  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| The start of the walk 
		signpost, just a short walk from the Mt Rosea car park | 
		I like photographing these 
		signs going up and back to see how long we took. | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| 100m in we see the track 
		joining us from the Sundial car park. | 
		Initially the track is 
		quite easy to walk | 
		Amazingly we catch sight 
		of an orchid, they mainly grow at the base of big old gum trees. | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| A bird 
		orchid - didn't expect that! | 
		  | 
		 | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| If memory serves me, this 
		is the start of the old "Giant Staircase" path to the top.  We went 
		the new way. | 
		  | 
		We wondered if that was 
		our target for the day - Mt Rosea? | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		Track junction | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| Someone had time to play | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		Fairies Aprons - I thought 
		it would to dry for these today | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| Perhaps Tower Hill in the 
		distance | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		As you climb, scenic views 
		come into sight | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| Another orchid, a bit late 
		for this Greenhood. Pterostylis
		
		macilentus we thought. | 
		Flower close-up | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		Yellow markers show you the 
		way in rocky parts of the track | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| Tower Hill again | 
		The track gets more 
		interesting - giant boulders loom overhead. | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		| 2 stone people standing 
		guard | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		| A Caladenia as well.  
		This is becoming an orchid outing | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		Nice day, means lots of 
		lizards lazing around the rocks | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		| Real mountain views start 
		to appear as we walk | 
		  | 
		Lake Bellfield comes into 
		view | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		| Lake Bellfield in the 
		distance | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		| More rock caverns to 
		clamber through | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		A Bird Orchid bud - only 
		one found | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		The views are becoming 
		more breathtaking as you get higher | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		Another orchid - Caladenia 
		alpina | 
		Mountain Caps - close-up | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		The metal bridge across the 
		chasm called the "Gate of the east wind" | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		   | 
		
		
		  | 
		   | 
	
	
		| Nice drop below - happy to 
		use the bridge | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		Another orchid - well a 
		leaf of one.  Flowering in a couple of months | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		Amazing rock formations | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		  | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		Track to the top | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		The top.  The old 
		Toposcope has been recycled into a modern stand.   | 
		  | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		|   | 
		The look out, now to turn 
		for home | 
		Oh boy - another orchid 
		find | 
	
	
		
		
		   | 
		   | 
		   | 
	
	
		| 
		
		Pterostylis 
		
		macilentus,  
		or | 
		
		
		Grampians Leafy Greenhood | 
		A Bronze cap orchid | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| Bronze cap orchid - 
		close-up | 
		A Sun Orchid - still open.
		
		Rabbit Ears Sun Orchid | 
		Caladenia carnea. Perhaps | 
	
	
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
		
		
		  | 
	
	
		| Close-up | 
		Photographing the orchids | 
		Walk done - 7.5 hours |