The Snowies and Brindabellas,
after the bush fires of the January 2003:
Devastation in the Booth Range, ACT.
On the drive down the Boboyan "Highway", I saw many orphaned kangaroos. (22/2/2003)
As bad as it gets, along the road to Guthega - but these trees will survive. (15/2/2003)
The Lone Pine Trail to the Bimberri Wilderness and - for our trip today (February 22) - to Mount Morgan.
Many animals survived the fires. Now we hope they can survive another week or so until the new grass grows after the rain.
The gully above is home to a grove of Alpine Ash. These trees need bush fire for their seeds to germinate. Without fire they will die out.
Fire breaking rain above Mount Morgan: -35° 44.199' , 148° 46.920', 1874m.
Mt Morgan is due south of the Brindabella Range and is the source of the Goodradigbee River.
The snow grass is fire resistant and so the summit plateau is relatively unscathed.
For those with a sharp eye, the summit region contains numerous aboriginal artifacts.
(22/2/2003)
View from the granite tor that is the Mt Morgan summit, looking east to a stormy Scabby Range.
The foreground shows moss and lichen living together on the rock.
Amazingly, 3 days after the first rain for 4 months, frogs were croaking in the newly replenished Mt Morgan swamps.
A horrible view from Carruthers Peak: -36° 24.595' , 148° 17.425' , 2145m, looking down Lady Northcote's Canyon.
The Geehi canyons all seem completely burned out. Clearly erosion is going to be a big problem.
The Main Range plateau is protected by the natural fire retardants in the snow grass. (15/2/2003)
February 23, 2003.
There have been 734 visitors since 18 January 2007