Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

ANCIENT LANDSCAPE
As you walk through the colossal sand dunes near Swan Lake, on Discovery Bay,
you will pass flat beds of grey soil that have been exposed by the moving sand.
These are actually the remains of ash from local volcanic eruptions that happened
more than 5000 yeas ago. Middens of shells and flint chips, found near these
deposits and along the clifftops, show that Gunditjmara Aboriginal people were
living in this area over 11,000 years ago. If you happen to come across one of these
middens, don’t disturb it.
© Nicole Patience | Shutterstock
Halfway along Discovery Bay I have the choice of continuing on the coastal trail
or heading inland; I choose the latter, and am soon surrounded by massive gum
trees and the fabulous flora of Mt Richmond National Park, where one minute I’m
staring up at two koalas in a eucalyptus tree, the next spotting a flock of New
Holland honeyeaters feasting on the enormous flowering spikes of grass trees. As