WILD CHERRY.
Wild Cherry is the latest walk in the peninsula Experience. It joins Orange Peel and Eleanor’s Walk and follows the Eastern side of the peninsula overlooking pebble beach and the channel.The views take in magnificent steep treed slopes leading down to the waters of the Channel encompassing a number of islands and the salmon rings of the aquaculture farms. To the North east are cliffs and Roaring beach; to the East the mouth of the Huon River, guarded by Huon island , and beyond Bruny island ; while to the South is the gap between the Southern tip of bruny Island and the east curving tip of mainland Tasmania . The gap leads to Antartica!
Wild Cherry celebrates Exocarpus Cupressiformis which is a parasitic tree, often using eucalyptus as its host. There are a number on this walk and throughout the property. Its little red berries are quite tasty but dont take them as it is its only way to reproduce and they are an important food source for many birds.
It is also known as native cherry and is a member of the Santalaceae family which includes Sandalwood. Being a parasite it sucks the nutrients from its reluctant host, be it a eucalypt or an acacia, but it does give back in the form of shelter and food for the birds.
As indicated in the pictorial maps in the Houses, we recommend walking the peninsula in a clockwise direction as that avoids the uphill on Blue Rope . It does however mean some uphill on Orange Peel and Birdsong but they are not as steep. The return journeys on both Pebble Beach and Seal Rocks are also uphill. You know how it is , for every downhill there must be an uphill . Of course you can be selective and do Blue Rope and Orange Peel on different walks.
