On Sunday, 23 July I attended a road reopening celebration for the residents of Jamberoo. The closure was inconvenient for locals living above and below the closure. We were blessed with a beautiful winter’s day, and I met a group of people interested in exploring the surroundings of the Ben Ricketts Environmental Preserve.

Before a picnic at midday, we were treated to a walk led by Robert Pallin through the rainforest of the Sassafras Walk. It turns out that Rob is the son of Paddy Pallin who, 90 years ago, created the famous “Paddy Pallin” bushwalkers store that supplies outdoor clothing, hiking and camping gear. So I guess you could say that enjoying the great outdoors is in his blood.

Rob is a fountain of information about the area's history, the trees, Bushcare efforts, wildlife and the three self-contained cabins at Ben Ricketts, where families come to get in touch with nature in the Budderoo National Park and Barren Grounds Reserve.

Rob Pallin welcomes guests at Ben Ricketts celebration picnic.

Rob’s wife, Nancy shares her husband’s passion for nature and wildlife. She enthuses, “The forest on Jamberoo Mountain is a special place for me because of its huge brown barrel eucalypts, rainforests and wealth of animals. At first light, yellow robins call, followed by the songs of lyrebirds. Grey fantails and thornbills flutter around the leaves of the trees feeding on insects and at the same time keeping the plants healthy.”

Nancy and Rob love wandering through the forest, searching for weeds to remove and, at the same time, noticing the droppings of those who passed by during the night. To see the animals, they have placed a motion-sensing, infrared camera in the forest, moving it from place to place to see who did the diggings or left the scats. If you have interest, you can see these videos on the Ben Rickets website: www.benricketts.com.au/stories. “We even had a quoll visit,” Nancy remarked.

Many of the animals are small yet vital to the functioning of the forest. “There are burrows in the creeks indicating the spiny crayfish, and there are snails with strong shells and others with hardly any shell. There are even worms which squirt if you disturb them.” Nancy informs.

A playful Quoll gazes curiously.

Red, yellow, orange, purple, black and white fungi have been marvellous during the recent wet years. Mosses, lichens, and a rich array of ferns clothe tree trunks and rocks. Nancy says, “It is a wonderland to explore.”

Nancy says that she always sleeps deeply and wakes refreshed in this marvellous forest. “It comforts me to know that 90 percent of the property is under a conservation agreement, protecting it for the future,” she says.

The Ben Ricketts community likes to share this special place with others, so you too could stay in one of the three Ben Ricketts cabins – visit the website to explore the options. Make sure that you have time to wander along the marked tracks and listen to the rich bird song, and don’t forget to pack suitable walking shoes!