July 1: Mt. Lofty

The Mt. Lofty area is a diverse area with different ecosystems. There are wetlands within this area and they are extremely important. The wetlands improve the water quality and availability, decrease erosion, store carbon within the soil and plants, and offer habitats for various species. 

View from the top of Mt. Lofty

We hiked Mt. Lofty, which was an 8 km trail from Waterfall Gully to the top of the mountain. It took us around 3 hours to hike up and back down. During the hike, I saw different animals and insects- even a kangaroo in the distance! This area provides homes for different animals and it was interesting to see them in the wild.

Elyse and I before the giant hike

There are roughly 27 native species in this region, but unfortunately a couple of them are threatened. The government is working to protect and preserve species such as the Grey-headed Flying Fox. Maintaining the biodiversity is important for the health of the environment and for humans, so different programs are being introduced into the area to help these problems.  One of the citizens mentioned how he used to notice more animals during the hike a couple years ago, but recently it is rare to witness any. He hopes that the new programs will conserve the biodiversity.

Grey-headed Flying Fox from google images

The walk was exhausting, but the view was great. Later this night Elyse’s dad gave us tickets to the football game for my last night in Australia!

At the Port Adelaide VS. Richmond Football game