A journey around Derby - the influence of the humble fungi
/Having just arrived in Derby, and with rain on the way, we were keen to get out on the trails to find our flow, the classic Kingswall loop was on the cards. There were four in our crew and we were riding at our own pace up the Stig Track, taking in the stunning surroundings. As we snaked our way up the hill, we made it into the damp and dark forest, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed something red. Everything else were shades of brown or green so I stopped to take a closer look. Two stunning red mushrooms stood there at the base of the tree. Pictures were taken and the ride continued. Little did I know, this would be a significant first encounter. Don’t you worry, we really enjoyed the Kingswall descent and as we dropped back into town, as it just started to rain.
The next morning we woke up and it was still raining, not light rain, proper heavy rain. Out the window of the cabin we would see the Ringarooma River was up and the puddles were massive. Sometimes you just need to listen to mother nature, stay inside and enjoy a book.
Our third day was intended to be the iconic Blue Tier and Atlas loop, alas with over 200mm of rain up on the Blue Tier, the trail was closed and Black Stump shuttles with Vertigo MTB were on the cards. After runs on Return to Sender and Air ya Garn we decided to take on the Dam Busters loop. As we rode around the dam, the vegetation became a little dryer and there they were, more mushrooms. This time they were brown and a little harder to spot. I wasn’t the only one to have my eye out, now my wife Claire was also there taking pictures of mushrooms. The game was on, we were taking time to work on our composition and see who could get the coolest mushroom of the day.
Day four was going to be an epic, the Bay of Fires trail, from the Blue Tier all the way to St Helens. The trail is brilliant, and we really appreciated the variations as you made your way down to the coast from the sub-alpine terrain of the Blue Tier plateau. Did I mention how good some of those massive diving berms were? Anyway, I thought I was going to have my work cut out to find some mushrooms, but it really meant I just needed to look carefully. The day was long and as we all ended up riding out our own pace again. The exchanges went something like this whenever either Claire or I were stopped.
Rider: “Are you right?”
Photographer: “Yeah, I just found a mushroom?”
“Best time to view fungi on the Blue Tier is from autumn to mid-winter. Most of the species may be found growing beside the many walking tracks - many are no further away from the edges of drivable roadsides. We have found the tracks to Mt. Michael and Halls Falls particularly rich in fungal life.”
Our last day in Derby was going to be another classic, Krushka’s. Today was all too easy, there were mushrooms everywhere! We could even up our game, combining riders or massive rocks with mushrooms. Even the majestic Big Mama had a variety of mushrooms growing around her trunk. It was this special location that turned out to be a focus of a game of mushroom snap via Instagram.
It’s now clear that my trip to Derby has had a lasting influence, I now notice fungi. Whether it’s walking with the kids or rides around Canberra, they sometimes take longer as I check out these amazing little guys.
Disclaimer: I only take photos of fungi, especially as there are some out there that are deadly and I frequently see death cap mushrooms on my daily commute!
People should not pick or eat wild mushrooms in Tasmania. There are many types of poisonous mushrooms that grow in Tasmania and there is no easy way to tell the difference between a poisonous mushroom and an edible one. Cooking, soaking, peeling or drying poisonous mushrooms does not make them safe to eat.