"Nothofagus gunnii. Decidious beech. Small
yellow leaves with deep veins dividing the leaf into fourteen distinct
segments. The only Australian native deciduous plant, it looks vibrant and
spectacular across the alpine slopes of Cradle Mountain and Crater Lake in the
autumn. The small yellow leaf contrasting against the white crystalline snow on
to which it had fallen was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. So she
thought as she lay there on the damp ground, with autumn flakes floating down
around her. "
This is the opening paragraph of my short story "Nothofagus Gunnii Snow Fall" which is about a woman who has fallen and injured herself while bush walking.
Last Sunday I spent the day wandering around Lake Hanson and the Twisted Lakes at Cradle Mountain. The fagus is just beginning to turn. In another two weeks, the slopes of the mountain will be covered in patches of yellow and orange. It is truly spectacular. Many people make it an annual pilgrimage to travel to either Cradle Mountain or Mt Field National Park to see the "turning of the fagus." I am blessed to live close enough to visit quite frequently whenever my itchy feet insist.
Cradle Mountain viewed from the east and reflected in one of the Twisted Lakes.
