Mackintosh Dam area.
Friday 15th April After Dinner
Keith Corbett will give an introduction to the geology of the area. This is likely to be in the sheltered area outside the bar/restaurant area.
Saturday 16th April 9:00 AM – Excursion to Queenstown area
Please bring your lunch with you. With the size of our group, Queenstown cafes and takeaways would become crowded and slow to serve. If you don’t bring your lunch making material with you, the night before you can order a cut lunch from the Tullah Lakeside Lodge for $18.
On the way to Queenstown there are sites of geological and scenic interest on the Anthony Road. If necessary, on the way through Queenstown we will be able to pick up something for lunch. From here, the locations visited will combine interesting forests, fungi, insects, history, and geology. Possible locations include: the Confluence Track; the Harris Reward old gold mine and Garfield Track; and the Jukes Propriety Mine Tunnel (if you go inside, its dry and safe; good torches are essential and hard hats advisable). Remember to fill up your petrol tank on the way back to Tullah because many service stations will be closed on Sunday.
Sunday 17th April 9:00 AM – Excursion to Vale of Belvoir
The Vale of Belvoir is on the Cradle Mountain Link Road, also called the Belvoir Rd, about 30 minutes from Tullah. For those heading back to Hobart, it takes that time off returning if you go back via Sheffield, Elizabeth Town, and Campbell Town. It is a unique limestone valley with grassland and rainforest owned by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. You will need to bring your lunch with you.
Sunday 17th April 1:00 PM – Official Excursion concludes at Vale of Belvoir
Monday 18th April – Another Unofficial excursion may be organised
Anyone staying longer on the West Coast may wish to organise further excursions.
Easter Camp 2022, April 15-17 at Tullah
The TFNC Easter Camp 2022 will be held at Tullah on the West Coast and will be centered on Tullah Lakeside Lodge.
The official part of the camp will be for two nights, Friday 15th April to Sunday 17th April 2022. Some members intend to arrive a day or two early and intend to stay on for a day or two longer. You are welcome to join them.
For more information about the Easter Camp, please read on here...
Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm - General Meeting
Award presentation: At this meeting we will have the pleasure of presenting the Victorian Entomological
Society’s Le Souëf Memorial Award to Kristi Ellingsen and Tony Daley.
Kristi will follow this with the presentation “Alert not Alarmed - Improving the Public Perception of Insects”.
If you missed the meeting you can enjoy Kristi's presentation: “Alert not Alarmed - Improving the Public Perception of Insects” here.
Thursday 3 March, 7.30pm - Annual General Meeting
Venue: UTAS Law Seminar Room
Agenda
- Attendance
- Apologies
- Minutes of the 2021 AGM
- President’s Address - “The Hole in the Donut”, a presentation about an infrequently visited yet spectacular part of Tasmania.
- Treasurer’s Report
- Secretary’s Report
- Election of Office Bearers and general committee members
- Election of Auditor
Only members with paid up subscriptions can vote at the Annual General Meeting.
Masks must be worn (speakers excepted) and have evidence of ‘up-to-date vaccination status’.
Members will be notified if changing circumstances caused by COVID health and safety concerns require changes to the Annual General Meeting. (Current protocols here.)
It will be followed by a short general meeting.
Call for nominations for office bearers and nomination form here Nominations must be received by February 21st.
Saturday 5 March - excursion to Port Huon to Geeveston walkway
Meet at Port Huon at 10:00 AM
Port Huon is about a 50 minutes’ drive from Hobart. We will park at the Port Huon Sports and Aquatic Centre which does not operate on Saturdays. Turn left opposite the Kermandie Hotel, towards the marina. Almost immediately, turn right into the short, winding road that leads to the blue Port Huon Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The recently constructed path leads from the centre down to follow the estuary of the Kermandie River. There is a new, elevated walkway over saline sedgeland. After 500 m the track enters forest dominated by Eucalyptus ovata. For those wanting to walk further, the track goes along a footpath beside the highway and then returns to the Kermandie River, reaching Geeveston after 4 km.
General meeting Thursday 3rd. February cancelled
The committee has decided that with the current peak of infection, spreading COVID represents a
significant risk and consequently the February General Meeting has been cancelled.
Excursion Saturday 5th February
Old Convict Road, Orford, meet on site at 10am
Orford is a 70-minute drive from Hobart. At Orford, cross the bridge over the Prosser River and 100
metres past the bridge, turn left into Old Convict Road and find a parking place. As the Old Convict
Road follows an old aboriginal track, there will be two layers of history as well as estuary and
bushland habitats. We are outdoors so wearing masks will be optional, but members should be able
to show evidence of being fully vaccinated. COVID safety guidelines will be followed.