Prospect Lake & Francis King Park.

Continuing our exploration of all the trails in and around Victoria, yesterday we visited Francis King Park and the adjoining lake, we set of in glorious sunshine and returned in rain but our walk was done mostly in the dry.

 

Prospect Lake, one of the small boat launching areas.  The sunshine part of the day.

 The same willow tree taken from the little pier, looks like hanging gold thread.

 

The park is very easy to get round, the trails are either gravel paths or boardwalk.  This park it seams is a little unusual in that it has more living dead trees than normal. Wen you cut a tree down it dies because of the lack of leaves - no photosynthesis, but here because of the low rainfall in the summer, the roots of the cut tree are taken over by the living ones to give them access to as much water as possible. Here we have a new tree growing up through the cut one.

 This tree has developed a wooden top, according to the information signs its root system is still alive, helping to feeds its neighbours but still getting enough nourishment to stay alive.

 Another tree growing up through the old one and these two are dead, the root sharing system didn't work for these two.

The weather has just turned and starting to get the first drops of rain.

 Rain drops on leaves.

 

Wonderful colours, hard to believe its the middle of November.

 

Another shot of the forest floor and all the different colours.

 

Fascinating tree stump. Time to head home raining slow but steady.