Tuesday, 29 September 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 : URIARRA FOREST : Blue Range Hut - Sherwood Homestead - 9 kms return


My friend, Pam, suggested we walk in Uriarra Forest to see the daffodil grove at Sherwood Homestead.
A 45 minute drive from home to Uriarra then a dirt road to Blue Range Hut.
A wombat scampered across the road and a wallaby grazed by the roadside as we drew near the hut.


A well-marked path


We set off from Blue Range Camp, which was established as an Italian internment camp during WW2. They burnt timber to create charcoal for transport fuel for the war effort.


As novice orienteerers we found the markers well spaced.


Most of the track was on dirt road, so accessible for cyclists as well.


Morning tea break


Native wildflowers and spring shoots



Nearing the homestead


Walking into the Sherwood Homestead site


The property was established in the 1860s by English immigrants, the Phillips family. A very remote site by a small stream.
Eliza brought acorns and seeds and planted trees and daffodils, naming their homestead, Sherwood, after Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest.


The original homestead which burnt down in bushfires after the family left Uriarra in 1922



We were a little late for a full display but appreciated the last few blooms. Some cyclists told us it was worth returning in May when the whole area is transformed with autumnal colours.


The 150 year old oak tree planted by Eliza



A leisurely lunch in the sunshine



We slowly ambled back to Blue Range Hut
A fascinating day of history and stories


M



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