Despite having spent much time walking in the vicinity of Mt Hay, I had never actually been to the top before. I arrived mid-afternoon to find just one other car in the carpark – another green Subaru, which looked to be almost exactly the same vintage as mine! There was also a very fancy, new information board with notes about Butterbox Canyon and several photos by Dave Noble.
And the wildflowers were out! I was surprised by the big difference in variety and abundance compared with our visit to Kanangra last weekend. There were Acacia, Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, Dillwynia, Hibbertia, Eriostemon, Boronia, Epacris, Woollsia, Patersonia, Indigofera, Almaleea and Sprengelia species all with showy displays of flowers, plus many more that I didn’t recognise.
With frequent pauses to photograph and delight in the multitude of flowers, it took me a leisurely hour to reach the top of Mt Hay. The upper slopes are covered in taller shrubs and trees and there is no view from the peak itself. I wandered for a short distance along the flat mountain top, following the track through thick bracken ferns and long grasses, but didn’t have time for a proper explore. However as I descended, the afternoon light became more and more magical, with beams of light filtering through the clouds to illuminate Blue Gum Forest.
As the sun sank lower in the sky the light became even more wonderful, casting a golden glow on the heath-covered hillsides. The Pink Swamp Heath was particularly stunning with its pink and white flowers decorating the sides of the track. The area around Butterbox Point is one of my favourite places in the whole world, and I feel so incredibly lucky to have such beauty on my doorstep.
Gorgeous photos!