Karen and I do a lot of walking when we are away either in the caravan or overseas. We are also members of our local Mornington Peninsula Australian Plants Society group who regularly take walks in nearby areas. Recently we joined in to take a walk at Red Hill in the Endeavour Fern Gully. The walk is about 2 kms and can be done in 30-45 minutes if you don’t stop to look at the plants along the way (but we always do). It’s an area of significant indigenous vegetation controlled by the National Trust.

The walk starts with a descent through Eucalyptus trees and other shrubs.

At the lowest point there is a boardwalk

through a section of two types of ferns, soft tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) and rough tree fern (Cyathea australis). Both are spectacular.

The trail is well sign-boarded. Although our group has some very knowledgable people in it, seeing information rather than hearing it can be better.

The area is also home to lots of Australian native fauna. Sadly we didn’t see a sugar glider, even though they are described on one of the information boards, as they are nocturnal.

As the walk continued, now on gravel, we noticed more Eucalyptus obliqua (Messmate Stringybark)

as well as creepers and sedges (Gahnia sieberiana in the next photo)

This Clematis microphylla (Old Man’s Beard) was very distinctive.

At another low point there was another stretch of boardwalk.

The trail ascended again and soon we were back at the beginning, ready for afternoon tea. Here’s an overview map of the trail.

Endeavour Fern Gully is a very manageable walk and one of many hidden gems on the Mornington Peninsula.