Forty
Foot Falls: Mittagong is a town on the Southern highlands, south of
Sydney. There are a number of National Parks and other reserves close to the
town. Mount Alexandra Reserve is on the outskirts of Mittagong and is
administered by the local council. Within the Reserve there are many walking
tracks and bulges at the seams with many interesting native plants. The Box
Vale Track is on the western side of the Reserve. We recently (January 2001)
walked to the Forty Foot Falls along a well-maintained track. Plenty of
Waratahs (Telopea speciosissima) were growing along the track. They
usually flower in late spring but there was no evidence of spent flowers or
fruits on the plants we saw. Banksia spinulosa (Hairpin Banksia) were
common in the area with some tall specimens growing beside the track. These
plants were carrying spent flowers heads and seed-carrying cones. Large clumps
of a Cassinia (Asteraceae family) were growing under the eucalypt
canopy. This medium shrub had large heads of bright yellow flowers. A species
with great horticultural potential. A short steep track leads from a lookout
platform to the base of Forty Foot Falls. There is a large cave behind the
falls. The photograph is a view through the water from the cave.